Entering into medical school and becoming a doctor is considered by most people as a life-changing decision. Becoming a doctor entails having a significant portion of your life planned out in line with the path you have taken. The experience of getting a medical school education and of moving forward to become a doctor is filled with trials and hardships. It is in knowing and understanding why you chose that path that you will draw the strength to persevere in med school. Below are five of the worst reasons for wanting to become a doctor.
Financial gain
Money is a very effective motivator. However, in the field of medicine, money is not enough to encourage you to persevere. If money or financial gain is your sole motivator and reason for wanting to become a doctor, it’ll be hard for you to persevere in a career that involves a heavy physical, intellectual, and emotional workload. Those who want to become a doctor for this sole reason should understand that it takes a while before you can get to the point where you’re earning thousands of money and living luxuriously. The road to becoming a doctor is paved with trials that you may not be able to surpass if your focus is on the financial rewards.
Pressure from family and relatives
This is also one of the most common reasons people go into medical school and strive to become a doctor. However, you have to remember that it’s YOU who will be dealing with the daily hardships in medical school and eventually in the medical profession, not your family or relatives. If you want to become a doctor, you must want it for yourself, and not because you want to meet other people’s expectations.
Admiration and respect from others
While it’s true that doctors are widely respected and admired, the most-loved doctors are still those who entered the profession because of their desire to help other people. If your reason for wanting to become a doctor is merely to boost your ego and self-esteem, you will also only be admired and respected because of your position and not because of your ability to reach out to those who need your help. You may be an excellent medical practitioner, but you will lack the heart to relate with your patients on a personal level and gain their trust.
Purely intellectual interest
A lot of samples of personal statement medical schools focus on applicants’ desire to get into medical school because they find the academic discipline intellectually stimulating. Medical knowledge is abundant and seemingly inexhaustible, and this prospect of constantly enhancing one’s intellect lures a lot of students to apply to medical schools. However, being a doctor doesn’t just require neurons. It’s a profession wherein you will sometimes be forced to make decisions using both your brain and heart. And because you deal with people, and not machines, on a daily basis, being a doctor also requires interpersonal skills and being able to effectively communicate with your clients.
Photo Credit : The Consumerist
