Which to Choose...

[CScull]

Hello, I'm a high school Junior and I can't make up my mind. I really enjoy sciences, especially Biology and Human Physiology. I've also taken Chemistry, but I didn't like it as much. My grades are good as well as my ACT score, and I am planning on going to either Auburn or Samford. I'm not really worried about getting into college as much as what to do when I get there.

My main reason for wanting to work in a medical field is because I would like to help people. I plan, or hope, to spend some of my time helping those in foreign countries who desperately need medical attention. I am not sure, however, if I would like to work in a program as extensive as the Peace Corp.

My question is, if I do become a doctor, a nurse, or a pharmacist, how will I be spending my time? Which career would best suit my goals and preferences?

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[Docere]

I'm so glad that you're so interested in working with the less fortunate of other countries! I'd like to direct you to MSF or Doctors Without Borders. They're a group I've consistently worked with for the past few years - not in field, but I've been doing some fundraising and I'm applying for an internship with them. I know that for their physicians, it's usually a six-month stay in a country in dire need of help. However, they're not only recruiting physicians: they're recruiting midwives, nurses, pharmacists and more (complete list is here).

No one can really tell you which field you should go into. That's something you have to decide for yourself. That's the reason why shadowing in high school/college is so important.

 

[tennisball80]

Hello, I'm a high school Junior and I can't make up my mind. I really enjoy sciences, especially Biology and Human Physiology. I've also taken Chemistry, but I didn't like it as much. My grades are good as well as my ACT score, and I am planning on going to either Auburn or Samford. I'm not really worried about getting into college as much as what to do when I get there.

My main reason for wanting to work in a medical field is because I would like to help people. I plan, or hope, to spend some of my time helping those in foreign countries who desperately need medical attention. I am not sure, however, if I would like to work in a program as extensive as the Peace Corp.

My question is, if I do become a doctor, a nurse, or a pharmacist, how will I be spending my time? Which career would best suit my goals and preferences?

Shadow a doctor, a nurse, or a pharmacist to see which one you are interested the most and you will understand how each of them can spend his/her time.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Actually, I don't suggest shadowing until you're in college. The people you shadow will take you more seriously, and you'll get more out of the experience with a little bit of basic science knowledge. It'll probably be pretty hard to get a shadowing gig until you're 18 anyway.

 

[CScull]

I'm so glad that you're so interested in working with the less fortunate of other countries! I'd like to direct you to MSF or Doctors Without Borders. They're a group I've consistently worked with for the past few years - not in field, but I've been doing some fundraising and I'm applying for an internship with them. I know that for their physicians, it's usually a six-month stay in a country in dire need of help. However, they're not only recruiting physicians: they're recruiting midwives, nurses, pharmacists and more (complete list is here).

No one can really tell you which field you should go into. That's something you have to decide for yourself. That's the reason why shadowing in high school/college is so important.

Thank you for the link! I'm going down on a two week mission trip with my church to Honduras and I hope it will give me a better idea of what it will be like.

I am trying to get volunteer work at the local hospitals, but their hours are mostly during the school day. Shadowing would be a good idea, it might be hard to get an oportunity where I live though. It's a very small town.

 

[Thrombomodulin]

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[CScull]

I agree with MilkmanAl. In my experience, most physicians prefer you to be 18. You will be taken more seriously.

Yup, I have lots of trouble with my age. I was born in July, so I'll be 17 when I graduate... stupid summer birthdays... anyways, I think I will get enough from volunteering to have a better idea on what I'd like to do... if the hospital ever calls me back.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Yup, I have lots of trouble with my age. I was born in July, so I'll be 17 when I graduate... stupid summer birthdays... anyways, I think I will get enough from volunteering to have a better idea on what I'd like to do... if the hospital ever calls me back.

Volunteering in hospitals are a great way to find out if you want to be a physician, especially if you are in the ER. Pretty cool.

If you plan on shadowing physicians in UG when you are still 17 I don't think it will matter because you are in college at that point so you will be taken seriously anyway.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Volunteering in hospitals are a great way to find out if you want to be a physician, especially if you are in the ER. Pretty cool.

I actually disagree with this. Most volunteering gigs will teach you next to nothing about what being a doctor is like. Hospital volunteering is just one of those things you have to do to make your application palatable to admissions committee members. Working in a clinical setting will teach you much more useful information and will get you closer to the medical action.

 

[bananaface]

You have alot of time before you have to decide which profession suits you best. As long as you start out taking your science classes early in your college education, you should be on track for anything. Chemistry is something you'll want to start as a college freshman because you have to take 2 years worth and it is a series.

There aren't a ton of overseas programs for pharmacists. But some schools do have programs for students and they may want chaperones. Or, you could be on faculty as a pharmacy school (easy to get a part time clinical position someplace if you are willing to move) and start up your own service project. Our school sends students to Xicotepec, Mexico every year.

My favorite thing about retail pharmacy is finding out problems that people don't present intentionally and addressing them. That's something that not everyone is good at. And, if you are good at it, you have the potential to make a pretty big impact on your patient's well being.

