Who Should Be a Doctor?

There are many aspiring doctors in the world, who are very interested in pursuing medical school, but aren't sure if they have what it takes, or if they should really be a doctor at all. I can understand their feelings of confusion and apprehension at taking the plunge into medical school, as I was once in those same shoes. It took me over six years after obtaining my bachelor's degree to decide to finally go to medical school.

Now that I have successfully made my way through four years of med school, and am about to begin my psychiatry residency, I feel like I have a good idea of what it takes to be a doctor. While it's possible that my perspective might change during residency, I think I currently have a good idea what it takes to make it through med school, and I have a good idea who will ultimately end up as a successful and happy physician.

Let me first address who I think would not make a good physician. In my opinion, you should not be a doctor if your motivation is to:

1. Make a lot of money.

2. Be famous.

3. Make your parents happy, and so they'll stop bothering you.

4. Feed your God complex.

Let me now put a positive spin on things. What does it actually take to become a successful doctor?

1. Reasonable intelligence. No, you do not have to be a member of Mensa, but yes, you need to be able to process and understand large quantities of information.

2. Dedication and hard work. These are perhaps the most important characteristics. Medical school and residency are a very long series of hoops. If you aren't dedicated to the path, you will find yourself on the ground, rather than in the air.

3. Compassion. This might seem rather obvious, but it's still very true, and very necessary.

4. That you love what you do. In other words, it's important that you choose medicine for reasons other than the ones listed above. Actually, I believe this rule applies to all fields and career paths.

5. Creativity. Albert Einstein said it best: "I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

I'm sure there are a lot of people who disagree with my ideas and assumptions. So, I'd like to hear your ideas. Who do YOU think should be a doctor?

Baru aja dapet ini dari http://boards.medscape.com/forums?128@452.0lMZajOgr2x@.29fea7b0!comment=1

Wah, jadi merasa malu dan sedikit khawatir karena jujur saja, i still havent own the characteristic of the five points above, yang ada malah poin "make your parents happy". Well, to talk about love and compassion, terkadang aku masih bingung bagaimana caranya menumbuhkan suatu kecintaan pada sesuatu yang mungkin saja waktu itu, membuat kita tidak nyaman, sehingga yang ada malah keterpaksaan. Aku udah sering mencoba melihat sisi positif dan mencari hal-hal menarik di setiap kegiatan yang membuatku merasa muak, kadang berhasil, tapi sering juga malah membuatku tambah muak. Tapi entah kenapa, deep down, aku percaya bahwa kejenuhan hanyalah salah satu tanda bahwa ada suatu pencapaian baru yang harus diraih, yang lebih tinggi, dan lebih baik.

=)