Is it bad that I don't like doing medical things in my spare time?

So I'm in med school and I notice that sooooo many of my friends spend sooo much of their free time doing more medicine related stuff. After having most of their time taken up with the actual compulsory medical course, some students spend countless evenings and afternoons going to medical talks, conferences, workshops and events. Like why?! I've always been curious about this. I have no interest at all in doing more medicine related stuff that's non-compulsory in my spare time. Is that a bad thing? I get the whole stereotypical speech about being passionate about a subject but come on! With the sparse amount of free time medical students have left, why'd you spend most of it going to more medical activities instead of doing something more fun like chilling, going out to eat, movies, hanging with friends etc? Especially in the summer! I've noticed so many choose to go on a 'medical holiday'! I can't even imagine that. A holiday is supposed to be u know sun, beach, tourism but they'd rather just study more like robots? Is it fine that I don't like doing all this extra stuff? I know that if writing on a CV theirs would look so much more passionate and impressive than mine but I feel like the whole world focuses so much on what's on a piece of paper. There are people who would rather not spend all their extra free time with their heads in books or doing more educational stuff. There's not a problem with that right?

Naaa not a problem at all. While it can help with future job applications, in the end, the person that gets hired isn't always the best doctor, its who they like or get along with best (at least according to my uncle, his wife and their collegues).
In fact, when I shadowed them, they told me to not bother with all that crap and just focus on what matters, pass med school, partcipate in some research papers etc (minimally), barely enough to get published and thats it, don' waste my time unless I actually find it interesting.

I'm with you. While I want to be a doctor, I have no interesting in dovoting my every existence to it, need a work life balance

To build up your CV. Or out of genuine interest.

I never did any of this stuff, the only things that count for points on FPAS (applying for your 1st job) are publications so unless whatever you're going to do will lead to a publication, you're just as well off napping.

Great. Because I have just finished third year in which we all had to undertake research projects and long story short my project crapped out due to other people's ignorance and stupidity so won't be getting anything published. This year was to give us a taster of research and I can clearly say I never want to do research again if I can avoid it. People keep saying oh if u want to be a top Doctor the best ones have to do research and I'm like I'm not a scientist though! I have this one friend who participates in all these medical group contests and extra medical stuff and just got her first publication as part of a group and I'm nowhere near doing what she is doing or has achieved because tbh I can't be asked! All that extra stuff. In the UK u r guaranteed to a job once u graduate then u just keep moving up don't think the whole CV thing applies if u just follow the traditional medicine route.

I find absolutely no non-compulsory medical activities interesting when my job is done or classes finished for the day I'd rather go play and eat. The one that worries me the most is people saying oh u need to know research to do well and I'm like why on earth is that the case, doctors shouldn't need to be able to do research that's what scientists are for. Doctors should just need to be able to read research that's it. Because I absolutely hate it, devoting ones whole time to a tiny project which doesn't contribute much to the bigger picture with so many chances for failure. I have some third year friends who r spending their summers continuing with their research projects and I'm like why!!!

So what employers in medicine don't fully take these passionate! Medical students over everyone else? People who spend their whole time getting medical awards or doing research. I can't nor do I want to compete like that, a waste of my life.

I agree with you haha. BUT these thigns aren't COMPLETELY irrelevant. if yo uget published, it'll help with foundation placement (if yo udon't care where you work, then it doesn't matter, just pass med school and you will get a job somewhere).
After that though, you have to interview, and again, its not VITAL to do research, it can help you stand out or become the deciding factor between you and another person.
That said, I have no interest in doing any research in the future, but while in med schoool, i'll do bare min research just to get my name added to a paper haha, I already have 1 pub anyway from my 3 year dissertation (i'm grad entry)

Your avatar made this post go from 5 to 100% in terms of making sense.

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Ughhhh I want nothing to do with research the chances of me ever getting on a published paper is slim. I want no involvement. Research literally makes me want to gouge my eyes out. I do care a tiny bit but in the long run where u get placed for foundation doesn't dictate how successful you will be right? And ffs potential deciding factor for interviews, seriously pick the candidate who is a better doctor! Little bits of involvement in research where the research subject is such a small tiny topic in no way should conclude that the one who did the research is a better doctor. That tiny research may not even be that significant to the job.

you don't have to even do proper research, i've heard of people essentially taking some patient surveys and got their name on a paper.

The one that worries me the most is people saying oh u need to know research to do well and I'm like why on earth is that the case, doctors shouldn't need to be able to do research that's what scientists are for.

x

I just want to be a GP, go back home to London and get the shortest training route over and done with quickly.

It's not always about that competitive post - some people just genuinely enjoy their area and niche of interest, regardless of how competitive their specialty is. Your post makes it sound as if specialities like GP are not academically rigorous (compared to 'surgery') or that they don't benefit from applicants who are interested in research and academia. I've been involved in research and want to go into psychiatry; I know someone else who really loves deep-end GP and is doing an audit on that now. Neither are competitive specialties but in fact academic GP is a growing area and they are really wanting to shift the idea that the two areas don't go together.

It's fine if you and the OP don't like research but as one poster above said: stop demonising the people who do.

Isn't GP in London pretty competitive though?

Also, you sound fairly bitter in most of your posts. Lighten up a little, this is the job you will be doing for the next 40+ years.

There is a shortage of GP's everywhere in the UK. I would imagine that it might be slightly more competitive in London than anywhere else, but regardless not competitive enough to require me having to do extra research, which is perfect. The situation might change in the next few years before I get there though, who knows.

London is still competitive for pretty much everything. Especially if you want a job in London London rather than the far reaches of each deanery.

It's hardly demonising the people who enjoy research if I'm simply saying that myself and OP are just not like them. Each to their own. But I'm someone who doesn't want to dedicate every moment at medical school to the pursuit of a particular specialty - I have nothing against the people who do, I just don't want to spend my time doing the same.

Except both you and OP clearly do have some complex against the people who choose to dedicate a lot of their time to research from your posts.

Anyway, you always come across as really really bitter in every post. What's with the 'holier than thou' attitude with regards to medicine being only a 'job' for you? You seem to have it wired in your head that it makes you a more unique and edgy person for having that reactive view. We all have creative interests and other hobbies; but most medics manage to balance them alongside our interest in medicine, in research etc. without having to feel like we need to mention it in every post.

If you really hate medicine, as I am sure you do, then why don't you just quit whilst your ahead? Genuinely curious. Why keep up all this 'woe is me - aren't I such a humanitarian - all the things I've been through' whining when you could genuinely leave. Why entertain the delusion that somehow you'll be able to cope with being an FY1/2 then a competent GP if you have such strongly negative attitudes to medicine now?