 

[CScull]

I actually disagree with this. Most volunteering gigs will teach you next to nothing about what being a doctor is like. Hospital volunteering is just one of those things you have to do to make your application palatable to admissions committee members. Working in a clinical setting will teach you much more useful information and will get you closer to the medical action.

That makes sense, I'll probably have to wait until I'm in college to get a job anywhere though, I've asked around and the general rule is 18. Hospital volunteering is something I can do right now.

 

[MilkmanAl]

That makes sense, I'll probably have to wait until I'm in college to get a job anywhere though, I've asked around and the general rule is 18. Hospital volunteering is something I can do right now.

I'm not saying volunteering is totally useless where experience relevant to health care professions are concerned. If you're sharp and making an effort to learn, there's actually a lot you can pick up. When I was a patient transporter, I got an inside look on how the guts of a hospital worked, for I was constantly around all the janitors, guest services people, kitchen staff, and other transporters. In the ER, you can see how all of the different staff (techs, nurses, doctors) interact with each other. Volunteering teaches you jack all about being a doctor, but there's still some useful information to be gleaned from it.

Part of the reason you're not going to learn anything particularly applicable as a volunteer is that you're expendable free labor. Most volunteers don't stick around very long and don't have any enforceable responsibilities even if they did. Consequently, the hospital has no incentive to train you any more than is absolutely necessary for you to wheel patients around or change beds or whatever. Any work that you do is less work the hospital has to concern itself with, so that's a win in their book. If you have a job, though, they're paying you and are in charge of you. They're paying you and have considerably more reason to make sure you're an efficient worker. That means more training for you and more hands-on time.

 

[CScull]

You have alot of time before you have to decide which profession suits you best. As long as you start out taking your science classes early in your college education, you should be on track for anything. Chemistry is something you'll want to start as a college freshman because you have to take 2 years worth and it is a series.

There aren't a ton of overseas programs for pharmacists. But some schools do have programs for students and they may want chaperones. Or, you could be on faculty as a pharmacy school (easy to get a part time clinical position someplace if you are willing to move) and start up your own service project. Our school sends students to Xicotepec, Mexico every year.

My favorite thing about retail pharmacy is finding out problems that people don't present intentionally and addressing them. That's something that not everyone is good at. And, if you are good at it, you have the potential to make a pretty big impact on your patient's well being.

Thank you! You helped answer a couple of my big questions... I still haven't really decided yet, but Pre-Med and Pre-Pharmacy have a lot of the same Pre-Reques anyways. I think I've decided on going to Samford... now I just have to convince my Mom it's worth the tuition, haha (crosses fingers for scholarships).

I've taken college bound chemistry last year (they don't offer the AP course at my school),I think I made it seem lot harder than it actually was... lol, though I'm sure it didn't help that my teacher was kinda crazy. I'm thinking about taking it at the college next year, we have this awesome program called Early Scholars where we can enroll at UNA and get both high school and college credit for it, if the college will transfer credits, that is. The college is really low key and a lot of the classes turn out to be easier than APs, so it's really fun and AP exam-less. The only problem is labs can be 3 hours some times, and that would take half of my school day... eh... so many decisions...

 

[CScull]

I'm not saying volunteering is totally useless where experience relevant to health care professions are concerned. If you're sharp and making an effort to learn, there's actually a lot you can pick up. When I was a patient transporter, I got an inside look on how the guts of a hospital worked, for I was constantly around all the janitors, guest services people, kitchen staff, and other transporters. In the ER, you can see how all of the different staff (techs, nurses, doctors) interact with each other. Volunteering teaches you jack all about being a doctor, but there's still some useful information to be gleaned from it.

Part of the reason you're not going to learn anything particularly applicable as a volunteer is that you're expendable free labor. Most volunteers don't stick around very long and don't have any enforceable responsibilities even if they did. Consequently, the hospital has no incentive to train you any more than is absolutely necessary for you to wheel patients around or change beds or whatever. Any work that you do is less work the hospital has to concern itself with, so that's a win in their book. If you have a job, though, they're paying you and are in charge of you. They're paying you and have considerably more reason to make sure you're an efficient worker. That means more training for you and more hands-on time.

I'm hoping that by working in a hospital it will at least put me out there though... kinda get me started. Plus it might put me in the position to get a job later.

 

[xnfs93hy]

I'm hoping that by working in a hospital it will at least put me out there though... kinda get me started. Plus it might put me in the position to get a job later.

It WILL give you a general idea (as AL pointed out), I think I was too strong on how it will give you a good idea about what being a doc is all about. I don't know exactly what you mean by getting a job. I know there ARE jobs I can get at the hospital I volunteer at but these are simple jobs like working in the kitchen or mail room and probably wouldn't pay more than 20 and hour if that. I assume that is what you mean.

 

[CScull]

It WILL give you a general idea (as AL pointed out), I think I was too strong on how it will give you a good idea about what being a doc is all about. I don't know exactly what you mean by getting a job. I know there ARE jobs I can get at the hospital I volunteer at but these are simple jobs like working in the kitchen or mail room and probably wouldn't pay more than 20 and hour if that. I assume that is what you mean.

Pretty much, more like working in an office, but I'm sure I would take whatever I was offered, lol.