:cool: Hi everyone, .I want to ask about the talents and qualities required to make a good doctor. I also want to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of this job and what you dont like about being a doctor.

I am about to make a career choice and I want to study medicine. I'm 16 year old and two years later my university exams are coming up.

I have very high academic success, scientific talents and i really like helping people.I also have a good talent on learning new languages. The only thing that worries me is that sometimes I think I wont be able to cope with the stress of the environment.Like going around ill people and corpses all the time.But doctors i know tell me that ill get used to it. Can you tell me if id make a good doctor?

One quick last question. You know the winged staff with the snake around it. What is it called and what does it represent.

I think you are referring to the "cadeuce"..it represents the medical community..Good Luck on your endeavor to become a doctor..My son is in his 6th yr of medical school..It's a long, long tough road..One has to be very prepared, committed, concerned, dedicated, and willing to put in long hrs..You have to be sympathetic but firm, love people but not get too close..Only you know if you'll make it to be a doctor..You have to love what you do, before the love of money..Some docs are only in it for the money..It's also a very expensive endeavor..

I agree, there's no way we can tell you if you'd make a good doctor or not, that's really something only you can answer. As far as the stress and grossness (for lack of a better word), as long as you don't become violently ill at the sight of blood, it's really something you do just get used to. Dissecting the cadaver is your first brush with death in med school and for some reason, it doesn't seem like a dead person. It's been preserved and it takes on a different overall appearance. Either that or I just felt like that as a defense mechanism.

Being around sick people all the time also isn't really all that bad. First of all, in many branches of medicine, you spend a lot of time with healthy people trying to help them make good choices to stay healthy and safe. And if you love that part of it, you just choose to specialize that way instead of say, oncology with everyone having cancer. And it's pretty fantastic when you actually truly cure someone! I had a tee shirt from some med school organization with the quote "To cure sometimes, to heal often and to care always" - I always thought that summed it up nicely.

From the wording in your post, I don't think you're in America, so I don't know what the process is with schools for you, but my advice to my patients that ask is, take the right classes in college, see if you still want to do it and then go for it!

I found a website that explains the cauceus:

Many "medical" organisations use a symbol of a short rod entwined by two snakes and topped by a pair of wings, which is actually the caduceus or magic wand of the Greek god Hermes (Roman Mercury), messenger of the gods, inventor of (magical) incantations, conductor of the dead and protector of merchants and thieves.

The link between the caduceus of Hermes (Mercury) and medicine seems to have arisen by the seventh century A.D., when Hermes had come to be linked with alchemy. Alchemists were referred to as the sons of Hermes, as Hermetists or Hermeticists and as "practitioners of the hermetic arts". There are clear occult associations with the caduceus.

The caduceus was the magic staff of Hermes (Mercury), the god of commerce, eloquence, invention, travel and theft, and so was a symbol of heralds and commerce, not medicine. The words caduity & caducous imply temporality, perishableness and senility, while the medical profession espouses renewal, vitality and health.

Just for an FYI, the same site explained a different symbol (I hadn't realized this and found it interesting):

Professional and patient centred organisations (such as the NZMA, in fact most medical Associations around the world including the World Health Organization) use the "correct" and traditional symbol of medicine, the staff of Asclepius with a single serpent encircling a staff, classically a rough-hewn knotty tree limb. Asclepius (an ancient greek physician deified as the god of medicine) is traditionally depicted as a bearded man wearing a robe that leaves his chest uncovered and holding a staff with his sacred single serpent coiled around it, (example right) symbolizing renewal of youth as the serpent casts off its skin. The single serpent staff also appears on a Sumerian vase of c. 2000 B.C. representing the healing god Ningishita, the prototype of the Greek Asklepios. However, there is a more practical origin postulated which makes sense

Hope that helps, good luck

I'm in nursing school right now and I'm seriously thinking about becoming a doctor afterwards. The only thing that I'm worried about is AIDS and having to see a dead child or baby. I have a morbid fascination with death, one of my favorite t.v. shows is "Autopsy" on HBO, and I can handle adults, but I'm not sure about children. I guess it's the innocense and the fact that there never really was a chance that bothers me about deceased babies and children. Other than that, I love caring for and helping people - it actually makes me feel good that I'm doing good by someone else. What's a D.O.? I've noticed that alot of doctors now have the initials DO after their names, instead of MD.

DO is Doctor of Osteopathy. It's a different type of medical school - they do traditional medicine and also more homeopathic stuff (I'm MD, haven't been to DO school and am just reciting what I've been told.) One of my attendings was a DO and he showed us some back manipulation stuff, so I got the feeling there's some of the hands on chiropractic stuff involved too.

It was interesting to see you mention worrying about dead babies. That's actually one of the reasons I chose pediatrics (now doesn't that sound sick?). When I was doing my med school rotations, I remember coming in one morning to discover one of my old patients had died overnight and I thought, 'Well, it's for the best. She was old and sick and it's good she's gone". And then I realized I don't WANT to feel that way if one of my patients dies. I WANT to feel sad that they're gone. It just doesn't seem right to be happy to lose a patient. And, after five years of private practice, I can tell you that at least for general peds, after leaving residency, you just don't see dying children very often. In residency, there's a lot of bad stuff and you just deal with it as it comes (and quite frankly, you're so tired and overworked that you just develop a thick shell around yourself to mentally distance yourself from it all).

