What made YOU want to become a doctor?

[armynavy123]

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[Lehigh2017]

My dad died a day after my thirteenth birthday. He had pancreatic cancer, so while it wasn't sudden it was very difficult to deal with. One thing that really comforted my was the way that this one particular doctor made him happy, even up until the week he died. I realized that there cannot be a better feeling in the work than being able to improve someone's life, even if it is in their final days. Sorry if this is a bit melodramatic, but it's what made me want to be a doctor!

 

[LV16]

Well, a few reasons I want to be a doctor. Helping people is probably the most cliché answer there is, and is actually a small reason for me. One of the biggest reasons I've always seen for myself is wanting to have the knowledge of knowing what's wrong and how to fix it. You have your lawyers and businessmen, but in the end your health matters the most and that's where the doctors come in. Kind of a bad way to explain it lol. I've always had an interest in how everything works, biology has always been my favourite subject of the sciences. I'm not gonna lie, the pay is a bonus (a big one at that). The title, whatever, don't really care about that, I'm doing what I like in life and have an interest in. Just adding on, if you make it to the point where you're done residency, employment isn't hard to find. There're jobs for doctors everywhere, they'll always be in demand. People aren't getting much healthier as a whole. Adding on, couldn't imagine myself doing anything else in the future. Kind of hard to explain why overall. I know a bunch of doctors and they're mostly inspirational, hard-working, stable people who always have something interesting to say. They've largely inspired me actually.

 

[Sir Dr Reginald]

When I broke my leg about a year ago I was terrified. While hardly a life altering injury for someone as young as me, it was pretty upsetting. I found it was amazing how kind everyone was and how they all seemed to have control of the entire situation. I thought it would be awesome to be able to do the same thing for other people and I guess that's why I want to be a doctor. Kind of a stupid reason, but its all I've got.

 

[Shinobiz11]

I've watched my mom deal with chronic illness my entire life. A number of doctors had misdiagnosed her asthma and lung problems and over-prescribed steroids to the point where it deteriorated her health even more. She's "okay" now, but is very sensitive to a lot of things. She is also gets really bad eczema which makes her hands, and the body attached to them, useless. My sister also had an AVM related seizure on my 17th birthday, which required removal thru neurosurgery. Thru all of these experiences, I've never felt so useless in a situation and with all of the hospital visits and personal research, I just devoted my life to medicine and learning all about it. I would love to be able to consult family and such on things like this in the future, as well as helping out other families who are in the same situation.

My entire life I always loved science, especially biology. In high school, I became extremely interested in the human body and all of its facets and processes. Medicine was the natural career choice, due to its heavy involvement with the body. As I moved into college, I thought that medical school was the only option for me due to my interests, but as I researched more I found out about different careers within the scientific world. To this day, nothing has peaked my interest more than that of medicine. Though I have shuffled around in its various fields, attempting to find my calling, I still find it as equally fascinating as those days in high where school where I first became interested.

The problem solving, patient interaction, and life-long learning are all aspects that keep me attracted to this field. Not to mention job security and the ability to know more about yourself, the others around you, and how you can help them out in times of dire circumstance. I don't care about the money, nor the "prestige", I just want to do something that puts my knowledge and personal skills to the best of use.

 

[j814wong]

Insert cliched response. I want to help people and it's simple as that. More specifically, I want to work for a few years as an ER Physician to gain experience and savings before working overseas as a volunteer doctor. I'm really interested in doing medical work alongside those brave warzone and poverty stricken area doctors. I like adrenaline rushes(Without drugs or alcohol) and fast pace(I run around my own home even when there is no hurry) but I also like helping people so working overseas in war torn and/or poor areas is exactly what I see myself doing in the future.

In those areas, people are often cut off from healthcare or never had any formal system for it at all. Those people need the most help and I want to be there to provide it. I see being doctor as not only a professional and career but also a lifestyle. The lifestyle of the doctor I want to be is one that dedicates his life to the service of those in need.

