Why are you going into medicine?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
ownage

ownage

Membership Revoked
Removed
10+ Year Member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
173
Reaction score
0
I am interested to know why people here on SDN are motivated to be a physician. What is it that you hope to gain? What made you say " I want to be a physician"?

Me first:
I want to go into medicine because physicians are well respected in community. I like how they are their own boss and do not work under anybody. Moreover, I will be able to do research on side, which I like. And of course, money.
Members don't see this ad.
 
1. What I will do as a doctor will change people's lives for better (of course it doesn't always work out that way).
2. Utilizing the scientific method in hospital setting.
- Observe
- make hypothesis
- run tests
- come up with diagnosis.
3. Job security.
4. Pick up girls at a bar :smuggrin:.


EN
 
Members don't see this ad :)
1. I want a high maintenance job with strong usefulness in life.
2. I like the scope of medicine ( v.s psychology which is limited to psychotherapy).
3. I like the fact that I'll have a great chance to figure out what specialty will be most favorable to me ( originally thinking psychiatry or neurology, who knows)
4. Money, medicine is a job.
 
aston_martin_vanquish2.jpg
 
ownage said:
I am interested to know why people here on SDN are motivated to be a physician. What is it that you hope to gain? What made you say " I want to be a physician"?

Me first:
I want to go into medicine because physicians are well respected in community. I like how they are their own boss and do not work under anybody. Moreover, I will be able to do research on side, which I like. And of course, money.
Click to expand...

Not exactly the case, unless you have your own practice. Even if you work in a hospital/clinic where the administrative big-wigs stay out of your hair, there is usually the head of department who you work under. Luck of the draw, they could be a great person, or a royal pain. Even if you govern your own day, there is always going to be someone whose job it is penny pinch and crack the whip. Can't avoid politics...
 
I'm very analytical.
I want to have a purpose worth living for.
I have a love for Biology.
I have a love towards people.
I want to use my education to better peoples lives.
I like the hospital enviorment.
I like a challenge.... and so on.

Everything I want in life points towards medicine as a career.
 
so idealistic, i love it


I want to cut into people without being arrested.
 
A very close family member died while waiting for a heart transplant. I know exactly what it would have meant for her (life) and her family. I want to be able to provide that.

Hmm, I am trying my best to articulate my next reason. I'm very calm, cool, collected, nonchalant (but caring, ya know?) so something like a doctor I feel is unique in that it could really excite me/get me out of my comfort zone.
 
ownage said:
I am interested to know why people here on SDN are motivated to be a physician. What is it that you hope to gain? What made you say " I want to be a physician"?

Me first:
I want to go into medicine because physicians are well respected in community. I like how they are their own boss and do not work under anybody. Moreover, I will be able to do research on side, which I like. And of course, money.
Click to expand...

I want to be in charge of my own patients' care, and it's not because I'm the "best," but because I am great at problem-solving, and I'm great with people. I think I'll be an excellent diagnostician, but I know my limitations and my ego won't get in the way. If I can't diagnose a patient, or I catch something I can't treat, I'll always know the best person to refer them to for proper treatment.

I spent years working in the medical field, and as strange as it sounds to most, I feel at home in a hospital. I've worked 80+ hour weeks, and while I've missed the freedom to hang out at home or with friends, I've never resented being in the hospital.

I want to be a physician because I really love medicine, and I want to be autonomous. While I enjoy working with other people, and I know when to defer to someone who knows more than I do, I am confident in my ability to make the best decisions for my patients. Money is important, of course...medicine will allow me (if I'm careful) to buy a house and send my kids to college. But I'm not expecting much. I just want to do something that keeps me on my toes, allows me to learn and change throughout my career, help people, and pay the bills.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Two reasons.

1) Reason 1 : I was doing research which I wasn't allowed to continue further in unless I became an engineer, psychologist, or doctor (MD much preferred over DO given some of the research was international).

