Being a Doctor Things You Should Know推荐.pdfVIP

Chap ter 6 Being a Doctor: Things You Should Know THE MEANING OF AN MD Before you apply to medical school, you should carefully consider the following questions: Do you want to spend your life helping others? Doctors heal people, save lives, and help others—often through direct, face-to-face interactions. According to a recent survey of medical school students, “helping others” is the primary motivation for pursuing an MD/DO. If this is your motivation, you’re in good company. However, there are other altruistic careers out there and they all involve less schooling and less debt than medical school. The desire to help others should be one, but not the only, reason for becoming a doctor. Do you enjoy working hard? Medicine is an incredibly challenging field. This was the case a hundred years ago when doctors worked to fight yellow fever, polio, and influenza, and it is the case today as health professionals try to prevent and treat heart disease, cancer, and AIDS while dealing with the constraints of managed care. So consider medicine only if you know you want tremendous challenge in your professional life. As you read this chapter, think about whether the challenges involved in practicing medicine are the ones that appeal to you. For example, a physician who is 20 years out of medical school is still expected to be familiar with the latest medical developments. A commitment to lifelong learning is one of the challenges of practicing medicine. It should also be noted that doctors don’t j ust work hard; they work long hours—most put in about 60 hours a week. Are you interested in science and health issues? If you enj oyed some aspects of your science courses—few people enj oy all aspects of premedical cou