I wanted to be a doctor and fulfill my thirst for helping people with science. I cannot, due to my own mental illness and lack of support. Then I decided to get a job in bank as a type of manager. But for that I need to complete my BSc first, but I cannot concentrate on my studies for two reasons.

Background : I study chemistry, botany, zoology and geology. Chemistry - all four major branches, botany & zoology - various branches like biochemistry, cytology, etc. and geology - mineralogy, paleontology and physical geology.


1) In science, practice is much more important than theory when we speak about research during postdoc or even the industry right after BSc. But I cannot even do titration in the chemistry lab due to my poor memory. And my parents force me to study theory all the time, even letting me not to sleep for a long time. It's painful and it reminds me of my could-be career as a doctor or scientist.

2) There are ability barriers. I cannot memorize biology, and the only thing I liked about it was the anthropology during my junior college years (when I had the hope I'll make it to med school) and now it's almost completely gone and I don't find it interesting.


What should I do? Any advice is appreciated. I currently aim to get a job in the bank.

[Skeezyks]

Well... years ago... (back when I was a real person) I was a vocational rehabilitation counselor. So this is sort-of up my alley, as the saying goes. However, at least from my perspective, there's probably not enough information here to really offer much in the way of guidance. (Perhaps if you realistically lack the ability to succeed in the sciences, something in one of the human services fields might be an alternative since you have a thirst for helping people?)

One thing I can do is to relate something that happened with me when I was in high school (back during the paleolithic.) I was always terrible at math. But I was also aiming to go to college so I had to take math classes in high school. I managed to squeak by algebra. But geometry was another matter. The first year I took it I failed the state-issued final exam.
So I took it in summer school. I don't recall how I did. But probably not a whole lot better. Then I took it again during the next regular school year & took the state-issued final exam a second time. That time around my score was somewhere in the high 90's. I close to aced it!

So the point of this is... if you really want something, & you stick with it, you can get it. It may take you longer than it may some other people. But, when you're done, you may well know it better than they do too. In the end having finally aced my geometry final (after 2 1/2 years of trying) didn't mean I turned into a mathematician. But it simply meant I was then able to move on.

In your case, being a physician or a scientist may or may not be in the cards, so to speak. I don't know the answer to that. But if that's the kind of career you really want, perhaps it makes sense to keep working on it rather than to settle for something you don't really have any interest in? One thing I know is that one's career takes up so much of one's time that working at something you really don't like, & don't have any real interest in, is a prescription for ongoing unhappiness & frustration. I wish you well...

[MickeyCheeky]

It's hard to focus in general if you don't like what you're doing. I'm sorry you're stuck with these studies

[SlumberKitty]

Great advice Skeezyks!