Monday, March 30, 2015

I'm considering medical school

Do you have an undergraduate degree in biology? No. I don't. My undergrad is in Political Science, with two minors - one in Social Welfare and the other in Philosophy.   My MA  is in Political Theory. But this does not rule me out. Apparently only about 51% of people enrolled in medical school have degrees in biological science.

So, why medicine? I'm interested in women's reproductive health. I didn't realize this interest until my last year of my undergrad, by which time  it was too late to change my major.

So, why don't you just go to midwifery school? I've never thought that I would be very good at science. But recently I've realized that I can do anything I put my mind to, and I realized that the place that I can have the impact I want to is by pursuing medicine.

But seriously, why medicine?
I have a number of reasons for this.
1) I'm really, really interested in women's reproductive and sexual health
2) There are not enough obstetricians and gynaecologists in Ontario, especially in Northern Ontario
3) There are certainly not enough doctors in North America who are sensitive to gender issues, including gender non-conformity. This is especially problematic in gynaecology.
4) Sexual abuse is far too common among gynaecologists; according to the college, 17 sexual abuses leading to revocation of licenses happened between 1999 and 2012,  but through my experience talking to friends who have visited gynaecologists recently, the number of mild to major sexual abuses by doctors is certainly much higher. People simply don't know how to address the issue and simply choose to switch doctors, or not go at all.

There are many problems with health care in Canada, one that can't be solved merely by training more "baby-catchers". As much as I know that I will try to use a midwife when I am having a child, most of my time spent with my legs open in front of a stranger will not be during child-birth. People need to feel safe when they are with their sexual healthcare provider. That requires that more people who are sensitive to these issues need to pursue healthcare and work the system from inside.

Maybe I won't go to medical school. Maybe I won't even get accepted.

But, my lack of  undergraduate science experience does not rule me out of being a good candidate to study medicine. More people like me need to.

Also, happy Tuesday!