To anyone considering medical school: why do you REALLY want to be a doctor?
99382
This doesn't necessarily apply to me directly, though I can appreciate the cynicism in the question. Still, there are plenty of people out there who would like to become doctors out of a genuine desire to help the sick, and we should give those people a pat on the back and a "thanks" for trying to make sure they are there when we *will* need them.
217905
i still want to be a doctor and i have wanted to be that my whole life
350326
I am considering a career as a nurse.  The medical field interests me, but I don't have the money/patience/mental conditioning to be adoctor.  So I figure a nurse is the next best thing.\n\nAs a doctor, I'd have to solely diagnose patients.  I don't think i can handle that.  Helping a yound child calm down before getting a shot?  Yes (maybe.)\n\nI figure this to be a reason.  Especially COSTS of schooling.
279297
:)\n\nI'm going to study to become an accountant in college. I choose this major because I'm really good with numbers & money and I really enjoy the Accounting class I'm taking in my senior year. I find it fun, interesting, & really easy to comprehend.\n\nThis isn't really one of those questions like "Why do you want to become a doctor?" To help people. :) Nope, this accounting mostly has to do with money. :)
704085
I guess I decided when I got out of High School.\n\nIts not something I dreamed of doing. Its just something I enjoy doing. Something that makes me happy. You have to find something that makes you feel good about yourself and you really enjoy doing it or otherwise your gonna drop it halfways. \n\nI decided I wantede to become a gourmet chef and am trying to get into a Culinary Arts school.\nI enjoy cooking and it benefits others because poeple enjoy eating good food and they got to eat to survive.
1099541
I started medical school with a 1 month old child.  I was a single Mom for 5 years.  I did it.  So can you.\n\nYou will need support from family and friends, because medical school will suck every available minute from your life.\n\nMy son is now 20, and I have a great practice, plus 2 more kids (residency babies) and a great husband.\n\nI used to wonder if I would have been a better doctor without being a Mom, or a better Mom without being a doctor.  Now, I know I'm a better person for being both.\n\nGo for it!
682940
I don't beleieve you'll find too many actual doctors on Yahoo Answers. They're very busy.\n\nMy sister went to medical school four years beyond college and worked as a medical resident for several years and eventually went into private practice. She does have to pay for malpractice insurance. She works very hard, and her mind boggles at the laziness of the non-doctors she works with. She really feels like she is carrying the rest of society. She thinks that society would basically collapse if it weren't for people who work as hard as she does.\n\nI went to graduate school for four years beyond college, then I taught full-time while earning my teacher certification at night. Teaching is very stressful. It is also one of those jobs where you have to "hold up the sky" for possibly the most ungrateful population on earth. Every year, I now make what my sister makes in a month.\n\nGood ultrasound technicians make about twice what I do, they can be qualified with as little as two years of college, and they don't have to pay malpractice insurance. There are a few other medical technician careers with similar education to salary ratios. If I wanted a medical career, I think I'd do one of those first to work in a hospital for a few years before deciding to go to medical school.
316030
If you've always wanted to be a doctor and you still want to be a doctor, then you should definitely pursue it.  You only need to take one year of college math as a prerequisite to medical school and you can get a tutor for that class if you're really bad at it. You can major in whatever you want and just take the required courses to get into med school: 1 year physics, 1 year chemistry, 1 year organic, 1 year biology, 1 year math, 1 year english (1 semester biochem and 1 semester genetics required by about 9 med schools).  You'll need to make sure your grades are high and your MCAT score is above average as well as staying active in other activities and being well-rounded. If it's always been your dream, then you should do it.  You are lucky that you know what you want to do.  Some people don't figure it out until they're 40 years old and then they feel it's too late to pursue their dreams.  You are young and know what you want.  Take advantage of this!
1096641
Ahhh, that's a toughie...\n\nFirst, doctor is out of the question. Yes, I like helping people, but I'm a little "squeemish," and the whole idea of it isn't that attractive.\n\nI always wanted to be a lawyer, but recently I'm questioning myself because I'm good at math... so I might wanna become an accountant.\n\nPersonally, I need more time to decide, but I'm leaning a little bit more towards criminal law because it's just more fun, and exciting in a way.
