Motivation for medicine questions Flashcards
Why a doctor and not a nurse?
That’s a very tough question because nurses play just as an integral role as doctors in creating a good quality of care and I have had the opportunity to work with some incredible nurses through my job in a vaccination centre and within a multidisciplinary team, the roles of a doctor and a nurse are often overlapping. When considering what profession I wanted to pursue; I of course also considered nursing due to its many similarities, both being extremely caring and patient focused roles as well as working within the same environments and as part of the same team. However, on doing research I also found some key differences between the roles, primarily the control of patient care which doctors have and the responsibility and decision-making capabilities they have. This lead me towards medicine as I value my own problem solving and decision making skills and feel they would better suit me to being a doctor rather than a nurse. I also feel I would personally enjoy a medical degree more as it not only builds on my scientific passion for medicine but also provides more clinical training compared to other healthcare roles. I would say I’ve seen the differences in the roles best illustrated through my work experience within a hospital as I saw the doctors on the ward had the final say in any treatments and most things they did had to be approved by a doctor at some point, so the independence in work is something that I feel would benefit from and enjoy as a doctor. After considering all these factors I was lead back to medicine and it reaffirmed my passion for the science and how much good they can do for the patients.
Why do you want to be a doctor?
Medicine is a deeply satisfying career- realised by adopting caring role the satisfaction of helping others and how improving their lives improved my own self-confidence/worth
Challenges + stress- I believe by staying open and making connections with other people in my situation and people outside of medicine I can handle it and the challenges presented can be enjoyable
Intellectual- amount of knowledge available is endless, encourages lifelong learning and growth which I aspire to.
I have also got a deep scientific passion and my interest in medicine has been deepened by reading books such as ‘The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat’, attending lectures on topics like the treatment of depression and reading articles on things like the progression and diagnosis of motor neuron diseases. These all fascinated me and inspired me to research further and learn more in the field.
Reviews- encourage reflection and constant personal + professional growth
My skills are suited to the career, by developing communication, empathy etc. I have equipped myself to become a doctor that can treat any patient at the highest standard of care possible.
Finally by speaking to doctors and hearing about the passion they have for the job being maintained throughout long careers and how the job never grows old I confirmed to myself that medicine is really the right path for me.
Why are you suited to a career in medicine?
I am extremely compassionate and have a passion for helping people in need which I developed through my time volunteering in a care home, which is a skill at the very core of healthcare. Through this I am confident that I can always put the needs of the patient at the centre of their care and be a doctor that they can trust and are comfortable confiding in.
I’m also confident in my teamwork and leadership capabilities which I have built through playing hockey and as a principal cellist in an orchestra. Through building relationships with my colleagues I have become somebody who can facilitate discussion and use problem solving to reach compromises to keep everybody happy. This is vital in medicine as working within a MDT you need to be able to promote discussion and work together to do what is best for the patient.
Finally through working in a vaccination centre I have developed a sense of resilience and gained realistic insight into medicine as a career. As it is a patient facing job I often bare the brunt of people’s healthcare complaints however I have learned to empathise and reflect on any criticisms to see how I could use them to better myself in the future. I have also had the opportunity to speak to many nurses, doctors and medical students who I have worked with and they have given me perspective on some of the issues btu also how incredible medicine is as a career.
What excites you most about a career in medicine?
A career in medicine excites me because of both the ability to care for and make a positive impact on people’s lives as well as the vast scientific knowledge available. I am fascinated by medical research and through reading articles on things like Vagus nerve implants and the diagnosis and progression of motor neurone diseases, I have taken a keen interest in this type of literature which really makes me excited about studying medicine. On the caring side, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help support those in need and be granted the satisfaction of knowing I made a difference in their lives, which is a truly unique and extraordinary feeling.
What are the challenges you expect to face as a doctor?
Medicine can be extremely emotionally taxing and it can be difficult to deal with the pressure on you as a clinician, however I believe by staying open and admitting when you are struggling and need help, the challenges can be overcome and the payoff is even greater as a result. It can be a very stressful job at times as you are responsible for keeping people alive and that can be a great burden, however there is mental health support available for healthcare workers within the NHS and by setting aside time away from work for your passions, friends and family you can manage the stress and fully enjoy the profession
What do you think makes a good doctor?
I think at the heart of being a good doctor is compassion and empathy and from them always having the patient’s best interests at the centre of their care. However to do this effectively you must also have a good basis of knowledge as well as clinical skills which you develop not only at medical school but throughout your career. I would say a good doctor also must have excellent communication and teamwork skills and to be able to work under pressure and still maintain healthy discussion. This is vital to working in an MDT as you have to be able to facilitate discussion to provide the best care possible for the patient. Doctors must also be trustworthy as patients must feel comfortable sharing sensitive information with them, so they must treat all patients with respect and dignity. Finally I would say doctors must be resilient as there is many challenges within medicine and it can be very stressful and emotionally demanding, but despite this you must be able to work through the adversity and be able to get back up to continue to provide for the patients.
