Questions on motivation and interest in medical issues Flashcards
Why do you want to study medicine ?
Medicine is a career that i have had in mind for quite a long time and one which i have learnt to appreciate even more over recent years with the COVID pandemic and my work experience
Ive always been interested in the sciences and have always managed to retain information that I’ve needed, which is one thing i think that a doctor needs to have - the ability to retain information and an inquisitive mind.
I think medicine will allow me to continually develop intellectually throughout my life, whilst also allowing me to put this information into practice, and will enable me to be in an environment that constantly challenges me and keeps me on my toes.
As well as this, ive always enjoyed close contact with people and the feeling that we can make differences to people and potentially add years to their lives is one that i believe is going to be continuously fulfilling. Other professions may allow for short term fulfilment and pleasure but i think medicine does so throughout the entirety of the career, whilst also giving this same feeling to patients by aiding them. This feeling was reinforced in me during my work experience and continuous volunteering at my local hospital.
Furthermore, another reason i would like to join the profession is that there are always constant teaching and learning opportunities. During my placement at WPH, shadowing a respiratory consultant, i picked up on the fact that doctors also have the role of teaching medical students and FY1/FY2 doctors around them all the time. Ive been an academic tutor since i was 13 years old and is something that i really enjoy, i enjoy passing on knowledge and helping people who were once like me in developing as people and academically. Being a doctor allows me to continue this on and consistently aid people, whether it be in the hospital or not.
Overall, i believe medicine encompasses all of the core aspects i look for in a career and is one that i believe i am most suited towards
Why not nursing or another healthcare profession ?
- Doctors have ultimate responsibility over the patient and they are the drivers in the decision making process
- They also receive a general training which ensures that they are informed on other areas beyond their specialty and can aid a wide variety of patients, which a neuroscientist won’t be able to do
- Both nurses and doctors are able to undertake research activities but doctors are more likely to have a key role in these and take a lead in the practical execution of projects, which is something i would like to do in the future as a doctor
- Praise the role of nurses and speak about the synergy of all healthcare professionals that allows for the constant care of a patient, without nurses doctors can’t function and without doctors nurses can’t function - they are linked
What steps have you taken to find out whether medicine is the career for you ?
attended numerous online work experiences that allowed me to have an insight into the different specialities and areas encompassed within medicine as a degree
hearing experiences from current doctors - who ive networked with through tuition - and medical students who have given their own insight into the degree
my work experience - spending a week with my consultant aunt in a respiratory ward gave me the insight on what it is like to work in a clinical environment, the roles involved in being a doctor and what the general week is like. reinforced me wanting to do medicine as it is something that i really enjoyed and can see myself doing in the future
every wednesday going to volunteering at WPH, what it showed me what i did there every week and why it led to me wanting to do medicine for sure
What have you read or experienced to prepare for entry into medicine ?
Read BMJ and New scientist - numerous articles
a level subjects - speak about bio chem and econ
work experience at WPH
volunteering at WPH
Tell us about your work experience
shadowed numerous health professionals at both a high and low level in the hospital, showed me how the ranking system in the hospital works and how they do different jobs and have different tasks - SHOs, consultants, FY2s etc
allowed me to grasp a larger insight into the working week of a doctor, what their roles are etc
went on ward rounds and conversed with patients and learnt about their stories - allowed me to have a deeper and more intimate connection with the patients which is a quality that doctors require - they need to be patient and caring
Watched surgery - EBUS - showed the synergy between the numerous healthcare professionals in the OR, showed that everyone needs to work together to come to a certain diagnosis and conclusion
respiratory clinic for TB, speak about that guy who had TB and brain tumour and talk about his vulnerabilities and the language barrier, if i want to i can start speaking about the language barrier and how it made it difficult so communication is something else that is really important to make sure that the doctor has the full picture
MDT - through this i gained an insight into how doctors and other healthcare professionals pull all of their expertise together for the good of the patients by coming up with a follow up plan after seeing them, holistic care, and i found this very enriching
What would you do if you were unsuccessful at getting into medicine this year ?
of course it will be off putting for me and my motivation for getting into medical school but its likely to be a short thing that won’t affect me for long
i would get intouch with the uni and probably the interviewers to pick up on where i went wrong, what i could’ve done better and any other general pieces of advice that will aid me in gaining entry - would then act on this
Organise a gap year, during that time make sure i do more healthcare work experience, shadow my aunty continue my volunteering. will also make sure i carry on my side hustles - tuition and reselling - to ensure that i have a stable income that i can rely on at a later stage or invest/start up a business
Go travelling, destress and make sure im ready to do it again. e.g. go to south asia/ america and arrange a trip there to not only enjoy and see parts of the world i haven’t been but also to learn about the healthcare systems in these extremes and possibly get involved in some charity work
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time ?
