By the title of this blog, you were probably thinking the answer is “yes, of course.” While colleges may have other required courses for graduation, I want to take a moment to discuss the feeling of guilt when there is free space in your schedule.
It is important to take the prerequisite classes necessary for medical school admission. It is also important to take other sciences to help cultivate your interest in the field; however, people in medicine do not need to make medicine their whole life. It is okay to have other interests.
For example, I obtained a business minor in college. These classes gave me a good break from the prescribed science classes so I could also grow my passion for business. When I took my business classes, I didn’t realize I was learning basic life skills, which were helping me become a better physician. For one, I was working with people who were different from me. I had to adjust my vernacular to the situation since people in this field use terms like capital gains, FIFO, LIFO, etc. This type of adjustment and audience awareness will help me communicate with my patients, knowing I can better explain things to them with more common terminology.
Above all, I say all of this to stress that your college journey is your own. Don’t close doors just because you are dead set on doing one specific thing. You may find something else that you want to do, or you might confirm your passion for medicine. You could even find out that you want to combine medicine with some of your other interests!
Read more by Shiv.