Empathy and compassion- care home
Teamwork and communication- hockey/orchestra
Maintaining trust- working in a vaccination centre in a caring role
Clinical skills and learning- research articles etc.
How have you demonstrated your commitment to medicine?
By volunteering in a care home for over a year I have shown my passion for care and commitment to helping others and trying to improve their lives which is a concept at the core of the NHS values as it shows both compassion and improving lives. Beyond that I have also worked in a local vaccination centre to gain a realistic insight into medicine and have had the opportunity to talk to many doctors, medical students and other allied healthcare professionals who have shared some of the challenges of medicine but also the great satisfaction that comes with working in the healthcare sector. I have also read medical books such as ‘the man who mistook his wife for a hat’ and research articles on things like Vagus nerve implants to further my own knowledge of the sector and also develop independent learning skills which are vital to succeeding in a career in medicine.
What will you do if you are unsuccessfully in receiving any offers to study medicine this year?
Take a gap year and reapply next year.
In that year I want to:
Increase volunteering- apply for places at local hospitals to get more patient contact
Apply for a job at SCGP- understand healthcare at a deeper level and again get more patient contact which would help my communication and professional development
Read more research and get a greater understanding of what is going on in healthcare
These would make me a stronger applicant for when I reapply
If there was no places in the world to study medicine, what would you do instead?
My first instinct would be to go into nursing due to their many similarities and both having patient care at the centre of the profession which is something that I really value and also the overlap in clinical knowledge between the fields as there is some overlap between nursing and medical courses. However in the case which I also could not study nursing I would consider a career in computer science, which may seem unrelated to medicine but shares many of the things I love about medicine, such as the fact its a constantly advancing career, with the primary focus being in improving people’s lives but instead of directly helping people’s healthcare it is about improving people’s quality of life through developing solutions for problems with technology. There are also opportunities to work within the healthcare sector with things like robotic surgery and AI which allow me to still pursue my passion for healthcare even though its in a different manner.
Tell me about a time your motivation to study medicine has been challenged.
When I was on a work experience placement at a GPs practice I got to watch some minor surgery (an ingrown toenail being removed) and while I was watching the procedure, my vision whited out and I would’ve fainted if the nurse hadn’t noticed I was going very pale. I had suffered with fainting in the past because of my low blood pressure, however never before in a healthcare context. It really scared me and made me think I wouldn’t be able to cope with a medical degree with dissections and stuff if I couldn’t even manage that. However by exposing myself to more procedures I gradually got better at coping with watching them until I later did hospital work experience and got to watch a trauma surgeon carry out an Open Reduction and Internal Fixation which was a much more bloody operation with no issues and that really pleased me and the whole experience really just reaffirmed my passion for medicine as I felt I could overcome the adversities.
Tell me about an interesting case you saw.
When I was on a work experience placement in a GP I was very fortunate in being able to attend a consultation with a girl who suffered from a very rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and she spoke about some of the impacts it had on her life, like how she had to drop out of school due to her chronic fatigue and the effect that had on her mental health. She spoke about the frustration she felt for so long not knowing what was wrong with her because no doctor was confident in a diagnosis until she got to see a rheumatologist. The most interesting part about the condition to me is how despite being a disease of connective tissue it affects the whole body from digestive problems to cardiac complications. Despite the challenges of living with such a rare and debilitating condition the girl still fought to maintain her mental health and tried to keep a positive outlook which I found really admirable and meant I had a really great time speaking to her and learning about her condition.
How has your work experience changed your perspective on medicine?
Tell me about a time you saw conflict on work experience.
When I was on a placement in a GP practice there was a disagreement between partners after an incident with a woman who had an IUD inserted as emergency contraception but then still got pregnant and wanted to keep the child so had to have the coil removed. The partner who had seen the patient confirmed she had done a pregnancy test on the day she installed the IUD and it was negative and she followed their standard procedure so argued that it needed to be updated to ensure nothing like that ever happened again because of the potential risks to the baby or mother, however another one of the partners argued that the system had been in place for nearly 20 years and this was the first ever case of it happening so this was just an anomalous case. In the end through having a discussion facilitated by the other staff and discussing the options they agreed that the system was still valid but they would just have to be more thorough in checking for pregnancy before inserting it and try to encourage patients to be honest about when they had unprotected sex to avoid any issues like this recurring.
Was there anyone who inspired you particularly on work experience?
In my time in a hospital I came across many great doctors but the one who inspired me most was an anaesthetist. Beyond having excellent clinical knowledge in skills, I found his ability to put people at ease very admirable, as this is a key trait for any doctor but particularly as an anaesthetist as it is vital that patients are relaxed before surgery. He managed to do this by having very open body language and a very calm and soft tone of voice as well as excellent communication skills with both colleagues and patients as he explained every step to the patient and ensured there was no surprises for them when they were going under. He was also very diligent with patient safety and stayed alert monitoring their vitals throughout the procedure. In this way you can see he fills in all the GMC traits for good medical practice. Beyond this, he was also a very humble and enjoyable person to be around which made him very easy to work with and that is something I also aspire to.
