How do I know I'll like Medicine and be a good doctor

Limk88

Hey guys,
I'm seriously considering doing the GAMSAT in 2012 and starting a Graduate Entry Medicine course but I don't know if I will like it (I think I will but I'm about 85% sure), if I'll be good at it etc.. I'm an electronic engineer at the moment and I don't want to just jump into medicine on a whim. I was wondering if I could get your experiences on the grad med course and also about what kind of people you think make good grad med students and then doctors.

The reason I'm considering medicine is that I've always had an interest in anatomy and medicine and really wanted to do med until I'd a terrible experience when I was 15 and I hated hospitals and everything to do with medicine but now that I've grown up, been back into hospitals loads of times I see that I should probably have just gotten over my med phobia and done med in college instead as I'm here at 22 regretting not doing it.

Anyones experience on the grad med course and peoples reasons for choosing it and what kind of person would make a good doctor would be very very helpful

Thank you, Limk88

pollypigwash

It might be no harm to try and get some experience in a hospital. Shadowing a doctor would probably be a good idea, that's what I did and it was a great experience and cemented in my mind that it was what I wanted to do. If you know an intern or something it might be worth asking them can you tag along for a few shifts, just get them to clear it up with their consultant as well. Ideally I'd say you might want to do it outside of term time as they can't cater for non-students during term. Going through the medical schools or at one of the large teaching hospitals usually isn't an option either although that's just my own experience. I did a couple of days in Castlebar over Christmas with a mate and did an on-call shift to see what it's like. It was awesome, although in 4 years time I'm sure I'll think it is anything but. But for you it should be a good eye opener.

Sid_Justice

Limk88 wrote: »

Anyones experience on the grad med course and peoples reasons for choosing it and what kind of person would make a good doctor would be very very helpful

I actually don't think there are any fundamental qualities a person needs to be a 'good doctor'. I'm not a doctor though so maybe I don't know.

I think it's important to be academic. Medical school is very intense, especially graduate entry, and requires an ability to learn, remember and understand a vast volume of varied material.

It requires a lot of discipline and self-direction. People who do well in gradmed courses are driven and mature and know how to organise their time. If you're exceptionally lazy you wouldn't survive med school.

I think it is important to be critical and analytical, to be able to understand patterns and rationales and rate their effectiveness and appropriateness. If you're unable to understand complex topics and relying on rote learning you won't survive medical school.

I think it benefits to be a person who is responsible. Someone who understands that their actions have consequences that failures and mistakes of their own making will be their fault and not others. Modern medicine seems to put more and more emphasis on team work / multli disciplinary teams etc. but fundamentally, each individual needs to be responsible for their own actions. If you can't deal with the pressure of standing by your own decisions / actions you'll probably survive medical school but not thrive after.

Because the role of the doctor is so broad, from surgery to medicine, from General Practice to hospital, from dealing with acute medial emergencies in the ER to performing academic research, I don't think there are many personality traits that are required to find an area to work.

I have no time for the argument you need to be a 'people person', excessively altruistic, have a 'sick granny' or have a profound and excessive ability to be compassionate and empathetic.

Most of the fundamental skills of being a doctor are learned in medschool, most of the skills required to be a doctor are learned on the job but are found in other walks of life. You won't know if you'll be a good doctor until you walk out in the wards.

I think the questions you need to ask are do you have the interest, energy, ability and aptitude to finish med school. No body can tell you if you like the job, and I don't think following someone around a hospital for a few days will help you find out either.

netaddict

Hey Limk88,
A lot of what has been said is true but I'd actually downplay the amount of work involved. Don't get me wrong there is a lot but if you have a couple of brain cells to rub together it should be no problem. I've just qualified myself and was a graduate so know what your going through. If your decision to do it is based purely on a love of anatomy and physiology etc then its not maybe a good choice. These are important things and if they don't come naturally to you then medicine will be a struggle. However if those around you view you as a competent, capable individual with good empathy and situational awareness and you want to work with people on a daily basis then medicine is a good fit.

The previous posters alluded to the variety of careers in medicine and put simply the type of careers can be quite different in your case it might be like comparing an electrical engineer with a chemical engineer. Same type of mindset for different knowledge sets and different application of this knowledge.

I actually recommend against the grad coarses especially for those who haven't done a bio/health science degree. But also (I may get into trouble for this) the courses are not as good quality. Plus you end up paying a lot of money. Think about heading to Scotland, free fees (for eu student) for a five year course, that will also give time to make the adjustments in yourself to become a good doctor. I can't highlight the importance of this as if you do it you will see changes in yourself that are pretty immeasurable and often only come with time and experience/exposure and the extra year often helps with.

netaddict

P.S 1 week shadowing a hospital doctor and 1 week shadowing a GP is the recommended experience required. It will get you the max amount of points on application to uk med schools.

jmn89

OP I think it's great that you're asking these questions now.

Wholeheartedly agree with what the other posters have said including their recommendation for shadowing. I'm soon to start work as an intern having just completed my medical undergrad (so can't really advise re grad med), but I'd hold off shadowing interns until after July (the idea of having a shadow during my first month on the job would rather freak me out!)

