TeenHealthFX - Answers - I Want A Career In Art, But My Parents Want Me To Be A Doctor

Career Paths And Working / Question
Published: July 20, 2009

Dear TeenHealthFX,

I'm a 17 year old girl and I'll be a junior this year. The school year hasn't even started and I feel the pressure of choosing a college and career path. I really want to go into Art and become either an Interior Designer or a Graphic Designer. However, I know it's hard to get money when in Art, but that's what I enjoy. My parents are pressuring me to go to medical career but I'm just not good with that. Science and math are not my things and I just can't do it. My mom called me to watch something that was on the news. It was showing the income for Family Doctors, Radiologists, and Spinal Surgeons. They all get an amazing income. My mom said "You are going to medical school." I understand money is EXTREMELY important, but I'm not interested in medical field. Also, I'm not good at anything dealing with Science. I just don't know what to do. I doubt my parents will allow me to go to an Art College, yet I don't want to do anything in the Medical career. I feel like I'm going to have to though. So, what I'm asking is; Is money more important than anything else? I sort of do need help choosing because if I do medical career, I need to change a lot of classes that I signed up for this year in school. Thank you for everything. I hope you answer.

Signed: I Want A Career In Art, But My Parents Want Me To Be A Doctor

Dear I Want A Career In Art, But My Parents Want Me To Be A Doctor,

TeenHealthFX cannot give you a definitive answer about whether or not money is more important than anything else. The answer to that question is a subjective one, and only you decide how important money is to you. For some people, money is extremely important and the focus of their careers is primarily to make money. For others, doing something that is important to them and that feels gratifying is more important than earning six digits. One person might want to work on Wall Street so he can earn enough to live on 5^th Avenue in a million dollar apartment. Another person may want to run a sleep away camp and be perfectly content with a much simpler lifestyle because that person loves what he/she does.

FX suggests that you start by doing some research. Speak to your school guidance counselor, look online, or contact a graphic artist or interior designer in your area so you can learn more about these professions. Find out where in the country you would need to live to do these jobs – could you live anywhere or would you need to live in a big city (which would increase your cost of living)? What do interior designers and graphic designers tend to make when they get out of school and what is the salary range for those professions? Are these jobs that are in demand or is it hard to find work? Are there ways of supplementing your salary if needed – for example, could you teach interior design course as well as doing direct work with clients?

Once you have the answers to these questions, it will be easier for you to know whether the path of an interior designer or graphic artist is for you in terms of salary, job availability, and any constraints on where you would need to live to do this kind of work. When you think of the average salary in these careers, think about whether this would be okay with you in terms of the lifestyle you would have. If you have to sacrifice certain things (like having a vacation home, living in a huge house, vacationing frequently, driving expensive cars, etc) would it be worth it to you if you love what you do?

If you find that you really love the arts, but that interior design or graphic art is not appealing after doing some research, that doesn’t mean you have to abandon the arts all together. You could research and speak with your guidance counselors about other career possibilities in the arts.

You sound very clear that medical school is not for you – the salary may be appealing, but that what you would have to learn and what you would do in your daily work does not fit in with your strengths, skills, and what you like to do. Medicine can be a very exciting field, and extremely rewarding in many ways. And specialty physicians, such as anesthesiologists, can make a lot of money. But, depending on the area a person wants to specialize in there could be up to 10 years of schooling between coursework, internships and residencies. And the coursework in college and after college will involve classes like biology, microbiology, chemistry, calculus, and anatomy and physiology. A person thinking about pursuing medicine as a career needs to think about whether or not he/she can commit to the time it takes to become an MD and the type of coursework and hands-on work that come with the field.

Once you have done your research about some career paths in the arts, FX suggests that you sit down with your parents to let them know how you feel. If working in the arts is more important to you than earning six figures, let them know that – let them know that you understand you need a certain amount of money to support yourself, but that it is also important to you that you like what you do for a living since you may spend 40+ years of your life working. Tell your parents that you understand that they are thinking of your future and obviously want the best for you – but that the best thing they could do for you would be to support you in choosing a career that allows you to be financially independent, but that also allows you to use your talents, skills, and passion in a way that truly pleases you.

If you find you are having trouble discussing this with your parents on your own, consider meeting with a family therapist. A family therapist can help you and your parents to identify the problem, to find ways effective ways to communicate and listen to one another, and to hopefully find some kind of resolution to the problem.

If you live in northern New Jersey and need help finding a therapist you can call the Access Center from Atlantic Behavioral Health at 973-247-1400. Outside of this area you can log onto the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for referrals in your area. You can also contact your insurance company to get a list of in-network mental health providers or check with your school social worker or psychologist to get a list of referrals in your area.

You might also find the following web pages helpful for your research:

· Bureau of Labor Statistics: Graphic Artists

· American Institute For Graphic Arts: Graphic Design: A Career Guide

· The Princeton Review: Graphic Designer

· Bureau of Labor Statistics: Interior Designers

· Careers In Interior Design

· The Princeton Review: Interior Design

· All Art Schools: Interior Design Education Resource Center

Signed: TeenHealthFX