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Should I go into bussiness or medicine

I change my mind a lot and want to do something that is I enjoy every day. I feel that business is broad and it is so much you can do with a business major, however, being a doctor is so straightforward because having a medical degree is just being a doctor. I have always wanted to be a doctor but don't know if I have what it takes.
#medical #doctor #medicine #healthcare #premed #business #marketing

business marketing premed
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Doc’s Answer

YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO

Catherine can I suggest MD + MBA, With increasing complexities of health care delivery put a premium on professionals who understand and meet the demands required to deliver innovative, collaborative, and compassionate care rolls needed to take leadership roles in the healthcare industries. With multiple courses of study, the program is designed to meet your varied interests. As a MD + MBA you'll have the ability to acquire skills needed for:

• Excel in areas of healthcare entrepreneurship;
• Develop new therapy paradigms and pharmaceuticals;
• Manage healthcare teams and organizations;
• Become key advisors in healthcare policy for government and private organizations; and/or
• Develop pioneering teaching methods leading the future of clinical care.

There are many different pre-health professions and pre-med undergraduate degrees available. Some schools allow these pre-med programs to be paired with any major, while others typically require students in the program to major in a science-related field, such as biology, chemistry, psychology, etc. your goal for one of these pre-med degree is to help prepare for Masters in Business Administration. As a Pre-Med Graduate you can either go on to pursue graduate, professional, or medical school, or they may begin an entry-level career in the field of their major, such as a career in biology or chemistry.

As discussed, graduates with pre-med degrees may jump right into entry-level positions, usually as various kinds of scientists, and/or may go on to pursue graduate school in a particular subject or medical school. As a suggestion for you you can go onto receive your Masters in Business Administration, the best of both worlds. An MBA degree program incorporates topics of business and finance as they relate to management. Some programs provide integrative real-world workshops that help students develop their skills in international business, negotiations, networking and decision-making.

Hope this was Helpful Catherine
Thank you comment icon Thank You Ben. “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.” – Erma Bombeck Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much for your help and insight Catherine
Thank you comment icon You are welcome Catherine, it was my pleasure. Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible.” Doc Frick
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Rebecca’s Answer

Hi Catherine,

I majored in Business Strategy. Various people within my major were planning on attending medical school after graduating with their bachelors degree. My brother-in-law is currently finishing up his residency in emergency medicine. He told me that medical schools accept people with various types of majors as long as they qualify (the MCAT score is more important than your major). I would recommend looking into extracurricular organizations, internships, and minors that will help you build the skill set you want. Minors or double majors can really help tailor your education to your future career path.

Edit: additional response included below on what profession a strategy major can perform after graduating.

“Strategists help a company achieve competitive advantage by developing plans that allow the company to offer unique value to their customers. Strategists collect and analyze information about competitors, customers, and the resources and capabilities of the company. Strategists use this analysis to make recommendations about where to invest and what actions to take, over time, in order to achieve superior firm performance. Recommendations may address revenue growth, competitive positioning, acquisitions, building internal processes and capabilities, structuring existing assets or resources, entering new markets, product launches, or any other aspects that can result in higher performance” - this is an overview I took from my program’s strategy major overview.


A Strategic Management major can find jobs as a data or business analyst, consultant, a corporate strategist or various other roles. Various people in my major have gone on to accept roles at different corporations, start their own business, become consultants, financial advisors, marketing analysts etc. Since strategy is more about critical thinking if you pair it with a hard skill minor / emphasis / double major you can increase your skill set / value to recruiters. Other good business major options include Finance, Global Supply Chain & Operations, Human Resources, Information Systems, Marketing, and Accounting. These may be more interesting to you and what you want to go into in the future.
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much, if you wouldn't mind do you think you could tell me more about what you do with a major in Bussiness Strategy Catherine
Thank you comment icon Hi Catherine, I added my response to this comment to my original post (it wouldn’t fit as a comment). If you have more questions please let me know! Rebecca Crandall
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Natalie’s Answer

This is really about knowing yourself, your values, and what will keep you passionate and committed every day. (short and long term).

I have both a Business degree (Marketing/Int'l) and an MBA. However, I never really felt like owning it as a Capitalist until I started working in the MedTech Field. MedTech allowed me to find my personal sweet spot which I call "compassionate capitalism". And I dig TECH and B2B instead of B2C. I knew I did NOT want to be in Consumer/Retail. Zero interest.

