- Career Change for Me? Any Help is GREATLY Appreciated -

[rowancv]

Hi everyone.. I'm a bit desperate..

I just did a Google search on "Architecture Forums" and found this place. I hope someone can help..

I am finishing up my 2nd year of medical school but have been slowly realizing for some time now that I don't want to do this with my life. Growing up, I always wanted to be an architect but dropped the idea as I tried to let medicine grow on me (parental influence). Medical school is draining me, and I am THIS close to withdrawing, but withdrawing is a HUGE step in my life needless to say. I really have to know the right direction to go if I were to leave medical school. SO.. what kind of careers are available for architects and how does one get there, especially someone like me who has ZERO experience at the age of 24. I believe I am a VERY creative person but I know SO much more is required than creativity. If there are any architects out there who wouldn't mind speaking to me, please feel free to email me at - blocked - ..I can't express enough how thankful I'd be, & thanks in advance for any repsonses.

-Ro

P.S. BTW, I'm from New Jersey.

P.S.S. I noticed that my email was blocked. In that case, please feel free to private message (PM) me or press the email button below. Thanks so much.

[lekizz]

Do you have any evidence of your creativity/apptitude for architecture? I agree it will be a big step to change courses, there is a lot of training involved in both routes. I believe (from what I have read here) the route to getting an architects license is easier/more flexible in the States, so you may be able to get a postgraduate degree in architecture after completing your medicine degree. But I'm sure people more expert than me will correct this!

[rowancv]

[victoreric]

I have friends like that. They were "heavily" influenced by their paren to major in a subject that they really didn't care for. Some of them still don't know what they want to do. So I wouldn't say it's total fault of the parent.

It's a fairly big step since you have invested time in medicine already. Now you have to start fresh again and invest even more time into Architecture. I don't know what it's like in the states, but in Canada, you're talking about at least 7 years in school and then another 5-7 years after that working in the field before you're registered. And in case you haven't heard it yet, you don't do Architecture for the money.

So I would highly suggest that you look into it first. Maybe look up your local Architecture association and see what info/insight they can give you into the career of an architect. Of course, there's other things you can do related to architecture like sales and product rep. I would first ask what kind of personality are you and what do you like to do (regardless of the field), then that might lead you further.

How do you know you like Architecture?

Eric

[rowancv]

[teamjdc]

In all seriousness, see a psychologist before withdrawing.

Choose a relatively easy specialty, get established, then work part time and do architecture as a hobby if you want.

While it's never too late to switch gears, the investment you've made so far has been considerable and frankly, it would be stupid to quit before becoming an MD.

[Richard Haut]

it is a serious step - there used to be something called "career guidance" or "vocational guidance" consulting. This was in Britain but probably exists in the US.

they give you lots of tests on all sorts of areas and problem solving and analyze the results to say which career really suits you.

it has the advantage, in my view, that it is an objective look at your strengths and weaknesses and how they relate to a career path.

with a step as major as the one that you are considering, perhaps it is a path worth considering. It does not involve parental ambitions, or the problems which that can bring. It is purely about you - and it is after all your career, your life.

[victoreric]

[/quote]

Hey Eric,

First off, thanks very much for the thoughtful response. Concerning parents who are this way, the sad thing is that they will still blame their child for not succeeding in the medical field and not realize that they themselves are the reason we have wasted years of our lives as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars. But anyway, I realize that my post/question(s) are pretty vague and very general, but that's only because I know so little about the field. I'm not 100% committed to this, I am just trying to man-up and figure out a plan. The reason I'm considering architecture is because it's what I "always wanted to be while growing up." I'm not a great free-hand artist, but when it comes to lines and designs, I think I have what it takes. Like I said in my earlier post, my creativity overflows into anything that I do, and as weird as it sounds, I am constantly appreciating building designs, thinking of numerous ways things could be better or more attractive, and coming up with unique ideas for venues. I'll be honest, my math and numbers skills suck at this point, but when I think about my future, I feel like I can be happy designing buildings. Man, reading what I wrote sounds so superficial and ignorant, but this is where I'm at right now. I believe I'm the kind of person who can really accomplish something if my whole heart is into it. I can't do medical school because I could care less about this stuff. My heart is not even half in it. I've researched a bit on architecture and it definitely looks just as challenging but in a more mathematical way. I don't consider it because I think it might be easier, but because I think I might be happier doing it. But again, I'm still doing my own research and finding my own way. If I really wanted money, I'd stay here and become a doctor. But I really want to just be happy with what I am doing.

I'm pretty lost and like I said, just trying to find my way in this pretty messed up career life I've found myself in. My other career option is web design, because like architecture, it involves creativity. But I like the thought of designing homes and buildings. My brothers are engineers and maybe we can even work together on projects. Alright, now I'm just thinking out loud.

I can't thank you enough for your response. Thank you for the advice and for giving me things to think about. Take care my friend.

