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In thinking this all over, I think it depends on what you call "support". I find nothing wrong with "reality checks", e.g. letting your kids know it's hard to get into med school, or having a Broadway stage career; I probably wouldn't discourage it to the point of saying I wouldn't pay for a "pre-med" degree, or a theater degree or whatever. I wouldn't support something that seems totally unrealistic for the kid, e.g. theater for a kid who never makes it into the school plays, etc.
In thinking this all over, I think it depends on what you call "support". I find nothing wrong with "reality checks", e.g. letting your kids know it's hard to get into med school, or having a Broadway stage career; I probably wouldn't discourage it to the point of saying I wouldn't pay for a "pre-med" degree, or a theater degree or whatever. I wouldn't support something that seems totally unrealistic for the kid, e.g. theater for a kid who never makes it into the school plays, etc.
If I felt my kid was not med school material, I would honestly tell him/her that. I don't want to support delusions.
If I felt my kid was not med school material, I would honestly tell him/her that. I don't want to support delusions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt
The med school will make the decision. It's not up to the parents to tell the kid not to apply.
I was thinking that tassity22 is talking about very, very obviously "not med school material" such as flunking your college chemistry and math classes, and squeaking by with Cs or Ds on your other college classes NOT someone who has a "somewhat questionable" MCAT score and a 3.8 in their college classes. If you have a 3.8 and a lower MCAT and you want to be a doctor apply to every Med School that you desire and don't worry about what your parents have to say (of course, be prepared for the massive student loans).
I will share some delusions. I used to teach children with cognitive delays and I have had a number of parents of my students who truly, truly believed that their child who was (old terminology) Moderately Mentally Retarded with a measurable IQ of 50 or 55 would be able to be accepted into and graduate from college.
Now these were children who, as adults, would almost certainly would not be cognitively able to live on their own but those parents insisted that their child would be able to graduate from college "just like Mom & Dad".
One of the parents that was most insistent about their child getting "college prep" classes in middle school & HS was functioning academically at the kindergarten level when he was chronologically fifth grade. His parents told me that he probably "would not be able to get his college degree in four years, but that is OK because it takes longer for a lot of students".
BTW, they tried to get every special education teacher and psychologist fired who tried to suggest to them that their child "probably would not be successful in college."
Now that is the power of a delusion.
I should point out that he was delightful, polite, well behaved child, but not someone who had the potential to ever be a college graduate.
Last edited by germaine2626; 01-28-2017 at 08:56 PM..
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt
The med school will make the decision. It's not up to the parents to tell the kid not to apply.
It most certaintly will!! More competitive then ever unless a minority (but not a asian or indian minority ultra ultra competitive for them) go figure!!
germaine2626, I do know that some parents are very deluded. Tell me, of your students' parents, were there many like that?
I do think that telling a kid flat out s/he isn't med school material is a poor idea. There are those "late bloomers" in high school who do wake up, get decent grades and get into college. Med school is competitive, but mainly because there are way more applicants than slots. Like all admissions, it's subjective, too.
Let's discuss the pre-med major (i.e., the student who wants to get into med school but probably isn't med school material).
There is no degree called pre-med. No school (to my knowledge) offers it. Rather, you major in whatever you want: philosophy, engineering, microbiology. All qualify you to apply to a med school.
So, if I had a son or daughter who probably would not be med school material, I would encourage them to think about the kind of undergraduate degree that would be useful in case they don't get into med school. Engineering comes to mind. Philosophy does not.
(I know medical doctors with all three kinds of degrees, so please, no arguments as to whether those degrees are "pre-med" degrees or not.)
I as my child's parent don't need to decide whether my kid should or should not apply to med school. That's not my job. But I can encourage what my child should think about if they do not make it in, and suggest that a backup option may not be a bad idea.
Should parents generally try to support their children's interests, or should they try to steer them away from something if the parent doesn't like it for some reason? For example, if a child wants to be an artist but the parent wants him to focus on more practical things such as steering him more into mathematics courses if he has no serious interest in that?
We don't support our kids dreams in any form. Kids are typically dumb and don't know what they want or what's good for them. We put our son into MMA classes, and we are pushing him toward pursuing an engineering degree. He'll thank us for this later in life. Our daughter is pretty, so she'll be successful no mater what she does as long as we keep her away from drugs.
We don't support our kids dreams in any form. Kids are typically dumb and don't know what they want or what's good for them. We put our son into MMA classes, and we are pushing him toward pursuing an engineering degree. He'll thank us for this later in life. Our daughter is pretty, so she'll be successful no mater what she does as long as we keep her away from drugs.
Well if that's your plan...Definitely make sure you get her on birth control asap after her first menses...
Well if that's your plan...Definitely make sure you get her on birth control asap after her first menses...
She's the type of pretty that even with 3 kids, some dumbazz will support her. She looks just like her mom.
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