Can I ask a serious question?

xneurocentric

You remind me a lot of myself and the decisions I was faced with in college. I wanted to become a doctor (surgeon), but did not have any familiy support, and psyched myself out because I wanted to have a family and was scared of the debt (I come from very modest means).

Surgeon, eh? Were you leaning towards Neurosurgery? haha If so, that's me in a nutshell. Although I certainly CANNOT pick a specialty before now, neurosurgery is so up my alley.

beckyinma

Don't throw away your chance to do what you want NOW because you listened to a naysayer tell you you can't. You're in your prime to do it NOW. DO what's in your heart, school loans or not, you're a big girl, able to make big girl decisions.

calibri

You should do whatever you want, however, be fully aware of what the life of a physician entails. I was once like you and decided to major into molecular biology. I loved school and classes but was ultimately unable to find work in my field. Don't be afraid to learn about what you love, but make sure it's practical. I've met quite a few pre-meds while I was in uni since we shared a lot of major coursework. While they are some of the most driven people I have met, they were also by far the most stressed and many of them have not made it into med school, either because of the MCAT, loss of interest, dislike of the actual job, or just life.

It will be difficult to manage both a life and your profession. Depending on how many years of school you have left to pursue your degree (and you should get a degree, not just take the pre req courses and apply), you may very well be in your 30s when you start med school. Then you have another four years of school/internship where you will be worked intensively. Once your residency is finished (this is assuming you want to be a physician and will take four years), you'll be in your mid 30s, where it starts to be dangerous to have children due to increased likelihood of birth defects.

All of that said, I fully believe in embracing your dreams and learning what you love and not necessarily what you think will get you a job. Just make sure you know exactly what you are jumping into. Be aware of how truly difficult this will be and that the odds are stacked against you, but that it doesn't mean you are doomed to fail.

Another note, some med schools take special consideration for those that have a 'non-traditional' degree when applying. Having a Russian degree might make you stand out from the other sea of biology/chem majors in the crowd.