[namank]

Mike L, founder of Research In Motion (now BlackBerry) dropper out with two months left in graduation (from a world-renowned electrical engineering degree). So did, I think, Robert Downy Jr.

"preserving the bridge" only makes sense to an outside observer. It may never be a practical option for the OP. In fact, it may be something that may taint OP's identity for the future in that he/she may always be stereotyped as a doctor. It'll be contested every time he meets someone new. It's nothing short of an identity crisis. It's the loss of freedom to do what he wants.

People like this usually try to live life in accordance with self-defined principles rather than those defined by the social structure. They think different.