When aspiring medical practitioners get too engrossed into their medical textbooks and scientific concepts, they tend to forget that one of the most important qualities that every doctor must have is people skills. What does this mean? Being a doctor, you are not only expected to diagnose patients, perform operations or administer medication. The medical profession expects you not just to heal but to be well-rounded. To bring out the best in your job performance, you are expected to assume teaching and counseling responsibilities. Interpersonal skills or people skills are a must in the medical profession.
Better doctor-patient relationship
If you were a patient, how would you like your doctor to treat you? Most patients rely on their doctors to treat their medical problems. A patient would lean on them so doctors need to cultivate a patient-doctor relationship based on trust. This relations will ease the tension and allow the doctors to perform their duties more effectively. In general, patients prefer friendly and approachable doctors. Treatment is easier when a patient can explain his/her situation or forward questions to the doctor. To get a full picture of your patient’s concerns and feelings, you will need to be approachable and amicable enough to be entrusted with true feelings.
Healthier working environment
Just as keeping the doctor-patient relations is important, maintaining good working relationships with the other staff members of the hospital is necessary too. Bear in mind that medical practice and profession works best as a team – nurses administer IV fluids, hematologists perform blood tests, and radiologists operate X-ray machines. In general, only two kinds of doctors exist: the doctors we love and the doctors we love to hate. “Doctors we love to hate” designate most of their work and blame their mistakes to other people. On the other hand, “doctors we love” respect co-workers through polite requests and giving compliments for each job well done. Treat your colleagues as your equals because no matter what you do, the M.D. after your surname cannot aid you to accomplish work; you need your colleagues and team members to do your job better.
The real definition of a successful bypass operation or perfect surgical stitch suture is not sufficient to save a patient’s life. It actually starts after the conduct of critical medical procedure. Having established a reputable doctor-patient relationship can make you easily convince your patient to commit to a healthy lifestyle, and understand that the fastest way to recovery is your patient’s willingness to heal.
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It is a common thought that all medical graduates pursue medical practice. This however is not true to all graduate of medical school; some end up joining the corporate world. This does not mean though that you have put to waste what you have learned during your four challenging years in medical school. Medical education can still be maximized in a non-hospital setting. You can opt to pursue other alternative careers after graduating from medical school. Listed below are some tips you can check out on getting an alternative career after medical school.
Genetic counseling
Genetic counseling is a health profession that entails providing medical information and emotional support to families having histories of genetic disorders. Some medical students naturally excel and put more interest in genetics as a subject. If you do enjoy this subject, you will probably want to consider developing a career in genetic counseling. Being a genetic counselor, you perform a mix of doctor duties and social work: you gather information on a family’s hereditary background and analyze genetic patterns to assist them in understanding the risks of genetic disorders and their implications to birth defects.
Important courses: genetics, psychology, biology, and public health
Medical examiner
Test your interest: which do you enjoy watching – House or CSI? If you chose CSI then maximize your interest and medical education wisely by becoming a medical examiner. As a medical examiner, your job is similar to every typical activity in your gross anatomy class: to cut up cadavers. The difference is that you get paid lots of money and you are required to determine what caused the person’s death. You get highly paid because your role is very essential in forensic science; it becomes the main focus of the investigation.
Important courses: biochemistry, physiology, pathology and anatomy
When people are still kids, they dream of become great someday; a good number of kids dream of becoming doctors. This dream is founded on their ambition to do service and save peoples’ lives. Working in the hospital however is not the only way to render service. You can still apply the lessons gained in medical school to counsel people and give expert advice to different organizations and companies. This way you can still serve the people but not in the traditional medical practice.
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The TV drama Grey’s Anatomy is one of the popular television shows in the US today, which focuses on surgery. Viewers who have a limited background in the medical profession will probably get confused when they watch the show because of the differing titles of the doctors. Why are Meredith and her friends called “residents,” while George remains an “intern”? Why does everyone call Dr. Webber “chief”? For the sake of the confused non-medical viewers, here is a glossary of common hospital staff terms.
Medical interns
Medicals interns are first-year residents who have recently graduated from medical school. Because they are still medical interns, they still have to gain hands-on medical experience; so they are allowed to scrub in for some minor surgical procedures.
Medical residents
Medical residents are the medical students who manage to pass their medical boards and intern exams. Further, medical residents are legally recognized doctors who practice medicine with the supervision of attending physicians. In addition to practicing medicine, medical residents also teach and supervise duties of medical interns.