2) Reason two is a combination of Jung's archetype concept of the "wounded healer" + my overcoming a medical phobia brought on by being part of the transsexual community community which is extremely underserved (we only have three family doctors in all of Georgia who will see members of my community, GA has the highest amount in the southeast) + watching a friend die an unnecessary death because doctors considered her a "freak" because she was transsexual and it took her 9 months to find a doctor who would check her. She was finally examined and diagnosed as having stage 4 throat cancer. She was dead less than a week after her diagnosis.

Until she died, I was on the fence kinda playing at the idea of medical school (this idea was put into my head originally by another trans friend who was injured). I'd known her for several years and considered her, in some ways, my adopted mother. The day she died, something changed in me and I knew I made my decision. Come hell or high water, I was going to do my best to go to medical school. If I get rejected, I will just try again and again and again.

I also realised that throughout my life, everything pointed towards a career in medicine. I guess, in many ways, I was just too stubborn to listen to anyone or anything until she died. Given how she used to live her life and how she behaved, I know she would be so happy that her death wasn't in vain.
 
organdonor said:
A very close family member died while waiting for a heart transplant. I know exactly what it would have meant for her (life) and her family. I want to be able to provide that.

Hmm, I am trying my best to articulate my next reason. I'm very calm, cool, collected, nonchalant (but caring, ya know?) so something like a doctor I feel is unique in that it could really excite me/get me out of my comfort zone.
Click to expand...


...So you're going to off people for their organs?
 
morning said:
...So you're going to off people for their organs?
Click to expand...
really? unempathetic much?

If it wasn't an attempt at humor, I would be more than happy to discuss organ donation/transplantation education with you as that is one of my favorite volunteer activities.
 
ownage said:
I am interested to know why people here on SDN are motivated to be a physician. What is it that you hope to gain? What made you say " I want to be a physician"?

Me first:
I want to go into medicine because physicians are well respected in community. I like how they are their own boss and do not work under anybody. Moreover, I will be able to do research on side, which I like. And of course, money.
Click to expand...

family legacy. my dad is a cardiologist, grandmother is kidney specialist, and grandfather is eye doctor. i forgot the words for those since all of them practiced in another country, i would love to type that in my native language but i doubt many of you would know what it is.
 
I want to be a doctor because chicks dig doctors.

Ok in all seriousness I want to be a doctor because I enjoy medicine.
 
Help mankind. Heal. Teach. Care.
For the most part it is interesting, science is cool (not exams).
Decent pay and stable(if you do everything right)
always evolving (just like any other field but more room for growth in medicine).
Like every profession, has ups and downs
 
Because I watch scrubs and House and I want to be a mix of Dr. Cox and House with a mix of alcohol and drug abuse.

The real reason is I simply want to help people and after doing a little searching I found law wasn't for me so I thought medicine sounded like a good choice.
 
No one knows why the hell they want medicine. They can't know. Not a single volunteering job, shadowing experience, or any course that you take can give you a glimpse of what it'll be like when you're done. I just finished M1, and I still don't know what the hell medicine is. Quite a bit of the replies on this thread mention how they "love medicine". I don't know about you, but I can tell you that there's no way I can love medicine (or anything for that matter) if I don't know what the heck it is that I'm dealing with in the first place.

My reason for going into medicine: I'm smart, I love the challenge, and I think medicine would be a great way for ME to grow up intellectually and emotionally. Screw the whole helping people crap. Every profession helps people, and almost every profession "has a direct effect on other individuals".

Don't get me wrong, I like helping people. But, I did not go into medicine to help people. There are hundreds of other jobs I could have applied for that could have given me the opportunity to help even more people than a physician would. I went into medicine for ME ME ME ME. Everything else comes second. Unfortunately, it almost seems like these days you can't get into medical school unless you know what to say, and know how to make them think that you drank the kool aid.

Imagine a world without janitors. Everything would be disgusting. Everything would stink. Going to the bathroom would become a nightmare. Imagine a world without cops. Hell would break lose. Imagine a world without lawyers. You can get screwed over and over again, and you wouldn't know how to even start defending yourself. A world without teachers? Bus drivers? Baby sitters? Dentists? FIREMEN? You can't say that these people don't have a direct effect on our lives.

