“Ever since I was a little girl my mom had always wanted me to be a doctor, when I was growing up she would buy toys such as doctors’ stethoscopes and so on. It was sweet, but I thought that she would eventually grow out of it, but no, I am about to apply for university and she has a list of medical schools that she was me to enroll at. I love my mom, but I don’t want to become a doctor, I have tried talking to her about it, to make her see that I have other talents. It doesn’t help that I have an older cousin who is a doctor, she is married and looks successful. I want to pursue something in the media, maybe as an actress or a journalist. I am afraid of telling my mom this, I also don’t understand why she wants me to be a doctor”.- Anon
You know that you do not want to be a doctor, and you are afraid of speaking to your mom about it, furthermore, you are not sure why your mom is insisting that you pursue a career in the medical field.
You find yourself thinking I love my mom, but why does she want me to become a doctor? Have a look at some of the possible reasons your mom wants you to become a doctor.
7 Reasons why your mom wants you to be a doctor
Your mom wants you to be a doctor because she wants you to have a stable career. Most doctors enjoy great benefits and can sustain themselves and their families for a long time.
She wants the best for you
You might not see it now, but your mom wants the best for you. If she didn’t she wouldn’t be concerned about your career. This is her way of showing her love and support. It’s no secret that anyone who is in the medical field is in a field that by all accounts will always have jobs available. Unlike industries such as digital marketing, acting, or singing, being a doctor provides some sort of safety and security, and you will be able to financially support yourself.
She wants you to lead a comfortable life
Think about how much doctors earn and compare it to other occupations. When we look at social media, we see a lot of doctors who look like they are comfortable. Being a doctor also comes with a lot of benefits that you would not find in another field such as freelancing. Being a freelancer comes with a lot of uncertainty and most freelancers are not guaranteed an income at the end of the month.
She wants to live her dreams through you
If you can’t figure out why she wants you to be a doctor you might have a competitive mom on your hands, for her, it’s all about the win. Have you ever seen the show toddlers and tiaras? You will know that there are a lot of moms who live through their children, with this tv show we see moms pushing their kids to win beauty pageant titles, they go all out to ensure that their children will win. For most of them, it’s about the prize, if their child wins then they also win.
So think about it this way, maybe your mom wanted to become a doctor but because of life circumstances she was unable to. But her dream of becoming a doctor never died, and unfortunately, you are the one who has to deal with the consequences of her missing the only chance she had.
You are good at science and helping others
Well, there is only one person in the world who will know you better than yourself and that is your mom. She gave birth to you, she watched to achieve your milestones, she knows when you are sad and also knows what will make you happy. Your mom may see that you are good at certain subjects that are required at medical school. Not only that being a doctor needs someone helpful, kind, and a people person. These are the qualities that your mom may see in you, and wants you to develop.
It’s a generational thing
Some people come from generational career families. We see it a lot in the united states, for example, my friend is a lawyer, her mom is also a lawyer and her grandfather was a lawyer. It’s a generational thing, it has been passed from generation to generation, and you are next in line to carry on that tradition, and maybe one day your kids will carry on and become doctors.
Multi-generational planning is s common thing all over the lot, lots of families do it, and people who come from wealth will most likely want to do anything to build generational wealth in the family. For example, some parents end up choosing the subjects that their children will do when they get to a specific grade in high school, they plan the future of their children.
You have not told her what you want to do
If you have been too afraid of telling your mom what career you want to take, she is going to assume that you are fine with her choosing a career for you. Have you told her that this is not the field that interests you? Are you hoping that mommy will magically see that this is not what you want? Speak up, don’t be afraid of telling her going to medical school is not in your future.
When you keep quiet, you leave your mom with more questions than answers, if you haven’t figured out what you want to do take a moment and think My favorite subject is…. Then proceed from there.
She has low self-esteem
Suppose your mom is someone with Low esteem, she most likely wants to prove to herself and everyone around her that she can attain a level of success, and this is where you come in. Parenting is very competitive, every parent whats to be the one who can say “My daughter is a doctor” or “ My daughter is successful”.
There is a direct link between a Lack of self-confidence and success. The more success one has the better their self-esteem will be. This is no different for your mom, even though she is not the one who is the doctor, the fact that you will be one is more than enough to give her a self-esteem boost.
To wrap it up
There could be a lot of reasons why your mom wants you to be a doctor, you should ask your mom the reasons that she insists you become one. Your mom may see you as one of those high performers who need a push in the right direction. Instead of giving her false expectations, don’t delay the inevitable, her reasons will give you an insight into why she wants you to pursue a carer in medicine.