Medicine is highly regarded as one of the best career choices you can make. It is demanding, gruelling, a test of your patience and fortitude, and is a lifelong commitment that isn’t to be taken lightly. So why on earth would someone willingly chose to do medicine? Hopefully this essay will give you an insight into why so many people around the world put themselves through the most challenging and difficult experience they have ever seen in their life. Why do you want to study medicine? You hear this question a lot in interviews and questionnaires, especially as part of the medical school admissions process and there’s no real right answer. Unless of course you blurt out “I want to be like Dr. House on TV” or “money, fame and men/women!” Give an answer like that and you’ll be laughed out of the interview room in no time! Here are just a few reasons why you should consider medicine.
Career Opportunities
There are hundreds of different career choices one can make when on the path towards medicine. You can chose to be a surgeon and get hands on experience dealing with patients, or you can chose to specialize in internal medicine and opt for preventative strategies and diagnosing patients. You don’t have to decide right away, you’ll have 6 years to find your particular field. Maybe you want to do something in cardiology or psychiatry or even radiology. The list is endless with many fields overlapping one another. You’re almost spoilt for choice! You can chose to work in a hospital or clinic, science institutes and research, or even teach at a university. You are given flexibility, unlike a lot of career opportunities where you can feel “locked in” or trapped. Medicine can give something for everyone, regardless of personality or ability. Everyday will be different and varied and you will face all kinds of intellectual and practical challenges. Doctors are well known for their higher salaries after graduation and that increases more with experience. You will always be in demand and you will have job security. If there’s one thing that’s most important in life it’s your health.
Medicine is Global
Medicine is recognized all over the world, in terms of practice and theory. Many students graduate from international medical schools and universities, and as such gain a higher advantage over others; the costs are much cheaper! Agencies such as Medlink Students are available to help you make the best choice in where to study medicine abroad. You don’t have to worry if your degree is recognized or not since the universities on offer have globally recognized diplomas and are accepted all around the world. Be it the United States, the United Kingdom or all over the European Union, the degrees will be accepted with no hassle. That’s the beauty of it, every country has a different way of teaching but in the end everyone learns the same thing after 6 years. The human body is, after all, universal. The only differences between us all are superficial, deep down we’re all the same! A sobering thought if I might say so myself.
Medicine is a Challenge
Most people when given the notion or idea of studying medicine shrug it off and say “ah how bad can it be, it must be easy” or “I received top grades in high school so I’ll be just fine”. Never has there been an attitude or mindset more incorrect or ridiculous than this, at least from my experience. Medicine is something that challenges even the perfect “straight A” student. Whilst you would think that grades are important (and in some cases they can be), the only thing more important than that is the drive to succeed and improve. It’s called hubris, an excess of pride. It’s a dangerous notion that can handicap you if you’re not careful. But if you’re the type of person to see everything as a challenge, to improve and better yourself, then you’ll be just fine. Many students struggle with high school or don’t get the right grades the first time around. That’s okay! Everyone arrives in medical school for one reason: to learn. Medlink Students understands that life can present to you situations you aren’t prepared for, and as such your grades end up suffering. We can offer you a second chance to prove to the world that this speed bump or barrier is only temporary and that nothing will stop you from achieving your dreams!
Medicine is Rewarding
Every action has a consequence, especially in medicine. Whilst there are many people who flock towards medicine for the idea of money and fame, many come to make a lasting impact and a difference. Medicine is highly rewarding in that one small choice can make a huge difference in someone’s life. Knowing that the skills you’ve learned and the training you’ve received can change someone’s life is something you won’t get anywhere else. You hear of people complaining of the long working hours, and the stress of trying to learn as much as you can with everything at the highest stakes. That’s all true, I’m not going to sugar coat it. But to make a real difference in people’s lives by alleviating their pain and suffering or making their lives easier in any way. That’s the reason why medicine is highly regarded and well respected the world over. This is why a lot of people seek to improve themselves and work through all of that difficulty to reach a sense of moral fortitude. To be someone of integrity of the highest order and to be someone that people can trust wholeheartedly with matters of health and wellbeing, it’s a huge responsibility. You will become a valuable member of any community and if you are someone who has a high moral character, medicine will certainly satisfy your sense of duty to mankind. If that’s not a good reason to study medicine then I’d love to hear from you and find out what is!
The conclusions we can take from this is that medicine can offer something for everyone. It can offer job satisfaction and security as well as a higher salary than most professions. It can fulfil our ethical and moral duties to the world and at the same time give ourselves a sense of satisfaction that we are making the world a better place for all people. The only thing that’s stopping you is yourself. Why wait for life to pass you by when you could be joining the best family you will ever know? The family that will test you and improve you, to make you into a person you didn’t think you could ever be. We all hesitate in making life changing choices, especially if it comes to our dreams and wishes in life. The only way to fulfil these dreams is to make the first step and work hard. The choice is yours after all, what do you say?
