Wherever Life Takes Me

When I was younger all I wanted to do was become a pediatrician. I love children and all I want is to see them smile. Helping children is my fantasy career but we all can’t have our cake and eat it too. In order to become this dream profession I would have to attend medical school and complete a two year internship. I would also like to have my own practice and that takes a lot of time and patience, which I have a lot of. I would definitely be well off financially and not have to work for anyone. The only problem with this vision is that I want to start my family at a young age because I plan to have three offspring. Starting my own family is the most important thing on my agenda for the future. I want to live for my family, not for my career. If I was to attempt to pursue my daydream while beginning my family at the age of, let’s say 25, things would be a lot more difficult. Of course it is possible, but I would not be able to spend the time and focus on my husband and children like I would want to. I could get a live-in nanny, but I want to raise my kids, not some stranger that I would have to gain trust for. I could start my family and then engage in the continuation of my studies later on in life but, because it is such a long process to become a pediatrician, I would rather jump right into it right after undergraduate school.
I have given this topic a lot of thought and I have talked to many people for advice and guidance on the right route to take. I have decided to pursue a major in psychology which is my second choice of professions. Of course I would be a child psychologist and probably study diseases of youth such as autism, turrets, and other disorders that are not known much about. I am really interested in how the brain works and why things happen. Math and science were always my best subjects while growing up so I know I want to do something in the medical field. Helping people that are ill is important to me, whether it is mentally or physically. My other option is to become a physician’s assistant. They are just like doctors but without the medical school. Of course they do not have as much authority but they still can perform doctor’s tasks such as giving physicals, writing prescriptions, and making important decisions even though it all occurs under the doctor’s supervision. I would just try to become a physician’s assistant to a pediatric professional to incorporate my love of kids. I am still not sure of which path I will take but I know I still have time to make my decision.