Why do you want to go into medicine?

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FM7

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Just a general question, but why do you guys want to enter the medical field? Have you always known or did some specific event influence your decision?
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How about you FM7 ?
 
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I have several reasons myself.

-First of all I love science (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.). Also the human body fascinates me. (All generic answers I know)

-Second when I was eight/nine years old, my mom was diagnosed with lupus. Since then she had several rough patches in her health. She had chronic pain, fatigue, and confusion which was really scary. A lot of hosptial visits. (one time doctors didnt know if she would pull through). But today she is better than ever. I was always amazed how modern medicine has helped my mom maintain a normal lifestyle. So I am inspired by that as well.
 
FM7 said:
Just a general question, but why do you guys want to enter the medical field? Have you always known or did some specific event influence your decision?
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No. Death of someone very close to me.
 
A lot for me. I've put a lot of thought into, and I've infused a lot of skepticism into my thinking about it.

My first reason is personal. When I was born, they didn't get all of the fluid out of my lungs fast enough, so I almost choked. I was placed into the ICU, and I was also a pretty fat baby, post 9-months.

As I aged a little, I developed sleep apnea. Long story short, I had a very difficult first few years and I'm lucky my parents finally found a competent doctor who knew what she was doing and saved me.

Now, the original reason why I wanted to go into medicine was a mix of influence of that with a feeling like I wanted to help people and change their lives. That's changed quite a bit over time as I realized that that isn't really a gratifying part of medicine.

For a purely pragmatic reason, I want to go into medicine because it is the only science where I believe you can see the fruits of your academic labor unfold right before your eyes. It is a science where you know your labor is really making a difference, and it actually had a reason. For example, I like astronomy a lot, but it's all theoretical. It has no application, and I'll probably never really see anything from it. Medicine, you'll see results every day. You'll apply your knowledge everyday in intense situations. I imagine it's very fulfilling.

I also really like biology and physiology. The human body is amazing, hands down.
 
Wow, you guys are already starting to BS and you're not even close to applying yet :laugh:. Hell, when I was in high school, all I wanted to do was have the opportunity to make as much money as possible. You guys are much better people than I was back then.
 
To be honest, it has always been about earning millions of dollars while working 20 hour weeks. What could get any better?


(Seriously, note the sarcasm)
 
vpv said:
To be honest, it has always been about earning millions of dollars while working 20 hour weeks. What could get any better?


(Seriously, note the sarcasm)
Click to expand...

I'm truly curious, what would be better than making millions and only working 20 hours a week?
 
Well, my mom said that I've been interested in medicine since I was really little (playing doctor from the age of 2 or 3), and I picked out the profession when I was 6 (and decided to start studying then too) but it hasn't really been that steady. I mean, for a while, I was thinking of getting an animal related job, maybe in research, and at another time I wanted to be an astronaut, but now I've come back to medicine, after noting my own preferences more closely and realizing that that was what I truly wanted to do.

In terms of personal experiences, I was a 27 week preemie back in '93, which sparked my interest in neonatology (however, I'm not decided on that or anything, it's just one of the fields I'm more interested in). I discovered that I was interested in neurology when I did the health science event of the Science Olympiad with my friend and we split up the work, giving me neuro. Also, my trips to the ER for various things in my first year, and then for stitches on two occasions when I was 9. I remember being so scared when I crashed my bike and then feeling so much better after the stitches (all 21 of them) were done.

I've never thought about it in terms of money, mostly because my dad makes a lot.

Oh, and I've always wanted to be able to respond when people start calling for a doctor.
 
gatorsbball said:
Wow, you guys are already starting to BS and you're not even close to applying yet :laugh:. Hell, when I was in high school, all I wanted to do was have the opportunity to make as much money as possible. You guys are much better people than I was back then.
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Well, you're looking at a very select subgroup of students. We're students that not only see medicine as a possibility in our future, but we've found a website devoted to that and have done some research on it, and are still interested. Most students that want to be "doctors" (their perception of doctors anyway) are exactly like what you said, because that's what most everyone wants, and when you look at medicine from a very warped perspective from the outside with no research, that's what you see.
 