We're just like everyone else. We're just a little more type A, with 10 times the ego of the average person. We just don't want to think that we went through all this crap to be where we're at right now, and yet we're still just like everyone else.

Oh, and no, I would not be in medicine if the money wasn't this good. I'm not in it for the money, but there's no way in hell I would do this if it weren't for the money. If that makes any sense.

Geez, I only wanted to type a few sentences. Not a whole page. Maybe I need a hug :D
 
phospho said:
Quite a bit of the replies on this thread mention how they "love medicine". I don't know about you, but I can tell you that there's no way I can love medicine (or anything for that matter) if I don't know what the heck it is that I'm dealing with in the first place.
Click to expand...

When I was pregnant, I loved Zofran. Does that count? ;)

Geez, I only wanted to type a few sentences. Not a whole page. Maybe I need a hug :D
Click to expand...

*Hug*
 
radiodoc99 said:
Help mankind. Heal. Teach. Care.
For the most part it is interesting, science is cool (not exams).
Decent pay and stable(if you do everything right)
always evolving (just like any other field but more room for growth in medicine).
Like every profession, has ups and downs
Click to expand...

:thumbup: +1
 
Helpful thread. I'm struggling to get my PS up still.:(
 
phospho said:
No one knows why the hell they want medicine. They can't know. Not a single volunteering job, shadowing experience, or any course that you take can give you a glimpse of what it'll be like when you're done. I just finished M1, and I still don't know what the hell medicine is. Quite a bit of the replies on this thread mention how they "love medicine". I don't know about you, but I can tell you that there's no way I can love medicine (or anything for that matter) if I don't know what the heck it is that I'm dealing with in the first place.

My reason for going into medicine: I'm smart, I love the challenge, and I think medicine would be a great way for ME to grow up intellectually and emotionally. Screw the whole helping people crap. Every profession helps people, and almost every profession “has a direct effect on other individuals”.

Don’t get me wrong, I like helping people. But, I did not go into medicine to help people. There are hundreds of other jobs I could have applied for that could have given me the opportunity to help even more people than a physician would. I went into medicine for ME ME ME ME. Everything else comes second. Unfortunately, it almost seems like these days you can’t get into medical school unless you know what to say, and know how to make them think that you drank the kool aid.

Imagine a world without janitors. Everything would be disgusting. Everything would stink. Going to the bathroom would become a nightmare. Imagine a world without cops. Hell would break lose. Imagine a world without lawyers. You can get screwed over and over again, and you wouldn't know how to even start defending yourself. A world without teachers? Bus drivers? Baby sitters? Dentists? FIREMEN? You can’t say that these people don’t have a direct effect on our lives.

We're just like everyone else. We're just a little more type A, with 10 times the ego of the average person. We just don’t want to think that we went through all this crap to be where we’re at right now, and yet we’re still just like everyone else.

Oh, and no, I would not be in medicine if the money wasn’t this good. I’m not in it for the money, but there’s no way in hell I would do this if it weren’t for the money. If that makes any sense.

Geez, I only wanted to type a few sentences. Not a whole page. Maybe I need a hug :D
Click to expand...

:thumbup::thumbup: Love the Honesty. Very similar to my reasons.
 
phospho said:
No one knows why the hell they want medicine. They can't know. Not a single volunteering job, shadowing experience, or any course that you take can give you a glimpse of what it'll be like when you're done. I just finished M1, and I still don't know what the hell medicine is. Quite a bit of the replies on this thread mention how they "love medicine". I don't know about you, but I can tell you that there's no way I can love medicine (or anything for that matter) if I don't know what the heck it is that I'm dealing with in the first place.

My reason for going into medicine: I'm smart, I love the challenge, and I think medicine would be a great way for ME to grow up intellectually and emotionally. Screw the whole helping people crap. Every profession helps people, and almost every profession “has a direct effect on other individuals”.

Don’t get me wrong, I like helping people. But, I did not go into medicine to help people. There are hundreds of other jobs I could have applied for that could have given me the opportunity to help even more people than a physician would. I went into medicine for ME ME ME ME. Everything else comes second. Unfortunately, it almost seems like these days you can’t get into medical school unless you know what to say, and know how to make them think that you drank the kool aid.

