nicuhopeful97

Thanks for all the feedback. While is is a bit discouraging to hear some of these comments, it does make me look at the whole situation realistically. I'm on medication that's making my life easier, and I'm in therapy for the same reasons. I'm hopeful that as my life advances I'll continue to mature and be able to handle more. Medicine in general has always been my dream, and I really don't want to give up on that just because of my disability. It won't be anything close to easy, but I'm persistent. So far I am leaning towards nursing, mostly because I'm already in pre-nursing and it just seems like a simpler path at the time being. I'd just hate to finish nursing school and realize I would have been happier as a doctor, you know? The past three or so years of my life has been trying to figure out the balance between health and goals, and it's a balance I'm still trying to find.

Hm, okay. I probably worded that poorly. I suppose "not a people-person" has become internet slang for "total ******* who hates everyone". I meant it more in the way that sometimes my social skills need a bit of work, and it can sometimes be challenging for me to express how I feel. But I care very deeply, and part of the reason this field is attractive to me is because I have an innate desire to help others. Sometimes it's just getting that desire across that can be a challenge, which I'm constantly trying to improve upon. As for the fatigue part, I'd likely only be working part time anyway, and hopefully be able to manage that and the mental health issues more as I figure out what works best for me and how to help myself be the best nurse/doctor/person/whatever I can be. I probably added more information than was needed to my original post, sorry for that. I'd love to get a nurse's (or doctor's, if they're on here too) perspective on the differences between the two, other than the obvious things like schooling and money, and if certain people are more suited towards one or the other. Is burnout and/or satisfaction seemingly higher in one profession? Is there more flexibility with one? Things like that. Thank you for all of your comments though, it's very insightful towards what I should work on.

I'm currently in my first year of university taking pre-nursing courses for a BSN program. For several months now I've been unsure if this is really the path I want to take. I originally decided on nursing because my goal has always been to work in the NICU, and I know the nurses spend the most time dealing with the patients while the doctors spend a few minutes with everyone. I didn't like the idea of that style. But recently I've been debating if medical school would be more suited for me. The medical aspect of the courses I'm taking is so interesting, and I love the idea of diagnosing and treating problems instead of just carrying out orders (obviously that's a simplification and nurses do much more than that, but I've always struggled with letting others take command). I'm also not a great people-person, and due to my disability I can get fatigued and overwhelmed fairly easily. I know that both jobs are stressful, as well as both school experiences. Is this a deal breaker? Medicine is my passion, I just don't know what path to take. If it makes any difference, I live in BC, Canada.