motivations for studying medicine Flashcards
why do you want to study medicine
What drew me is the fact that I was inspired by how the profession requires both strong communication and intellectual skills
Accompanying my brother to many hospital appointments at the RVI, I witnessed the efficiency of many multidisciplinary teams communicating effectively and coming to logical conclusions in order to help one person get back to ideal health. As a person, I enjoy communicating with others and using my intellect to solve problems. Therefore, it is hard not to see the first-hand positive effects of medicine and not be inspired to study it.
Fundamentally, I want to help people
Furthermore, the respect for human life that the doctors and the nurses extend to patients by simply being empathetic and kind is admirable. This is something that I aspire to embody every day, and the idea that I can follow in the footsteps of these healthcare workers, through medicine, motivates me to pursue it as a profession.
- how I embody this summer school
- open evening
Another aspect of medicine that motivates me to study it is the ever-changing nature of the discipline. As someone who enjoys this kind of environment, the idea that I will be constantly learning is exciting to me and I believe that I will be able to approach my practice with the willingness to adapt.
medicine is essentially a perfect career as it involves helping others, communication, problem-solving skills. On top of this, it is ever-changing.
why not nursing/ any other healthcare profession
Nurses play an integral role in the hospital and doctors and nurses are ultimately both working towards the same goal e.g. the general quality of care that the patients receive would drop significantly without them
However, what differentiated nursing and being a doctor for me is the fact that ultimately, it is the doctors who are in charge of the patients and they are the ones making the final decisions
That being said, it is important that doctors still value nurses and acknowledge that their responsibilities are as important as the responsibilities that they have.
(when asked why not any other healthcare profession your answer should start with “indeed why not”
what steps have you taken to find out whether or not medicine is for you
At the beginning of yr 12, I have signed up for the Sutton and trust medicine programme. During the summer, they carried out a week-long virtual work experience programme
The summer school involved us following a patient who had to undergo trauma- surgery due to ( a car accident). I learned about:
- care plans
e. g. used to support the patient to get better and the family - inform them how they can help - how an A&E consultant worked e.g their leadership skills and ability to coordinate teams
This opportunity made me realise the many disciplines within the field of medicine such as an A&E consultant. I found this role the most interesting because
it demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to coordinate teams under pressure. These are all skills that I admire and I am excited to hone when studying medicine.
During this work, experience, we had the privilege to talk to a woman who had previously undergone a traumatic experience that resulted in her needing emergency surgery. Listening to her story made me acknowledge the psychosocial aspects of patients.
Physical trauma can easily lead to mental trauma.
and therefore, I have learned the importance of demonstrating empathy towards patients and having emotional intelligence in order to help the patient during this tough time.
Previous to this, I had already taken an interest in trauma surgery and A& E so I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
what steps did I take to see If the medicine is a career for me / what have I done to prepare me for medicine
talk to Zoe Williams who much like me is a woman of colour from a deprived area
- talked is a lifestyle doctor
who does work with POC in deprived areas
I related to her experiences e.g. single mother.
It was very affirming to listen to her and it assured me that despite my background, I can still pursue a career in medicine
talking to her made me realise that as a woman of colour, it is important that I pursue a career in medicine in order to inspire others much like how she also inspired me
what would you do if you were unsuccessful at getting into medicine
As medicine is definitely the career that I see myself doing, I would first reflect on why I do think I did not get a place. This will allow me to work on any weaknesses that I have and prepare me for reapplying. I would also take everything that I learned from applying this year into consideration in my new application.
During my gap year, I would make sure that I get as much work experience as possible. This year, I volunteered at a charity shop and so in order to gain new skills, I would volunteer at an old people’s home instead. This is so that I can further develop my communication skills and people skills. I would also try and shadow a doctor in real life- seeing as I could not do it this year due to covid.