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Crazyday said:
Well, you're looking at a very select subgroup of students. We're students that not only see medicine as a possibility in our future, but we've found a website devoted to that and have done some research on it, and are still interested. Most students that want to be "doctors" (their perception of doctors anyway) are exactly like what you said, because that's what most everyone wants, and when you look at medicine from a very warped perspective from the outside with no research, that's what you see.
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Yup, we're just weirdly driven and really like school. We probably should be studied actually...
 
Let me first start off by saying that I am new to these boards. I just found this site a few days ago, and it's very helpful and interesting. :) By the way, I'm a junior in HS.

Well, I've always been interested in health and computers, especially computers. However, after taking different classes and getting my share of the IT field (through shadowing and internships), I realized that I cannot see myself sitting at a computer all day and not being around people. Then I came to the conclusion that medicine is what I really want to do. I mean, I don't have any doubts about it. I get to be around people and help people. Also, as a doctor you have to continually learn things and put your knowledge to use. I know it's a tough job, but I don't care; I look forward to the challenges ahead.
 
Crazyday said:
Well, you're looking at a very select subgroup of students. We're students that not only see medicine as a possibility in our future, but we've found a website devoted to that and have done some research on it, and are still interested. Most students that want to be "doctors" (their perception of doctors anyway) are exactly like what you said, because that's what most everyone wants, and when you look at medicine from a very warped perspective from the outside with no research, that's what you see.
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Whatever man... I'm still going into medicine for the money, and of course, the chicks :smuggrin:
 
gatorsbball said:
Whatever man... I'm still going into medicine for the money, and of course, the chicks :smuggrin:
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"In this country,first you get the money, then you get the power,THEN you get the woman." - Tony Montana
 
Pepipanda said:
Well, my mom said that I've been interested in medicine since I was really little (playing doctor from the age of 2 or 3), and I picked out the profession when I was 6 (and decided to start studying then too) but it hasn't really been that steady. I mean, for a while, I was thinking of getting an animal related job, maybe in research, and at another time I wanted to be an astronaut, but now I've come back to medicine, after noting my own preferences more closely and realizing that that was what I truly wanted to do.

In terms of personal experiences, I was a 27 week preemie back in '93, which sparked my interest in neonatology (however, I'm not decided on that or anything, it's just one of the fields I'm more interested in). I discovered that I was interested in neurology when I did the health science event of the Science Olympiad with my friend and we split up the work, giving me neuro. Also, my trips to the ER for various things in my first year, and then for stitches on two occasions when I was 9. I remember being so scared when I crashed my bike and then feeling so much better after the stitches (all 21 of them) were done.

I've never thought about it in terms of money, mostly because my dad makes a lot.

Oh, and I've always wanted to be able to respond when people start calling for a doctor.
Click to expand...


what exactly were you studying at age 6?
 
Pepipanda said:
Well, my mom said that I've been interested in medicine since I was really little (playing doctor from the age of 2 or 3), and I picked out the profession when I was 6 (and decided to start studying then too) but it hasn't really been that steady. I mean, for a while, I was thinking of getting an animal related job, maybe in research, and at another time I wanted to be an astronaut, but now I've come back to medicine, after noting my own preferences more closely and realizing that that was what I truly wanted to do.

In terms of personal experiences, I was a 27 week preemie back in '93, which sparked my interest in neonatology (however, I'm not decided on that or anything, it's just one of the fields I'm more interested in). I discovered that I was interested in neurology when I did the health science event of the Science Olympiad with my friend and we split up the work, giving me neuro. Also, my trips to the ER for various things in my first year, and then for stitches on two occasions when I was 9. I remember being so scared when I crashed my bike and then feeling so much better after the stitches (all 21 of them) were done.