I work for a High Tech company that does Tech for the sole reason of improving human health (our Mission is to "alleviate pain, restore health, extend life"). Without that humane aspect, in industries before MedTech, I felt like I couldn't be authentic. Knowing that what we do every day is helping to save or improve a life is personally, very motivating. I feel very lucky that I was able to blend Business with Medicine in this way. I get to work with super-amazing colleagues and even more amazing doctors and nurses and administrators. Humbling.

Good luck with your decision. It's really hard, so don't try to get it "perfect" on your first go. You need to "dabble" to see if it's something that grabs you by your heart and your mind.
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Margaret’s Answer

Life has an interesting way of unfolding. Keep your mind and heart open to all opportunities and pursue what GENUINELY makes you happy.
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much I will keep this in mind, your words are deeply appreciated Catherine
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Jay’s Answer

I was struggling with the same decision my freshmen year of college. I would only choose medicine if you are 100% sure you want to be a doctor/dentist. It is a very long and strenuous journey that you will have to embark on and if you don't have the passion for it you will regret your decision. I chose to major in Finance and minor in MIS as I found it much more interesting and suitable to my capabilities. Additionally, I was only doing premed for the first year of college to make my parents happy.
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Palak’s Answer

I understand picking a career might be a tough decision - if you're interested in business, but also in healthcare as a physician, have you looked into practicing as a physician in your own clinic?

This would be a happy medium - as you would be practicing medicine, but also running a business!

Good luck - remember it's a journey, not a race
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Vincent’s Answer

Hi Catherine,

The obvious answer is do what you love to do. However, that doesn’t really help because you really won’t know until after you begin working. And then, I have friends and coworkers who have been in their industry for many years and still don’t know what they really love and are passionate about. Many people change career paths and I believe it’s about trial and error. When I was trying to figure out a career path a mentor asked me “what makes you tick in life. Is it money, is it helping people, is it prestige, is it family, etc.?” I think asking yourself this question will help you make the decision best for you. It did for me. Best of luck!!
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Claudia’s Answer

Catherine, you need to follow your passion. Both careers are interesting but remember you will study/work on it everyday so it needs to be something that you like to do: "Love what you do, do what you love" .

You can always learn something new so you can have two degrees in the future :P And also you can change your choice even when you are studying.

I will tell you my experience: In my first day in college ( International Business), I assisted 3 classes and I noticed that was not for me so I went to the school office, checked for other career options and decided for the one I like the most: Industrial Engineering. It was a quick decision but I don´t regret it cause I love what I actually do. I followed my instict and it works :)
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Alexander’s Answer

Hi Catherine, I agree with you, I have a business management degree and it is very broad. You learn a lot of skills in school to help you in the business environment and then you employer helps teach you the skills you need to be successful in your career.

Coming out of high school, I was very unsure of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to be. I would advise you not to make your decision just yet. Find a school that you love that offers both majors you are interested in and use your first year to complete general education courses while taking some intro to business classes and classes that relate to the type of doctor you would want to be. I think with experimenting with the class you will get a feel for what you can see yourself doing in the future.

I tried 4 different majors before deciding that business management was the best fit for me!

I wish you the best of luck!
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Tom’s Answer

You need to follow your passion. Business and Medicine are both rewarding fields but unique in there own ways. Try them both on thru the under grad experience with class, mentoring and internships. The good news is your canvas is clear and you get to draw your future.
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Chad’s Answer

As mentioned previously, I think pursuing an MD / MBA is a great option to determine which path, business or medicine, resonates with you. I know a few folks who have pursued this route, some went into business while some went into medicine after school.

I don't think becoming a doctor prevents you from entering into the business world either, especially in the healthcare field. For example, I work with a lot of folks who have their MD degrees but chose to work in the management consulting field.

You don't need to choose now, but it's worth speaking to a few folks in each career path to see if their day to day life sounds like what you want to do.
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Richard’s Answer

Becoming a physician is rewarding. Having a business background would make some parts of the medical practice easier. I would give you the same advice I gave my son: Major in business in undergrad and fulfill the premed requirements. You keep your options open and if you end up going to medical school you will have a base of business knowledge. During undergrad try some business internships to find it that is where your find your passion
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Jason’s Answer

Hi Catherine,

Being a doctor is a kind of professional career, it needs a lot of study and internship to support. On the other hand, Business is a kind of experience, although studying theory does matter, practicing in a business and learning on the flight can makes you learn more.

