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Studying medicine: how did you know it was for you?

chefcurry30

Lurker
So as the headline says, I was wondering how you guys knew that medicine was right for you. I am currently a first year university student and honestly, I am unsure where I want to end up, regarding my career. However, postgrad medicine is something that I am contemplating but I do not know enough about what life as a medical student/doctor is like. This led me to wonder what aspects usually draw people to study medicine, aside from the 'wanting to help people'. As far as I know, medicine is a very demanding profession yet it can be very rewarding but I was wondering how so. So, in summary, I would love to know what aspects drew you guys to study medicine and how did you know it was the right degree/career to pursue? Thank you in advance!
 

pi

Junior doctor
Emeritus Staff
I don't think anyone really knows what it's like until they try it. What I thought medical school would be like was different to the reality. Similarly, what I thought being a junior doctor would be like was different to the reality. You never really know until you're in the thick of it, so in short: I didn't know it was the right degree/career to pursue when I started because no one knows, medicine (for the vast vast majority) isn't a calling, it's just another road one can take in life, nothing special about it.
 

GJ07

Member
My reasons for studying medicine are: I wanted a career that mixed scientific knowledge / study with people skills, where each day would be varied, where I worked in a team and with a variety of people from all backgrounds both clients and co workers, where I felt I was doing something that had value to society, where I would always be learning new skills or knowledge, that had many different career paths within the career of medicine itself, that was portable to more than just my own country or local town and hopefully paid enough to have a good lifestyle. Hope that helps
PS Another family member is a junior doctor at the moment and so its really interesting watching their path through med school and the reality of after graduating. It's not always easy but for them it is definitely proving to be the right choice.
 
I don't think anyone really knows what it's like until they try it. What I thought medical school would be like was different to the reality. Similarly, what I thought being a junior doctor would be like was different to the reality. You never really know until you're in the thick of it, so in short: I didn't know it was the right degree/career to pursue when I started because no one knows, medicine (for the vast vast majority) isn't a calling, it's just another road one can take in life, nothing special about it.
Do you mind elaborating a little on what the big differences between what you thought it would be and the realities? Thx in advance
 

pi

Junior doctor
Emeritus Staff
Of being a junior doctor? Difficult to discuss in words. But let's just say you never really know what having responsibility means until you actually have it. And I'm sure the transition from intern/resident to registrar is a similar feeling, as would be from registrar to consultant.
 

Benjamin

ICU Reg (JCU)
Emeritus Staff
I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do when I started medical school. I knew I wanted to always have options & the only way I could go to university & have options was to do a degree that would get me a professional qualification I could use as a day job but also potentially opened doors for me in terms of research if I really didn't like the actual clinical work. My other back-ups beyond medicine (if I didn't get in) were centered around this same theme - pharmacy / engineering. I figured medicine was the better option as it paid better than pharmacy & I liked biology more than physics/math. That was the extent of my reasoning process at highschool before applying & getting into medicine.

Throughout university I felt that medicine was something I would probably enjoy because I liked the content. I found (and still find) learning physiology to be an enjoyable thing & also really like actually working in a clinical sense at the moment ... though largely at a junior level my job is paperwork based!

At the moment I still see medicine as a job where there are a lot of different options about how you can play things out. As a junior doctor I change rotations every 10 weeks ... which means I'm constantly in a new job doing something I probably haven't done before. I find this somewhat refreshing but it's probably something I will eventually tire of. When I do I'll work towards a registrar training pathway of something that has caught my interest / fits with what I want & go from there.

In terms of thinking about the future ... A lot of people talk about getting onto training pathways ASAP and heading upwards at any opportunity - this is great for some but I struggle to see the rationale at times. I am in my mid 20's, second year out & currently earning only slightly less than my parents who are at the end of their 40 year careers - money is not a motivating factor at the moment. Staying as a resident for a few years gives me the opportunity to get more 'inside looks' into jobs I otherwise wouldn't have been exposed to if I ran straight towards registrar training, it also affords me far less responsibility which is both a positive & a negative at times.