I've never thought about it in terms of money, mostly because my dad makes a lot.

Oh, and I've always wanted to be able to respond when people start calling for a doctor.
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I was like that...or at least in a similar situation once upon a time......then I did some extensive shadowing and switched to dentistry. Don't be so sure that you'll end up going the med route when you've got so much time to explore and figure out what you really want to do with your life. Be open to opportunities and experiences.....and definitely shadow!! Not just med, but other professions too.
 
Until today, I really had no good answer. My parents aren't doctors, I do not know any doctors, and hadn't had any experience with hospitals except for the annual checkup.

Today, though, I started volunteering as part of my high school requirement. They give me Mondays off for the rest of the year to do "Christian Service" and I chose a hospital to work at 6 hours/week. Nearly every one of my friends went off to do some BS tutoring at the elementary school they attended, but I went to a hospital in NYC out of curiousity in the medical field.

Wow, did I hit the jackpot. I, a 17 year-old high school student, brings the patient to the OR, gets to watch the surgery (in the room itself, not even behind the glass), then cleans the room and prepare it for the next patient.

All I can say is wow. I'm not sure how much I can say under HIPPA guidelines, and such, but I really want to be a doctor now. It's incredible!
 
Nantes said:
Until today, I really had no good answer. My parents aren't doctors, I do not know any doctors, and hadn't had any experience with hospitals except for the annual checkup.

Today, though, I started volunteering as part of my high school requirement. They give me Mondays off for the rest of the year to do "Christian Service" and I chose a hospital to work at 6 hours/week. Nearly every one of my friends went off to do some BS tutoring at the elementary school they attended, but I went to a hospital in NYC out of curiousity in the medical field.

Wow, did I hit the jackpot. I, a 17 year-old high school student, brings the patient to the OR, gets to watch the surgery (in the room itself, not even behind the glass), then cleans the room and prepare it for the next patient.

All I can say is wow. I'm not sure how much I can say under HIPPA guidelines, and such, but I really want to be a doctor now. It's incredible!
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Lucky :thumbup:
 
I went to my school library and read all the health/human body related books in there. I remember skipping over all the books with big colorful letters titled things like, "Your Five Senses" and instead going for those "New True Books" and things like that.
 
Well, I know I won't do dentistry, but how does one get to shadow? I'm thinking of asking my pediatrician about it next visit to see if I can shadow her, and for any suggestions she has for other people to ask.
 
Nantes said:
Wow, did I hit the jackpot. I, a 17 year-old high school student, brings the patient to the OR, gets to watch the surgery (in the room itself, not even behind the glass), then cleans the room and prepare it for the next patient.
Click to expand...

What a lucky bastard. Dude, that's nice man ! :thumbup:
 
I want to go into medicine because I want my life to be like JD's on Scrubs. I also want hot co-workers like Elliot Reed.
 
Pepipanda said:
Well, I know I won't do dentistry, but how does one get to shadow? I'm thinking of asking my pediatrician about it next visit to see if I can shadow her, and for any suggestions she has for other people to ask.
Click to expand...

Try this program out, you might find someone you can shadow. I have shadowed multiple peope via this program. Just click "find a mentor" and fill out the criteria they ask for. At first ONLY fill out the city and state you want to shadow in, or else it will limit the number of findings that pop up to fit exactly what you type in. Dont worry about specialty, school, or anything like that. After the search, just choose a doc from a specialty that interests you and you should hear back within a few days to a week!

NOTE: if you live in a small city, this might not be a good option. But give it a try anyway.
 
