How You Are Perceived

[Goran]

Ever have a conversation with someone who hinted that they didn't see you as a doctor? I was talking to a girl today, after working with a group of kids. I mentioned that I get a headache from them sometimes. I love kids to death, but get them in a group together, and they're hard to control! So the girl comments, "You don't wanna be a teacher, right?" And I said I don't know, I might like to be a professor and/or a doctor. She said, "I can see you as a professor." I asked, "Not as a doctor?" She hesitated, then said yes, although I know she didn't mean it.

It makes me feel slightly awful that an acquantaince of mine doesn't see me as a doctor. At the same time, this is not the age-group I would want to work with as a doctor anyway. I'm interested in either pediatrics or geriatrics. I think kids love me and I love them, and the same goes for the elderly. It's people in my age-group that I'm not so close with, and I probably wouldn't want to treat teenagers or young adults as patients. Should I be discouraged even so? How would you guys feel?

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[ifailedmcat]

If it's just one person telling you that, I don't know how credible her perception of you is. Now if everyone was telling you the same thing, then I might be worried.

 

[Medikit]

I can see you as a fireman or a banker

 

[iamgoaloriented]

Never take one persons opinion too seriously, especially if they don't know you very well or if they are an idiot.

No matter who you are or how talented you are, there will always be people who don't think highly of you and fail to see the extent of your talents (either due to a difference of values or sheer stupidity). There are also moments when we get frustrated even when doing things we normally love, so just because being around a groups of kids can be frustrating doesn't mean you won't make a great pediatrician.

 

[fotolilith]

Tell her you could see her as a stripper... see how she feels about that. ;-P

Different medical specialties attract different personalities... sure, you mean DOZENS of people who want to save humanity/ the children (seriously, in college I knew more than 2 dozen people who wanted to be a pediatric oncologist - IMHO it was because they thought PO sounds like the most philanthropic specialty on the planet).

For instance, in one of the UTMB residency class photos, the urology residents all had their pants down (jokesters), the orthopedic surgeons I shadowed like to talk about themselves in third person (it was kinda creepy)...the paths I know seem to be a bit on the cooky side (maybe that's why I like them), the anesthesiologists... well, tend to be former chem majors (yes, a generalization about their obsession with illicit substances, oh well...)...yada, yada.

Point being, there is no one set TYPE of personality for a physician. Sure there are commonalities, but people often gravitate towards a specialty that fits their personality (and should stay there too, sometimes). So your friend has a bias about the typical physician that you don't fit - so what. You don't have to love kids to want to be a doc (and I'm with you - I find old people cuter ).

I mean, yeah, I met plenty of premeds in college who struck me as shallow and only wanting to do medicine because their parents make them, but who am I to judge?

This could be an opportunity for you to evaluate your motivations and reaffirm your commitment - you can't please everyone, so you should just work on achieving your personal level of satisfaction. You will find your niche in this world.

 

[fun8stuff]

Well, you aren't a doctor yet... I would guess you will pick up certain traits as you go along.

Also, by the time most physicians finish their training, they are older... ~30 yrs... so for a lot of people, it is hard to picture someone so young being a doctor.

Another thing, thanks to the media and such, some people view physicians as almost super human... however, most physicians are normal, caring people. Most people might not know a physician that closely- just how they have interacted in a small room, but not on a personal level... hence the misconception.

Don't take anyone else's opinions that seriously.. when it is all said and done- you will be a doctor, and hopefully you will enjoy what you do.

Ever have a conversation with someone who hinted that they didn't see you as a doctor? I was talking to a girl today, after working with a group of kids. I mentioned that I get a headache from them sometimes. I love kids to death, but get them in a group together, and they're hard to control! So the girl comments, "You don't wanna be a teacher, right?" And I said I don't know, I might like to be a professor and/or a doctor. She said, "I can see you as a professor." I asked, "Not as a doctor?" She hesitated, then said yes, although I know she didn't mean it.

It makes me feel slightly awful that an acquantaince of mine doesn't see me as a doctor. At the same time, this is not the age-group I would want to work with as a doctor anyway. I'm interested in either pediatrics or geriatrics. I think kids love me and I love them, and the same goes for the elderly. It's people in my age-group that I'm not so close with, and I probably wouldn't want to treat teenagers or young adults as patients. Should I be discouraged even so? How would you guys feel?

 

[Khenon]

I can see you as a fireman or a banker

LOL!! Thank you for brightening my evening.

 

[TexPre-Med]

I know a guy at a hospital not to be mentioned. He is probably the smartest doctor I have ever met. He can diagnose people in seconds and never screws up. However his most famous attribute is being able to "smell" death. He can usually estimate someone's death to within an hour up to a week in advance. Crazy, I know. However this man is FORBIDDEN to talk to the family of the terminally ill he treats. He feels no compassion and must get a med student to do the talking for him. Truly a mean man.

The moral is that it doesn't matter what your personality, you can succeed at whatever you want. Go get em!

 

[calstudent]

I know a guy at a hospital not to be mentioned. He is probably the smartest doctor I have ever met. He can diagnose people in seconds and never screws up. However his most famous attribute is being able to "smell" death. He can usually estimate someone's death to within an hour up to a week in advance. Crazy, I know. However this man is FORBIDDEN to talk to the family of the terminally ill he treats. He feels no compassion and must get a med student to do the talking for him. Truly a mean man.

The moral is that it doesn't matter what your personality, you can succeed at whatever you want. Go get em!

neat story. sort of sad, though, but medicine is a combination of skill and the human touch.