 

[Mintcake]

I've always been interested in how the human body works. The doctor's kit was one of my favorite toys (I used the stethoscope until I was about 12, when I found a maggot-like bug crawling out of the ear hole...) and we had a little chalkboard that my sister and I drew ecg lines on as we tried to do cpr on each other... yeah. I'd even get a little jealous of my friends who were admitted to the hospital or had broken bones.

There were no life changing events or inspiring circumstances for me. By the time I began to see people close to me experience sickness and death, I already knew I was going to be a doctor, so it made little difference beyond solidifying my desire.

I just... love medicine and I'd love to surround myself with it. As I've gotten older, I've also developed a deep interest in psychology. Mental health and physical health... just different sides of the same coin.

 

[Medstart108]

Hi all! The only similar post of this was made 3 years ago so I thought i'd make a new one. What made you all want to become a doc? Any life experiences or are you just in it for the money? Personally, I'm interested in the science of it and solving the mysteries of the body....

Here is the cold hard truth that i obviously didn't say in my interviews.

The real reason is always a balance of pros and cons and comparing them to your own personal situation and your other options


1. Salary - I want a career that offers a very comfortable salary
2. Job Security - Compared to business, job security as a physician is very good
3. Prestige - I never cared much for the Dr. title, but doctors are well loved and respected by the general public and i appreciate that
4. Science - I like biology, my 2nd favorite subject,
5. Memorization - My own personal strength, i never was amazing at math, but i was always good at subjects that required memorization so medical school fitted the description
6. Helping people - I like helping people, and i always have a soft heart for people who have worked hard but lost out on luck
7. Society+ - I love the idea of being helpful to society. Doctors contribute to society in good times and bad. If the zombies invade, every group of travelers needs a medic. What would investment bankers do when zombies invade? Get eaten alive.
8. Problems with the system - I've had bad family doctors in the past and have seen huge wait times. I would love to have a role in trying to change that (Health Care policy future? idk 😛)

Either way, i've said it. I've said the biggest taboo in medicine. Holier-than-thou pre-med will say: "I seriously cannot believe you considered salary and prestige into your career choice..."

In medical school, there are people who are interested in medicine because of a positive/negative experience with the healthcare system (the holy ones), some who have wanted to do it since they can remember (the destined ones), some who were pushed into it by their parents and some who are like me, actually weighed career options and god forbid factored in salary (we are the silent majority).

So to all people thinking of healthcare, its ok to think about salary. You are certainly not alone out of all your pre-health friends. I see PAs and Nurses talking about salary all the time on their forum, but for some reason Doctors are forbidden from mentioning it. That should change.

 

[DOC PENGUIN]

My psychiatrist pretty much lifed me out of the unhappy and autistic portal. Ever since then, i wanted to do something helpful. Now i want to use a science education (Med school) and apply to helping anybody. Most likely the psychotic.

 

[PhilliesPhan]

Up until my sophomore year, I was pretty much dead set on becoming an airline pilot. Then, in the summer of my junior year, I attended a program that would change it all: the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine (NYLF/MED). Since I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I attended the forum taking place on the campus of Villanova University. Those 10 days I spent on Villanova's beautiful campus were some of the best days of my entire life. I made a ton of new friends, conversed with medical professionals and students, participated in hands-on activities dealing with medicine, and just had a lot of fun. I touched my first cadaver, used a stethoscope and blood pressure cup for the first time (my anatomy class just recently used these. Thanks to NYLF, I was the only one who knew how to use them 😀), and had the honor of making a speech. After I came home, I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

Also, I LOVE science and math. Chemistry is my favorite subject, biology isn't too far behind, and I've always enjoyed math problems. And finally, the human body is a mystery to me at the moment. I understand how some systems of the body work, but my shallow knowledge of it is nothing compared to the vast medical knowledge of actual physicians. I want to know about how the body works, the mechanisms of disease, and how to cure diseases. I am ESPECIALLY looking forward to pharmacology 🙂

 

[Arijos0222]

I took care of my grandmother when she was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and it really opened my eyes into neurological diseases and motor neuron diseases. Horrible stuff.