-I'm fascinated by peoples' insides.
-I'm a masochist when it comes to doing incredibly well in school and killing my free time.
-I don't plan on ever getting laid, so the time commitment is a non-issue for me.
-I have a flamboyantly romanticized perception of hospitals.
-My brother's a lawyer and says I should become a doctor so then we can have a fist fight and see who wins.
-I'm competitive to the point of violently expressing my joy when I eventually win.
-I love helping people, although the more I read up on the field, the more I feel like it's a secondary aspect of the job. Still there, though.
-My biology degree will be otherwise useless.
 
Nantes said:
Until today, I really had no good answer. My parents aren't doctors, I do not know any doctors, and hadn't had any experience with hospitals except for the annual checkup.

Today, though, I started volunteering as part of my high school requirement. They give me Mondays off for the rest of the year to do "Christian Service" and I chose a hospital to work at 6 hours/week. Nearly every one of my friends went off to do some BS tutoring at the elementary school they attended, but I went to a hospital in NYC out of curiousity in the medical field.

Wow, did I hit the jackpot. I, a 17 year-old high school student, brings the patient to the OR, gets to watch the surgery (in the room itself, not even behind the glass), then cleans the room and prepare it for the next patient.

All I can say is wow. I'm not sure how much I can say under HIPPA guidelines, and such, but I really want to be a doctor now. It's incredible!
Click to expand...

Lucky dude, now thats a story you can talk about in a med school interview
 
yanorglu said:
-I'm fascinated by peoples' insides.
-I'm a masochist when it comes to doing incredibly well in school and killing my free time.
-I don't plan on ever getting laid, so the time commitment is a non-issue for me.
-I have a flamboyantly romanticized perception of hospitals.
-My brother's a lawyer and says I should become a doctor so then we can have a fist fight and see who wins.
-I'm competitive to the point of violently expressing my joy when I eventually win.
-I love helping people, although the more I read up on the field, the more I feel like it's a secondary aspect of the job. Still there, though.
-My biology degree will be otherwise useless.
Click to expand...

Same.
 
Nantes said:
Until today, I really had no good answer. My parents aren't doctors, I do not know any doctors, and hadn't had any experience with hospitals except for the annual checkup.

Today, though, I started volunteering as part of my high school requirement. They give me Mondays off for the rest of the year to do "Christian Service" and I chose a hospital to work at 6 hours/week. Nearly every one of my friends went off to do some BS tutoring at the elementary school they attended, but I went to a hospital in NYC out of curiousity in the medical field.

Wow, did I hit the jackpot. I, a 17 year-old high school student, brings the patient to the OR, gets to watch the surgery (in the room itself, not even behind the glass), then cleans the room and prepare it for the next patient.

All I can say is wow. I'm not sure how much I can say under HIPPA guidelines, and such, but I really want to be a doctor now. It's incredible!
Click to expand...
What is the title of your position? Sterilization technician? I was going to apply for a position like this but missed out on the oppurtunity :(
 
My title at the hospital is "clinical assistant".

Also, don't give up the hope of a little love-making at such a young age :D Really though, if you resign yourself to a loveless life, it will happen that way. You may think this is okay, but trust me, having someone else there for you is extremely helpful when you're stressing out, when you're feeling lonely, are burnt out, etc.
 
Nantes said:
My title at the hospital is "clinical assistant".

Also, don't give up the hope of a little love-making at such a young age :D Really though, if you resign yourself to a loveless life, it will happen that way. You may think this is okay, but trust me, having someone else there for you is extremely helpful when you're stressing out, when you're feeling lonely, are burnt out, etc.
Click to expand...

*sigh*

boys.
 