In my opinion, if I am a doctor, I can also start by business if I am available, but it is very hard to take some time and learn medicine if I am a businessman.
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Kevin’s Answer

my younger brother always wanted to become a doctor, however while going to school he realized that he loved the medical research aspect more and decided to follow that path (still in medicine but not as a doctor)

being a doctor is going to require a great deal of schooling, my sister is a nurse (now has her masters in teaching nursing) and she has continually been taking classes all her life … staying up to date on the latest procedures

the world needs good doctors but before you start down that path make sure it is what you are truly passionate about (Good Luck)
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Caroline’s Answer

Hi Catherine,

I think you should look out for internships or volunteer opportunities in both fields to get a bit of first hand-experience and to meet others in those fields. The experience and the people you meet would be unbelievably valuable to you as you learn more about what you'd like to pursue as a career.

Also, if you decide to change careers later in life, that is not the worst thing in the world! Just remember that you do not have to be stuck in one profession for the rest of your life if you don't want to be.

Hope this helps!

Caroline
Thank you comment icon Thank you this helps a lot, I am in clubs such as Red Cross and have been trying to get a hold of doctors so I can try shadowing, however it has been difficult because of the virus, however after I will follow your advice Catherine
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Lauren’s Answer

Hi Catherine, there are ways to have the best of both worlds both impacting and improving the populations health while advancing your career in the business sector. Surgical device sales is one example, where you get to educate surgeons and OR staff on new technologies that help improve patient outcomes, and walk the room through operation instructions and troubleshooting instructions in real time during surgery. Medical Device companies have positions in sales, marketing, product development, engineering, R&D and more.
Thank you comment icon Catherine, I work with Lauren and cannot agree more! Great industry, and always feels great making an impact on someones life! Mike McGuire
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Rachel’s Answer

You can certainly practice medicine and own your own business. My husband practices orthopedics and runs his own practice. I know that he would have been incredibly grateful for a business background had he taken any of those classes in college. Unfortunately, his engineering degree did not help with budgeting or pay roll.
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Gloria’s Answer

Hello Catherine,

I think that you should not feel like you have to go with one or the other at this point. As Lolita indicated, there are ways that both of your choices actually can work together. If you are headed to college, your challenge will be to have both subjects that you are passionate about in the classes that you took. Are there schools that offer healthcare administration as a major? What is the type of medicine that you would like to practice? Just like business, medicine has a wide variety of options to choose from. Not knowing what you want to do, I still might do something like this going into college. I would choose some sort of medical major (like Biology) and then make sure that your elective credits include business classes. Or do the reverse. You will see during these classes where your heart really lies, which one would you like to do more. In my job as an Instructional Designer, there are several majors that could help me - English and Computer Science that sometimes feel like a contradiction to each other.

I wish you luck on your journey to find your career. It may take a while. Enjoy the journey of finding out what you are really passionate about.
Thank you comment icon Thank you this is really helpful for me as it gives me a taste in both worlds in following this path, however in doing this will I be wasting money in taking classes that aren't necessary. Catherine
Thank you comment icon It does not need to be a waste of money. You can make some of the classes fit into your electives, so you would still be working on your degree. I am someone who didn't know what I wanted to do and did take classes that didn't always apply to my final diploma. Unless you are ready to commit to one major over another, you may have to pay more to learn what you want to do. Gloria Ortiz
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Helen’s Answer

Hi Catherine,

Both options are very different. My husband's family is all related to medicine. I advise you to take a deep look inside what you enjoy. Do you enjoy helping people? Do you enjoy changing lives? Is not that through Business you can't do that, but through medicine you are able to touch lives instantly.
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Aniruddha’s Answer

listen to yourself. If the life of a doctor excites you. Go for it..don't think twice

You can always do an MBA at any stage of your life..
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much, you bring up a valid point Catherine
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Jemima A.’s Answer

Dear Catherine,

You've got to be sure of what you want. Take time to understand what you truly want to do and how you can be of immense help in your country and the world at large.

You can study medicine and still go into buisness..
You can study medicine and leave out buisness
You can do buisness and leave out medicine.