- fit personal time e.g. I am learning a new language at the moment
where do you see yourself in 10 years
C: From my work experience, I sincerely took an interest in the role of A & E consultant. Therefore, in 10 years time, I do see myself working towards that goal. However, I am aware that whilst studying medicine, my interests may/will shift. That being said, I still see myself pursuing a position of some sort of leadership,
A: I enjoy sharing my knowledge with other people especially in subjects that I am passionate about. Being a doctor also involves teaching medical students, I see myself doing this in 10 years time as well. I believe that this would be a good thing to do as I would be representing women of colour in medicine by assuming this teaching role
P: I am a creative person and I enjoy drawing on my drawing tablet whenever I have free time or if I want to relax. I definitely see myself continuing this passion and selling commissions of my work and potentially making merchandise e.g. pins to sell
If you had to choose between being a GP, surgeon, physician which would you choose
Currently, I would be stuck between choosing a physician and a surgeon
I read the book “The Two Kinds of Decay.” I was able to vicariously learn about the difficulties of receiving a misdiagnosis. The author herself had first been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome when in fact she had been suffering from CIDP. This made me interested in the whole diagnosing aspect of medicine which is what a physician (medic) does.
Being a medic is also:
-specialised which and I like the idea of being knowledgable about a particular area of medicine
- also involves enjoying intellectual challenges
However, medical school is long and I can see my interest changing as I grow as a person.
what do you want to achieve in your medical career
very similar to where do you see yourself in 10 years
From a clinical point of view, I would like to have solid medical knowledge on whatever I plan to specialise in the future. I feel like these will involve diagnosing patients with diseases so perhaps an Epidermoligist or an infectious disease specialist. / an A&E consultant and I am a good leader
what are the pros of being a doctor
- The opportunity to use your skills to treat patients and make a difference
- Dynamic subject which requires constant learning
- rewarding to teach the next generation of doctors
- opportunities to get involved with activities such as research where you can contribute to medical advancements
what are the cons of being a doctor
- can be stressful, particularly if exposed to long hours, changing patterns, difficult patients, or having difficult decisions only you can make
- may become too involved emotionally with patient care
- often dealing with uncertainty
- patients may have unreasonable expectations
- compromise one work-life balance
(when talking about what you are looking forward to the most and least about the medicine you can mention the pros and the cons of studying medicine)
how does medicine now compare with 100 years ago
Knowledge and medical advancement
- 100 years ago, there was less scientific knowledge
- Doctors did fully understand the mechanics and chemistry of the human body; they mainly treat symptoms in the best way they could but they did not have the tools to get a full picture of the origins of a particular condition
SPECIALISATION
-100 years ago, doctors were mostly General Practitioners. There was not enough knowledge to have specialist doctors in many fields
-Nowadays, there are over 60 specialties, some of which are branching out further
NATURE OF THE WORK, ROLE OF THE DOCTOR
- 100 years ago, the emphasis was on treating symptoms. Because doctors has little understanding of diseases, there are little emphasis on prevention
- Nowadays, and particularly since the 1980s, there is much more emphasis on prevention to deal with the more common disease. The arrival of the internet gas also facilitated the dissemination of information and therefore helped raise the level of awareness of the population
what do doctors do apart from treating patients
C As well as treatin patients’ ilnesses, doctors are involved in prevention work such as advice on lifestyle. For example, when talking to Zoe Willimas, she discussed her role as a lifestyle doctor who helps to promote more healthy lifestyles.
A
Doctors are also involved in teaching medical students and other doctors such as junior doctors
P Doctors can also de- stress in their free time by pursuing their hobbies. This is because it is important that doctors keep a good social life and a good work life balance
what is holistic medicine
This means that you are treating the patient as a whole, not only the physical aspect but taking account social, psychological and spiritual issues
the role of IT
-Doctors have easier access to information, making it easier to keep up to date about recent developments
Essentially information can simply be accessed through downloads rather than having to read countless printed journals
This reduces the already heavy workload of doctors
Doctors can use IT to analyse data, e.g. as part of a research or audit project. This produces faster and more accurate results
As a doctor, who would you regard as part of the team
Immediate team
- Other doctors working with senior and junior
- Nurses and healthcare assistants
- other staff such as radiographers, anesthetists
Peripheral team
These are people who you work with but may not be with you all the time:
- GPs
- Porters
- Social workers
- Occupational therapists
And patients who should be involved at all stages in their own care
