I'm currently premed, working towards completing a BA in psych and premed courses to prepare for the MCAT. Lately, I've been feeling a little conflicted on which path to pursue. I was originally planning on studying psych to become a child & adolescent therapist but decided I wanted to pursue psychiatry instead as I'd be able to prescribe medication to patients I feel are in need of it. The only thing that hasn't changed is majoring in psych as the material learned during undergrad will be useful regardless of which route I end up taking.

While I am genuinely interested in medicine, I am extremely passionate about mental health. Ultimately, I hope to provide therapy + support to patients struggling with mental illness and promote caring for mental health to different communities and cultures, especially abroad, as I have experienced stigma regarding mental illness from my family in different ways (I'm half Asian and half White; both of my parents responded differently, in negative ways). Becoming a psychiatrist would be amazing as I'd have been on both ends. Backup specialties include peds and pediatric oncology.

But...lately I've been thinking about becoming a school psychologist. It'll be the same amount of schooling so length of time in school is irrelevant. I for sure want to work with youth, and working in schools also really piques my interest. I struggled heavily with severe depression and anxiety, as well as recurring suicidality throughout middle school and high school, and experimented with street drugs and alcohol during my junior and senior year of HS, and a year into undergrad. I lost my best friend to suicide, have watched my dad become increasingly ill after his first heart attack my senior year, and am watching my youngest brother go through cancer while he is in high school. I feel becoming a school psychologist would be SO natural for me as I would be working directly with school-aged youth who are dealing with similar, if not exactly the same, things I did during my secondary level years. I would also be working with kids that have learning disabilities. My life experiences have just interfered so much with my education and academic success, and I want to give support to those who are dealing with life curcumstances interfering with theirs--I want to be the person I needed when I was younger for someone else.

Perhaps it sounds cliché, using my life experiences to kind of guide my goals, but I'm chillin ok. Please just let me know your thoughts.

Thank you, and I apologize for the long read 🥴