How Dating A Med Student Changed My Career In 3 Ways
Many people believe that dating a doctor — future doctor in this case — means that you’re guaranteed to be part of a lifestyle of success and wealth. One percent of individuals on the planet become medical doctors because medicine is such a challenging field to go into.
Her ambitions made me work harder at my own goals, both in my career and my hobbies. Medical students are constantly under pressure and stress. They work harder than most people to succeed in a field that demands attention because it could be the difference between life or death for some patients.
Being close to someone who works hard will wear off on you. You’ll find yourself watching them study for 12 hour days and wonder why you dedicated your day to watching Netflix or scrolling on social media.
1. I became more driven to succeed in my job.
Since medical school is my girlfriend’s full-time job, her work ethic made me question how hard I was working at my own goals. I’m not in the field of medicine. I work in the newsroom.
Before my job in the newsroom, I worked in public relations for nonprofit clients and I was lazy about my work. Not lazy like a horrible employee, but I did just enough to get by.
I saw how hard she worked at being better than just getting by and it pushed me to do more. I got certified in Google Analytics, I paid for some online graphic design classes and I crafted my writing and communication skills because her work ethic wore off on me. I felt lazy when I hung around her all day and she’d be studying hard while I took naps.
I wasn’t the kind of person who wanted to focus on enhancing my career a lot — and neither was she really — but seeing her struggle in school for her dreams made me look into getting a better job and to start freelancing for more money and experience. When she was deciding what field of medicine she wanted to go into (pediatrics, dermatology, etc.) I was deciding where I wanted to fit in at a new company.
I had always doubted if I could really make it in a newsroom. I began applying to a ton of news companies and somehow landed a job with a top tier one. I really wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get by at such a prestigious newsgroup. However, I surprised myself by doing one better. I excelled. I loved my change in career choice and I thrived in the pressure I once feared.
2. I stepped out of my comfort zone more.
Even the smartest med students question their ability in the classroom and the hospital. So did I, but in my life. I wondered if I could do something like write a press release or speak on TV. After seeing my girlfriend question whether or not she was supposed to be in medical school (which happened a lot) it made me question whether or not I had put barriers up in my life.
I never tried to write for a publication before because I always thought that I needed to enhance my writing skills first. After spending time enhancing my skills, I still found myself hesitant to write for blogs or magazines.
One day in the middle of my girlfriend’s first year, I saw her go to her first practical examination and take someone’s blood pressure in a practical. It was something she had only read about how to do. She was nervous, but she did it very well. This was the day I decided to change my life and try to do things that I was on the fence about.
I tried to write for every online publication or newspaper that would accept an article. Many rejected me. It was freeing to know I put my best work out there and didn’t hold myself back.
Nowadays, I apply this method to anything that I want to pursue. You never know how good you are at something until you give it a chance.
3. I enlarged my career goals.
Before meeting her, I had small career goals. Make money, drive a nice car and live in a decent apartment. Nobody needs a lot of ambition to do these three things.
After watching her work so hard and explain to me how she desires to change peoples’ lives and the world, it made me reconsider my goals.
I wanted to change the world. I wanted to impact peoples’ lives. I can’t do it through medicine. How can I change the world through writing?
Well, first I educated myself in the field. I obtained a master’s degree in writing. Another thing that I wouldn’t have been able to do without her support.
Next, I took advantage of my spot in the field of journalism. I soaked up everything I learned in the newsroom like a sponge. Just like when my girlfriend is in a lecture or practical, we both tried to obtain all of the knowledge in the world and quench our thirst for information.
Last, I made clear-cut goals. It sounds simple, but I didn’t actually have real goals, to begin with. The goals I did have were laughable. I only have one life and the goals I had included me doing nothing in the best years of it.
Having small, indistinguishable goals will keep you in a tiny box inside of your mind. Expanding your goals gives you something to push for that you didn’t think you’d be able to obtain. It helps you grow as a person.
I enlarged my goals to include making a larger amount of money, saving a larger amount of money, becoming financially free, having a job I love and finding hobbies I am passionate about. Sounds simple, but when you’re starting out with very little hobbies you’re passionate about it can be difficult to come to a conclusion like this.
Luckily, I have someone in my life who has big goals too. Someone who is still finding her hobbies and passions. Now, we struggle balancing our work lives and social lives. But, it’s because we know that we have really big dreams to tackle, together.
