1:09 #1 Your undergraduate major is irrelevant 4:04 #2 The highest ranked schools and residences don't necessarily provide the best clinical training 5:11 #3 A bright, self-motivated person can succeed and thrive in any school or training program, but pedigree still matters for competitive specialties and academic positions. 5:53 #4 The value of an excellent mentor cannot be overstated (an no, your official pre-med advisor does not count) 7:59 #5 A strong commitment to 2-3 unique activities will be more valued and more personally rewarding than superficial involvement in a dozen conventional ones 10:15 #6 It's completely fine to do something between college and medical school, but make that time count. 11:12 #7 Primary care is exhausting, undervalued, and under-compensated, but desperately needed. 13:05 #8 A typical doctor spends only a fraction fo the day with patients 15:16 #9 Becoming a doctor is not a good way to become rich. 17:18 #10 Medical school should not be your career default pathway, irrespective of whether or not you see yourself doing anything else.
@john mainprize, I'm sorry RU-vid isn't letting me respond directly to your comment... for a high school student, many of my tips are obvious stuff: get good grades, and try to get yourself into a university with a strong reputation (though this is not critical, it is definitely helpful!). Just as important as getting good grades however, is developing strong study skills and work ethic. I went to an extremely easy high school, and although my grades were great, I didn't need to work hard to achieve them. Although, as a high school student, that may sound great right now - it was terrible in the long run. My first semester in college went very poorly, and if my school didn't have mandatory pass-fail classes for freshmen, I might have otherwise tanked my chances to get into med school. So even if you're cruising through school at this point, take the time (while you have it) to learn how to study (i..e. effective studying doesn't involve highlighting textbooks...) One last suggestion would be to shadow at least 2 physicians - 1 in an outpatient clinic, and 1 in the hospital. It's important to have some idea as early as possible what a doctor's day to day job is currently like; for many, it no longer comes close to what is shown in TV and film.
Hello Doc. I am a new viewer and I am also presently pursuing a diploma in electronic/electrical engineering with my end game being and degree in biomedical engineering. My initial focus before entering the engineering field was medicine due to my genuine love of helping people and seeing that smile after helping someone as well as my meticulous interest in understanding the mechanics and working of thing; i.e. the human body. Also within resent times I have rekindled an interest in the medical field via anaesthesiology, but alas I am in engineering. I noticed that in your first tip you mentioned that you would of preferred a different undergraduate course given what you now know such as engineering. I was wondering why that is and if I may still be able to pursue an actual medical course in anaesthesiology or given my young age; 19 years; I may still be able to pursue it later on?
+Dwyght Yorke I wish I had studied physics or engineering because I find those fields more interesting than biology, and because they encourage the development of more rigorous problem solving skills (apologies to the biologists of the world...). Regarding your own path, at 19, you're young enough to do pretty much anything. You could get a biomed engineering PhD, work for a few years, decide it wasn't satisfying, and still have time to pursue medicine.
Hey, the reason you can't enter the comment directly is that you have do it from your back office. Go to your Creator Studio, click on Community, and then you will be able to do it.
I'm a 39 year old family medicine board certified osteopathic physician. I want to say that 99.99% of what this vlogger said is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! I had a very different experience than he on my path to becoming a physician, but though I've never met this doctor, I have discovered ALL the same truths that he shares here, independently. I do have 2 caveats to add. I personally would NEVER go into primary care again, nor would I advise anyone to do so - unless you have a very unique situation, like you are going to be a missionary your whole career or you have a parent who's going to hand over their fully established booming practice to you after your residency. Primary Care faces so much competition from PAs and NPs who can be hired to do ALMOST the same outpatient job that pcps do at a fraction of the cost, but they don't suffer nearly the time or financial investment that physicians do. Medical school, for me, was insanely challenging. Residency is grueling and incredibly frustrating. it's just not worth going through all that rigor -to me - to end up spending the lot of your time charting on a computer and a big portion of your patient care time arguing with people who have common colds about why they don't need antibiotics for a viral illness or drug seekers about why you won't refill their 10mg Norco again or why 4mg of xanax a day isn't healthy for them in the long run. I'll mention my other caveat in a separate comment later today.
