I don’t think you can make him become a doctor. What you can do is try and guide him in his choices so that he can branch out from art history if he decides to.

History majors do very well in Law for instance. You might switch from pushing medicine to law.

We tell our kids too much that money doesn’t matter, and sometimes they believe it.

However, art history is probably one of those degrees that doesn’t help you get a job, unless you stay and get your masters and/or doctorate and teach at the University level. But I’m not sure about that. You might want to have a discussion with your son about the time he would have to put into his art history major for it to be worthwhile. That is, unless he just wants to graduate and work as a waiter…

That’s why 90% of graduates over the course of 10 years end up being in a completely different career than what they graduated in, because they chose a major that in their hearts they would love to have a career in, but unfortunately there’s just little to no career out there to speak of.

IMO I think she should maybe try to schedule a visit with a doctor to have her son spend a few hours with. Or at least be able to spend some time in an environment where he can get a general idea of what doctors do and so forth. Who knows, maybe once her son sees just what it’s like he might like it and choose to continue that route.

If this is YOUR decision, however, and you are just trying to make him follow in the family profession for the sake of finances (or “class”), GROW UP. The world is a tough place – but supporting society’s stereotypes and trying to shield him from what he wants for the sake of fitting in and looking good is childish. He’s in college now, he’s a big boy, he can figure out what he wants on his own. Give him space and support him for whatever he wants to do. Just worry about being PROUD of him!

That means he took up the space of someone who really wanted to be a doctor in med school.

My brother’s friend was an art history major and she now has a great job with the Guggenheim museum. Your son could also become a professor.

Better that he is happy than a horrible doctor because he is miserable doing it. I have gone to some of those really bad doctors who really shouldn’t be in that position. It is HORRIBLE as a patient to have a doctor who doesn’t care. I am sure your husband knows plenty of those types of people. would he rather his son be one of these types of doctors?

Just some food for thought.

Did you ask HIM if he wants to be a doctor? Maybe he wants to be a museum curator or something like that!

But to answer your question, you only have blackmail as a tool to get him to ‘realize that he needs to take pre-med’ or whatever other controlling, limiting thing you are attempting to impose upon him.

You will have to refuse to pay for his education, and then refuse to ever see or speak to him again, in order to force him to do what you want. It is dangerous to pull this kind of stunt, however, because he just might do what he wants to do anyway, in which case you will have lost your son.

I recommend that you be very proud of him for pursuing art history. It is commendable that you think of him as smart enough, compassionate enough, and robust enough to become a doctor, but just think–he will be the best prepared art historian out there!

People with art history majors go on to a range of a careers ranging from museum work to advertising. Some people go on to careers in law and medicine.

Medicine isn’t the only viable, lucrative, or worthwhile career.