I guess the pro's of being a physician is pay, respect, etc, but as long as i'm middle class (enough to pay off my loans) then money isn't that huge factor. You will be paid very well... Just got to manage that money properly and invest wisely. I would be living in a 400K home in Dallas (seriously, more than 3500 Square Feet of living space is NOT comfortable) if I were making 160K or 550K and still driving a used BMW 5 Series (I absolutely adore the 2007 one I own) so the money isn't really a huge factor to me, but yes it's important nevertheless.

There will always be some person who will say that salary didn't cross their mind in their decision. Yeah, I call BS.

However, I think more people go into medicine to help people as one of their major prerogatives, as opposed to Dentistry who openly admit to liking better pay, control over hours, patient contact, etc.

That being said, I know a guy who was accepted to Tufts Medical School and decided to take a job as an analyst.

He got his MBA from Dartmouth and now makes 300K+ without bonus included and he's only 26.

He has a really nice S-Class. I think he's happy, but I think there are people out there that would rather work for more than just a paycheck.

Well that is my happy take on the subject... I apologize for the rant...

It's 3:00 in the morning, judge me. 🙄

 

[nysegop]

I have had no serious illnesses in my family. I just like the science. It seems like a cool job. Ugh. I'm going to have a hard time writing a personal statement.

 

[Tolbert]

lol @ nysegop.

Welp, I didn't until high school. Wanted to be an architect, but instead of putting me in art 2d/3d i got placed in health science for my sophomore year.. Got really interested in our bodies and started volunteering at the hospital because my teacher said it's important for college. From there I got invited to apply to a health camp that allowed me to see a lot, including a glimpse at 2 surgeries. I guess I got lucky, finding out that this is what I want to do with my life.

 

[Arijos0222]

lol @ nysegop.

Welp, I didn't until high school. Wanted to be an architect, but instead of putting me in art 2d/3d i got placed in health science for my sophomore year.. Got really interested in our bodies and started volunteering at the hospital because my teacher said it's important for college. From there I got invited to apply to a health camp that allowed me to see a lot, including a glimpse at 2 surgeries. I guess I got lucky, finding out that this is what I want to do with my life.

Sometimes I envision myself as a hedge fund manager, and then I realize that becoming a Neurosurgeon is more attainable than the former.

 

[nysegop]

Sometimes I envision myself as a hedge fund manager, and then I realize that becoming a Neurosurgeon is more attainable than the former.

And in my mind, more interesting. I have a distant cousin who works for a hedgefund. He makes big $$$ but his job sitting at a desk crunching numbers doesn't seem that interesting.

 

[Arijos0222]

And in my mind, more interesting. I have a distant cousin who works for a hedgefund. He makes big $$$ but his job sitting at a desk crunching numbers doesn't seem that interesting.

My father is a surgeon. My mom is a hedge fund executive. They met when they did his MD/MBA program.

They make similar amounts of money, but my mom works less and has more time to invest and actually "enjoy" her life somewhat.

My dad is a workaholic. He loves what he does. He barely has really, any time for himself, but he loves it so much that he went and did a transplant, rather than going on a vacation to London.

He wants me to become a podiatrist/dentist because of the case variety and the easier lifestyle (not saying that dentistry or podiatry are easy lifestyles, but I think it's fair to say that it's an easier lifestyle than cardiothoracic surgery) and the good pay. He says he wouldn't wish his lifestyle upon his worst enemy, let alone his son. But we make it work... No one is divorcing anyone 🙂

Thank the heavens that my dad is getting less clinical responsibility to acquire more research oriented activities that will bring down his hours to around 60 hours a week.

That being said, money doesn't make one's life, and i'm sure that my father would be doing the same thing if he were paid 2/3's of what he got now.... Not sure about my mom. She would probably try to go into a different position.

One parent is working for humanity, the other is working for a paycheck.

 

[nysegop]

My father is a surgeon. My mom is a hedge fund executive. They met when they did his MD/MBA program.

They make similar amounts of money, but my mom works less and has more time to invest and actually "enjoy" her life somewhat.