Thank you for being so honest. I think many people sugarcoat the process of becoming a doctor. Becoming a doctor is definitely not easy... and the amount of time and effort that is spent to become one doesn't always yield money. Honestly, that's my biggest concern. I want to have time for my family later in life but I also want to be in the healthcare field. Doctor seems so perfect when I'm working in the hospital but there's the struggle that I don't see under a white coat. I seriously respect doctors even when they are completely rude and "break" some rules to save lives. I always thought we should have a day dedicated to our physicians.
lol i know no one who sugar coats the process of becoming a doctor- in fact I got so turned off by stories that I wasn't premed for two years. :) However, I have heard positive stories too where there is a recognition of the rigors and dedication but also a lot of passion. I think that is key!
I'm still thinking about becoming a doctor. I cannot think of another career I would like and have had only medical careers in mind. I have researched the pros and cons of being a doctor and simply cannot decide. I am willing to give my all to become a doctor but I don't want it to break me. Personally I am a nerd but giving up all of my social skills is another thing (big exaggeration but you get the point) All I hear is that people rarely have time for family, friends, and fun because they must always be ready to go back to work. Can someone please explain whether this claim is true or not?
taka shindow getting into medical school isn't hard, it's maintaining your sanity working ridiculous hours in the hospital for the rest of your life.... that is the hard part
I had an interview with a surgeon a couple months back, and he basically confirmed your suspicions for me. We all share this feeling when aspiring to become a doctor. I don’t want to let go of all my hobbies and friends but sacrifices must be made when the time comes. I bet it’s hard, but I also bet that it’s rewarding to save lives.
This video was very informative and unbelievably helpful as I continue figuring out my goals for the future. Currently a rising junior in college, my dream career is to be an orthopedic surgeon (though I'm also considering general surgery). I can't see myself doing anything else besides becoming a doctor because of passion for biology, human anatomy and all/most of my other required courses as a Public Health Science and General Biology major, microbiology, genetics, etc. As of lately I've questioned how badly I want this career. I understand the many personal rewards that accompanies it, but I'm afraid it's too demanding for my other life goals, such as traveling, having a family at a considerable age or simply having a social life. None of that seems very plausible with the demands that come along with being a doctor. My issue is, I don't know if any other career can satisfy/stimulate me the way medicine would, which is why I'm contemplating sticking with it anyway. I know I could handle whatever is thrown at me...but would it be worth it? Eric, if you could please elaborate a bit more on your 10th point..your true thoughts on my situation would be greatly appreciated considering you've already given me so much insight in just a short 19 minute video.
+Catherine Grela I am in the same situation. I am also a junior in college, want to be a surgeon, but also want a family. I just wanted to let you know that I totally understand your stress and I hope you get the answers you need! Best wishes!
I am currently majoring in health information management for my undergraduate degree. I plan on getting my doctorate degree in public health within the concentration of epidemiology and bio statistics, but I feel like it is not enough, and I am taking the easy way out. I am afraid of the debt and misconceptions of being a doctor, I do not know to cope with always being compared to others. In the state of Florida, particularly the university that I am attending, you can only change your major about three times. I was recently a pre-pharmacy student, my first semester after high school, I was taking seven class with seventeen credit hours. Coming out of high school, I did not know how to really study for exams. I did not do well my first semester so I decided to leave the program because I felt as if I could not live up to the expectations of the pharmacy, which is the most prestigious program at the university and is known all over the country. If I was in the pharmacy program as of today I would be taking eight classes with eighteen credit hours. I am deal with a lot of self-esteem issues, not just in my personal life, but most of all in my college life. In the past and even now, I would always dream of becoming a doctor, especially to help cure cancer in bodies of adolescence. But, I am not sure if I can live up to the expectations and longevity, of specializing in hematology/oncology.
Catherine Grela I dont know shit I mainly worked 13 years in private security industry, I'm mexican, and want to become a rural physician. I'm currently a medical assistant and a phlebotomist now. best of luck to you achieving to become a orthopedist surgeon, I hope I can achieve my Rural physician goal
This video was extremely helpful. I will be a freshman in college this year and I have had so many worries about whether I should change from business to bio as my major. Knowing that I still have the option to attend Medical School regardless of my undergraduate degree places a great amount of ease on my stress. I love the fact that you mentioned we should take classes in whatever interests us just in case we don't get into medical. Although it is a pessimistic thought to believe I won't be accepted, it is very calming to just accept the reality for what it is. Thanks so much for making this video :)
First, id like to give you my thanks. So many people are oblivious when it comes to medicine including myself before watching this video, I'm a second year med student (not studying in America) so I'm relatively young and I definitely had an incorrect image of what a doctor is (even though 70% of my family members are doctors) I really appreciate the effort you put in for making this video and I deem the information you presented in this video invaluable, please keep making videos to help people like me learn more about the profession, continue giving advice and making a difference, once again thank you.
