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What pieces of advice would you give young people who aspire to have a career in the medical field?
#career #future
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Dr. Sudeep Mohandas
Advisor, Board Member, Author, Soccer Coach, Consultant
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Dr. Sudeep’s Answer
I am assuming that when you state medical field, you are referring to the field of medicine. I would share three things:
1. Remember this is a life time commitment of studying, learning and always ensuring you are updated with how to be a better professional.
2. Care-giving is vital to your profession. Remember you are only as good as the patient that comes out feeling healthy and well. Your success is determined by the team you work with and the facilities you have.
3. Never poo-poo those who have a differing view or wish to seek alternative medicine or alternative therapy. Not everything can be sorted out by just a pill or a scalpel.
1. Remember this is a life time commitment of studying, learning and always ensuring you are updated with how to be a better professional.
2. Care-giving is vital to your profession. Remember you are only as good as the patient that comes out feeling healthy and well. Your success is determined by the team you work with and the facilities you have.
3. Never poo-poo those who have a differing view or wish to seek alternative medicine or alternative therapy. Not everything can be sorted out by just a pill or a scalpel.
Thank you!
Zemira
Updated
Rahul’s Answer
Persevere towards your goal. Do not dither. Formulate an opinion on important issues. Do not follow the herd. Do not wait for your chance.
Thank you for your advice!
Zemira
Carole Curtis
Career Couselor/ Certified Career Coachself employed
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Carole’s Answer
Hi Zemira: 1.The first thing that I would suggest that you do is make sure that you have a real interest in the medical field , "you ask " How do I do that? 2. If you are in High school or college you could take a career class which will give you information on your interests, your skill set and your personality. After you take these assessments you will be able to decide if you would do well in the medical field and which area of medicine you might like.3 If you are in High school or college you, you would be able to take some classes like biology, anatomy,Anthropology, Chemistry.4 If you are really excited about moving forward with courses you could also take extra classes in vocational schools in which you might find a nurses program /class; or a medical transcriber; or even volunteer at a hospital so you can see what the environment is like. 5Also you might want to shadow a person who is a doctor and who you might know and feel comfortable with, and he or she gives their consent and agreement. 6 Reading medical books will give lots of information, but maybe don't read them all in one day. 7.If you have anyone in your family sit down with them and have all your questions you want to ask and you will be comfortable with someone you know. 8. If you wanted to see how the older people live you could find out by visiting an assisted living house. ( I would not do this now, but after the covid - virus is gone. 9.In high school your GPA is important to get into a medical program, so your want to keep 3.7 to 4.00 and then they will look at your community and social areas. so you want to have some medical in that area.This sounds like a lot but once you take the assessments you will have a better idea of the area you are interested in. Good luck with your research!
First: please take some assessments before you do the other suggestions, by then you should have ideas for what area to study.
Book: to help you decide: What color is your Parachute (by Richard Bolles
Another book: Do what you are. by Tieger & Barbara Barron These two books will also make decisions on what you might like to move forward with
Talk with someone who is a Doctor or a family member who is in the medical field
Look up classes that you think you will help in your career decision like I suggested aove.
Carole recommends the following next steps:
Thank you!
Zemira
Updated
Paula-Ann’s Answer
Hi Zemira,
If you are pursuing the medical field there are many things you can start to do in high school and college that will set you up for success.
In high school, I would recommend taking difficult science and math classes, such as AP/Honors/IB classes, to demonstrate to colleges that you are capable of handling difficult, STEM-focused curriculum. I was pre-med, and I took AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Calculus BC in high school to try to gain college credit to save money and time on these courses, and to make my resumé more impressive to college programs. In addition to a high GPA, rigorous course schedule, and high SAT/ACT score, colleges also want to see a student express their passion and interest in medicine/healthcare with extracurricular activities they've been dedicated to for a substantial amount of time such, leadership roles, work experience, and new and innovative ideas the student has to offer. If you are pursuing medicine, you should seek opportunities that are related to healthcare such as shadowing experiences with doctors and internships/volunteer-ships at hospitals and other medical facilities.
Also, colleges like to see a student who is unique and can make their personality show through during their application process, so other passions and interest such as music, reading, non-profit work, etc are also impressive to colleges because it shows your humanity and the diverse set of skills you can bring to the school.
As someone pursuing medicine, you should seek a college with a highly ranked science and math department, and you should look at their medical school acceptance rate, to evaluate the chances of graduating from the school and being accepted into medical school. In college, you should try to maintain a GPA above 3.7 to remain attractive to medical schools. Also, medical schools want to see meaningful involvement in your community, and in medical environments such as hospitals, healthcare companies, and clinics. Also, a lot of pre-med students do research in a professor's laboratory to gain experience. I have attached a link that describes usual pre-med requirements in college. Although you will be required to complete a pre-med track in college, a lot of medical schools are desiring applicants who chose an "unusual" major such as art history or english, because it shows the student has diverse interests, in addition to successfully completing the pre-med track. So don't hold yourself back from other majors!
https://prepexpert.com/pre-med-class-recommendations/
If you are pursuing the medical field there are many things you can start to do in high school and college that will set you up for success.
In high school, I would recommend taking difficult science and math classes, such as AP/Honors/IB classes, to demonstrate to colleges that you are capable of handling difficult, STEM-focused curriculum. I was pre-med, and I took AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Calculus BC in high school to try to gain college credit to save money and time on these courses, and to make my resumé more impressive to college programs. In addition to a high GPA, rigorous course schedule, and high SAT/ACT score, colleges also want to see a student express their passion and interest in medicine/healthcare with extracurricular activities they've been dedicated to for a substantial amount of time such, leadership roles, work experience, and new and innovative ideas the student has to offer. If you are pursuing medicine, you should seek opportunities that are related to healthcare such as shadowing experiences with doctors and internships/volunteer-ships at hospitals and other medical facilities.
Also, colleges like to see a student who is unique and can make their personality show through during their application process, so other passions and interest such as music, reading, non-profit work, etc are also impressive to colleges because it shows your humanity and the diverse set of skills you can bring to the school.
As someone pursuing medicine, you should seek a college with a highly ranked science and math department, and you should look at their medical school acceptance rate, to evaluate the chances of graduating from the school and being accepted into medical school. In college, you should try to maintain a GPA above 3.7 to remain attractive to medical schools. Also, medical schools want to see meaningful involvement in your community, and in medical environments such as hospitals, healthcare companies, and clinics. Also, a lot of pre-med students do research in a professor's laboratory to gain experience. I have attached a link that describes usual pre-med requirements in college. Although you will be required to complete a pre-med track in college, a lot of medical schools are desiring applicants who chose an "unusual" major such as art history or english, because it shows the student has diverse interests, in addition to successfully completing the pre-med track. So don't hold yourself back from other majors!
https://prepexpert.com/pre-med-class-recommendations/