Making a career selection involves multiple aspects to be considered. It’s one of life’s biggest decision. One has to be mind-full of all the pros and cons and understand and accept the expected challenges and obstacles that comes with it.
When planning to choose a career in medicine think about what kind of future appeals to you? Are you willing to take challenges? would it be alright waking up, multiple times, in the middle of the night only to have minor issues of your patients sorted? Is there a will to sacrifice your own social life, leisure time, family gatherings, easy and comfy life in the name of serving others? Does science and how the human body works appeals to your sense of logic? Is caring for people, their problems and their pains important? Are you a good listener? learning constantly is enjoyable or frustrating? Improving people’s life while helping them achieve tranquility by ways of medicine is intriguing or too much work?
If your answer to most of these questions is a “YES or an affirmative” then your personality is a correct fit for this profession. However, there is more than this to consider when choosing to become a physician.
Becoming a physician is a life-long commitment. It’s an intense journey. Here are few things you need to consider when you are making choices in this direction.
1. You understand the commitment
Medical School is a commitment that requires a lot of dedication for a very long time. It’s a LONG AND TIRING JOURNEY. Believe me when I say this; It’s Unforgiving and it will test your patience infinite times. You will be required to invest time, energy and love into this every single day. Now, I am not trying to scare you or talk you out of it. NO! I am only trying to give you a clear picture of what this journey demands. Knowing what you are getting into will always help you adopt a winning mindset.
2. Your motivation is in the right places. YOU ARE NOT COMING IN FOR THE MONEY
If you are coming in the field for money, ABORT MISSION! I REPEAT, ABORT MISSION! Yes, from the looks of it, medicine seems attractive, picturesque, high paying and cool. However, that’s only the picture that grey’s anatomy has showed you. THE REALITY IS DIFFERENT AND HARD. Your purpose of choosing medicine should never be money. If you want to make money and get rich, please get into a business school not a medical school. In this career the right motivation will make you or break you. Trust me, if you are coming in for money, or because your parents want you to become a doctor, or someone you admire is a doctor and you are absolutely inspired by how they are winning at life. THESE ARE WRONG MOTIVATIONS. With such motivations, You are setting yourself up for utter disappointment and failure.
3. You genuinely want to serve and you want to lead
“If serving is above you, leader ship is beyond you” – Rory Vaden
If you genuinely wish to serve and make difference in the lives of people then only you should be opting for this profession. You need to be empathic and kind. Accepting and listening. Caring and loving. If volunteering inspires you and make you feel happy, trust me you’ll adjust well to this profession. But if it comes as a drag to you or something you would only do to fill-in your CV then you may not be well-suited for this profession.
Caring deeply about people and helping others will not only help you overcome burnout but will also help you get through the most challenging phase of your training. It will help you attach your life to a purpose and that purpose will primarily direct you and guide you forward.
4. You can not imagine yourself doing anything else
You have explored, both, breadth and depth of all the potential careers you could consider taking and then you have chosen medicine for yourself. If I tell you about my own self, after 8th grade, everyone in my class was either going to opt for business field or arts field. Even my closest friends, all of them, went to business schools. There reasons were simple, they wanted to make money and enjoy their lives. I, on the contrary, never considered money as an important or primary factor associated with my own happiness. For me happiness was achievable when I helped someone in need. So for me and my personality, choice were simple and straight forward.
However, it is important to know your options. Being a physician isn’t the end of the world. There are many other healthcare associated professions that you can consider if being a physician is a little too much commitment for you but still want to work in the healthcare setting.
5. You have the right support system – Family and Partners
Because it’s such a demanding journey, the right kind of support is incredibly important. Support from family, friends and when choosing partners is important to help you sustain through medical school. It also helps prevent burnout. Lack of social support specially from your spouse or partners can be a MAJOR SETBACK or an Impediment to your career success.
In the end, my advice would be, do your research, ask the right questions, map out your journey first and then embark upon it. I am 100% sure, you’ll be incredibly successful in this endeavor.
If you like the blog post, please leave a comment below. You can also read my previous post on why you should become a physician to get more inspiration and make the right choice. If you have any questions and looking for guidance, feel free to get in touch with my at instagram where I am available to guide and motivate 24/7.