Author: karan

My sister is having a helluva time deciding between Medicine and Dentistry. Factors favour each differently, with Med having the edge at the moment. One of her main concerns with Medicine, though, is that it will take such a long time – it’ll be approximately 12 to 13 years before she’s fully qualified, either as an independent GP or a specialist. Dentistry, on the other hand, takes less time, but the factor of which city is also in the mix – Melbourne is a lot more familiar, and all the trappings with that would smooth life.

So which to choose? I’d not be wanting to make that decision either, with all the questions she’s put up.

One thing, however, that she’s been putting up as a factor against choosing Med – the length of time – is something that’s got me thinking. What’s the rush, I ask? What is it, ultimately, that we are here for? The convention amongst “our generation” seems to be get through university with a degree and be working by 23, to live a templated life, reaching milestones as set by our peers. Why should the prospect of an extended learning process to qualify for a highly specialised and highly valued career path be something that we fear for the time it will take out of “life”?

The question I ask is: What else have you got planned?

It’s not really appropriate for me to say that an extended learning process is ok, though, because I’m one of the ultimate examples of exactly the opposite. But I still ask: what’s the rush?