I'd like to become a physician for a few reasons. I really love the science, especially biology. I really enjoy solving problems. Around October 2007 I became interested in become a physician, and started looking stuff up, watching a lot of the Discovery Health shows (like Life in the ER). It wasn't really until Jan 19 '08 that it really hit me: ' Jake, be a Doctor' On Jan 19th I got some pretty bad abdominal pain, wrote it off most of the day. Around 6, decided to go to the local prompt care place. Doctor gave me a cup of gastroview (orange flavored, tastes great!!) Got a CAT scan, and I had appendicitis. It's around 10pm now, got admitted into the ER, and at around 11 i was taken to pre-op. I still remember when I went into the OR, looking at all the really cool instruments, and computers, and all that great stuff. Didn't get to see much, I was asleep with-in 3 or so minutes of being in there. Woke up in the rec room, spent like 2 days in bed. 2 weeks later went back to my physicians office, just to make sure I was good. And he burnt me a copy of my appendectomy. Which was AWESOME! Everyone in my school's seen in :) Since then I've been really interested.
 
You make me sick. Medicine is just a career. There is ZERO reason why you should be abstinent for life. (i feel obliged to say since you're in high school that you should take the proper precautions...)

And helping your patient is STILL the primary focus of medicine, it's just that many aspects of the system attempt to subvert the ideal doctor-patient exchange.

yanorglu said:
-I'm fascinated by peoples' insides.
-I'm a masochist when it comes to doing incredibly well in school and killing my free time.
-I don't plan on ever getting laid, so the time commitment is a non-issue for me.
-I have a flamboyantly romanticized perception of hospitals.
-My brother's a lawyer and says I should become a doctor so then we can have a fist fight and see who wins.
-I'm competitive to the point of violently expressing my joy when I eventually win.
-I love helping people, although the more I read up on the field, the more I feel like it's a secondary aspect of the job. Still there, though.
-My biology degree will be otherwise useless.
Click to expand...
 
I've wanted to be a doctor since I was three. I love medicine and the human body. I also love helping people. I'm not in medicine for the money like many doctors are today, I'm in to help people and do what I love.
 
Chicks, Money, Power, and Chicks Or...wait...That is why people become doctors right? D:
 
MedvisP said:
Chicks, Money, Power, and Chicks Or...wait...That is why people become doctors right? D:
Click to expand...

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ7HZATMKBY[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WE5_M44Goo[/YOUTUBE]

Lets all of us become this guy.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqeC3BPYTmE[/YOUTUBE]


Well, peaceful life with a person long in love and several kids is my life goal.
 
It dawned on me that I wanted to be a doctor in second grade. I was at a science center on a field trip, and I stumbled across a booth that had videos of different surgeries. The first one I saw was a brain surgery, and I was fascinated. As the videos progressed, I witnessed a heart surgery, a face lift, and a cesarean section. From then on, I knew I had to be a doctor so I could do cool stuff like that :) Little did I know how much more amazing the field of medicine is than that!
Honestly, I love science, and I love people. That may sound cliche, but it is true. Human anatomy, biology, and chemistry absolutely blow my mind, and I look forward to the new concepts my teachers in those classes will reveal to me each day! As far as loving people, well I really can't think of a better feeling than when I know I have had a positive impact on somebody's life. I can't imagine how it will feel to have potentially life-saving impacts on multiple people's lives every day.
In seventh grade, my best friend's dad happened to be an anesthesiologist, and as he explained what his career was like, I was fascinated. Medicine kept sounding better and better. Not only do you have to USE your brain (as opposed to an office job, filing papers and making endless phone calls), but you are constantly kept busy. Yes, I know there is plenty of office work to be done as a doctor, but the same could be said about almost any job.
I have also had plenty of exposure to doctors in my life, as I have had to go the hospital for things such as a seizure I had when I was younger and the stitches I had to get when I cut my forehead open on a kitchen chair. My mom gave birth to two children after me, and she had to have her gull bladder removed, all things I had to spend time in the hospital for visiting her. The sense of urgency that almost everything was done with amazed me.
I realize there are some downsides to a life in the field of medicine. I WILL have to see people dying, and I WILL NOT be able to save everybody. I WILL probably get sued, but from what I've heard every physician gets sued at some point in his life. I WILL have to deal with the evil health insurance companies that have in mind neither the good of my patients or me. I realize the ridiculously long hours one must work as a doctor, and I realize the sacrifices, socially and financially, that I will have to make to become a doctor. But none of these things phase me. I will apply to medical school until I get accepted, even if I don't get in until I am an old man :) It is all worth it to me in the end. I would love nothing more than to work for a cause much larger than myself, and my two biggest loves lie within humanity, and the realm of science.
To conclude this long post, I am a senior in high school, hopefully going to the University of Washington this fall and majoring in bioengineering. I have a 3.87 cumulative GPA, and I have taken several AP classes, including Biology, Chemisty,and Calculus. I am a member of the National Honors Society, but my commitment to the wrestling team has prevented me from being as involved elsewhere as I would have liked. I cannot picture myself as anything but a doctor. I don't have the slightest clue what I would do if I never got accepted into medical school.
I apologize for the length of this post :)
 
