Tag: job

Fulfilling dreams: Medical Doctor

Back when we were young, we were often asked: “what do you want to be when you grow up?”. 

People around us had influenced us on what we want to become in the future. Your friends may tell you that he wanted to be a nurse because his mother is a nurse. Some may say that they want to be a pilot because they love seeing the airplanes above them. Others may also say they wanted to become a famous artist because they appreciate art in its bold beauty through paintings and drawings. 

If you dream of becoming a medical doctor someday, you need to know what you have to go through. The steps on how to achieve an “MD.” at the end of your name will not be easy, but I assure you, it will all be worth it. 

Step one: Achieve a bachelor’s degree. 

A bachelor degree must be taken after high school. You must complete the required subjects and prerequisites to become eligible for medical school; these subjects are biology, mathematics, chemistry, and physics. It is a plus if you have worked in a health care related setting, it may be in the form of hospital and clinic volunteers, doctor’s office, or a medical researcher.

Step two: Pass the entrance exam

A student must achieve a specific grade for their UMAT (Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test) or GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test)–depending on if he or she is an undergraduate or a post-graduate. Depending on the medical school you want to be in, your UMAT/GAMSAT grade must be above their standard grade requirement. 

Step three: Medical school

You have to complete all the subjects and the curriculum that is laid out for medicine proper. You must finish at least four years of Medical school, which consists of classroom based lectures, laboratories, and guided hospital experience. All these will evaluate your skills in different aspects: knowledge, interpersonal, discipline, and many more. 

Step four: Internship and residency

A graduate of medical school must complete one year of internship and three to 8 years of residency. The number of years for the residency program depends on the subspecialty chosen by the graduate. The fellowship is not a requirement for all medical subspecialties. 

Step five: Licensure

Passing the physician’s licensure exam will be the gateway for a doctor to practice independently. Unless you are given your license to practice, you are not allowed to do what a licensed physician can.

Choosing a career

Choosing a career should be done early in life, to enable you to start focusing on that particular career. It may be a bit difficult to make the decision, but it is quite important to do so as it increases your chances of landing a job in the field that you desire. There are many factors, which you need to put into consideration for you to choose the right career for yourself. Some of the top considerations to make are highlighted below.

Top factors to consider when choosing a career

Personal interests

man feeling good about his career

The first thing that you have to factor in is your interests and passion. You need to find out what you love doing the most and choose a career that is related to that interest. This will ensure that you have all the motivation and determination to achieve success in the career, without actually feeling too much pressure. However, you have to consider the fact that interests may change over time. This means that if you are choosing a career early in life, you should ensure that you are truly passionate about it to minimize the chances of you losing interest in it in the future. Hobbies and skills will play a major factor as you consider your interests.

Market conditions

Among the main reasons as to why you would even work hard towards your career is to make a living out of it. In simpler words, you should opt for a career that gives you high chances of landing a job once you complete your education or training course. You need to do some research in regards to the market conditions. Based on the current and projected market conditions, determine the availability of opportunities in that career. The more the opportunities there are, the better your chances of success are. However, this does not mean that you should refrain from pursuing careers that are highly competitive or have few opportunities if you are passionate about them.

Finances

dollar sign in blue backgroundYour current financial situation may also play a major role in choosing your career. In most cases, you will require some qualifications even to get an opportunity to pursue the career of your dreams. Getting the qualifications will require you to spend some significant amount of money. For example, you may have to go to school and undertake a particular course for you to qualify for your desired career. You should consider if you have the financial power to go through the entire course for you to pursue your dream career.…