Sunday, November 13, 2005

The road less travelled

The course I mentioned a while back is giving me some problems. It's been a while since I've really gone back to the back-breaking grind of cramming ( horrible post-traumatic flashbacks of med school ) and somehow it's much worse now - what with a full-time career, my responsibilities and an already dwindling social life to juggle. It would be tempting to turn my back on these impassable hurdles but...
a) I am a bastard who doesn't give up easily - and I'll be damned if I have a classmate doing better, dammit!
b) Until I get a better offer ( such as a househusband offer by some eminent suitor ) I am stuck on the path I've chosen!

Don't get me wrong. When I'm not griping bitterly about it, I admit I actually like what I do ( certainly turned out better than I'd imagined ) - and I've always wanted to better myself. Still, I've always wondered what would happen if I had taken the road less travelled.

Akin to the Chandler Bing Boring Job Syndrome, I always imagined myself doing something more creative.. more artistic... more exciting... more fast-paced. Do I actually look like a straight-laced, responsible physician? Guys who've known me since primary school would be astonished to hear that I've actually made it out as a physician. Certainly never occurred to any of them - and to me - that I'd dabble in something as heavy as medicine. Back in school, I had a penchant for art and I did the occasional sketch and painting. My exercise books were literally covered in little scribbles and caricatures of the various teachers.

When the choice finally came to me, I mailed an application to medical school ( based on my results ) and another to a design school. Seriously, it was a choice between dull stability and an uncertain future. Guess which one I finally accepted.

Perhaps some uncertainty would have been interesting.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've had similar wonder lately :-) Well, you can be a damn good physician (which I have a feeling you already are) and be wealthy. Buy me something pretty. You can be a fabulous designer in your next life. :-)

Happy week!

savante said...

Don't worry, shigeki, I'm pretty competent in my work :) Not sure if I'm ever gonna be wealthy. Hey, if your job sucks, you should come over here for a holiday.

Paul

Anonymous said...

The glamour of instability can wear a little thin when you keep wondering where the next meal is coming from ... and it can be prematurely ageing. :o\

Don't know whether you look like a straight-laced, responsible physician, since I don't actually know what you look like. ;o)

Mark said...

Don't you worry none Mr Paul! You are still engaging you creative drives!

You write - this very entertaining blog as well as your soft-porn romances (which I love!!!!). You're decorating a house too!

(And listen to hrugaar - I've seen his pics! :-D)

That being said it is abit of a juggling act for me too - I have a fulltime job in retail (that it is in a book store is the only good thing about it) while I struggle to find the time to work on my novel...balance, it'll even out for you if you work at it.

Anonymous said...

Hm. I think I've just been insulted ... :o\

Mr RM said...

Hi Paul,

Don't worry, you still have this BLOG for your artistic expressions..... and don't you need a strong artistic skills for drawing the human figure, especialy of well hung male during medicine school.... hee hee

Anonymous said...

I'm in a similar predicament too. Unlike you, I realised only too late that I didn't fully weigh all my options. I just went on and chose IT coz it seemed like a good choice at the time. Now, in my 3rd year of studies, I'm on the verge of killin myself. LOL ! I found I'm not suited to programming at all. In fact, I sucked REALLY bad. ;-p

Seriously, I'm sure I'm gonna be one of those peeps who deviate from their original education and go work as something else ?!!!

MrBunnyBan said...

Join the club, Ahmad. >.< I'm lucky enough that I didn't have to stay with what I studied though. Hell, I didn't even choose my course!

Paul: Again with the househusband talk! Word, there's not going to be many people who can one up your income later on if you're successful. You're breadwinner quality, man!

Daniel
(yes, my net nick is MrBunnyBan)

Anonymous said...

*Sigh* Did you bring that up? Like you, I also have a penchant for art and writing. Somewhat like you, I too gave up my non-specific dream of being an artist/writer/photographer/philosopher.

It was probably for the best since I now realise I'm mediocre (at best) at those things. Not that I'm not mediocre at work now, but at least it's a steady pay!

Kenji said...

Well I'll be cheering and wish you the best for the course! *hugs*

Lol I'm always the drawing type too... but sadly I have to take business instead and although it sounds whiny, I wish I'm a guy that is more competitive in nature! >.<

Anonymous said...

Paul:

Why not combine what you do with what you love? i.e. Gay hospital mystery romance? Then you can have the best of both worlds! lol.

AJ said...

You know, noone ever said you can't do both. :o) Go ahead...