Couldn't agree more! I stayed with physics got my masters and then got into med school. I feel like as a physicist I can see problems from a different angle and it helps tackle some concepts in medical school.
This was wicked helpful. Thank you so much sir. Can you please make a video on tips to prepare for the financial burden that comes during the collegiate years when choosing med school. If you could include ways to help reduce the stress thats comes with more years in academia that would be great.
Wow, thank you for your wisdom. This video has helped me begin the process of eliminating many fears about becoming about training to become doctor, even when I truly feel called to do so.
hey, I'm just a teenager, and over the past couple days I've been doubting becoming a doctor. Thank you for this video, it made me realize why I want to do this
Thank you for spending your valued time and share this important information. My daughter is going for Biological Sciences this year and wants to become a Neurologist. I am definitely going to share this video with her. She needs to take all these 10 points you mentioned into account before making a final decision.
what you said at the end is why I aspire to become a doctor. To influence others by showing them that there is a way to heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually. To sacrifice myself so that others can live better however hard it is.
I find it very interesting and fascinating in a way the fact that people who majored in the Humanities scored even better in the MCAT than Biology majors. Btw very informative video!
An outstanding orthopaedic trauma surgeon who took care of me a while back ago majored in German. He is now one of the top guys of his group. I'm an English major, and I'm planning on going to med school or PA school. I thought I'd throw these tidbits in the discussion for some more supporting evidence to SM's thesis ;)
I’m merely on the brink of becoming 14 but being a doctor has been one of my dreams for a really long time, and I’m just glad to have some tips to better prepare me for my upcoming future
Amazing video! It is very helpful for people who want to become a doctor. I just graduated from a high school, and I think that it is very necessary to watch, made my life easier in finding things about this field
Thanks for the endorsement, but I think you may be confusing me with someone else! As a hospitalist who has never performed an orthopedic operation in my life, you probably want to look elsewhere for your knee and shoulder surgeries! ;)
Become a doctor is not easy, but you need to put your mindset towards becoming one. Don’t let people down, telling you that you’re not smart enough to become one. Study hard, work hard, and I promise you, the right career path will come to you.
I've done so much research and watched many videos on this field since i am a high school student still unsure of whether i want to peruse a career in medicine; this was by far the most helpful. Thank you :)
Thank you so much for this. Your words at the end sagaciously identified the core of my desires to become a physician, answering the question "why medicine?" that I get from time to time. Thank you!
I have to admit, as I was watching most of the video. I felt doubt again consume my thoughts and questions plague my mind. As a Biology student in the Philippines, there was a lot of surprising things in the video. Some I had an idea of, but ignored because I still wanted to do it the way they told me how. Until tip no. 9, I felt like I had made a mistake in pursuing a premed course. I felt discouraged, but your last tip was my salvation. The allure of academic pursuit dancing with the feeling of saving lives made me smile with excitement. Thank u for the video.
I hope it wasn't too discouraging! And hopefully this is obvious, but the video is most applicable to aspiring doctors in the US. I have absolutely no familiarity with medical schools in the Philippines, so can't comment on the importance there of things such as choice of major, how time is spent during the day, compensation, etc...
I am currently majoring in health information management for my undergraduate degree. I plan on getting my doctorate degree in public health within the concentration of epidemiology and bio statistics, but I feel like it is not enough, and I am taking the easy way out. Most of the doctors that do take their lives, are psychiatrists, if I am not mistaken. I've been inspired to hematology/oncology, due to the passing of six-year old Miyah Telemaque Nelson, who suffered from Burkitt's lymphoma. I am afraid of the debt and misconceptions of being a doctor, I do not know to cope with always being compared to others. In the state of Florida, particularly the university that I am attending, you can only change your major about three times. I was recently a pre-pharmacy student, my first semester after high school, I was taking seven class with seventeen credit hours. Coming out of high school, I did not know how to really study for exams. I did not do well my first semester so I decided to leave the program because I felt as if I could not live up to the expectations of the pharmacy, which is the most prestigious program at the university and is known all over the country. If I was in the pharmacy program as of today I would be taking eight classes with eighteen credit hours. I am deal with a lot of self-esteem issues, not just in my personal life, but most of all in my college life. In the past and even now, I would always dream of becoming a doctor, especially to help cure cancer in bodies of adolescence. But, I am not sure if I can live up to the expectations and longevity, of specializing in hematology/oncology.
extremely helpful. Thank you so much for talking about the monetary facade of becoming rich as a doctor; I roll my eyes every time somebody tells me how rich I will be!! Favoriting this video to re-watch at a later date. I'm a third year biochemistry undergrad at UCR -- studying biochem because I absolutely love it, and it has nothing to do with my decision to become a doctor. This video was very informative... THANK YOU!!