-Ro[/quote]

Well, it definitely sounds like you've got the passion for it and doing something that you're passionate about is so important. I know so many people that are doing their 9-5 and hating it because it's not what they love. I've know I wanted to do design since high school and work very hard with overtime as standard practice. But I love every minute of it! If it helps at all, I'm also self taught in design.

But like I and the others have said before, you've invested alot of time in MD, you should definitely think about it or finish it up if you're close.

Good luck.

Eric

[teamjdc]

I'm not sure passion is enough in today's world; regardless, I am positive that most people who think they want to do architecture have no clue what it really involves.

Any high school student thinking they want this needs to take a long, hard look at the reality of day-to-day practice.

A med student looking to switch needs to step up that due diligence tenfold -- at least!

It's not like the movies. I realize medicine isn't either, but I'd have no problem betting that movie medicine is much closer to reality than movie architecture -- no contest.

Here's but another sobering thought. Stay on your current path and you'll retire comfortably in 40 years. Switch to architecture and:

You're at least 3 years from an accredited degree.
You're at least 8 years from a license -- after a brutal exam.
You're probably at least 13 years from making $60K (today's dollars.)
You'll resent your med school buddies.
You probably won't retire. If you do, social security will represent the bulk of your income.

So please, enough of the passion and love crap. Your parents got it right.

[Landy]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rowancv]

[rowancv]

[starkca3]

Wait...are you 2 years into MED school? or two years into school in general, as in..havent started grad school yet..... If its the latter, i'd go for it IF your really into it. Butt i have no idea what it takes to be an architect either so..i'd listen to the other people. But dude...if your already into med/grad school..thats a huge loss to cut, i;d say too much. It theres a remote possibility that you can finish med school and get your degree, i'd do that first. Its too much work to throw away..WAY TOO MUCH.

[lekizz]

A friend of mine studied architecture for five years, then fell out of love with it and started 5-year training to become a doctor. She is due to qualify (as a quack) next year! So in comparison to her you are thinking of changing career paths at a relatively early stage! For any long period of intensive study it is possible to fall out of love/have doubts about your career path.

At least if you are a doctor you will be saving lives, held in reverence by the community and make a very comfortable living at the same time. Architects get blamed for everything that goes wrong, are barely paid well for the amount of work and responsibility and are generally undervalued/misunderstood by society, boo-hoo woe is me The up-side is we sometimes get paid to make pretty drawings/be creative.

However I do tend to agree with other people who advise you to think very carefully. But you seem to have a only a vague romantic notion that you are destined to be an architect. If you want to be taken seriously by architecture schools you need to go out and get drawing, be creative, demonstrate some evidence that you have the required skills. Architecture involves far more than 'designing homes'.

[innova+e]

ro. there is some great advice already here, id say most of it is right on, considering the only true answer will be inside you, and you're true belief in your self. My second year studio teacher told us once (during one of our many group whining sessions over deadlines, clarity of explanation on syllabus etc) that if we wanted to do something easy, we might opt out and become dentists. We laughed then but the man was right, insofar as architecture being a real test of inner grit and a constant lesson in humility. I can't really speak for the profession of dentistry, although dating a dental student wasn't all it was cracked up to be either, in fact, I ended up marrying another architect, as we had a deep understanding of one another...

I started my undergrad in arch at 24, and finished at 28 (I had two previous years of engineering credits that passed me out of calculus physics, etc). It wasn't easy but it was rewarding as hell and I think back to my university days constantly. I was aprehensive at first about the career, after switching from mech. engineering, but going through graduate school, I knew I was in the right place. Like many others, my intro to the working environment, professionally, brought out the "mysteries" of the real world architecture, that one writer spoke of before this. With these came dissapointment, bewilderment, and very much self doubt. Grad school is a rush, but they don't prepare you for the tediousness of the work, the daily grind, so to speak. However, you learn eventually, if that is where you should be, to see the excitement in finding the right aluminum windows to fit your masonry openings, and get ecstatic when your vendor has online cad details! You fight to keep the passion alive from those early sketches, through the rigors of program and pragmatics, to see your work standing tall. This is one of the most rewarding things I feel I could be doing, and in my opinion it has as much to do with a person's well being as does medicine, when both are practiced correctly.

In light of all this however, mine is one experience, read all the above, visit some firms and inform yourself on the profession. You mentioned your other choice was web design, which our office does as well. I actually enjoy taking on the occasional web project, as it does parallel architectural design process in some ways. The creativity needs to work well in both at the beginning, and then become transferred as energy to carry out the detailing, or coding, or whatever it takes to make each 'stand up'. Architecture, like the notion of creativity, is so much more than just drawing and expression. In fact, but at the risk of opening up a tangential topic, drawing is only a form of representation of an architectural idea, just as is modeling. Architecture is the fine art of balancing that creativity with the rigors of technology and craftsmanship, construction to create the final piece of architecture.

Ask yourself why you want to be an architect, and why it is important to you, the answers will come, but be very thorough about your research. Great happenstance you stumbling across this forum, there is some great advice within those links in blue.

good luck.
ac