292570
Hi there,\n\n   This is very interesting question. When you grow up and have all doctors all around you, your family and friends of your family, you get in to the "zone". And all you think about is becoming doctor just like your Father or Mother or Both. Some time peoples just like to help other people, and they choose to be a doctor eventhough there is nobody to support you or help you in being a doctor. I have 14 doctors in my family and just family, I'm not even counting my Dad's friends...That's be different ballpark number. But I wasn't interested in Medicine but Computers. \n\n  But I bet 40% of doctors comes from doctor family, they have somebody they can look up to. So when they grow up all they can think about is being a doctor. \n\n  But I have to say being an Engineer takes lots of Analytical Power out of your mind, rather than being a doctor. So if you think you have mind like a fox, you don't belong in Medicine, but you are perfect for Engineering. \n\n  And also if you know some doctors, you'll notice they are very simple people. They know every thing but they never question "WHY". \n\n Well I hope this answers your question....\n\ntoshreekar@yahoo.com
680518
No not at all..infact it is not advisable to choose at that level of maturity...since my grade 1 i wanted to be a doctor and i ended in a B-school so...thats how it works...
850814
I would suggest that you think about whether you are interested in the practice of medicine (that is, actually applying what you have learned to the direct care of patients), or the science of medicine (understanding how the body works and what specifically happens when things go wrong and you get sick).\n\nIf you're interested in practicing medicine, you should know that the field is basically divided into two areas: surgery and medicine.  Surgeons do alot of work with their hands, often times cutting into the body to access internal organs.  Non-surgeons, on the other hand, monitor the health of people (pediatricians monitor the health of kids under 18, for example) and are trained to recognize specific diseases, manage them appropriately (with medications and/or lifestyle changes), or refer the patient to a specialist (such as a surgeon).\n\nIt sounds more complicated than it is, and the truth is that there is no way for you to know what type of doctor you want to be until you get to medical school and try out the different areas.  You don't choose what type of doctor you will be until the last year of medical school.\n\nIf you are interested in the science of medicine more than the practice, you might consider a PhD program or better yet, a combined MD/PhD program, where you'll truly bridge the gap between understanding the basic mechanisms of disease and health and applying that understanding to the actual treatment of patients.
797610
Dear Friend,\n\nWhy do you want to become a doctor? \n\nIs it...\n\nyour strong desire to help people who are sick and hurting?\n\n\nhaving knowledge and skills that make you useful and productive anywhere in the world?\n\n\nthe respect and status associated with a career in healthcare?\n\n\nthe high annual income (between $150k– $500k)? \n\n\nensuring that no day is ever boring? \n\n\nthe fact that being a doctor ranks in the top three professions for job satisfaction?\n\n\nthe job security? \n\nImagine if you could take a very easy first step towards a fulfilling career as a doctor today, be 100% sure that a career in medicine is for you, and experience the thrill of performing medical task even before medical school. \n\nTo work as a family and general practitioner, you must:\n\n\ncomplete a bachelor's degree\ngraduate from medical school\ncomplete an internship\npass a state licensing exam\ncomplete a residency program in family and general medicine\npass additional exams to become board certified\nhave strong interpersonal skills; and\nbe self-motivated.\nFormal Education\nTo become a doctor, you must complete medical school. Medical schools grant a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree. You spend the first two years of medical school in classrooms and labs. You study anatomy, biochemistry, and medicines. You also learn how to take a medical history, examine patients, and make a diagnosis. During the next two years, you work in hospitals and clinics under the supervision of physicians.\n\nYou need a bachelor's degree to get into medical school. While you do not need to be a pre-medicine or science major, these programs are good preparation. If you earn a liberal arts degree, be sure to take courses in physics, biology, and chemistry.\n\nOn-the-job Training\nWhile in medical school, you spend two years working as an intern in a hospital or clinic. As an intern, you rotate through internal medicine, family medicine, obstetrics, oncology, and other hospital departments.\n\nAfter medical school, you complete a residency program in family and general medicine. Residency lasts from three to five years. Residents usually work in hospitals. After your residency, you take additional exams to become board certified.\n\nMilitary Training\nThe military offers advanced courses and programs in medical specialties. Scholarships are also available for advanced medical training in return for military service.\n\nAreas of Study (What to study to prepare for this career)\nThese are a few subjects to list: \n\nAcupuncture\nAnatomy\nBioethics\nBiopsychology\nCancer and Oncology Biology\nDevelopmental Biology\nEmergency Medical Care\nEntrepreneurial and Small Business Operations\nEpidemiology\nGerontology\nHealth Services Administration\nHuman and Medical Genetics\nInternational Public Health\nMaternal and Child Public Health\nMedical Claims Examiner\nMedical Microbiology and Bacteriology\nMedicine\nMissions and Missionary Studies\nNaturopathic Medicine\nNeurobiology\nNeuroscience\nNurse Midwifery\nNurse Practitioner\nOptometry\nOsteopathic Medicine\nPathology and Experimental Pathology\nPodiatric Medicine\nPre-Medicine\nPublic Health Education\nPublic and Community Health\nRadiation Biology\nReproductive Biology\nVirology\nVision Science\n\nHope this helps!!!