HTH

:D Pediatrics is what I want to get into. I just LOVE kids!!!

I worked for Dr's for years & the white-coat has changed in the last 10 yrs to alot of
stress w/ paperwk. I saw great caring MD's become cold/distant to patients & not
even look at them & see their fears. It's long hrs. & demanding. I had a great Int. MD
from Holland that always sat back & looked at me, not paper. He gave 20min. to ea.
& my BP always lowered when he entered. He retired & I've gone thru 12 docs so far.
Rushed, rude, why are U here, U look healthy on paper! I dx my own tumor & alive to
say, we need caring MD's w/ a smiling staff. R U good w/ any type of emergency? Do
U throw a tantrum or see the big picture & act. U can help alot by going into research
@ University programs & still be helping us. 1 nutty patient w/ a law suit can change
how U talk the next day. If U can listen & think out-of-the-box w/ problems that can't
be solved easy, you'll be a great Dr. Where U practice & live is also a factor. Big city
means cattle-run time. Small town means less $ but more family time. You can always
change your specialty too. Go to hospitals & just observe. Watch ER on TV! Opthalmal
ology helps people to see. Many choices. You are so smart to ask at this age.

Thank you all for your references thay have been of great help. I know it is a long path. I dont care about money. I know that many of my patients will end up dying but i will cure some and thats enough. Care Always.. I will

I also would like to ask about the steps of being a doctor. What is an intern, physician? I am not American and English isn't my native language so if you tell me how these thing work, ill be glad..
And also I know the following:
MD Medicinae Doctor
DDS Doctor of Dental Surgery
DMD Doctor of Dental Medicine
MS Medical Student

What else is there? :wave: :wave:

Again thanks a lot

The first step to determining whether this or any other profession is the right one for you is complete honesty with regard to that which motivates you. It is okay to admit to yourself that you like the prestige, the wealth, or lifestyle a particular profession affords you, as long as you are willing to take its risks and liabilities. More importantly, what do you want out of life? Do you want to be involved with your family as they mature into responsible adults or is it more important for you to provide them with the appearance of attending the right private school and dress in the latest fashions? Do you intend to practice for a long time or are you in it for an early retirement? It may help to talk to several life coaches or counselors who are familiar with you to get a sense of where you might succeed. Sometimes, who we think we are or would like to be is quite different that who we actually are. You are at that age where this might be confusing. I applaud you for your ambition and impetus to ask for more information. The task you are considering is huge and surmountable, but it requires you to do some serious soul-searching first.

Every country has its own "rules" about medical schools and licensing. If you are planning to practice in the U.S., the easiest way is to be a U.S. citizen or Resident Alien (otherwise known as the “green card”), which offers you more options when you graduate from medical school. If you plan to stay in your own country (which is???) you might talk to your own physician or someone at a nearby medical university.

In the U.S., you are required to have about three years of college math and sciences and have taken the MCAT before any medical school will even consider your application. There is an interview process where you and the prospective school meet to see if you like each other. Depending on the year, your chances are about 1 in 4 of getting in. The factors include not only grades and research or other experience, but who you are as a person. I've been on those committees and have turned down honor students who are too full of themselves; I want to train the next generation to be focused on their patients, not on the illusions of their own accomplishments.

Once you get into medical school, you are a Medical Student. You must pass all of your courses and Part I and II of the USMLE before most residencies will consider your application. The first year is called the internship, because you have not passed Part III of the USMLE to obtain a full license. You can choose to finish a residency or not, during which time you are referred to as a Resident. If you plan to practice, it will be almost imperative, as most groups and hospitals will require you to be Board Certified or Board Eligible (BC/BE). If you plan to be in a solo practice in a small rural area, no one may care as long as you do your work well. Keep in mind, though, that if you are ever brought into a court room for some action, they will hold you up to the standard of care in that specialty.

There are different types of practitioners in the U.S. For the medical specialties, the MD and the DO are the only fully licensed medical physicians. The Doctor of Osteopathy (DO's) get extra training in manipulative medicine. The DDS are limited to dental medicine and surgery. Oral Maxillofacial surgeons go through both dental and medical training as well as residencies in both, which makes for a really long road.

The United States has very strict rules regarding foreign medical graduates (FMG). They are generally limited to less competitive fields like Family Practice, Internal Medicine, or Psychiatry although a rare (extraordinary) FMG does occasionally end up finishing a surgical specialty. If you finish training in another country and even have a practice for years, you will still have to go through a complete internship and residency before you can get your license to practice here.

