<p>Hey all, I have a few pressing questions that I hope you guys can give me advice on. </p>
<p>I want to be a doctorthe sciences fascinate me, and I have the work ethic. At the same time, I am equally passionate about international relations, sociology (race, class, power dynamics), etc. Honestly, for a very long time, Ive been trying to decide between whether Id want to be a doctor or hold some type of job for a not-for-profit company. Both require different forms of altruism, but as a doctor, aside from the physical healing, is there anyway I could combine the other subjects that Im passionate about? Yes, I know that going to medical school is a long, rigorous road, and that most people dont make it all the way, but I honestly feel I have the determination to do so. The only problem is that I dont want to set my other passions to the backseat. I want to combine the ability to help people physically, while staying committed to political issues that I want to take active part in. Would it really be possible do both. I'm currently in college, and so far, I plan on majoring in IR while fulfilling my pre-med requirements. But assuming I went through med school, could I still fulfill what I wanted to do? I really don't want to be a practitioner who just adheres to the state of things--I also want to work for reform. Hopefully I havent been too vague. both ends of the spectrum (medicine and politics) seem really enticing to me. if i could choose, things would be much easier.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I want to be a doctor—the sciences fascinate me, and I have the work ethic.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Plenty of people who are not doctors work in the sciences and have a great work ethic. You'll need a better reason.</p>
<p>
[quote]
as a doctor, aside from the physical healing, is there anyway I could combine the other subjects that I’m passionate about?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
I also want to work for reform. Hopefully I haven’t been too vague. both ends of the spectrum (medicine and politics) seem really enticing to me. if i could choose, things would be much easier.
<p>Medical school is traditionally a professional school. You learn about disease, what it is, how to identify it, how to treat it, etc. You're trained to be a clinician and not much else. I think in the past this left little time to learn about other aspects of medicine that are interwined with its practice. Research, politics, economics, social conditions, etc. There are however trends in medical education that seem to be opening up to allowing students to pursue these other ideas. Now, as it has been before, there is still a vast need for doctors with medical training to tackle these issues (those who know how medicine works and the environment of medicine are great proponets to change it). Thus, there are tons of doctors now who do very little clinical work, and may concentration on business, politics, biomedical research, even law. These are reflected in joint-degree programs like MD-MBA, MD-JD, MD-Phd, etc. The great thing is that you don't necessarily need anything more than a MD to do something in addition to clinical medicine. Just the desire and the drive.</p>
<p>If you're interested in "social" medicine (i.e. the politics, economics, social structure of the world and how it relates to domestic and international health), consider a MPH or working for the World Health Organization (WHO) after your first summer of medical school. Also...just read a lot of Paul Farmer books. ;)</p>