How do I know medicine is for me? I enjoy the work, I get to do new things, I get to work in (usually) good teams of like-minded people, I have the flexibility to stay at my current level (RMO) for a while or try & progress more quickly, it pays very reasonably provided you get paid overtime, & the job is relatively flexible in terms of where you live provided you aren't too strict with your rotation requirements or vice versa (i.e. get one or the other of location & rotations, rarely both!). I have somewhat of an idea what I want to do but that is absolutely not set in stone - even after 6 years of medical school & internship the only places I have real experience of what the job is like are in are ED, respiratory, orthopaedics, general surgery, vascular surgery, psychiatry & palliative care!
 

chinaski

Regular Member
I have the flexibility to stay at my current level (RMO) for a while

Like milk, work at a fixed level as a JMO has a definite use-by date. You'll see: you get to the point of boredom with scut, with an urge to do something more than that. Bright, motivated people (with which medicine is festooned) tend to outgrow pre-vocational jobs quite markedly.
 

Kat92

(Student BNurs WSU). Hopeful for JMP
To be honest in High School I never really gave much thought to the prospect of studying in health/the medical field as I had the preconceived notion that I would not be clever enough and would be ridiculed.

However, after starting an education degree and after a few years in I started to become really bored with it (and took the exit degree as I had paroxysms of A-fib that didn't allow for completion of internship). It was at this point when I was bored with education that I started looking at allied health courses but it didn't really curb my itch as I have always enjoyed science, how the body ticks, further learning and helping others so I went on to the AIN and medical assistant course and it showed me that the work that doctors do and medicine is the path I want to undertake.

Secondly, I had a lovely Registrar and cardiologist who looked after me and explained everything in detail after seeing my interest in the area which has further prompted the inspiration.

Thirdly, my GP has been a great inspiration as well as she allows me discuss things I've heard in the media, read, or what could be the case when some of my family members were ill.

Fourthly, when doing my AIN placement I would sometimes arrive early and stay back late with some of the doctors that were on and they would discuss some of the cases they were working on and I would provide some insights into the things I observed and what I thought that may mean- which they kindly explained (learnt that sometimes there are case of panic attacks that mimic cardiac events on ECGs).

Fifthly, I took a module in anatomy at UniSA through correspondence and was fascinated with the material and knowledge of the lecturer- I achieved one of the highest marks in the course and the conversations I had and still do with that lecturer has helped show that health/medicine is the right path for me, plus she also queried why don't you look into medicine I think you would enjoy its components.

Finally, I also became more so involved in the health/medical side of things when my one of family members had umbilical hernia complications as I would assist the community nurse and send reports to the surgeon.

In a way like Pi said it is not a calling, but more so health/medicine finds you and you tend to know what feels right from there! :)
 
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Benjamin

ICU Reg (JCU)
Emeritus Staff
Like milk, work at a fixed level as a JMO has a definite use-by date. You'll see: you get to the point of boredom with scut, with an urge to do something more than that. Bright, motivated people (with which medicine is festooned) tend to outgrow pre-vocational jobs quite markedly.

I completely agree that I'll get sick of it eventually, I mentioned that earlier in the post ... but the reality is that it's likely I'll have to stay at an RMO level for at the least a few more years before I even have the opportunity to progress to registrar training. Some people see this as a massive negative, at the moment I see it as relatively good pay for relatively little stress. If I was 35 or had kids/family/debt it might be a different story but at 24 the lifestyle is fairly good.
 

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chinaski

Regular Member
I completely agree that I'll get sick of it eventually, I mentioned that earlier in the post ... but the reality is that it's likely I'll have to stay at an RMO level for at the least a few more years before I even have the opportunity to progress to registrar training. Some people see this as a massive negative, at the moment I see it as relatively good pay for relatively little stress. If I was 35 or had kids/family/debt it might be a different story but at 24 the lifestyle is fairly good.