I'm a highschool student, JHS. I'm planning to proceed to medicine after studying nursing. I'm just scared because I'm just an average student. Yes, I do get A's in my grades especially those subjects that are easy. But Science and Math I only get like B. Actually I'm from the Philippines and my grade is like 87.
Ryan Robert Ventolero That's high for me. 😭😭 My grade in first grading is 83 in Math. 😭 And Science whis is really important is 84 only. I should do better these grading.
Science classes aren't my favorite. I'm a psych major but I'm starting to consider med school. I know that if I place the amount of discipline and work in, i should be able to get better grades in sciences courses required to get into med school. do you think science has to be one of your best of favorite courses to enter med school?
That thing about the major in college being irrelevant - it made me at ease. I'm a graduating student of BS Food Science and Technology, everytime somebody will know about my plan in medicine - they always ended up saying stuffs like I don't have the chance. Though I really want to be a doctor, I want to be a neurosurgeon.
Eric -- Another excellent and insightful video in your series. I would add that I think with the albeit slow, but inevitable changes that need to be made to our healthcare system, there is a real need for physician-innovators. For motivated individuals, there is significant opportunity to create value in the system and in doing so, achieve outsized financial reward. This is certainly not the norm of what a physician is, but I would want those considering this career path to know that healthcare is the largest sector of the economy and there is true need for physician leadership to implement the technology and processes that will allow for a more sustainable and accessible healthcare system.
Azim Munivar Thanks for the comment, and I totally agree. This is partly why schools no longer consider a background in biological science (beyond the minimal premed requirements) to be essential among their students - many of these innovations require a different type of background (e.g. engineering, coding, mathematics, etc...), and a different approach to problem-solving.
Eric's Medical Lectures I have a degree in Information Technology and I am currently pursuing a MA in Theology. I hope to later apply for med school in my country.
Wow!! Best video I have listened to in a while. Thanks for keeping it real. You pretty much gave a very useful insight. Do have information about DO programs too and how difficulty it is for a person to specialize been a DO.
+Jennifer dam Taylor I am not familiar enough with the experience of DOs to offer much advice about that path. I'd recommend checking out the channel of StudentDoctorThompson which (if I recall correctly) has some videos talking about DO school and subsequent experience in residency.
Hey Eric, wonderful video. Everything you said was very insightful and the last part of this video really meant a lot to me. Thank you for the inspiration. -Nick
One of my classmates was an engineer, another a mathematician and yet another was a music major. They all did very well. I had one of the highest MCAT scores in the country and didn't think the test emphasized any particular major area of concentrated study. Highly reputable schools usually have excellent faculties who are proud of their association with the schools. Talk with graduates of the schools you're considering. What did they think of the quality of instruction when they had to apply what they had learned in internship and residency? How did they feel they compared with graduates of other schools? I agree that choosing to practice in any area of primary care, especially in a non-hospital setting, may expose one to a variety of difficulties otherwise not so frequently encountered. I wouldn't do it. As to the list of compensation data, mine was 3-4x the indicated figure and I still treated many patients free of charge. It's true that most dermatologists I know are happy. Two are actually board certified internists, too. Another is a lawyer (Yale). Medical school can be one of the really great experiences in life. I really loved it.
@@RobinLundqvist More difficult. If you were a lazy high school student (like me), entering med school would be hell. Gaining study knowledge whilst in your undergrad is a great idea.
Thank you Dr Strong ! Definitely a good advise for anyone considering medical career. I think American Doctor can afford Ralph Lauren but not sure about the others. :) I know even one success to become faculty member in a prestigious like Stanford or so , yes life is not great all the time either. Everyone who want to be a doctor should listen to this video and the advise is just correct everyone of them. Thank you Dr Eric Strong.
Why is it so hard to change the system of primary care? I don't understand how there are so many doctors that complain about this but nothing is changing...
Thanks for taking the time, I'm really trying to figure out if i want to go back to school. Right now i've been a dietary aid for 7 years in the hospital but want a career i can be dependant on and unfortunately i am still part time after this long.
wow #3 hurt! I completed the 90% of my college level sciences at a University, but completed an associates degree in Medical Lab at a community college. The end goal for me is a MD in Pathology.