547100
Many people think that becoming a doctor is difficult. Others have some sense that becoming a physician takes many years and is expensive. Most people realize that being a physician is difficult yet rewarding. All these people are correct. Becoming a physician is a long, arduous, expensive process that can only be accomplished with great dedication. \nBefore starting the process of becoming a physician (or any profession) you must do some honest soul searching. First of all you must be aware of the time commitment involved in becoming a physician. Medicine is a career that requires many years of preparation. Generally most people graduate college at age 22 and medical school at 26. Then after 3 years of internship and residency, many physicians begin their career at age 29. However, the training for some specialties can last until the physician's early to mid 30's. Obviously this can delay plans for marriage and starting a family. Some people begin their medical education after pursuing other careers, which can further delay the completion of their medical training. You must decide early on if you are willing to dedicate the time it takes to become a physician. As you can see, this is not a decision to be made lightly. \nMore importantly, you must decide if medicine is a field that is right for the kind of person you are. I believe that there are three cornerstones of a successful career in medicine: \n\nA love for learning in general \nA true intellectual curiosity about medicine in particular \nA strong desire to help others. \nBeing smart and doing well in the sciences are obviously important components of being a successful physician. However, do not fall into a medical career because you have done well in the sciences. Although this is a necessary requirement, you must also be able to relate well with people. \nAs a physician you have an opportunity to help others. Wanting to help others and enjoying helping others are necessary attributes of a good physician. This is something that cannot be taught. However, there are many other professions that can help others. Politicians, religious leaders and social workers all have the opportunity to help others, perhaps in larger numbers. \n\nMedicine is a career filled with choices. In what other career can you choose between delivering babies, taking care of children, handling emergencies, removing someone's cancer, or talking to someone who needs psychiatric help? Better yet, you can teach others any of these specialties, and while teaching have the opportunity to both practice your profession and teach it. Alternately, you can do research in whatever specialty you choose, with the potential to make a real breakthrough in preventing or treating illness. In addition medicine is a career that is honorable and is held in high esteem, allows you the ability to live just about anywhere, and provides job security (unfortunately, illness is something that will be around for the foreseeable future). \n\nHowever, all of this comes at a price. The many years of preparation, the discipline, the awesome responsibility, the worry about malpractice and the long hours can take their toll. Medicine is a unique field and it demands a unique person. \n\nOne word about money. Please don't let this be a driving factor in your decision, for the sake of your patients and yourself, because it will not sustain you. There are other careers in which you can make more money without the responsibility and the effort it takes to be a physician. \n\nIT IS VERY SATISFYING, make sure you have the grades and the personality to match it thought. GL
584637
Never become a surgeon for the money.  People are ALWAYS going to need surgeons.  what we don't need is some jerk who only cares about money when most of us can't afford decent healthcare as it is.  \n\nIf you are doing it for the money, you'll be miserable. \n\nIf you do it because you want to help people...and are willing to provide your services to low-income people or people w/o health insurance...then I definitely encourage you to go into it.  The money and happiness will follow if you do it for the right reasons.
1104464
If you have a dream, go chase after it. Don't leave any regret in your life.Told your parents that you ambition to become a doctor.Try to talk to them calmly,let them understand what you think.Are you really hope to become a doctor?It require many years to study doctor,you must have enough financial income and you must be really interested in it.So, think carefully before action.All the best to you!
1035817
Why would an MD or a DO want to become a PA?  An MD, or a DO are suprior positions to that of the PA... \n\nI supose that an MD or a DO COULD simply take the licensing exam to become a PA - becouse the education requuuuuuired to be an MD is so much more advanced than it is to become a PA - but why would any MD or DO do that?  Are tehy tired of beeing in controll and making decent money?\n\nYour question makes no sense.