haha, mahnster 13 i appreciate the lengthy reply! It's nice to get a few serious answers on here (not that i don't enjoy the more comical ones). That's really awesome that you've been interested in medicine since you were a kid. It seems like you really love the field and are very dedicated so i'm sure you will do well. best of luck!
 
my only worry is that i might actually have to take my first year at a community college for financial reasons, as my family might be relocating to Pennsylvania. i haven't applied anywhere in PA, so my only option is to take some of my GE classes at a CC, which means i might have to take an extra year of college. so my only worry is that taking some classes at CC will negatively affect my chances of getting into medical school.
i do love the field, and i want to be a doctor more than i have ever wanted anything else in my life (even more than i wanted a Game Boy Color when i was a kid... lol).
 
Before I start, I have to say that I don't know, have never known, nor will know for some time what it is I truly want to do as a career. All I can do is explain why it is that I, on this February evening during my senior year in high school, am interested in medicine.

I grew up the second of four children--quiet, curious, and fascinated with dinosaurs. My parents, as parents are, had already picked out my future profession, telling me I would become a doctor. So for some time, this is what I'd say I wanted to do "when I grew up," but this deserved no more surety than little Tommy aspiring to become a firefighter or little Suzy an astronaut. Back then, my vision of a doctor was "the person that gives you shots and a sucker." I can't say I actually wanted to become a doctor; I was just playing the part.

Older, but still with a similar level of ignorance toward the profession as before, I looked up "strep throat" in my family's medical manual. I'd been stricken with this infection annually, and, naturally, I wanted to meet the bane of my condition. What I read absorbed me. Bacteria, disease, antibiotics: what words! Despite making me miserable, there existed a certain affection for the little creature called streptococcus. I discovered this same intimacy with injury and disease altogether, and when I learned being a doctor entailed much more than I'd previously envisioned--complete with its various specialties--I, for the first time, was legitimately interested in medicine. (I should clarify that this "intimacy with injury and disease" does not mean I take satisfaction away from the afflictions of other people or am sadistic towards my own health, but that I find the scientific principles behind the nature of disease--and its treatment--enthralling.)

I started high school with the notion of becoming a doctor in the back of my mind but never delving any deeper into the consequences of such a career until the beginning of this school year. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism toward impending college applications and the associated sentiment of growing up. Anyway, I began researching on the internet. It led me here. Through my almost daily reading of the posts on SDN, I've received a multitude of insight into the profession that I'd otherwise be unaware of.

In college, I plan on majoring in Microbiology. The possibility of medical school is undoubtedly on my mind. Yet, I don't want to restrict myself and will enter without bias, as college is a time of growth and discovery. To have life planned out as a senior in high school is beyond naive. I'm not going to tell people I'm pre-med, both to avoid the negative stereotypes affiliated with the title and because it seems presumptuous. I may, in fact, not end up being pre-med and will pursue an entirely different career for reasons unknown to me right now.

In the end, I want to find a career which I'll love. Is medicine that career? It's too early to answer that, and I have sufficient time to figure it out.
 
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