I am an undergraduate Pre-Med major and I am in desperate need of a mentor. I haven't been able to shut up about becoming a doctor since I was 6 years old. I am 23 now and the fire in my heart is still burning hot. How much free time does a fully establised General Practitioner have in a week?
Excellent advice and a great way to try to put old heads on young shoulders. Would old heads think that Medicine might have a few things to learn from our forebears and re evaluate the modern departmentalized way of treating ailments.
Will being a Bud driver for the City of Los Angeles look good for a medical school interview? I believe that shows I work with the public face to face and test my ability to resolve issues by all walks of life.
Thank you so much for this video. I just want to ask that should I really want Medicine to be a Doctor? Like can I be a doctor without like passion? How will I lnow if I really like it? Do I need to love it so much that I can't think of any work besides it? Can't I be a doctor if I'm thinking about something else? Please answer me. Thank you.
I want to go to med school, but I also want to major in engineering. I enjoy studying and learning physics and the applications of it through math. However, the learning is the only compelling part, and I don't want to be an engineer. I want to be a doctor, a practitioner, who isn't simply working for a company and is hands on with patients. My mind is set so, but I'm worried I will not maintain a good gpa in undergrad and suffer through the pre requisite classes.
Hey Eric, what are your thoughts on becoming a PA as opposed to an MD? From the research I've done it seems that it's less schooling and you practically do the same patient care wise as an MD. You also have more freedom to change specialties. What do you think?
ghazwan573 That's a tough question. Yes, becoming a PA requires substantially less training, and you definitely have more flexibility in changing field of practice. However, there's a lot of differences between the job description for a PA vs. MD/DO. What can PAs do? See patients on their own, prescribe meds in all 50 states, assist with surgeries, perform minor procedures unsupervised, counsel patients, hold family meetings, etc... Now that sounds a lot like being a doctor, right? So what can't PAs do? Well, in the most general sense, a PA needs to be supervised, on some level, by a physician; the degree differs greatly depending upon the context (PA on a surgical service at a large academic center vs. a PA working in a small, rural primary care clinic). But a PA can't just rent office space, put his/her name on the door, and start seeing patients. To some people, that's not a big deal, but for others it is. In addition, PAs can't serve as the primary surgeon on any major OR cases. They certainly can scrub in, and assist with surgeries, but it's never them calling the shots in the OR. Again, not a big deal to some people. PAs can't work as independent hospitalists, though some do work closely with a hospitalist, performing similar type of care. Rightly or wrongly, when hospitals and large, multispecialty clinics look for clinicians to occupy important administrative roles, they turn to doctors and nurses, not PAs. If you think you might be interested in research once you're a practicing clinician, neither labs (for basic science) nor multicenter trials looking for a site PI (for clinical research) usually show much interest in PAs. So far, all of those disadvantages of being a PA may not apply to a lot of people. However, all those years of training to become an MD/DO (7 to become an internist, 9 for a general surgeon) are actually important in learning skills and factual information that can't be condensed into 2 years of PA school. That's not to say that PAs can't be amazing clinicians - they absolutely can be. But it will be more difficult to get yourself to the same level of clinical acumen going with the PA route as compared to the MD/DO route. Broadly speaking, the decision as to whether to pursue becoming an MD vs. PA, or vs. DO or vs. NP is a personal choice. There is no "right" answer that applies to everyone, and there is no "best" degree for taking care of patients. It's a matter of what type of role you see yourself performing; what type of medicine you'd like to practice; whether you're interested in hospital administration, medical education, or research; whether you need to feel like you are fully "in charge" of the care you are providing; and how much time you can and want to devote to training. For some people, MD is the obvious choice. For others, PA is the obvious one. (If any PAs come across this, please feel free to chime in!)
Eric's Medical Lectures I am a PA and, well, you covered all the bases Eric. At the end of the day, it depends on what your priorities in life are. A PA will function much like a resident; you will see patients on your own, diagnose on your own, discuss your patient cases with your attending and your team, and formulate treatment plans accordingly. You can help your supervising physician conduct research, occasionally present that research at conferences, and get your name on research articles. You can assist in surgery; how involved you will be will depend on your skill level. The main difference is the level of expertise. Medical school teaches pathophysiology more in-depth than in PA school, which is important for making treatment decisions with more complex diagnoses. Physicians also have the added benefit of 3+ years of residency, which makes a huge difference in ability to practice independently. So if you want to become a top expert and are willing to sacrifice more time, become a doctor. If time is more valuable to you and becoming the top expert less so, PA may be the better route. Either way, you will be well-trained, well-respected, well-compensated, and....most importantly....you get to take care of people in need.
