Why become a doctor or nurse?

Nowadays it is not always the case that you decide what career you want to follow straight from school, with gap years being all the rage. It is fair to say though that most people who want to follow a career in medicine decide long before even choosing exam subjects and work towards achieving the grades in the right subjects to allow their dream to come true. There are lots of other careers in medicine, biomedical scientists, radiographers and the rest being vital cogs in the machine, but those students who wish to become doctors and nurses have probably made their career choices at a younger age than those going into ancillary professions.

Doctors and nurses have historically been seen as called to their profession and it is certainly true that family and friends looking back with hindsight – and admittedly that is always 20/20 – often remark that they knew when the child was small that he or she would become and nurse or a doctor. It is not in everyone’s nature to care for others and it is not sensible to follow a path into medicine just because you are good at science. There are many other careers which use scientific subjects where empathy and compassion are not required and it is a good plan to find out whether you have those qualities before embarking on a very long course of study.

Some students know very early, sometimes before even being accepted into a medical school, which speciality they will choose and stick to that interest throughout. Others change their minds whilst studying – some of the more unusual branches of medicine are not widely understood by the general public and it is only when meeting with it in clinical practice or in the classroom that the student develops an interest. Still others find that they are so enthused by everything that their choices keep changing and when the subject which they will dedicate their lives to comes along, it is like a bolt from the blue.

When choosing a medical or a nursing career, it is important to know yourself a little first. It is not just about learning a whole lot of facts and being able to regurgitate them accurately in an exam. It is about learning the facts, putting them together and making a correct diagnosis. Then the diagnosis has to be shared with the patient and whether the prognosis is good or bad you have to remain a tower of strength for that person. Don’t think you will harden up – you will learn to cope, but hardness is not part of it. Humanity is at the bottom of every person who works in medicine, from the most exalted consultant to the person who delivers the tea. So don’t go into medicine just because you have straight A’s in all the sciences. Go into medicine because you are a human being.

on 14.06.11 by Mark Hinksman