Attending physicians
Attending physicians are doctors who have finished training for their medical specializations. They are the “doctors in charge” in their respective sub-departments. Attending physicians are fully responsible for the medical care of their patients as well as the clinical performance of their medical residents. Equally, attending physicians teach interns and train residents in teaching hospitals. These are done for the purpose of becoming better medical practitioners.
Chief attending
In every institution a boss is needed. In a hospital setting, the chief attending is the big boss. The chief attending is an attending physician who takes care of the overall organization of the whole hospital department. In the case of Seattle Grace Hospital surgical department, that role is given to Dr. Richard Webber.
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Are you still undecided on what medical specialization to pursue? If so, it is wise to start checking your options now. To be able to select a medical specialization that fits your interest and enhances your skill, planning and assessing are necessary just like preparing your personal statement medical school. One basic thing is to check out how tight the competition is. You can find below a list of some of the most competitive medical specializations. Read on to help you decide the best choice.
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery may appear easy but this medical specialization is actually one of the toughest fields in medical practice. Neurosurgery involves the treatment of the nervous system which is the person’s control unit. The risks are high in this field as a slight mistake may damage one part of the brain and can totally affect the whole body. A small mistake in neurosurgical operations can lead to coma, paralysis, brain damage, psychosis, or even death. Despite the many risks, medical practitioners take up neurosurgery as medical specialization.
Dermatology
Obsession to physical beauty makes dermatology as a medical specialization that is highly competitive. Even ordinary people endeavor to get the most pleasing physical beauty. More so in the movie industry where skin care services are highly in demand. Thus, despite dermatological services being expensive, dermatology remains very popular because people from the middle- to high-income level basically want to look attractive and physically beautiful. This medical practice however, is not limited to wart removal or skin whitening services. It includes the treatment of skin diseases like impetigo, acne, dermatitis, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, melanoma and eczema. Because of it being one of the most sought-after medical specializations today and the huge potential earnings, medical students go for it.
Even if the competition in neurosurgery and dermatology is tight, it is not a reason for leaving it out in your list. If you believe you are brave enough to insert an electrode into people’s brains or to remove tissue from people’s eyelids, then you are worth becoming a specialist. Remember that you will ultimately decide on your medical career and not others; if you have stated you will do anything to go through the challenges in medical school, then it’s time to prove it to yourself.
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Aside from the pressure and stress of medical school and residency, doctors confront another rigid challenge in their medical career – to select medical specializations. Listed below are some of the most popular medical specializations:
* Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is one of the most popular medical specializations. Medical students need to understand however that it is the specialization that it is also one of the most difficult to excel in. This is because it involves enhancement of physical assets and reconstruction of physical deformities, which are complex medical procedures. Plastic surgery is a highly techical field and is always coupled with a lot of risks that can include paralysis and death.
In spite of the complexity and risks involved, the popularity of this medical specialization stems from the undeniable obsession of people to enhance their physical beauty. So, plastic surgeons will never run out of patients.
* Pediatrics
Pediatricians, aside from diagnosing signs and symptoms as well as checking possible infections, provide medical care to maintain the total health of children in all aspects. Treating children is not that simple especially if your patients cannot really say what and where it hurts. By the pediatrician’s experience, the pediatrician makes his or her diagnosis.
Aside from enjoying the treatment of children as patients, the popularity of this medical specialization is due to the fact that parents will definitely pay any amount for their children’s safety and health.
* Obstetrics and gynecology
This medical specialization is perhaps the most popular medical specialization among female doctors, but it is also open to male doctors. This medical specialization remains close to every female doctor’s heart due to its focus on parts of the anatomy that are found only in women. It deals with ensuring medical care for the reproductive health of pregnant including non-pregnant patients.
The basic fact that women get pregnant and babies are born every day assures the proliferation of medical practitioners on obstetrics and gynecology.
In the end, do not make the mistake of choosing a specialization because of its popularity or even based on the amount of salary involved. Choose a medical specialization that matches your skills, personality, and interests. If you’re not a “people person” and your dexterity is topnotch, you may want to be a surgeon.
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The learning process doesn’t stop with your graduation from medical school. As new breeds of disease evolve and technology advances, the learning process needs to continue. Thus, doctors, especially the newly graduates, need to learn more about professional medical practice. To respond to this situation, various medical experts began to set up teaching hospitals. The teaching hospitals are medical institutions that provide medical care to patients and also clinical training to interns. Read on to get an idea on best teaching hospitals in the USA that you could consider.