Imagine a world without janitors. Everything would be disgusting. Everything would stink. Going to the bathroom would become a nightmare. Imagine a world without cops. Hell would break lose. Imagine a world without lawyers. You can get screwed over and over again, and you wouldn't know how to even start defending yourself. A world without teachers? Bus drivers? Baby sitters? Dentists? FIREMEN? You can’t say that these people don’t have a direct effect on our lives.

We're just like everyone else. We're just a little more type A, with 10 times the ego of the average person. We just don’t want to think that we went through all this crap to be where we’re at right now, and yet we’re still just like everyone else.

Oh, and no, I would not be in medicine if the money wasn’t this good. I’m not in it for the money, but there’s no way in hell I would do this if it weren’t for the money. If that makes any sense.

Geez, I only wanted to type a few sentences. Not a whole page. Maybe I need a hug :D
Click to expand...

did you take this stance in your application & interviews? if you did, it obviously worked out, but I'm curious nonetheless
 
MediCynical said:
did you take this stance in your application & interviews? if you did, it obviously worked out, but I'm curious nonetheless
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, it almost seems like these days you can’t get into medical school unless you know what to say, and know how to make them think that you drank the kool aid.
Click to expand...
I think therein lies your answer. Made um think he/she drank the koolaid.
 
I want to go into medicine because it seems like a good good occupation. It pays well, people respect you, it's intellectually stimulating, you have direct impacts (positive for the most part) on the lives of others and you get to meet all sorts of interesting people.

Though I'm hardly doing it because I want to be some sort of modern day hero. If I wanted to save lives I would just invest that same energy and time into investing and stocks and just donate it to the poor. I would save and make a lot of lives a lot better than I probably ever would as a doctor.
 
You have the same goals as a lot of people. Now its time to read and pass exams to get there which is the harder part. Going into medicine is a journey unlike anyother and completing is a rewarding experience.
 
MediCynical said:
did you take this stance in your application & interviews? if you did, it obviously worked out, but I'm curious nonetheless
Click to expand...

heck no!

that's why I mentioned the kool aid part in my 1st post. I memorized what I was going to say, "dazzled" the committee by how I am so in love with medicine that I wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't accepted!!! They even asked me what I would do if I got rejected. I told them I would get a healthcare job and keep on reapplying over and over and over again till I got in.

The truth was that I already had a corporate job lined up and it was the first and last time I was going to apply to this BS process called medical school. If I hadn't gotten in, I wasn't going to reapply. Fortunately it worked out I guess. People fail to see how inherently ******ed this process is. The one who bull****s the most gets the spot. And whether you like it or not, that's how it's always gonna be.

I'm not advising you to do anything stupid, I was just making fun of the process. It was just too stressful. I was lucky that I had a backup job to make things a bit easier.
 
phospho said:
heck no!

that's why I mentioned the kool aid part in my 1st post. I memorized what I was going to say, "dazzled" the committee by how I am so in love with medicine that I wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't accepted!!! They even asked me what I would do if I got rejected. I told them I would get a healthcare job and keep on reapplying over and over and over again till I got in.

The truth was that I already had a corporate job lined up and it was the first and last time I was going to apply to this BS process called medical school. If I hadn't gotten in, I wasn't going to reapply. Fortunately it worked out I guess. People fail to see how inherently ******ed this process is. The one who bull****s the most gets the spot. And whether you like it or not, that's how it's always gonna be.

I'm not advising you to do anything stupid, I was just making fun of the process. It was just too stressful. I was lucky that I had a backup job to make things a bit easier.
Click to expand...
cool story
 
phospho said:
My reason for going into medicine: I'm smart, I love the challenge, and I think medicine would be a great way for ME to grow up intellectually and emotionally. Screw the whole helping people crap. Every profession helps people, and almost every profession "has a direct effect on other individuals".

Don't get me wrong, I like helping people. But, I did not go into medicine to help people. There are hundreds of other jobs I could have applied for that could have given me the opportunity to help even more people than a physician would. I went into medicine for ME ME ME ME. Everything else comes second. Unfortunately, it almost seems like these days you can't get into medical school unless you know what to say, and know how to make them think that you drank the kool aid.

