Why would you want to be a doctor?

[elpeebee]

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I don't mean that harshly, but I came across this forum by chance (I'm not a medical student but it's pretty interesting) and it seems an even more difficult road than I would have guessed. Does wanting to help people, heal, etc. really keep you going, or are there more tangible reasons you've chosen this career?

 

[CoffeeCat]

I'm not yet a medical student (premed hopeful) but there are a number of reasons to choose this path. I'll list a few of my own (random order)

1) An interest in science - bio classes are interesting!
2) An interest in research - bench work is fun for me and as an MD, you can do both research and clinical work.
3) An interest in people
4) Prestige/Respect - being a doctor is a lot more prestigious than being a lawyer or business person, you earn respect.
5) Financially rewarding - though being a teacher (to name one) may be as emotionally rewarding as being a doctor, however they are not reimbursed quite as well.
6) Challenging - I love a challenge and the road to becoming a doctor is full of them.
7) Life enveloping - being a doctor is who you ARE. Not everyone is defined by their career, but it seems that this becomes your life.
8) The number of career paths - with an MD you can: be a doctor, be a researcher, be a professor, work in a biotech company, work as a doctor abroad, write medical books, and so on.

I think that's all I can think of for now, hope this helped.

 

[Chadleez1]

I'm going to take a slightly more philisophical approach to the question...Well, it certainly isn't money, because there are much easier and quicker ways of making large amounts of that. Generally, we all want to help people, and though we have lots of doubts, we feel we can be good doctors some day. I think you will find here that many people, myself included, have always had this feeling in us that told us medicine the right thing. That's always been my case, but it isn't always the case. Many people are into there thities and even forties before taking the pungs into medicine. I think that if you can look many years down the road, and the money, energy and time that it will take to achieve your goals, while daunting, doesn't stray you from what you want, then you know it's the right thing.

 

[neilc]

how else can you perform surgery? :wink:

 

[Dr. Dad]

I think the main reason I would like to be a doctor is because of the freedom it opens up. The hard work is well rewarded because of all the things you can do with the MD degree. There is traditional doctor/hospital/patient care, then there is teaching, research, etc, etc, etc. I have a strong interest in microbiology and I thought about getting a masters or phD but I think that would limit me quite a bit (not that it would be horrible or anything). With an MD I can be a pathologist in the county hospital during the week, teach classes at night/weekends, and when I am not doing that I can be writing my book about the effects of cancer. There are other reasons I want to be a doctor, but I think this is probably the main reason (its not the politically correct answer at least I am honest).

As for the prestige stated above, I think lawyers aka politicians have far more prestige than doctors.
Also if job security is your main concern then nursing is probably a better choice, or even better, a PA.
And I second the other reason stated before...."Where else can you perform surgery"

 

[Medic171]

most of us have many reasons and a sort of unknnown drive that keeps pulling us to it, that or we are crazy and like to torture ourselves 😀

 

[dr.evil]

Interesting and very real question. My answer has likely changed since interviewing for med school.
The best answer was "Where else can you do surgery?"

On the superficial side: Job security is real. Financially secure is another plus. Very few of my classmates would go through this much without some type of financial security in the end (just trying to be truly honest here). Prestige/Respect are there mainly because people appreciate the dedication it takes.

I think it's not just one thing but the entirety of all things. Medicine has the entire package of scholarly aptitude, interaction with people, and an extremely satisfying and rewarding career forever. It's not just punching the clock at 8am and working for "the man".

 

[different strokes]

Alot of this can be found in psychology too.

Becoming a clinical psychologist takes a lot of hard work. It is an extremely difficult program to get into. With a doctorate, you can teach, and have patients. You will hardly be unemployed, people respect you, you will get referrals from psychiatrists and other professionals. Many psychiatrists refer patients to psychologists for behavioral therapy. Psych's can testify as an expert witness in a variety of cases.

Psychology is also a science and a psychologist needs to understand methodology, and the biological basis of behavior among other things. There is an incredible amount of scholarly aptitude involved.

Lastly, being a clinical psych is a lifestyle. Everyone comes to you for help: family, friends, co-workers. You are often expected to be a certain way because you are a doctor of emotions, feelings, and behavior.

Many of them make good money. But they worked very hard for it.

Med student

 

[Mr. Eastern Medicine]

But psychologists don't have the authority to prescribe drugs and can't perform any surgeries.

 

[johnM]

I think it was on Scrubs, where the attending was asked the same question. His response: "Four reasons... chicks, money, power and chicks."

 

[AJM]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Mr. Eastern Medicine:
•But psychologists don't have the authority to prescribe drugs and can't perform any surgeries.•••••Actually, in some states clinical psychologists can become licensed to presribe medications if they take a specific course and take an exam. Although, even then, I think they can only prescribe certain medications.