Without knowing what pathway you wish to pursue, staying at RMO level may be seen as attractive if you can handle the boredom and drudgery in exchange for "no stress". Conversely, stepping into an unaccredited SRMO position (or similar) offers more professional/cerebral challenges, without the stress of a registrar position, and looks infinitely better on paper - so is often seen as the better compromise by most, rather than staying in an RMO job.
 
Of being a junior doctor? Difficult to discuss in words. But let's just say you never really know what having responsibility means until you actually have it. And I'm sure the transition from intern/resident to registrar is a similar feeling, as would be from registrar to consultant.
Thanks for your response and the others afterwards. Much appreciated :)
 

Zoidberg7

Member
I don't think anyone really knows what it's like until they try it.
So, kinda like marrying a person eh? But, despite those uncertainties, why did you still choose to make a commitment to it? I think this question will unravel the reason and motivation (one that has more gravitas) for pursuing such a vocation.

I am in the processing of drafting my personal statement for UNDS, and the best justification I could come up with is: because I want to. It sounds superficial, I know, but is it? I could argue that desire is the essential component of every commitment and of love -- that without which, is not. But, where does the desire come from? And how strong is this desire? Considering all the negative aspects of medicine, would you still pursue it?
 
So, kinda like marrying a person eh? But, despite those uncertainties, why did you still choose to make a commitment to it? I think this question will unravel the reason and motivation (one that has more gravitas) for pursuing such a vocation.

I am in the processing of drafting my personal statement for UNDS, and the best justification I could come up with is: because I want to. It sounds superficial, I know, but is it? I could argue that desire is the essential component of every commitment and of love -- that without which, is not. But, where does the desire come from? And how strong is this desire? Considering all the negative aspects of medicine, would you still pursue it?
Funny re: marriage. lol
 

live1234

Member
Hi all,

I've reached a bit of a dilemma in my life, where after 3 UMAT attempts I've finally gotten accepted in medicine. I had a dentistry offer from my first year of applying but only held onto it for back up. Now, with the med offer in hand, I think I might be getting cold feet? I was talking with my mum and dad (granted, they both studied medicine overseas in a developing country) and they have freaked me out about my day to day life as a doctor, especially in the earlier years, the struggles and the lack of free time etc. On the other hand, my cousin is a young dentist practicing for around 5 years and is already living a comparatively easy life with a solid 9-5 job and time to do anything she wants outside those hours.
I am looking to hear more from interns, residents and those further along in their career. How have you found the life of a doctor in Australia? How does being on-call actually work, and have you struggled to find time for your partner, family and friends? Also, how does this struggle decrease as you progress in your career (do things improve after 2, 5 or 10 years)?

I would also just like to reinforce that this is pretty much the only thing I prefer about dentistry.. Med just seems a lot more interesting to learn about and frankly I like the idea of saving lives. BUT if you have anything to add about this too, I'm all ears. Just want to make sure I don't have an incorrect view of medicine or dentistry before making my decision.

Heyya! Congrats on your offer :) I can't speak for myself because I am still trying to get into medicine but most of my friends and partner are a fair way through it - and so I've seen a lot of what they've been through over the years.

From what they've said since day 1 is basically don't do medicine for the money, for the prestige etc - it's a damn long haul and if your motivators are that others want you to do it or that you want to make money / have a prestigious job / or even that you just think you SHOULD be doing it - it will be extremely difficult. One of my relatives just finished her specialist training at 35 (normal age to finish a surg specialisation) and is now looking forward to having her first child. she couldn't do this sooner as her training was rigourous and she chose to finish that before starting a family. I think you have to be completely passionate about medicine to be able to process and understand the sacrifices you make along the way.

The friends I have who have always wondered 'what if?' About other careers are slowly starting to dip their toes into those fields. For instance, one has realised they would prefer to do research and teach at university for the (most part) more predictable hours and work, while also helping people.

I understand what it's like working so so hard for years to get to where you are right now- but it is absolutely okay for you to change your mind or to try something else you think you would prefer more. I'm a firm believer in sticking to your gut hahah- so if you feel it's not the right choice for you for X Y and Z reasons, then you should probably listen to that.
 