We're just like everyone else. We're just a little more type A, with 10 times the ego of the average person. We just don't want to think that we went through all this crap to be where we're at right now, and yet we're still just like everyone else.
Click to expand...

Amen!!!! :thumbup: :)

Now what would happen if I said something like that during an interview? I want to go into medicine because of the science and the legal right to cut into people (I want to do surgery). I want to be as honest as possible but why would i put myself into a position that may screw me over?

If I wanted to help people, medicine/biology/natural science would not be my my major or goal. I'd do design or something fun and have an impact that way.

**forgot to post and just saw another comment**
 
Last edited:
phospho said:
No one knows why the hell they want medicine. They can't know. Not a single volunteering job, shadowing experience, or any course that you take can give you a glimpse of what it'll be like when you're done. I just finished M1, and I still don't know what the hell medicine is. Quite a bit of the replies on this thread mention how they "love medicine". I don't know about you, but I can tell you that there's no way I can love medicine (or anything for that matter) if I don't know what the heck it is that I'm dealing with in the first place.

My reason for going into medicine: I'm smart, I love the challenge, and I think medicine would be a great way for ME to grow up intellectually and emotionally. Screw the whole helping people crap. Every profession helps people, and almost every profession "has a direct effect on other individuals".

Don't get me wrong, I like helping people. But, I did not go into medicine to help people. There are hundreds of other jobs I could have applied for that could have given me the opportunity to help even more people than a physician would. I went into medicine for ME ME ME ME. Everything else comes second. Unfortunately, it almost seems like these days you can't get into medical school unless you know what to say, and know how to make them think that you drank the kool aid.

Imagine a world without janitors. Everything would be disgusting. Everything would stink. Going to the bathroom would become a nightmare. Imagine a world without cops. Hell would break lose. Imagine a world without lawyers. You can get screwed over and over again, and you wouldn't know how to even start defending yourself. A world without teachers? Bus drivers? Baby sitters? Dentists? FIREMEN? You can't say that these people don't have a direct effect on our lives.

We're just like everyone else. We're just a little more type A, with 10 times the ego of the average person. We just don't want to think that we went through all this crap to be where we're at right now, and yet we're still just like everyone else.

Oh, and no, I would not be in medicine if the money wasn't this good. I'm not in it for the money, but there's no way in hell I would do this if it weren't for the money. If that makes any sense.

Geez, I only wanted to type a few sentences. Not a whole page. May I need a hug :D
Click to expand...

.
 
Ferrismonk said:
To avoid people who type using texting shorthand. ;)
Click to expand...

Hah! Well said. Although I think you will get more than your fair share of these as patients. That is, unless they are unconscious. Hello surgery/anesthesia.
 
I spent a good chunk of my childhood in hospitals and body casts. It's because of a group of dedicated physicians that as a 3 month old I survived a gunshot wound to the chest. That's just one of the main reasons I've always felt a strong connection to medicine. Even though I know not every story has a happy ending like mine, I want to help as many as I can.
 
eablackwell said:
I spent a good chunk of my childhood in hospitals and body casts. It's because of a group of dedicated physicians that as a 3 month old I survived a gunshot wound to the chest. That's just one of the main reasons I've always felt a strong connection to medicine. Even though I know not every story has a happy ending like mine, I want to help as many as I can.
Click to expand...
You do have a great story, I'm rooting for you! :luck:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

C
Incorporating intent into thank you letter? Is this appropriate?
Replies
7
Views
461
cehapp
C
S
why medicine interview question
Replies
6
Views
1K
Elite Medical Prep
Elite Medical Prep
wysdoc
The Republic of Texas XLII: You Don't Just Move Into Texas, It Moves Into You
38 39 40 41 42
Replies
2K
Views
189K
kcblazers19
K
F
Does going to a T10 school mean I have lean towards academic medicine?
Replies
2
Views
953
chord
chord
P
What are examples of activities that fit into the social justice/advocacy slot in AMCAS?
Replies
2
Views
622
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
Top