Given i get into medicine this year, preferably at your uni after 6 years i will have finished my degree, hope to have a steady income during these 6 years via tutoring reselling etc and have a nice view of which pathway i would like to take
regardless of the pathway i will be in training and would like to be the best i could possibly be in that specialty, whilst also regularly recalling and practising general medicine which will allow me to stay on top of my knowledge
will like to be involved in some sort of research as that is something that i really enjoy, i really enjoy learning new things about new conditions or established conditions that can be researched into further
i would like to say that me and my brothers are very good cricketers and its something ive been doing my whole life so i would like to continue training and playing cricket at a high level, and if given the opportunity to play for a county.
more mature
more confident
more outgoing
If you had the choice between being a GP, surgeon or a clinician what would you be ?
There are both positives and drawbacks to all of them
during my work experience i shadowed a respiratory consultant, was able to witness a procedure and through networking, know and speak to many GPs
i must say that i enjoyed my surgical placement the most, i was particularly motivated by the competence with which the surgeon treated the patients and the synergy shown between team members in the OR, like pieces in a clock, everything has to be perfect and working well for a successful operation
Having spoken to many GPs, both locum and on an NHS contract, ive learnt that there are ups and downs to this career path. being a GP allows for a steady 9-5 job which is something that people want rather than a spontaneous and sporadic schedule, especially if they have a family. but something i do strongly believe is that GPs will be the first healthcare professionals whose roles will become obsolete due to the fact that developments in AI and technology are continuously increasing and there will be more self diagnoses
Having said this, i do recognise that i am neither a health professional or can see into the future so i would like to keep my mind open and i have plenty of time to learn about all these professions. Allowing me to make a more informed decision once i have graduated and during my foundation years
What would you like to achieve in your medical career ?
There are many things that i would like to achieve in my career and am looking forward for the challenges that i am likely to face along the way.
From a clinical standpoint, i would like to build strong medical knowledge surrounding the area of medicine i would like to specialise in. With this knowledge, i would like to be heavily involved in research projects. what they may be i do not know as of yet due to the fact i don’t have the medical knowledge or guidance to make a decision but i would want the research to be in a topic that i enjoy and can relate to too
Furthermore i have always liked teaching others and have had many opportunities to tutor students and have done so for the better side of 5 years now. This is an interest that i would like to develop further throughout my career and i would like to think that i can play a large role in training future doctors who will pass on this knowledge in one way or another
What are the pros and cons of being a doctor ?
pros
- Opportunity to use your skills to treat patients and to make a difference
- Rewarding knowing that you are having a good effect on the lives of others
- Can get involved in research activities and can always improve your skills
- Developing new knowledge constantly
Cons
- Work load
- Stressful
- Dealing with uncertainty
- May become emotionally involved, can’t let that happen as it can cloud judgement and have an effect on patient care
How does medicine compare now to 100 years ago ?
- More scientific knowledge now, can make more diagnoses and are aware of more symptoms for certain illnesses
- Patient centred care now rather than ‘doctors know best’, we now use a more holistic approach
- Frameworks are better, 100 years ago NHS didn’t exist and care was not as structured as it is now
- Doctor has a wider role now, gets involved in teaching, more management etc
- resources are better and due to more research being done and trials being run in a safe controlled environment, success rate of surgical procedures has also increased - With a poor understanding of anesthesia and none of the delicate tools available today, operations were forceful and traumatic 100 years ago
What do doctors do apart from treating patients ?
Doctors spend time reflecting on their clinical practice.
They are now more involved in teaching and sharing knowledge with others
Management roles, organising theatre lists, quality improvement activities
They are constantly learning, speak about pupho having to go to germany to do a course
What is holistic medicine ?
You are treating the patient as a whole
physical, mental, social and economic issues with a patient are also looked at and they are assessed in this way, gives you an insight into the persons life and possible causes for xyz
not just the primary care, but also follow up care, devising plans to make sure that they improve and recover
How important is IT in medicine ?
very important
- allows research to be undertaken
- Analyse data
- Teach students - anatomy apps, cell simulations
- Appointments and self diagnoses can be made online
- Store patient data - EPIC
- Computer modelling
however, IT isnt always safe and there needs to be secure measures present to ensure that patient data is not lost or revealed, as this would break confidentiality and can have a large effect on the person as well as the trust itself
When you are a doctor, would you like to get involved in teaching ?
Teaching is an activity that i know i will enjoy, i have been teaching for a very long time - 11+ tutoring for 5 years now
What i enjoy about it is the fact that you are able to add to someone else’s knowledge through your own work and that there is always space for you to improve yourself whilst you are doing it, you learn from yourself and can always make ur teaching ways better