I have a friend who's a clinical psychologist who has chosen not to become licensed to prescribe drugs because she does not want her practice to become one where patients just come to her wanting to be doped up -- she would rather leave that glorious job to the psychiatrists. :wink:

I have a lot of respect for clinical psychologists, and I think they work extremely hard to get where they do. But I chose to go to medical school rather than getting a PsyD for the same reason that I absolutely do not want to specialize in psychiatry. That's just not the type of medicine I want to practice.

 

[different strokes]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by johnM:
•I think it was on Scrubs, where the attending was asked the same question. His response: "Four reasons... chicks, money, power and chicks."•••••Psychologists in private practice make a lot of money.

Like physicians psychologists have a great deal of power in their field. When I worked in the field of mental health before going to medical school, the director of a psych residency clinic was a psychologist. He was responsible for the training of residents among other professionals.

LIKE PHYSICIANS they DO NOT have authority over other people in other academic disciplines: they are certainly not doctoral experts in english, philosophy, math, etc.

med student

 

[CoffeeCat]

.

 

[Medic171]

What does the attractiveness and practice rights of clinical psychologists have to do with the question?

 

[leorl]

Yeah, every time I said one of my majors was psychology people are like "whoa, so you can psychoanalyze me and tell me what I'm thinking right now?" 1) psychoanalysis is barely taught in the US anymore since it's outdated and a bit unuseful 2) psychologists don't magically pick up ESP!

But to answer the original poster...i think it can be said quite simplistically as "why WOULDN'T we want to become doctors?" For many of us, we can't really see another profession as fulfilling and intrinsically rewarding as practicing medicine, whether we're interested in a clinical research or even bench-research area to discover more about the human body and treatments for disease, or whether we want to serve others directly. A large part is the desire to "help."

I would never last behind the desk. I'd fall asleep. I need to be active.

 

[eagle26]

I want to practice Psychiatry. Why? I'll list the reasons, in no particular order :wink:

1) Mental illness is really an underrepresented disease. Important advances are being made in the epidemiology and pathology of the diseases, but it lags way behind other more "desireable" diseases with less of a stigma. I want to be involved in bringing mental illness to the forefront of medicine.

2) I mentioned stigma. I feel I have an obligation to try to alleviate the social stigma surrounding patients with mental illness.

3) Research. I want to be involved in determining mechanisms and pathology of (schizophrenia for example) mental illnesses, and be involved in developing a better diagnosis system with high sensitivity and specificity.

4) This is most important. To treat those with severe mental illness.

5) Revenge. Yes, I'm serious. Mental illness took the most important person in my life away from me. I've put mental illness under an anthropomorphosis in my mind. I want revenge!

 

[Fah-Q]

I heard somewhere along the line that back in the 50's and 60's the most common response to "Why do you want to be a doctor?" in med school applications/interviews was "to be my own boss." Today, the most common response is "to help people." I find that interesting considering patients today complain of doctors who don't listen or don't care. Back then it seems every doctor was a real humanitarian.

 

[Kluver Bucy]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by neilc:
•how else can you perform surgery? :wink: •••••As a vet, a dentist or a podiatrist to name a few occupations.

 

[drchris33]

Here are some reasons for thought (in no particular order)
1. What other profession would allow you to tell a person to take their clothes off and they will listen to you?
2. You can pass gas in a patient's room and blame them (sort of like the dog at home)
3. You have to opportunity to stick you fingers in any body orifice of your choosing, and mostly do not get any complaints, at least until after
4. You get the opportunity to get people legally high
5. you get to use really cool instruments on people when they are asleep
6. One of the only fields that have a specific title in front of your name
7. Get paid to stick your fingers in any body orifice of your choosing
8. Get to go to "conferences" in Jamaica and Hawaii
9. You can get away with having awful penmenship
10. Great way to meet women!!!

😀

 

[different strokes]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Joseph Reses:
•I want to practice Psychiatry. Why? I'll list the reasons, in no particular order :wink:

1) Mental illness is really an underrepresented disease. Important advances are being made in the epidemiology and pathology of the diseases, but it lags way behind other more "desireable" diseases with less of a stigma. I want to be involved in bringing mental illness to the forefront of medicine.

2) I mentioned stigma. I feel I have an obligation to try to alleviate the social stigma surrounding patients with mental illness.

3) Research. I want to be involved in determining mechanisms and pathology of (schizophrenia for example) mental illnesses, and be involved in developing a better diagnosis system with high sensitivity and specificity.

4) This is most important. To treat those with severe mental illness.

5) Revenge. Yes, I'm serious. Mental illness took the most important person in my life away from me. I've put mental illness under an anthropomorphosis in my mind. I want revenge!•••••Many psychologists are doing work on the biological mechanisims of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Some of the Obsessive-compuslive specialists that are psychologists have written books on the biological mechanisms of this disorder and some other disorders. So, many of them are researchers as well as practioners and professors.

 

[neilc]

where on earth did this psych discussion come from? did any of you read the first question???