The fact that you're sensible enough to ask those questions is reassuring. If only more of the multitude of people jumping to take GAMSAT did the same.

I reckon dedication, common sense and an overriding good will towards your fellow man are the most important qualities.

dissed doc

Limk88 wrote: »

Hey guys,
Anyones experience on the grad med course and peoples reasons for choosing it and what kind of person would make a good doctor would be very very helpful

Thank you, Limk88

Despite the nonsense with aptitude tests and so on, none of them have any usefulness in predicting who will be a "good doctor". They might be useful however in picking people who readily conform to new management structures.

If you feel like you want to do it, then do it. If you are interested, and motivated, you'll be fine. Neither of these traits requires a degree in cuddly-caring or science. What's more significant is staying power in light of massive systemic problems in Ireland.

I also suggest not bothering whatsoever with shadowing an intern, or house officer. Internship and early SHO years in Ireland has absolutely damn all to do with practice of medicine. Make an appointment with a professor of surgery, medicine, a practicing GP, etc.,. Speak to the people who are established. It would not be useful to asess if you like medicine by basing it on shadowing an intern do 95% non-medical work. Not being negative, but most interns only are in it for a year. It's a temporary state of non-training. Speak with at least some SpRs but preferably some consultants in areas that interest you.

spagboll

netaddict wrote: »

P.S 1 week shadowing a hospital doctor and 1 week shadowing a GP is the recommended experience required. It will get you the max amount of points on application to uk med schools.

"A great deal of emphasis is placed on work experience, as we want to ensure that you are making a well-informed choice about your future career, something which a few days shadowing would not provide."

this is from http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/gem/prospective/graduateentrymedicine/application/entry-requirements.aspx

hurdygurdy85

netaddict wrote: »

I've just qualified myself and was a graduate. I actually recommend against the grad coarses especially for those who haven't done a bio/health science degree.

Apart from the lack of science/biology knowledge did people having a science background/non-science background really make a huge difference in your experience? Just recently, in the UCD Med open day the Associate Dean himself said that the two highest GAMSAT scores in the last year of entry into the UCD GEM course were held by candidates with law degrees as their primary qualification. And he went on to say that there doesn't seem to be any distinction marks wise between science grads & non-science grads in the GEM course. That your background makes no difference. You may find that you have covered some of the info having done science but marks-wise it doesnt seem to be making any difference in the GEM courses. If you are going to work hard, you will work hard whether you are a lawyer or a scientist in the GEM course.
That's what he said anyways, was your experience of the reality of the situation completely different?

netaddict wrote: »

But also (I may get into trouble for this) the courses are not as good quality.

Very interested to hear the thinking behind this since you have just gone through the GEM system.

etymon

we just got our final results for first year and science/non-science definitely evened out in semester 2 i.e. when we started subjects nobody had done before. People without science backgrounds are more than capable of doing as good as/better than the rest. Not an issue at all.

cally112

Hi Limk88 I m in the exact same position as you. I m 22 yrs old, just finishin my Masters in GIs soon and I ve always wanted to studyin medicine. I m looking at st George's GEM or nottingham GEM.

I m gonna try the GAMSAT in sept in the UK. Just looking for work experience now! Are you applying to Ireland or the UK?

Limk88

I am going to apply to UL GEM starting in september 2012 I think, I did my undergrad there and I'm from Limerick anyway so it's the handiest, best of luck with the GAMSAT Thanks a million to everyone who replied to my post your input has been a big help and best of luck in your GEM courses

Jammyc

I've heard that its tough to manage to get in shadowing in a hospital. Can anybody say yay or nay? Would the best route be to contact the HR dept of the hospital or..?

netaddict

hurdygurdy85 wrote: »

Apart from the lack of science/biology knowledge did people having a science background/non-science background really make a huge difference in your experience? Just recently, in the UCD Med open day the Associate Dean himself said that the two highest GAMSAT scores in the last year of entry into the UCD GEM course were held by candidates with law degrees as their primary qualification. And he went on to say that there doesn't seem to be any distinction marks wise between science grads & non-science grads in the GEM course. That your background makes no difference. You may find that you have covered some of the info having done science but marks-wise it doesnt seem to be making any difference in the GEM courses. If you are going to work hard, you will work hard whether you are a lawyer or a scientist in the GEM course.
That's what he said anyways, was your experience of the reality of the situation completely different?

Hi Hurdygurdy overall I agree, if your a smart person and work hard you'll always do well. But the honours list (which included six people) for my year had one undergrad, two physio's and three science grads so does seem to help gain an advantage probably because honours is gained by having at least 4 out of 5 years distinctions and 1 st year is usually guaranteed if you were a good science/health grad.

hurdygurdy85 wrote: »

Very interested to hear the thinking behind this since you have just gone through the GEM system.

Similarly again if you work hard and make sure you take advantage of your clinical opportunities it won't matter what type of course your on (GEM vs Undergrad). Had an option of 2 GEM's and 1 undergrad chose the undergrad as well cheap city to live in, no fees and better course, very glad of decision in hindsight found that the extra year helped improve my skills remarkably.

Overall my total costs for the course including living expenses over the five years along with buying a car was approx £64,000 roughly 71,000 euro just putting this up to give folk an idea of the cost of living expenses they will have.