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Johns Hopkins Hospital gave birth to the development of popular medical specialties such as pediatrics, neurosurgery, endocrinology as well as urology. Significant discoveries and several medical breakthroughs have been made in Johns Hopkins Hospital. These include the identification of the three polio virus types, the discovery of restriction enzymes, and the operation of the first blue baby. Johns Hopkins Hospital strives to preserve and continue its legacy in the field of medicine and health care. It invests further in the proper training and education of its medical practitioners. Do you need proof its success? For eighteen years, John Hopkins Hospital was consecutively recognized as the best medical institution and teaching hospital in the USA.
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Aside from getting recognition for its overall medical services and programs, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center joins Johns Hopkins Hospital in the list of top medical institutions and best teaching hospitals in the USA. Its teaching hospital gained praises for outstanding medical specialties, low mortality data, great medical practitioners and advanced medical technology. Want to know the secret to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center’s success? Its success is due to provision of effective clinical education and training program for its interns as well as other medical residents.
Massachusetts General Hospital
The Massachusetts General Hospital, aside from being the oldest medical institutions in the USA, is also one of the best teaching hospitals. It has the biggest annual budget for hospital-based research program with US$400 million. The Massachusetts General Hospital medical staff are dedicated to finding new ways to improve medical clinical practice and develop medical innovation, through affiliation with Harvard Medical School.
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The student-teacher ratio contributes to the effectivity of transferring knowledge by the teacher to the students. This refers to the number of teachers compared to the number of students in a specific academic institution. The ideal student-teacher ratio is between 10:1 and 15:1 to attain such a goal. Below are some examples of medical schools with low student-teacher ratios.
Washington University School of Medicine
The Washington University School of Medicine as a medical school maintains a low student-teacher ratio. This is done by admitting only a limited number of students to the St. Louis, Missouri medical school. With this system the school can preserve the quality of education to its medical students and keeping a higher standard for its graduates. By limiting its annual enrollees, the Washington University School of Medicine is capable of providing equal opportunities to each medical student.
Harvard Medical School
The Harvard Medical School employs over 10,000 faculty members to educate its medical students. With this much number of teachers, Harvard Medical School has one of the lowest student-teacher ratios in the country. Hard Medical School is a well-known medical school and would like to keep its rapport in preserving the school’s academic excellence. Each medical student is assured of the opportunity to become great medical practitioners with the faculty providing sufficient guidance and quality education. According to many experts, aside from having a low student-teacher ratio, the Harvard Medical School is also the number one medical school in the country at present.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Believing in ensuring the quality of education to its students, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine along with Washington University and Harvard University maintains a low student-teacher ratio. Derived from the name Johns Hopkins medical school, the “Hopkins Model” of teaching evolved. This model is a combination of basic science education and intensive clinical mentoring.
Top medical schools have low student-teacher ratios
Annually, medical schools are ranked and those with low student-teacher ratios also do well in overall top rankings. Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Washington University School of Medicine all managed to get the top 5 spots in the 2008 list. A major reason for this excellence is that the teachers are more comfortable teaching in a small setting and a small crowd. It is easier to learn in a setting where you can share your ideas and be listened to than when you share a classroom in a lecture hall that can have room for almost a hundred people.
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After four years from medical school, where to work is another significant decision to make. To join private hospitals or government hospitals is your decision and not any other person. There would be various factors that you need to consider, such as the facilities, the equipment, or salary. So after graduating you will have to think well and decide. Now is the time to to ask, “Where will I work – a private hospital or a government hospital?
Government vs. private hospitals
Government hospitals provide services to the public, thus they are also known as public hospitals. These are medical institutions owned by the government thus gettings its funds from the government. To pay the maintenance of medical facilities, services of medical practitioners and supply of medical equipment, government hospitals rely on the national government’s budget. Private hospitals on the other hand are medical institutions funded by private owners, hospital fees, and medical insurers.
Medical facilities and equipment
Government hospitals have very limited funds thus being the reason why medical equipment and facilities lag behind compared to private hospitals. Private hospitals can afford to upgrade medical equipment and improve their facilities so often due to medical service fees paid by the patients. If you prefer to work for hospitals having updated equipment and modern facilities, the private hospital is the place for you. Sufficient funds available also ensure you of the abundance of supplies, clean rooms, and efficient facilities.
Salaries and debts
Fund availability is ensured in private hospitals as compared to government hospitals. This runs through in terms of salary, for private hospitals give higher salaries than government hospitals. When you work in government hospitals, stress is coupled with lower compensation for the services rendered. The stress is brought about by the fact that patients flock to public hospitals due to lower hospital fees and medical rates than private hospitals. With the higher demand in this case, you will have no choice but to render medical service at the expense of your vacation, time for family or other personal activities.
