motivation Flashcards
Why do you want to study medicine?
-not a singular reason, gradual accumulation of experiences
-underlined by an interest in the science of the human body
-this stemmed from my biology lessons when we moved away from plat bio and started focusing more on human bio
-fascinated by how different systems in the body work together to keep us alive
-and how each individual’s unique biology requires tailored care
-interested by how scientific innovations can be applied in medicine to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives which is an important role of doctors
-med is a diverse and constant evolving field
-everyday is different, keeps you on your feet
-multidimensional
-requiring not only scientific knowledge but also problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and empathy
-these skills are talked about often
-but i got chance to see this first hand in my work experience
-educate and empower patients to make their own decisions about their healthcare
-diagnosis and treatment
-signified the impact doctors have on patients lives, guiding them through complex medical decisions while being empathetic and transparent
-particularly interested in reducing health inequalities for disadvantaged and vulnerable populations
-seen in my own location, know that certain ethnic groups more at risk for certain diseases
-aspire to be a doctor who not only provides scientific expertise but also contributes to creating more equitable healthcare solutions
-a noble responsibility to provide compassionate care in critical times and make meaningful impacts
Why medicine and not nursing?
-nurses have a very important role in healthcare settings
-have responsibilities such as providing holistic care, supporting patients emotionally and physically, often being first point of contact in healthcare settings
-key in managing chronic conditions, advocating for patients, integral part of MDT, collaborating with doctors to optimise care
–whilst i appreciate importance of pharmacy,
-my work experience at a GP practice revealed that my skills and interests align more closely with the role of a doctor
-i saw how doctors combine problem-solving and leadership in decision-making to guide patient care
-saw a GP assess patient presenting with a lump
-carefully considering the possibility of breast cancer
-GP used logical reasoning, clinical expertise, and analysis to decide on a referral for a scan at the local hospital
-critical decision that balanced thoroughness with patient reassurance
-whilst its early for me to be making decisions on specialisations, i am currently drawn to specialising further in a surgical field
-combination of technical precision and problem-solving aligns with my strengths and interests
-skills in leadership, analytical thinking, and my desire to take responsibility for complex cases fit more closely with the role of a doctor
Why medicine and not dentistry?
-dentists have an important role in providing patient care
-focus on diagnosing and treating oral health issues, preventing
-educating patients about oral hygiene, managing dental diseases, and performing intricate procedures
-respect the importance of dentistry
-my WE revealed that my interests and aspirations align more closely with the broader scope of medicine
-fascinated by human body as a whole
-eager to learn how dif systems interact rather than a singular area
-med provides opportunity to treat patient holistically requiring an intricate understanding of a range of conditions
-saw a GP assess patient presenting with a lump
-carefully considering the possibility of breast cancer
-GP used logical reasoning, clinical expertise to decide on a referral for a scan at the local hospital
- breadth of a doctor’s role, involving a deep understanding of multiple systems and balancing clinical reasoning with patient-centred care
-pursue a career that allows me to continually explore and address a variety of medical challenges
-not currently ready to specialise, want to explore my interests first
-current interest draw me more towards cardiovascular, neuro, emergency care, general practise, etc
Why medicine and not research?
-biomed research is vital in advancing our understanding of disease, devp new treatments, improving healthcare outcomes globally
-researchers play key role in devp therapies that have a potential to save lives
-deeply respect the importance of biomedical research
-my WE revealed that my interests and aspirations align more closely with the practical, patient-centred focus of medicine
-eager to learn how to diagnose, treat, support individuals directly
-rather than working primarily in a laboratory setting
-med offers opportunity to combine scientific knowledge with interpersonal skills, allowing me to treat patients holistically and see the immediate impact of my work on their lives
-saw a GP assess patient presenting with a lump
-carefully considering the possibility of breast cancer
-ability to translate knowledge of human biology into direct patient care
-balancing clinical expertise with compassion and reassurance
-whilst its early for me to be making decisions on specialisations, i am currently drawn to specialising further in a surgical field
-combination of problem-solving and desire to make a tangible impact aligns with my strengths and interests
-skills in problem solving, communication, leadership, and my desire to make a tangible impact on patients’ live fit more closely with the role of a doctor
Why not pharmacy?
-role of pharmacists in patient care is vital
-ensure safe and effective use of medications
-often catch early signs of disease/health issues through patient consultations allowing early intervention
-key in providing health education
-integral part of MDTs
-whilst i appreciate importance of pharmacy,
-my work experience at a GP practice revealed that my skills and interests align more closely with the role of a doctor
-i saw how doctors combine problem-solving and leadership in decision-making to guide patient care
-saw a GP assess patient presenting with a lump
-carefully considering the possibility of breast cancer
-GP used logical reasoning, clinical expertise, and analysis to decide on a referral for a scan at the local hospital
-critical decision that balanced thoroughness with patient reassurance
-whilst its early for me to be making decisions on specialisations, i am currently drawn to specialising further in a surgical field
-combination of technical precision and problem-solving aligns with my strengths and interests
-skills in leadership, analytical thinking, and my desire to take responsibility for complex cases fit more closely with the role of a doctor
What are the negatives of a career in medicine?