You were talking about what interns do as if that were the same as what full doctors do. I have a feeling most full doctors use residents, assistants, medical coders, nurses, etc. for a lot of the paperwork stuff.
You are right that interns certainly do more "'paperwork" (including charting) than residents, who do more paperwork than attendings (i.e. full doctors) do, but I still do quite a bit. During times that I am "on service" (i.e. weeks when I have clinical duties), my breakdown of time is probably something like: 1/5 at the bedside, 2/5 on the EHR reviewing charts and writing notes, 1/5 responding to emails and attending mandatory meetings, and 1/5 on student/resident education. (That's an approximation - some activities get doubled up, such as teaching students while at the bedside examining patients). Documentation requirements are only less for attendings if they are at an academic center, where they can co-sign resident notes. But most full doctors don't work with residents. Scribes certainly help, but no nurse is going to be doing a doctor's paperwork, except maybe an NP in a specialty clinic. Bottom line, there are few docs who spend >50% of their day face-to-face with patients other than extreme concierge docs (www.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/business/economy/high-end-medical-care.html?_r=0), and of course surgeons/anesthesiologists (but their patients are out).
The Sooner You Learn That Nobody Ever Tells You Anything - Especially The Most Important Things - The Luckier You Will Be! .............THANK GOD FOR BOOKS! GET IN THEM!
+joy fassler just work hard, trust me one day you will be doctor. although being a doctor just to help others isnt a strong argument, you can help other in many different ways, but you have to be interested in the human body as well. good luck
I Wanted To Be A Doctor Not Because They Say That It Is One Of The Jobs That Pay You Well, I Wanted To Become A Doctor So I Can Help People, Cure People, Provide People From Injuries, Diseases And Such Things A Doctor Can Help (And Of Course, Because Of The Money Aswell)
Wow! I am so glad I watched this! Thank you. I will be a senior in high school next fall and I was thinking about becoming a doctor (going between nurse and doctor right now) and was going to major in pre med after applying and getting accepted into a college. I like the science aspect and treating disease, but I also like to spend more time with patients. Can you really do that as a doctor? Also, are there any recommendations for specialties I should shadow a doctor in?
Alexia Rowan It all depends on your specialty and type of practice. As a hospitalist (i.e. an internal medicine doctor who specializes in the care of hospitalized patients) at a major academic center, I have enormous flexibility in how I divide up the day. In other words, I can see patients in any order I think is appropriate. I can spend 5 minutes with those who are comatose and long-term patients (i.e. little changes day to day), and spend 2 hours with those who are critically ill, or who have significant psychosocial issues to attend to. But certainly not everyone can do that. As the video suggested, I know plenty of primary care docs who are getting burned out by enlarging patient panels, and shortening duration of patient visits. Concierge medicine provides a great option for doctors wanting to practice more individualized, personal medicine, but some docs have a philosophical aversion to the concept of concierge medicine. (Though contrary to popular belief, concierge docs make about the same as their Medicare-accepting colleagues - i.e. they're not doing concierge medicine because it pays better.) For whatever kind of medicine you want to practice, there is probably an opportunity out there for you. But some kinds require a bit more searching. And worst case scenario, if you're not able to find a practice that fits your idea of what a doctor should be doing, you can always create one yourself! (See my former attending, ZDoggMD's, amazing TED talk video about his creation of TurnTable Health: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QLqrjLBV95o.html) On the whole, do nurses spend more time at the bedside of patients than do doctors? Yes. But they have plenty of paperwork and computer time too. If you are trying to decide between working towards becoming a doctor vs. becoming a nurse, and if you have the time, I would probably try to shadow a doctor and a nurse in both a clinic setting, and a hospital one. It will take a little effort to arrange, but I think you'll find the experience super helpful when making your decision. Regarding what specialties to shadow, I would recommend primary care, family medicine, or pediatrics for an outpatient experience; and either an adult hospitalist or pediatric hospitalist for an inpatient experience. I think those options will give you the best broad view of what being a doctor is like. Unfortunately, for surgical specialties, you may find it difficult to identify a combination of a surgeon and hospital that are ok with a high school student shadowing in the OR.
Hi, I've just started college after being in the army for 3 years. At first I wanted to go to school for nursing, then my aspiration changed for a higher goal. I'm now pre-med, though I haven't decided my major yet since I'm doing two years at a community college then plan to transfer, My high school like yours, was fairly easy and not at all challenging, though I slacked my first two years my last two I worked very hard. I'm one who believes in the growth mindset, so I feel if I study and work hard enough I will do well academically. My questions are 1.) How hard is it to get into medical school even if your GPA is 3.5-4.0. 2.) Will I Struggle more because im just now deciding I want to become a doctor and didn't try hard in the beginning of high school.