There are other limited medical fields, like Physician's Assistants (PA's) or Nurse Practitioners (NP) who work in conjunction with a physician, and often have their own practice. Some of them even do surgery in the operating room, if they work with a surgeon. They have prescribing authority and can write for medications. Their patients have to be seen by a licensed M.D. or D.O. at regular intervals, but otherwise, they are the primary healthcare professional for their own patients. PA's generally go to school for 2-3 years and also complete 1-3 years of training after completing their degree. NP's have to have been in Nursing for at least 3 years and complete a NP program (equivalent to a Master's Degree in Nursing).

- Podiatrists are foot care specialists. They do everything that a Foot and Ankle Surgeon (subspecialty under Orthopaedics) would do such as surgery, prescribing orthotics, prescribe medications and modalities appropriate to their care, except get involved in other bone and joint problems that aren’t directly involved with the foot and ankle.

- D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractics), in which you practice manipulative medicine but are not allowed to prescribe medications.
- There are also other alternative medicine practices, such as N.D. (Naturopathic Doctor) who cannot prescribe controlled substances, but base their practice on natural remedies. Eastern medicine (acupuncture, etc) are also becoming more accepted.

- Psychologists and Social Workers often do the "therapy" one would expect from psychiatrists, except that they do not have prescription authority.

- Allied Health Professionals, such as Physical Therapists (PT's), Occupational Therapists (OT's), Speech Pathologists, are a college degree program.

- Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's) are the guys who drive around in ambulances and are the first line in trauma. They specialize in stabilizing patients in the acute setting, but don't have much to do with them once the patients get to the hospitals.

Quite honestly, you have to define what it is that you really want out of a career in the medical field. Being a physician or surgeon has both tremendous rewards and liabilities. The work is as intellectually stimulating as you make it. Your rewards are still largely based upon how hard you want to work. For the most part, people still consider doctors to be essentially honest, intelligent, and contributing members of society, even if their illusions of how much money we make is grossly overestimated and outdated. However, the schooling and training is long and expensive compared to other professions. Many doctors are in their 30’s and $100,000 or more in debt by the time they finish their training. Autonomy is limited; how you practice is often determined by what insurance your patient has and will allow him to receive. The United States is hugely litigious: it's not whether you will get sued or not, but when. So, the bigger your paycheck, the more you pay out in malpractice insurance. People treat you differently, which is good and bad depending on whether you are at a party or at a car dealership. Your schedule really is not as flexible as you might think, since you have to work a certain number of hours just to keep an office running. The buck stops with you, which is a double-edged sword. You are responsible for making sure that your orders are followed, even if someone else makes the mistake reading it or administering the medication or care.

This is a lot of information, and I hope it helps. As a physician and surgeon, I can’t imagine a more fulfilling way to live my life, although there are times when I wish I could just stay at home and be more involved with my family. Being a physician has made me a better person, and being a parent has made me a better physician. I hope you find a good balance in the life ahead.

God bless you!

tari

:wave: Hi! I am currently a nursing student and I was VERY interested in either becoming a Nurse Practioner or a pediatrician (DO), I haven't decided. All I do know right now is that I want to take care of the sick children and babies. How many years of schooling is required for each? I've heard that a DO doesn't have to do as many years as a regular MD - is that true?

Hi Kimrick,

MD's and DO's both go through a four-year program and then a 3-year residency in peds. My suggestion if you know you want to do peds is to do a NP, because it allows you to focus immediately on that specialty. You'll be practicing in 3 years instead of 7.

Good luck!

tari

What exactly has to be done in order to become an NP?

Hi Kimrick,

MD's and DO's both go through a four-year program and then a 3-year residency in peds. My suggestion if you know you want to do peds is to do a NP, because it allows you to focus immediately on that specialty. You'll be practicing in 3 years instead of 7.

Good luck!

tari

Tari:
Just some clarification about your description of the PT degree. Most PT schools moved to a Master's program (professional degree) a number of years ago. This involves 2 years beyond the undergraduate degree. There is now a push for all schools to switch to a DPT program (still a professional degree). This will involve 3 years post-graduate education. I hope this information is helpful to any prospective physical therapists out there.

The residency in peds is only 3 years where you're from? In Canada, you have to do three years, and then, at the bare minimum, if you want to do general pediatrics, you still have to do one more year...i.e. a minimum of four.

I know a mortician .He always says small children and babies affect him.Adults do not.I was put in a position when i went to my cousins hospital after shed has a still born girl.My cousin was so distraught.She asked if i would take her home.<she was named after me> ELizabeth..I held her rubbed her face as they let the family see her.My cousin didnt have money or insurance,hospital told her one of us could take her home to our preffered funeralhome.So we dressed her in the most beautiful dress.wrapped her in her blanket and drove her 1 and a 1/2 hrs home.I kept waiting for her to open her eyes.She didnt look deceased,just sleeping.Also had been with both grandparents at time of death.I say...When you are borned your eyes slowly open to see your new world.And death is not much different,they close their eyes and go to see their new home.If that makes sense?Like putting a child asleep for a nap.both grandparents died 6 mo apart.with cancer.and i saw nothing but better place than we are.And i still deal at times with all of it.But no longer am i afraid to die.I was so afraid before.Now i just hope i am strong and am ready to go HOME...goodluck....Libby