2 answers
Liv
Student
Sunbury, Ohio
1
Question
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What do doctors do?
Hello I would really like to become a doctor when I grow up and I really want to know how they do things and what makes them so special and intelligent and interesting. Pls let me now
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2 answers
Michel Davis
Medical student
171
Answers
Cranston, Rhode Island
Updated
Michel’s Answer
I am in medical school and of course a lot of people are smart, but a lot of people also have an extreme determination to do what they are doing. I think what makes anyone in competitive programs is an innate drive to push themselves to the limits. Just getting into medical school is an absolute feat for a lot of people. Getting a degree and finishing the prereq classes to get in is difficult, but maintaining a 3.75 GPA while volunteering, shadowing physicians, researching, leading clubs, and many other things is difficult. On top of that preparing for the MCAT medical entrance exam and after finishing that knowing that many people still don’t get in with stellar stats.
I believe that people in advanced degrees are smart, but I also believe a lot have found their niche. I wouldn’t be able to study music theory for 12 hours a day, but people can if that is something that they truly enjoy. In life you should be looking for that thing that you wouldn’t mind spending your life working on. If you get bored looking at Biology after 5 minutes then find something that excites you. Once you find that thing you wont mind dedicating big portions of your life to it.
Hopefully this is helpful if I need to clarify anything let me know or ask some more questions.
Great question.
I believe that people in advanced degrees are smart, but I also believe a lot have found their niche. I wouldn’t be able to study music theory for 12 hours a day, but people can if that is something that they truly enjoy. In life you should be looking for that thing that you wouldn’t mind spending your life working on. If you get bored looking at Biology after 5 minutes then find something that excites you. Once you find that thing you wont mind dedicating big portions of your life to it.
Hopefully this is helpful if I need to clarify anything let me know or ask some more questions.
Great question.
Audrey Eakman
MS-2, Biochemistry BS
37
Answers
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Updated
Audrey’s Answer
Hi Liv,
While it is true that a lot of doctors are intelligent people, I don't think that their intelligence is the most important part of what makes them become doctors. There are a lot of really intelligent people who aren't doctors, after all.
I think the most important part about going into a career in medicine is that you have to love it. Medical training and becoming a doctor is a very difficult path that consumes a lot of time and energy. A lot of people who want to become doctors don't succeed for a lot of reasons, but I've noticed for the people who do succeed, there is a deep and unwavering passion for medicine. Something that drives them and sustains them through the difficult times of medical training. I literally could not imagine doing anything else with my life, and that motivates me.
Another trait that I think a lot of people going into medicine need to have is to be hard-working and determined. Really, it's not a matter of intelligence at a certain point. Everyone in my medical school was brilliant. But the people who succeeded were the ones who could study for hours on end, who had the time-management and the organizational skills to manage our course load, who had the self-care skills to survive burnout, and ultimately were able to put in the effort it took to study for the licensing exams.
Doctors are more than just people who are good at studying, though. While being hard-working also helps in your clinical years, there's a very real human aspect to medicine that can't be discounted. Some of the best doctors I know have a deep commitment to helping other people; they want to serve their communities and have an incredible sense of civic duty. They are also incredibly compassionate people and fantastic at communicating in difficult situations. Doctors are also leaders in public and personal situations, as well as educators.
I wasn't sure when I started on this path if I was going to be able to achieve all of the skills that are so apparent in so many good doctors I look up to, but the best thing so far in my medical studies is getting to see myself grow into a teacher, a communicator, a leader, and someone who does well on tests. It took a lot of hard work and commitment, and sure, I'm probably fairly intelligent on top of that, but I think the hard work part is a thousand times more important than the intelligent part.
Anyway, I hope this lends you some insight, and I hope it helps you make a decision for your life. Ultimately, Liv, the best path for you is the one that inspires you and where you feel like you belong.
Good luck!
While it is true that a lot of doctors are intelligent people, I don't think that their intelligence is the most important part of what makes them become doctors. There are a lot of really intelligent people who aren't doctors, after all.
I think the most important part about going into a career in medicine is that you have to love it. Medical training and becoming a doctor is a very difficult path that consumes a lot of time and energy. A lot of people who want to become doctors don't succeed for a lot of reasons, but I've noticed for the people who do succeed, there is a deep and unwavering passion for medicine. Something that drives them and sustains them through the difficult times of medical training. I literally could not imagine doing anything else with my life, and that motivates me.
Another trait that I think a lot of people going into medicine need to have is to be hard-working and determined. Really, it's not a matter of intelligence at a certain point. Everyone in my medical school was brilliant. But the people who succeeded were the ones who could study for hours on end, who had the time-management and the organizational skills to manage our course load, who had the self-care skills to survive burnout, and ultimately were able to put in the effort it took to study for the licensing exams.
Doctors are more than just people who are good at studying, though. While being hard-working also helps in your clinical years, there's a very real human aspect to medicine that can't be discounted. Some of the best doctors I know have a deep commitment to helping other people; they want to serve their communities and have an incredible sense of civic duty. They are also incredibly compassionate people and fantastic at communicating in difficult situations. Doctors are also leaders in public and personal situations, as well as educators.
I wasn't sure when I started on this path if I was going to be able to achieve all of the skills that are so apparent in so many good doctors I look up to, but the best thing so far in my medical studies is getting to see myself grow into a teacher, a communicator, a leader, and someone who does well on tests. It took a lot of hard work and commitment, and sure, I'm probably fairly intelligent on top of that, but I think the hard work part is a thousand times more important than the intelligent part.
Anyway, I hope this lends you some insight, and I hope it helps you make a decision for your life. Ultimately, Liv, the best path for you is the one that inspires you and where you feel like you belong.
Good luck!