My dad is a workaholic. He loves what he does. He barely has really, any time for himself, but he loves it so much that he went and did a transplant, rather than going on a vacation to London.

He wants me to become a podiatrist/dentist because of the case variety and the easier lifestyle (not saying that dentistry or podiatry are easy lifestyles, but I think it's fair to say that it's an easier lifestyle than cardiothoracic surgery) and the good pay. He says he wouldn't wish his lifestyle upon his worst enemy, let alone his son. But we make it work... No one is divorcing anyone 🙂

Thank the heavens that my dad is getting less clinical responsibility to acquire more research oriented activities that will bring down his hours to around 60 hours a week.

That being said, money doesn't make one's life, and i'm sure that my father would be doing the same thing if he were paid 2/3's of what he got now.... Not sure about my mom. She would probably try to go into a different position.

One parent is working for humanity, the other is working for a paycheck.

Wow you're lucky to have parents with such interesting jobs. My parents are both professors. I honestly don't think a 60 hour work week would be difficult for me. As long as I love what I'm doing I don't mind doing it for long periods of time. I actually really like school and wish it was longer. Maybe it could go until 6:30 or something.

Being a dentist would be nice. You only have to work for set hours. There is no "call schedule" which would be awesome. But still I have no qualms about long and unreliable work weeks. The only thing that concerns me is if I got married and had children in might be difficult.

 

[Arijos0222]

Wow you're lucky to have parents with such interesting jobs. My parents are both professors. I honestly don't think a 60 hour work week would be difficult for me. As long as I love what I'm doing I don't mind doing it for long periods of time. I actually really like school and wish it was longer. Maybe it could go until 6:30 or something.

Being a dentist would be nice. You only have to work for set hours. There is no "call schedule" which would be awesome. But still I have no qualms about long and unreliable work weeks. The only thing that concerns me is if I got married and had children in might be difficult.

Your parents are interesting too! Being a professor is amazing.

He worked 80+ hours some weeks. Some weeks he worked 50. Other weeks he worked 100+ hours. You never know.

Dentistry is back in my mind. I always wonder if I should feel guilty about wanting to enjoy life more, and not giving back to other people hypothetically speaking (i.e.dentistry) as opposed to doing something really, really meaningful with my life. To leave a legacy. (medicine)

Oh, how would I love to enjoy a planned vacation, or get off of work at 3:00 and take a drive in my pickup truck, enjoying a simple, but happy life, going out to a nice dinner.

Or living a hectic lifestyle for the remainder of my life.... lol

 

[SoundScaner]

So I have a couple of my Health Professions Committee interviews in the next three days, and I know I'm going to be asked the question "Why do you want to be a physician," or "why have you chosen medicine?" Or other questions like that.

My problem is, I don't know how to answer without sounding cliché with the usual "because I have a passion for helping people" response. I can come up with other reasons, but they all boil down to that as the major theme. I know I want to have a concrete answer down pat to be able to provide, but I don't want to sound too rehearsed but also not like I'm thinking of the answer for the first time.

How would you guys answer that question?

 

[Tolbert]

@Sound, i think just answer truthfully, and i personally think it should be okay to say you want to help people, just make it unique to you in some way..

But of course I'm just a senior so I don't know as much as people going through the cycle now. That's just how I feel. Maybe ask in the pre-allo forum?

 

[Arijos0222]

@Sound, i think just answer truthfully, and i personally think it should be okay to say you want to help people, just make it unique to you in some way..

But of course I'm just a senior so I don't know as much as people going through the cycle now. That's just how I feel. Maybe ask in the pre-allo forum?

No don't ask in the Pre-Allo forum. They'll just move the thread back to hSDN and then you have your almighty "Pre-Med" who will tell you to "get accepted to college first"

 

[Tolbert]

LOL, i guess you're right. Kinda new here, still getting the hang of things D:

 

[Arijos0222]

LOL, i guess you're right. Kinda new here, still getting the hang of things D:

It's okay, don't worry.

I had a previous account that had more than 2000 posts on it. I know the way this ship cruises 😉