(What challenges do doctors face?)
-workload, unsociable hours, long hours
-stress that comes along side this
-can often put strain on your personal life
-such as relationships and hobbies
-important to appreciate every career has its ups downs, not just medicine
-chosen this career as i think i will be fulfilled by it so i look at it with a positive outlook
-i appreciate it has challenges too
-i feel like im equipped to tackle these though
-as i’ve developed techniques to help me destress, especially for times when im exeriencing a lot of stress and a large workload such as exam season
-planning out a general schedule for my week helps
-ensuring I’m scheduling in down time where I’m able to participate in my hobbies such as baking and dance
-find dance really helps me refocus as it provides a change of setting, people, and actual task
-also maintaining some sort of routine everyday, whether that be working out every evening or maybe going on a walk in the afternoon gives me some time to reflect and destress
-sometimes, it is necessary to reach out
-depending on the cause of my stress that may involve talking to a teacher about my worries in school
-or reaching out to my close friends or family
-they provide a strong sense of support for me an help me stay grounded
-i see challenges as an opportunity to learn and develop as a person rather than a hurdle
-coping with death
What is it like to be a doctor?
-medicine is a broad field
-many doctors have different specialisms so its hard to give one specific response
-but there are definitely similarities i can identify
-through my WE, i saw the diverse range of responsibilities that a doctor has
-diagnosing and treating
-co-ordinating referrals
-teaching medical students
-educating patients, public health
-part of wider MDTs
-GP partner (more managerial roles)
-their role isn’t just medical so they need many more skills that scientific and logical skills
-they’re working with patients, building doctor patient relationship (and trust in the medical profession)
-importance of empathy, communication, sensitivity
-developed thru volunteering at MENCAP
-also volunteered in hospital
-the environment was very different, fast paced and more intense
-roles were more specialist
-running scans, carrying out procedures, treatments
-had a teaching centre
-overall, i’d say its a very fulfilling role, you get to work closely with a diverse range of patients, seeing them at both their worst and at their best
-you are able to make a meaningful and tangible impact on their lives through providing them empathetic care, and empowering them to make decisions about their own healthcare
In your opinion, what has been the greatest advancement in medicine in the last 20 years?
-there are constantly new advancements in medicine
-some make a greater impact than others
-and some are more well known than others
-i think that one of the greatest advancements in medicine is the development of next generation sequencing
-not the first method of DNA sequencing
-but much more accurate, fats, cost-efficient
-more accessible in the NHS
-enables broader clinical use
-enables personalised medicine
-in the uk, nhs initiatives such as genomics england aimed to sequence genomes of patients with rare diseases and cancer
-provided insights into more targeted and effective treatments tailored to individual genetic profiles
-improving early diagnosis and prevention of genetic diseases
-advancements in cancer research and treatment
-precision medicine
-more personalised treatment
-in the future, gene editing and gene therapies
-offers hope for patients with previously untreatable conditions
-more affordable, so population wide genomics screening
What did you want to do before medicine?
-i’ve wanted to do a variety of different things from a young age
-learning and growing as a child so only natural to fluctuate in your career aspirations
-at a young age you also don’t have a proper understanding of what a job is
-definitely some similarities that have trickled thru all these different aspirations
-for example, when i was younger i wanted to be a writer
-i was reading the harry potter books at the time
-loved the creativity aspect of it, creating this fictional work
-acted as an escape for people
-i wanted to be able to mimic the impact that those books had on me for other people
-wanted to be able to have an impact on other peoples lives
-then, i gradually became more interested in marine biology, zoology and veterinary sciences
-again, thru this role i had the ability to have an important impact of living beings lives
-i was really interested by how ecosystems interact and how you could save lives
-as we shifted our focus to human biology in school
-learned about different organs, and systems in the body
-dif diseases and treatments
-public health
-i became more interested in medicine
-impact of human lives, interest in science and patient focused career
-needed to be communication, different everyday, see the impacts i was having
-communication thru mencap
-consolidated thru my GP work experience
-thru dif careers ive wanted to do, you can see how as ive developed and learned more about myself ive been growing towards a career in medicine
Tell us about an article that you have recently read.
-BBC news article earlier this month
-context: 30,000 people infected from contaminated blood transfusions and products
-approx 3000 deaths
-covered up scandal and exposed victims to serious risks
-letting patients catch HIV and hepatitis
-inquiry done into this and exposed that the NHS, government and doctors had failed these patients in various ways
-importation of unsafe blood products from high-risk donors
-lack of heat treatment of blood to prevent HIV transmission
-general failure to acknowledge and take action when changes were needed
-covered up by concealing info, not telling patients of the risks of blood transfusions, sometimes not telling them that they had contracted HIV
-records destroyed
-delay in inquiry
-stated that the survivors would be compensated
-first compensation been made, but is becoming a slow and tedious process for those affected