DrDrLMG!

Resident Medical Officer
Administrator
Hi all,

I've reached a bit of a dilemma in my life, where after 3 UMAT attempts I've finally gotten accepted in medicine. I had a dentistry offer from my first year of applying but only held onto it for back up. Now, with the med offer in hand, I think I might be getting cold feet? I was talking with my mum and dad (granted, they both studied medicine overseas in a developing country) and they have freaked me out about my day to day life as a doctor, especially in the earlier years, the struggles and the lack of free time etc. On the other hand, my cousin is a young dentist practicing for around 5 years and is already living a comparatively easy life with a solid 9-5 job and time to do anything she wants outside those hours.
I am looking to hear more from interns, residents and those further along in their career. How have you found the life of a doctor in Australia? How does being on-call actually work, and have you struggled to find time for your partner, family and friends? Also, how does this struggle decrease as you progress in your career (do things improve after 2, 5 or 10 years)?

I would also just like to reinforce that this is pretty much the only thing I prefer about dentistry.. Med just seems a lot more interesting to learn about and frankly I like the idea of saving lives. BUT if you have anything to add about this too, I'm all ears. Just want to make sure I don't have an incorrect view of medicine or dentistry before making my decision.

Other threads to read through:
The Realities of Studying and Practicing Medicine
how does annual leave work as a junior doctor?

There are probably other threads with relevant information, too.
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
umatsitter While there is certainly a fair bit of info on this and on pagingdr (probably more on their site tbh) my suggestion is that while medicine has some lifestyle specialties as well (e.g. general practice, psychiatry, pathology) these would take longer before you are able to have that kind of lifestyle. Certainly both are viable career options but if I were having doubts about the time committment (especially insofar as it would be disruptive to other life progression such as having a family etc) I'd be taking dentistry every time over medicine.

Both career pathways are feasible in some way or another; medicine of course trades off the potential for lifestyle for the potential of career scope (given that the medical profession deals with other body systems outside the scope of dentists).

This ends up then being a matter of taking all these factors into account and then figuring out which is most appropriate to the life path you want; I would start with these categories as a rough guide:

1. What kind of lifestyle do you want and is this compatible with your career choice? Are you the type that can change your sleep cycle easily/function on little sleep? Do you want to have time off on weekends or even weekdays?

2. What other life goals do you want/have and what commitments do you have and do you give up any of these for your chosen career path? For example, if you are the carer of a sick parent/have young kids or plan on them in future? Do you want to work or live overseas?

3. What do you want out of your career? For example, what do you find interesting about your career and could you enjoy doing it for life? Would you want to make a big investment in it for something you are passionate about or does this take a back seat to the things in the other two questions?


Have a think and come up with some answers to those and we'll have lots of different perspectives for you in response.
 

govpop

Regular Member
You say you're not in it for the prestige but the statement 'I like the idea of saving lives' is purely motivated by the perceived prestige of the day to day work and is an unrealistic expectation.

As you get further along you are more likely to get called at 2am. As a junior you do a night shift and go home and sleep with guaranteed undisturbed sleep. As a senior you can do a full day, go home, then get woken up multiple times cos you're on call, and the junior needs help, and you're the end of the line.
 

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Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
I should also just clarify - dentistry was my second option because it has the surgical aspect, scope for specialisation and is intellectually challenging with content to learn, that I really like about med. Other than that, theres nothing that draws me to dentistry and I don't think I'd enjoy the learning nearly as much as I would in med.

That is a pretty valid point. I have a really set idea of my life over the years (ideally kids before 30- I have 11 years :p ), and my partner being in defence, would make everything very tough to juggle. But I don't think impossible? And in my mind, this reason alone isn't enough to commit to a different career path. Especially one which doesn't intrigue you as much.