It all depends on you.
Weigh your advantage and disadvantages...
Understand the kind of buisness you also want to go into so that you don't waste your time doing nothing.
Thank you comment icon Thank you very much, I will start a pros and cons list, your advice is very helpful Catherine
Thank you comment icon Great.All the best Jemima A. Chukwu
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Lolita’s Answer

I definitely understand your challenge. A Medical Doctor takes care of the patients well being and business is organizational, financial, and global.
Healthcare is a business. The career positions in Healthcare Management, Accounting, Medical Billing and coding, Human Resources etc are all in the medical field and requires business knowledge.
You could try a Myers Briggs test. This is a personality test. This may help you see which option is best for you. I hope this helps. Good Luck on your journey.
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for your time and answering, I will definitely look into the Myers Briggs test. Catherine
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Danyel’s Answer

Hello Catherine,

I too have been in your shoes. My background is engineering and I was set on going to medical school. However, I decided to work for 1-2 years before going to medical school. During this time I worked in start-up which opened my eyes to the many opportunities in business. I would suggest that you allow yourself time to explore and figure things out. For me, the time I spent working in industry changed my direction as I decided to go to business school. Having that time of reflection allow me to realize my passion is the intersection of health and technology.

I wish you the best of luck and encourage you to seek out mentors. Don't be afraid to seek advice and follow your passion. You do not need to have all of the answers while you are in college. Utilize internships and projects as a method to help find your areas of interest. Remember when you graduate you not tied to finding a job within your major.
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Ben’s Answer

Hi Catherine,
There are many different types of careers in business, but there are also many different types of doctors. The career of a surgeon would be very different from that of a primary care physician, and also different from a specialist. A doctor working in a hospital will have a different feel than a doctor who owns their own practice, etc. Perhaps you're interested in medicine, but less so about patient care - there are all sorts of research roles in the medical field as well.

I would start by looking inward and trying to answer some important questions to better understand yourself:
What kinds of things do you value?
What do you enjoy doing- what makes you happy?
What are you good at?

Then I would reach out to some doctors - your family care physician, relatives, family friends, etc to ask if they would be willing to have a 15 minute conversation with you about what their job is like, because you're interested in their field. Come prepared with questions about what they actually spend time doing during the day, what they like the most, like the least, what people would be surprised to learn about, where they see the field going in the next 10-15 years, etc. Try to ask questions that relate to the questions you asked of yourself (ex: "would you recommend this field for someone who enjoys variety in their day")

Then I would do the same thing with business people. Try to narrow it down to just a couple of fields (Finance, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, Production, HR, etc). Then google some types of careers in that field. For instance, in marketing you'll find social media managers, brand managers, advertising agency managers, copywriters, graphic designers, digital media managers, marketing strategists and more. Each of those roles, though all in the field of marketing, will have a different skill set and a different experience. Find a few people who will be willing to speak with you. Create a profile on LinkedIn.com, reach out to a few people who have titles that seem to be what you're interested in, and ask if they'd be willing to have a 15 minute conversation with you. You'd be AMAZED at how many people are willing to say yes. (Some will say "no", but that's ok - you just need a few to say "yes" to help you). I would recommend looking for people who have at least 5 years of experience, and I would search for a mix of seniority. (You'll likely get fewer "yes" responses from CEO's, VPs, etc - but they might have some of the most varied life experiences and know how to climb to more senior roles). Again- come prepared with your questions. If you don't know what to ask, look up "Informational interview questions" for examples.

Once you've spoken to people, look back at the answers you gained in your interview, as well as those you asked yourself. What becomes clear?

By the way - you don't need a business degree to work in a business. It can certainly help, but I work with plenty of people who have an english degree, or a history degree, or a degree in a foreign language, and they've found themselves in marketing, sales, and supply chain roles. What you do with your time (work experience/internships/volunteering/networking) is more important than the field of study in your degree. You can always get an MBA later (my undergrad was in computer science and I wound up in marketing).

Good luck!
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much, this really helped me out. I will certainly take you up on your advice. Catherine
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Estelle’s Answer

As an OB Gyn in solo practice, I would emphasize that you can practice medicine as well as business. I hire my own employees, do pay roll, have a mortgage on my building and need to balance my expenses. It is an excellent life balance.
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D’s Answer

Hi Catherine, these 2 fields have unique experience to offer each. The key is to find your passion. You can try to look for job shadowing opportunities or talking with people who are actually in those 2 fields. In my experience, it's best way to see it yourself whether it's suitable for you.
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Georgina’s Answer

