The main facets of medicine are (that is, a medical doctor can pursue any of the following) :
1) Family Medicine
2) Medical specialities
3) Surgical specialities
4) Diagnostic / Theurapeutic specialites
5) Non-clinical specialities such as :
- Epidermiology, Public Health, Pathology, Micobiology, Anatomy, Physiology
6) Health Administration
Long medical training broken down as :
1) Basic medical degree - 5 years
2) Housemanship - 1 year (the "worst" year - very sleep deprived, lowest rung on the ladder, ordered around by everyone, even the nurses scold you because you know next to nothing)
3) Medical Officer - 2 years
4) Traineeship in Speciality (Residency Program) :
a) Basic Surgical Training (BST) - 3 years
b) Exam
c) Advanced Surgical Training (AST) - 3 years
d) Exam (Exit)
5) Certification as specialist (Associate Consultant)
6) Consultant
7) Senior Consultant
The true 'Hot Docs' - Doctors without borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres), Recession Hero Doctors
Reasons why you should think twice before choosing medicine as career :
1) Training of doctors is a very long process
2) Work very hard for very long hours
3) Patients can be very demanding
4) Stressful profession - death, injury, blood
5) Stare at human suffering, even death, everyday
6) Exposed to blood, body fluids, germs
7) Breaking bad news to people everyday
Occupational Hazards :
1) Constant exposure to variety of germs that are potentially fatal
2) Risk of needlestick injuries
3) Risk of making medical errors
4) Risk of medical litigation
Qualities required of doctors - empathy, compassion, integrity, good intellect
Don't have too simplistic view of medicine. If you don't have what it takes, it can be very joyless.
Other than the negatives, there are Golden moments in a doctor's life too :-
1) feel very loved by patients
2) they really appreciate what you have done for them
3) you get lots of love gifts - cards, poems, cookies ...
Notes taken by: Tern Seo Ping
