If you’re looking to join the medical field, you should be commended for wanting to take part in such a noble field. Medicine has come a long way this decade thanks to pioneers who have worked tirelessly in order to help patients. We have better access to care and treatment options than ever. Diseases that previously incapacitated people to the point of death are now treatable. It’s never an instant solution and there’s plenty of more to be done. However, we are definitely on the right track.
Medicine is a highly specialized field, however. It’s one that you need the proper education from a place like California College San Diego and temperament for. You might want to become a doctor or nurse, but you have to make sure that you are prepared for everything those jobs entail. Here are three things to consider before settling on a career in medicine.
Training
Becoming a doctor or nurse requires extensive training. This is absolutely necessary. After all, medicine is a life-and-death field, and you wouldn’t want your care in the hands of someone who isn’t properly trained. If you decided you want to become a doctor today, you won’t be putting on a lab coat or surgical scrubs tomorrow.
You’ll need to obtain an undergraduate degree in pre-med, attend medical school, and also take part in a residency at a hospital or other medical place. This adds up to over a decade, but every year (and every day) will be imperative when it comes to progress. If you think this will be too daunting, you should likely decline taking part in medicine. It wouldn’t be fair to yourself or others in the business.
Unpredictable Hours
The phrase 9 to 5 doesn’t have much meaning when it comes to working in medicine. People need care at all hours of the day. If you open your own practice, you will be able to set your own hours must easier. However, that will come after you’ve established yourself. In your initial time as a doctor, you will be at the mercy of a hospital. You might be working an overnight shift one day and a morning shift another.
If you’re somebody who needs a set schedule, the medical field might be challenging to you. It can wear on you easily. Think about your own sleep habits and how important they are to you. Even if they are important, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to adapt. However, you should greatly consider whether or not it will be an issue.
Stress Management
Your understanding of stress will take on a new meaning when it comes to working in medicine. You have to be on the ball in a myriad of ways. Juggling patients, working long hours and storing all kinds of information can really weigh down on a person. It’s certainly possible, as countless of medical professionals have proven. However, you need to know how to handle your stress.
Having stress is not inherently bad. Everyone, from students to doctors, deals with stress. What’s important is how you manage that stress. If something doesn’t go how you expected it to, are you handling it with aplomb or becoming agitated? Not dealing with stress well in the medical field is a huge red flag. You need to be as collected as possible in order to be competent.
We hope this has given you a great idea of what to consider before settling on a career in medicine. If you’re aspiring to help others, that’s terrific. However, you need to make sure you are going in with the proper understanding. With these tips, you can be sure you’re ready to study medicine.