A business degree will help you no matter what field you go into - even medicine. Being a successful doctor eventually means you are also a business person because even when you work in an academic setting like a research hospital, you may be responsible for managing people, budgets, departmental strategy, etc. Medicine is a serious commitment and you need to be prepared to work for a long time without making enough money to support yourself - so you have to really love medicine to go down that route. Having a business background may help you make good decisions as you manage your medical career path as well. To apply for medical school you don't need a specific major - you just need to take all of the classes required for admission. You should research the different med school requirements and as long as you can fit those in around a business major, you can do both.
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Khrystyna’s Answer

A lot of great advises here. Both degrees are great and will bring a lot of opportunities for the future. I always keep saying you have to go with what you are more passionate about.
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Kari’s Answer

Hi Catherine! Great question!
When I went into college I also thought I wanted to be a doctor but wasn't 100% sure. I was good at math and science, so I was steered towards Biomedical Engineering. I decided to go for a BS in Biomedical Engineering as my undergraduate degree with a plan to move onto medical school. After 4 years, I had changed my mind about med school, and got a job as a design engineer for a medical device company. I quickly learned that while I did not love engineering, I DID love project management. I had no visibility to the careers of project management or engineering as a high school student. Now that I am in my role, I am doing what I love, yet still serving and helping patients, which is what I wanted. So it turns out, there are so many aspects of the healthcare field besides just being a doctor.
My husband is a doctor, and from that view point, I can tell you that most independent doctors do not have a desire to run their business, so there are careers to be had out of running a business for health care providers.
My best advice is to try to job shadow people in your community. Reach out to ask at a local clinic, or medical company and ask to spend 10 minutes with a bunch of different people asking what skill sets that allow them to be successful at their job, and what likes and dislikes they have. Something might spark an interest!

Kari
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Jessica’s Answer

Hi Catherine,

This is a great question. I have many friends and family friends who are doctors and I want to share with you the advice that they gave me: if you are not 100% sure about being a doctor, don't go straight into medical school. This applies to any field really, but particularly for medical school, there are so many factors that need to be considered: cost, MCAT scores, specialization and residency, and more. Medical school is very time consuming and very expensive, to be blunt, and if you are not 100% sure that you want to be a doctor, it is not the right choice to apply to medical school right away.

Business and medicine are different fields, but they can very much be interrelated. I would recommend that if you are in college, you talk to doctors and business women to see how they made their decision to pursue their careers. I would strongly recommend that you look into shadowing a doctor at a local hospital to see what their job entails. From my family friends who are doctors, they strongly encourage anyone who is considering medical school to think about what it is they are hoping to get out of their job and whether or not they are truly going to be happy as a doctor. Being a doctor is a lot of work, unusual hours, working holidays, and trying to give patients the care and attention they require. The biggest complaint I have heard from doctors is that they genuinely don't get the chance to spend enough time with their patients as they would like to. To me personally, the best doctors are those that truly care for their patients and take the time to get to know them. Yes you need to go to medical school, but you should also have a passion for helping others. I would recommend that you also really take some time to think about why you want to be become a doctor; "money" is not a good answer.

Remember also that there are so many careers in medicine that don't require you to be a doctor. You can be a nurse (NP, RN), a physician assistant (PA), medical assistant, hygienist, optometrist... Medicine doesn't just mean being a doctor. If you're unsure about medical school, take a look at other options!

As for business, I think that again, understanding what businesspeople do would be helpful because business is very broad. While it is true that an MBA will give you more flexibility, you want to be in a profession that makes you happy. Whether that is medicine or business is your decision that no one can help you make, but I hope that whatever you choose, you have a passion for what you do.

Jessica recommends the following next steps:

Self reflect about why you are considering a career in medicine
Connect with doctors and get their experience of making that decision. Find out what they do and what they like/dislike about their job
Connect with businesspeople and get their experience of making that decision. Find out what they do and what they like/dislike about their job
Look into other medical professions that don't require an MD
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Carlyn’s Answer

Hi Catherine,

I am not sure where you are in your degree, but it would be great to take a mix of classes if possible. There are also often student organizations related to both of these topics. I would highly recommend getting involved in those to further explore your interest. I have found that it is often important to show ways that you demonstrated interest in a field before looking for a job or internship in that area.
Thank you comment icon I am currently a high school student and I am taking AP classes and also wondering what to do for the rest of my life. I want to make sure I'm not taking difficult classes for no reason if they don't apply to my future major, as well as figuring out what I want Catherine
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