+jessica jones Sorry to take a few weeks to reply - it's been getting incrementally harder to keep up with comments... 1. You'll hear different opinions about this, but no one really knows much more about the application process than what happens at their own school (and that's only if they are involved in the admissions process somehow). My impression about this question is that GPA and MCATs are primarily responsible for making sure your application doesn't automatically end up in the rejection pile without further consideration. Med schools can't read through every LOR, essay, list of ECs, etc... for every applicant - so whether or not they publicly admit it, all of them use some arbitrary cutoff of GPA and MCAT to decide which applications they actually look at. A GPA above 3.5 would generally be sufficient for that, depending upon how competitive your college is, and how competitive the med school is. (For example, a 3.5 from a random, small liberal arts school with no national name recognition might not be enough when applying to Harvard or Stanford to make that first cut). But while a great GPA and a good MCAT score may be necessary for consideration, obviously it's not sufficient - there's still LORs, ECs, and additional life experiences (e.g. serving in the military). People also have different opinions about this as well, but in my opinion, spending the first 2 years at a community college will put you at a slight disadvantage with applications, so I would work as hard academically as you can now, in order to transfer into the best possible college. Having said all of that, I don't think getting into medical school is the nearly impossible task that many premeds, premed advisers, and test prep companies make it out to be. The question you should ask yourself is "Do I want to become a doctor who takes care of patients?" or "Do I want to go to Harvard to become a world-famous medical researcher?" It's very common for premeds to conflate the two when discussing difficulties getting into med school. The latter is obviously super hard, but the former, not so much. If your goal is to take care of patients in a "non-competitive" field (e.g. primary care, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry), and you are completely fine with considering DO schools, or middle/bottom tier allopathic schools, then getting in is not that hard - relatively speaking. More often than not, when your fellow premeds are stressing over getting in, it's because they are only considering top tier programs. Just keep in mind that if you are an excellent, but not phenomenal student, there are other options for becoming a doctor. For example, when I applied, I didn't even consider DO schools, because I was given the completely incorrect impression that they are not "real doctors". The only major option that I would be hesitant about is a Caribbean school... 2. The only reason you might struggle now or in the future because of not working hard at the beginning of high school would be due to a possible lack of good study habits. None of the actual factual material you learned in early high school will make much of a different in your college courses or MCAT studying. But not knowing how to study will have an impact. Med schools don't care about high school GPA, so if it wasn't stellar, don't worry about it. If anything, a smart admissions officer might see a positive aspect of someone whose high school GPA was mediocre, and college GPA was great. Hope that helps!
Thank You for your honest and thoughtful advice concerning medical school (and the remaining trail). Specifics aside, how do admissions boards view graduate studies outside of medicine? Being a psychology major, I'd like to earn a Master's in a counseling related field and gain experience as a therapist, eventually applying for medical school in hopes of mastering psychiatric medicine. How would you say this route would, generally, be viewed by medical school admissions committee? Any feedback would be appreciated. Blessings.
LOL I was a bio major and scored a perfect score on the bio/biochem portion of the MCAT. I also found my M1 to be a breeze, because a vast majority of what I was learning was taught to me in my undergrad
i'm surely impresse about what i heard, they have to accept the challange to become a doctor and fight against deseases thus helping mankind to regain health fullfilling out earthling mission.thanks
Hi, your video was really helpful and it motivated me to study harder for my goals! I was wondering if a subtle tattoo could affect someone's career in medicine (for example a tattoo on the back of the neck, or on the inside of the wrist). Thank you in advance!
Hi Eric! Great video with a lot of useful information. I have a question about your 6 months volunteering in Papa New Guiana... did you arrange to volunteer with the hospital directly? Or did you go with some sort of organized program? I'm about to head into (at least) 2 gap years as consequence of no acceptances this latest cycle. I'm extremely interested in spending time abroad, but I am a little lost on how to go about it. Some say the organized programs aren't viewed as highly by ADCOMs as independent volunteering which seems to make the process even more daunting.