I think what would really help me is understanding what is expected of you as a doc. And something which I've not understood well is how "being on call" works. How serious is a situation before you might get called into the hosp? If you're not on call, could you be called in anyway? When you're on vacation or have a day off for your child's birthday, is there a chance that you could have to rush back to the hospital? And, does this change as you move up the ranks? I might be thinking too much into this but I believe it'll help me still.

Yeah so...
If your partner, in defence, was asked to go overseas (as is very often the case for people who work in defence), and you had a child, how would you manage this? How would you manage having to be at work at 7am for ward rounds and still be able to drop your child off at childcare which opens at 8am? How will you manage if you have to stay late because you're operating in theatre and your childcare has closed for the day?

If you are in a serious relationship, have you had serious discussions with your partner about how compatible your career pathways are? If you end up pursuing medicine, especially if it's in a surgical career pathway, your partner may very well have to work fewer hours (and/or change their career out of defence or even quit because goodness knows that not being able to be deployed would make one much less employable in defence).

It's not impossible, and lots of doctors make very heavy lifestyle concessions to make this work. However, if you're at a crossroads about whether to choose medicine or dentistry, and you have very significant priorities that lie outside of medicine, you need to have a very long hard think about where these priorities lie in relation to your career. If the answer is that your other priorities are more important, you probably have your decision made.



Re: What is expected of you on "on call":

This is largely dependent on where you are working (including what discipline you are working in). If you are on call, then this means that you are available for the hospital to call you in during the hours that you are on call. Depending on what discipline and what level of experience you have, this could mean things like you're on call to come in to the ED to review and admit patients, or on call to be able to operate in theatre, or on call even to be able to answer questions and direct management even if you are not technically on site.

On rare occasions, yes, even if you are not on call you could be called in anyway because people can still get sick all the time and things can happen.

Medicine, as a whole, is not a lifestyle career, although there are some pockets of it in places (largely in general practice and even there it can be long hours for minimal pay).



Edit to add:
Just to draw on my own personal experience here. As relatively junior doctors, me and my partner often struggle to find time to spend with each other. Given the way things are now we're looking at making more concessions to be able to do the things we would like (for example, my partner is going to be doing some part time work for a while). Just as a reiteration - medicine is generally not a lifestyle career.
 
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live1234

Member
Yeah so...
If your partner, in defence, was asked to go overseas (as is very often the case for people who work in defence), and you had a child, how would you manage this? How would you manage having to be at work at 7am for ward rounds and still be able to drop your child off at childcare which opens at 8am? How will you manage if you have to stay late because you're operating in theatre and your childcare has closed for the day?

If you are in a serious relationship, have you had serious discussions with your partner about how compatible your career pathways are? If you end up pursuing medicine, especially if it's in a surgical career pathway, your partner may very well have to work fewer hours (and/or change their career out of defence or even quit because goodness knows that not being able to be deployed would make one much less employable in defence).

It's not impossible, and lots of doctors make very heavy lifestyle concessions to make this work. However, if you're at a crossroads about whether to choose medicine or dentistry, and you have very significant priorities that lie outside of medicine, you need to have a very long hard think about where these priorities lie in relation to your career. If the answer is that your other priorities are more important, you probably have your decision made.



Re: What is expected of you on "on call":

This is largely dependent on where you are working (including what discipline you are working in). If you are on call, then this means that you are available for the hospital to call you in during the hours that you are on call. Depending on what discipline and what level of experience you have, this could mean things like you're on call to come in to the ED to review and admit patients, or on call to be able to operate in theatre, or on call even to be able to answer questions and direct management even if you are not technically on site.

On rare occasions, yes, even if you are not on call you could be called in anyway because people can still get sick all the time and things can happen.

Medicine, as a whole, is not a lifestyle career, although there are some pockets of it in places (largely in general practice and even there it can be long hours for minimal pay).

This is completely off topic but I just noticed you have a 'send me bitcoin' thing at the end of your bio Mana - I lost it hahahah
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
This is completely off topic but I just noticed you have a 'send me bitcoin' thing at the end of your bio Mana - I lost it hahahah

Gotta pay for that coffee somehow...
 

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