Why do you want to be a doctor?

<p>Doogie you really need to get off your EMT high horse, and accept the fact that your not the only one to see things happen and that EMT isnt the only way to go. You act as if only you see things, and no one has personally dealt with the things you see. There are other ways and volunteering is more than enough for most people to decide. Thats why just by volunteering so many people decide its not for them, if it didnt work no one would change their mind after volunteering. This doesn't happen.</p>

<p>i would say it depends on where u volunteer. because i have been volunteering for over an year now and they barely let me do more than answer the phones. all my friends who volunteer at that hospital say its the same no matter what department their in. but i think there's more to being a doc than being able to handle the blood and gore or watching ppl die. i think to be a good doc u need to be compassionate and be able to communicate efficiently w/ ppl from a variety of backgrounds.</p>

<p>thank you urmyitya...bigndude, thank you for ignoring my post.</p>

<p>i never said EMT is the only way to go btw, there are plenty of other ways to volunteer, but my point is people need to get involved in patient care...hospital volunteering just isnt enough exposure. And if you are gonna tell me the hospital will let you take part in any kind of hands on patient care you are so wrong its not even funny. The insurance companies would have a heart attack, plus there are so many ways the hospital could be sued for millions...hospital volunteering isnt enough</p>

<p>If hospital volunteering isn't enough to decide then what is it? If you want to help others, enjoy science and medicine, enjoy the field and the perks, and you are interested what else is there?</p>

<p>if you enjoy the field, and enjoy science and medicine why would you volunteer at a hospital??? How is pushing wheelcheers and handing out food trays allowing you to take part in any of the things you say you enjoy?</p>

<p>There are plenty of other opportunities that a 16+ can do. They include Emergency Medical Services, shadowing, research, phelbotomy, and becoming a diener. *the last two are for college students, phlebotomists are the people who take blood and dieners are people who help the Medical examiner, they both require training. </p>

<p>However the best bet i would say is shadowing if you want to see what medicine is really about and dont have the time for training. A doctor who is really interested in helping you out will def be able to teach you plenty in the ways of patient care and may even let you do simple thing such as take blood pressures, listen to lung sounds, etc (simple stuff that can easily be picked up)</p>

<p>Now if you have the time for some training, i highly suggest EMS. Its the best way to really see what medicine is like...and you get to laugh at the hospital volunteers who make the beds for you when you bring in your patients.</p>

<p>also wanna add that shadowing is good because you see more then patient care, you see the BS dealings with insurance companies and all the admin work.</p>

<p>EMS is good because not only do you get to actually perform patient care but you are able to understand the emotions of the field and really get a chance to actually be a healthcare provider.</p>

<p>"No, what really messes with peoples head is the responsibility you are given. No average joe schmo student volunteer is capable of understanding this because theya re not involved in patient care. Yes they may speak to a patient, give them their food, and push their wheel chair, but they DO NOT know what it is like to be holding a child who has just taken its last breath, or seeing an elderly woman look at you before she dies and asking you if she is going to die when you know she will, or having a mother ask you whether he 11 yr old son is still alive."</p>

<p>As a nurse of over 20 years, I can tell you in all truth that the quote above does not describe the work of physicians, but that of the bedside nurse. If you desire this sort of patient interaction, then becoming a physician is not the proper tract</p>

<p>ope...shut down lol...</p>

<p>I have to agree with bigndude on this one. Doogie, you worked as an EMT, we get it lol No more need to brag about how you're more qualified to be a doctor just because you were able to work in an ambulance.</p>

<p>im not bragging at all show me where i was</p>

<p>you are absolutely right momo, as a nurse there is more patient interaction and will probably be similar to what i do now, however, i want to become a doctor for the reasons i stated. I dont think thats a problem.</p>

<p>bignduse, it is funny if you're that kind of doctor only until your patients also start losing respect for you, and that is where you get sued</p>

<p>Thats if your a bad doc to begin with. Doctors really don't care what scientists think and shouldn't, since most scientists aren't MD's. If a scientist is an MD they care, if its not what does someone who isnt a doc have to say to someone who is? Is a non MD going to tell a CT Surgeon how to do a heart transplant? They could help develop new methods maybe but ultimately its up to the surgeon, so they don't care. And for a patient to lose respect in you, you either have to be a horrible doctor who constantly messes up, or just a mean person who no one likes in general, even then if you do a good job people respect you though.</p>

<p>ya scientists may not tell docs wut to do...but INSURANCE COMPANIES DO!</p>

<p>More like insurance companies shaft docs. I was talking to an obgyn the other day he was so happy that his group was quoted for 105 grand per person in malp insur. He was actually happy and laughing about it, because he said no one wants to insure obgyn's anymore. Insurance companies in the end decide medical care it seems nowadays, not docs.</p>

<p>yup, thats probably the first thing u and i agree on</p>

<p>my point was that if you care about money and prestige, more chances you'll be a poor professional -- and i don't mean someone who is disagreeable or messed up -- i mean someone who became a doctor for the love of something else rather than the profession itself, someone who does not keep on top of current medical advances, someone who is prone to misdiagnose patients and doesn't really care about people that much, someone who does not want to perfect skills and knowledge because they already have a big fat salary so who cares</p>

<p>actually, very few people get PhD's and then MD's to go work in a hospital -- it is much more common to see an MD switch to medial/biological research and then yes, he or she has to worry about respect of his fellow PhD colleagues because research is their domain</p>

<p>Wow, this thread makes me want to not go to medical school...</p>

<p>Well, before this thread got way off track...</p>

<p>I want to be a doctor because it is one of the few professions in which there is this very unique combination of working with people, while also being very knowledge intensive. I love the fact that it is a practical application of science which I find fascinating, but the chance to work with many different people each and every day is what really is the clincher for me. If it weren't for the people aspect I don't think I would be working towards my MD. I get to use my mind, but I also work with people.</p>

<p>Obviously helping people is an important, but it goes deeper than that, as you aren't just helping someone, but you have the opportunity to really make their lives better. Your actions can and will directly impact what they are able to do, and how they feel about themselves. It really is the ultimate win-win.</p>

<p>Finally, the reason I'm looking towards surgery is that I get to "do" something, and see the immediate (or relatively immediate) results of my actions in improving the condition of a patient.</p>

<p>Yes, the prestige and the money are nice. Doctors are respected anywhere you go, and I appreciate that, but I dont' think those are good reasons for giving up the entirety of your 20's to reap. Please realize that being a pre-med and a medical student is not fun, it is really hard, and if you aren't 100% dedicated to the profession for the right reasons, you are better off looking elsewhere for a career. That's okay too, as there are many fields in which you can garner prestige and wealth with less difficulty.</p>