 

[CoffeeCat]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Fah-Q:
•I heard somewhere along the line that back in the 50's and 60's the most common response to "Why do you want to be a doctor?" in med school applications/interviews was "to be my own boss." Today, the most common response is "to help people." I find that interesting considering patients today complain of doctors who don't listen or don't care. Back then it seems every doctor was a real humanitarian.•••••Maybe it seems that people are complaining more about their doctors because in the 50's and 60's you just did what the doctor said. These days, people are encouraged to change doctors if they don't like them, question doctors, and be in charge of their own treatment. I doubt that back then every doctor was a humanitarian but I do think that people are encouraged to be pickier today and thus have more complaints.

 

[alina_s]

Another reason for going into medicine is the lack of specialization; where else do you get to study how the whole body works? I looked long and hard at graduate school but when I read the professors' CV's, I couldn't imagine spending a lifetime researching any one highly specific subject area. Although MD researchers may study an equally specific area, they can also branch out in their clinical practice. There is also a huge variety of types of jobs in medicine- bench research, clinical studies, urban versus rural clinical practice, international health, health policy...

 

[docteur]

Freedom!
You can go anywhere in the world and have a usefull skill enabling you to help people. What a privilage.
I know it sounds hard, and indeed it is a pain in the ass to get there. But after it all, you're a doc for the rest of your life. Small investment in my eyes.

And respectfully-
Post a new topic if you want to analyze psychology! This has the potential for some interesting thoughts, and I think you might be missing the point. - thanks

 

[Medic171]

neilsc, I asked the same question earlier...still wondering 🙄

 

[ghostcow]

Bad day today as a MS-IV, good to read these posts and rekindle some of the old feelings. Thx.
🙂

 

[different strokes]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by docteur:
•Freedom!
You can go anywhere in the world and have a usefull skill enabling you to help people. What a privilage.
I know it sounds hard, and indeed it is a pain in the ass to get there. But after it all, you're a doc for the rest of your life. Small investment in my eyes.

And respectfully-
Post a new topic if you want to analyze psychology! This has the potential for some interesting thoughts, and I think you might be missing the point. - thanks•••••Clinical psychology is VERY VERY difficult to get into and do NOT underestimate the amount of hard work one would have to do to get there and graduate. Some programs do psychological screening too.

If you get in to a psych program, there are many courses to take, you have to teach undergrad students (you may have over a hundered students in your classes), you do research, write a dissertation, and compete for an internship slot (while in your program), where you will be seeing patients.

 

[neilc]

still psych??????? my god, man! this could be a nice, interesting thread, but i just find more and more psych bs...could a moderator close this and put me out of my misery? 😕

 

[fourthwatch96822]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by different strokes:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by docteur:
•Freedom!
You can go anywhere in the world and have a usefull skill enabling you to help people. What a privilage.
I know it sounds hard, and indeed it is a pain in the ass to get there. But after it all, you're a doc for the rest of your life. Small investment in my eyes.

And respectfully-
Post a new topic if you want to analyze psychology! This has the potential for some interesting thoughts, and I think you might be missing the point. - thanks•••••Clinical psychology is VERY VERY difficult to get into and do NOT underestimate the amount of hard work one would have to do to get there and graduate. Some programs do psychological screening too.

If you get in to a psych program, there are many courses to take, you have to teach undergrad students (you may have over a hundered students in your classes), you do research, write a dissertation, and compete for an internship slot (while in your program), where you will be seeing patients.•••••Although, this is the wrong thread to post this on. All of this is so very true.

 

[Jamier2]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by drchris33:
•1. What other profession would allow you to tell a person to take their clothes off and they will listen to you?•••••As an added bonus, when you tell a woman to undress, you can then send her husband a bill for it without risking bodily injury. :wink:

 

[realruby2000]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Jamier2:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by drchris33:
•1. What other profession would allow you to tell a person to take their clothes off and they will listen to you?•••••As an added bonus, when you tell a woman to undress, you can then send her husband a bill for it without risking bodily injury. :wink: •••••and when he finds out that u told her to undress cuz you're a pervert, he'll shoot you in the ass and give you an extra butthole!
hahahhahaha <img border="0" alt="[Wowie]" title="" src="graemlins/wowie.gif" />

 

[eagle26]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by neilc:
•still psych??????? my god, man! this could be a nice, interesting thread, but i just find more and more psych bs...could a moderator close this and put me out of my misery? 😕 •••••What's your problem about it??? You don't have to read it or post if you don't like it.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by drchris33:
•Here are some reasons for thought (in no particular order)
3. You have to opportunity to stick you fingers in any body orifice of your choosing, and mostly do not get any complaints, at least until after
7. Get paid to stick your fingers in any body orifice of your choosing•••••Here's hoping you mentioned that twice on purpose, and not for some twisted subconcious reason. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

•••quote:•••Originally posted by drchris33:
•
9. You can get away with having awful penmenship
•••••And awful speeling! 😛

 

[Long Hair and a Beard]

It was my childhood dream to become a doctor, and yay! I am going to be one.

But, unfortunately I have forgotten the reasons why I wanted to. 🙄 <img border="0" alt="[Pity]" title="" src="graemlins/pity.gif" />