On a practical side, however, to work in government hospitals is a good means to immediately pay off your debt when you availed of government scholarships for financial support during your medical school days. Even if the salary does not pay much, it helps pay off your student loan in terms of public service. In doing this, you can enjoy doing two things at a time – doing public service and paying off your debt. Who knows you have paid half your student loan while your classmates are figuring out or just starting to pay their extended student loan payment terms.
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Having finally received your school diploma means looking back on what factors have helped you through college. One major factor that comes out in these assessments is student loans, a major reason why you were able to make it through medical school. Paying off school loans dose not require you to be a big time doctor, what you need is to list down how to manage paying off your student loans.
* Compute how much your student loan is
The best way to manage your student loan is having an organized list. If you have not kept track of the list, collate all student loan notices and if still it is not complete, visit your school’s financial office and request for computation. This can be the most reliable source to determine how much your student loan is, make sure however that the total of your debt is exclusive of other financial obligations.
* Get in touch with your lender
After knowing how much and who your lender is, make an arrangement to meet with them. This gesture will aid in building a good reputation for you when you start practicing your medical practice. This will show your willingness to stand up toyour financial obligation and show gratitude to the people who have financially supported your medical education. Most often these meetings are arranged to seek payment extension and interest rate reduction. Explain what your current financial status is and make efforts for both of you to meet to an agreed arrangement. The most important thing is that both of you come to a mutual understanding.
* Consolidate your loans
To consolidate loans is a means to save money further by combining all your existing debts into a single loan and paying it through a single payment term and interest rate. If your loan is not consolidated, you will face the complex payments scheme of multiple loans where you get to pay different loans to different lenders with different payment terms and rates of interest. For new college graduates, this is very practical to be able to instantaneously pay of your debts while saving on interest.
* Learn the value of saving your money
Now that you have consolidated your loans, it is much needed that you learn to value your savings. Savings will be used to pay off your debt thus you must be very disciplined. Unnecessary spending should be avoided but not to forget buying food, bills and transportation. Others may think that paradise comes right after graduating college. Well no, it is the time to be thrifty and arrogance. There will come a time when you have finally paid off your debts that you can buy your designer shoes, concert tickets or even buying your own car. After paying up you will finally know the feeling of financial freedom – being able to do whatever you want with your savings.
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There comes a time when one needs to reflect and re-assess. What happens if after graduating medical school you suddenly realize you are not willing to spend more sleepless nights and sacrifice your only time to rest for emergency calls? Your parents or family will not definitely like that at all having spent much of their savings on your tuition. But you might probably regret it for the rest of your life if you have not considered any alternative career. Find a more convenient career where at the same time your medical knowledge will not become a waste. Below are some alternative careers for graduates of medical school:
Pursue teaching career as a science professor
There are various options available for you in the teaching profession. You can join the medical school and teach gross anatomy, or molecular genetics in college and even general biology in high school. This would be one opportunity for you to solve your greatest learning challenge when once you could not understand the theory of natural selection by Charles Darwin and other scientific principles. Becoming a thesis adviser can be fun, because you can learn further from your students as they learn from you. To add more excitement, you can also serve as a consultant online in various web-based classes. All you need is to pick your area of interest and head on for it!
Pursue medical journalism
Medical journalism entails writing medical case articles or scientific documents from studies of other scientists or medical practitioners. These cases or documents featured in medical journals are sometimes written by medical professionals. If your interest follows writing and medicine, try pursuing a career on medical journalism. Writing medical journals requires familiarity to various medical jargons and terms that is an advantage for writers coming from the medical field. For this requirement, your previous setting in medical studies will be a plus factor that enables you to easily decipher various scientific theories and concepts. These skills are necessary for you to write cases in layman’s terms as medical journals are equally important to ordinary people as well as medical practitioners.
Pursue a biomedical scientist vocation
Being a medical scientist is equally an important vocation in the medical field as it involves the development of treatment methods as well as investigation of medical conditions. This is necessary part for a patient’s treatment process. Without biochemical research and experimentation, drugs and other medical facilities necessary to improve the practice of medicine may not be discovered. Medical research may include studies on the fields of reproduction, growth, health, reproduction, new diseases, and overall development of organisms.
What matters in medical practice is that the vocation you pursue contributes to the development of the medical field. In whichever way it is done, you still have fulfilled your dream of helping people through medical service, only it is done in a different manner but leads to the same purpose.
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