3 answers
Daniela
Student
Fairfield, California
1
Question
Asked
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I want to go into the medical field but I’ve heard that getting burnt out because the path to becoming a doctor is really common, any tips on how to stay on top of everything I have to do? Also where do you go after your 4 year university when trying to get a PHD? (What’s the difference between MD and PHD?) Where do you go when you want to do your residency (is it something you register online for or do as part of wherever you go after the 4 year?)
I am currently 16 years old (I’m turning 17 this year) living in California and I’m going into my junior year of high school. J know choosing to go into such a rigorous field as the medical field won’t be easy but I trust in my decent academic performance in school so far and love for helping others. I know it might seem self centered to say I’d like to help people but as someone who’s life was made possible to actually live it rather than to just exist in it by a doctor and never getting the chance to tell them how grateful I am, I wish to take that and do it for others.
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3 answers
Aimee Kneip
Work in a hospital laboratory, teach at a college
24
Answers
Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Updated
Aimee’s Answer
I'm going to start with PhD and MD since that didn't get answered correctly yet. PhD is for research and teaching. Professors in college likely have a PhD. MD is for doctors of medicine. They are probably about the same amount of schooling just diverge on the path. MD focus on finding a diagnosis and treating symptoms to heal. Most medical doctors are this. DO is another credential for a doctor. It is doctor of osteopathic medicine and includes working with the whole person and lifestyle to heal. (Dr. Mike is a DO and is a great resource on YouTube.) Between the two there are less schools for DO so it is more competitive.
There are also physician assistants (PA) or nurse practitioner (ARNP). These two have less schooling (generally 6ish years rather than 8-12). Less schools offer these programs so they are highly competitive, but they can have most of the same responsibility as an MD or DO.
Burnout is real and it's tough. The path to becoming a doctor is long a hard work but if helping people is your goal it's a great career. It sounds like your heart/mindset is in the right place.
Tips to help: yoga or other mindfulness exercises are great when you are feeling overwhelmed to keep yourself grounded. Organization skills are a must and if you struggle with that planners or other tools are available. Like I said it's going to be a lot. You will probably miss some partying/other fun college events because you'll need to be studying. But don't forget to take some time for yourself to have fun sometimes too or burnout comes all the quicker.
Anyway I'm not actually a doctor, I work in the hospital laboratory. So if it ever gets too overwhelming don't freak out. Keep trying! And in the end you can always look into other healthcare careers where you can still help others.
There are also physician assistants (PA) or nurse practitioner (ARNP). These two have less schooling (generally 6ish years rather than 8-12). Less schools offer these programs so they are highly competitive, but they can have most of the same responsibility as an MD or DO.
Burnout is real and it's tough. The path to becoming a doctor is long a hard work but if helping people is your goal it's a great career. It sounds like your heart/mindset is in the right place.
Tips to help: yoga or other mindfulness exercises are great when you are feeling overwhelmed to keep yourself grounded. Organization skills are a must and if you struggle with that planners or other tools are available. Like I said it's going to be a lot. You will probably miss some partying/other fun college events because you'll need to be studying. But don't forget to take some time for yourself to have fun sometimes too or burnout comes all the quicker.
Anyway I'm not actually a doctor, I work in the hospital laboratory. So if it ever gets too overwhelming don't freak out. Keep trying! And in the end you can always look into other healthcare careers where you can still help others.
Samara Peters
Pediatrics
9
Answers
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
Samara’s Answer
I actually am a physician, and have been in practice for about 14 years. To put your mind somewhat at ease, you don't have to keep track of the whole process from the beginning. Most of the time, you are just working on one piece at a time. For example, you don't need to worry about applying to medical school and residency programs when you start your undergrad program. There are some prerequisites you need to make sure you complete, but it is more important to focus on your current studies. In medical school, I didn't worry about residency applications for the first 2 years. Etc. The path for medicine is fairly regimented, so as long as you follow the steps in the right order, that's all you have to do. You may even have a pre-med counselor at your undergraduate college who can help guide you.
After your undergraduate degree, you will go to medical school. You can train to be an MD or DO. In the US, they are equivalent. There are many medical schools around the country, and you should read up on the specifics of programs you are interested in. A PhD is a doctorate, but not a professional degree like an MD or DO. A PhD is a high level of study and research on a specific topic, but not necessarily medicine.
You apply for your residency at the end of medical school and as you are finishing your general testing (think of it like the SAT for residency, it is part of your Board certification). There are residencies for every specialty, and the programs are scattered all over the country. You will want to learn about which type of physician you want to be before you apply to residency. A person who wants to be a surgeon wouldn't go to an internal medicine residency.
Burnout is real, but it is not constant. I will admit that I have had episodes of burnout, even severe burnout that almost made me quit medicine. However, I found that re-centering my goals about medicine and really channeling energy into a good work-life balance helps a great deal. I have even changed jobs and got a additional masters degree which has helped alot. Checking in with mentors and others who you trust to help you with your goals is key.
After your undergraduate degree, you will go to medical school. You can train to be an MD or DO. In the US, they are equivalent. There are many medical schools around the country, and you should read up on the specifics of programs you are interested in. A PhD is a doctorate, but not a professional degree like an MD or DO. A PhD is a high level of study and research on a specific topic, but not necessarily medicine.
You apply for your residency at the end of medical school and as you are finishing your general testing (think of it like the SAT for residency, it is part of your Board certification). There are residencies for every specialty, and the programs are scattered all over the country. You will want to learn about which type of physician you want to be before you apply to residency. A person who wants to be a surgeon wouldn't go to an internal medicine residency.
Burnout is real, but it is not constant. I will admit that I have had episodes of burnout, even severe burnout that almost made me quit medicine. However, I found that re-centering my goals about medicine and really channeling energy into a good work-life balance helps a great deal. I have even changed jobs and got a additional masters degree which has helped alot. Checking in with mentors and others who you trust to help you with your goals is key.
Dr Sire Ajay Karanam
Super CEO
15
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Dr Sire Ajay’s Answer
Hi thanks for your questions, it looks like you are interested in pursuing medicine as your edcuational path and become a specialized doctor.
1) You can complete your bachelors degree in medicine and practice without any burnout or stress, just basically make sure you are regularly working out with yoga exercises to keep your brain and body calm and cool at all times.
2) MD is Doctorate in Medicine and PhD is Doctorate in Philosophy. They both are different and need your alignment to which course you need to take, if you are a MBBS degree holder then MD would be the right path.
Please see links below:
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/research-rankings
https://www.bachelorsportal.com/articles/2744/best-medical-schools-in-the-world.html
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2023/medicine
Kindly go through the links, discuss with your parents, teachers and classmates
Thanks oneness healthiest times
1) You can complete your bachelors degree in medicine and practice without any burnout or stress, just basically make sure you are regularly working out with yoga exercises to keep your brain and body calm and cool at all times.
2) MD is Doctorate in Medicine and PhD is Doctorate in Philosophy. They both are different and need your alignment to which course you need to take, if you are a MBBS degree holder then MD would be the right path.
Please see links below:
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/research-rankings
https://www.bachelorsportal.com/articles/2744/best-medical-schools-in-the-world.html
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2023/medicine
Kindly go through the links, discuss with your parents, teachers and classmates
Thanks oneness healthiest times