Gabe Lathrop There was not an organized program. I went with my wife (girlfriend at the time), and we arranged the experience with the hospital directly. I definitely do NOT recommend going out on your own like we did. Without an ongoing relationship with a university or aid organization, there is no incentive for the hospital to make the experience a positive one for its volunteers. Although our experience in New Guinea overall was a very rich one, our contact at the hospital (who was the equivalent of the chief of staff at an American hospital) couldn't have cared less about us. In addition, when you go on your own, there is no one vetting the personal safety for you at the hospital (e.g. for us, active TB patients were not isolated, gloves were frequently not available, and there were periods of time when there wasn't even clean water for hand washing...). Also, no one is vetting the safety of the community in which you'll be living. And if you run into problems, there is no one to turn to for help other than the embassy and random missionaries who are feeling charitable. (I could tell you more stories here, but I don't want to scare you or other viewers away from what can be an amazing experience.) While we were interviewing for residency, some of our interviewers were surprised we had arranged something independently, but I didn't get the feeling that any of them necessarily viewed it more positively than if we had gone through a program. So in summary: Go through a program, or at the very least, go somewhere that has hosted students before who can vouch that it will be a positive experience.
Hey, Eric great video. Just wondering if you have any tips for a high school kid wanting to pursue a career in medicine. Currently in grade 11, in Canada. Thanks
I love school and the learning process. I also love science but ever since I was little, science is always my worst grades. I’ve taken chemistry and bio in high school and I’m just not good at. It’s hard to understand for me. Should I still pursue a career as a family physician?
Thank you for this video. I, unfortunately, am stuck between a rock & a hard place. Grew up passionate about medicine and wanted to become a ophthalmologist. Half way through high school, chemistry got tough & decided to take the liberal arts path in college-bad idea. Omg. Now I’m 28, been teaching high school English and French for 6 years. Tired of education politics and come home looking at medical videos on RU-vid & researching career change options. Smh I so want to go to medical school, but I just feel too old, &, the doozy- DO NOT HAVE ALL MY PREREQS to even apply into med school. Here I am with a bachelors & masters in a field once fulfilling, but not what I can do for then next 30+ years of my life. Hellllp. I want to knock out my prereqs and just go for it, study for MCAT, and actually live a career I’ve been wanting. Is it too late? Prerequisite suggestions?
Okay... I enjoyed watching this even though... I am a medical student in Italy and I don't know how much I will be able to relate to your system. I am actually contemplating the possibility of applying to USMLE. Any suggestions? Anyway, I agree with you that the conception of doctors brought about by TV shows (that are aired here too, although dubbed) needs to be debunked. I prefer patient-care centered videos, but sometimes a light and different (but still bright) topic fits in well =)
gio basta I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about the process of applying to USMLE from abroad, nor am I very familiar with the process of applying to US residencies from outside the US more generally.
I'm a radiographer graduated from fnu at their age of 18yr old Anda I'm not planning to stop learning continuing education is there most beautiful part maybe pre med or radiologist doctors are there future saving lives is one of them most important things about their world many people become disabled but what if x ray technology was in every home thru there mirror 1 one 1 diagnosis of your health disability would be a thing of them past.
Hello Dr. Eric! I am a high school senior with a big dream of becoming a doctor. I watch these types of videos regularly in order to get a better knowledge about how to fulfill my dream. And honestly speaking this is the first video I've seen that left a humongous impact on me. It helped me a lot. I have a few questions, and I would be so greatful of you if could please take out some of your precious time and answer them for me! So I read in the comments below that if your high school is fairly easy and you are getting really good grades really easily, it actually is not a good thing. I am afraid that is the case with me. My question is: How do I overcome the negative impacts of a fairly easy high school before I start my college? And then two things that baffled me the most from your video were 1-- taking a bio/sci major is not that helpful,especially in the MCAT. (I was going to choose my major as bio for the exact reason that it will help in the med school, yeah i know I'm thinking ahead of myself and its kind of foolish because I might now make it in) But now I really don't know what to pick. How do I lead now? 2-- This might make me sound really selfish, but I will still go ahead and ask because I think you will give me an honest answer. You said doctors do earn a lot of money but they DON'T lead the lives we(normal folks) think they do as we form our minds by looking at TV shows. I know that they are really busy individuals but do they not get vacations or any type of family life with their children? Does that mean doctors in general are not happy/satisfied (i don't know the right word to express myself right now) with their pay, salary, etc? I mean I just don't get it can you please make it clear for all of us out there who might be confused about this? Thank you so much for making this video Doc!! Smit.
Smit, I'm sorry for the delay in response. Unfortunately, we get too many comments to always reply in a timely manner... >How do I overcome the negative impacts of a fairly easy high school before I start my college? I also came from a relatively "easy" high school. To give you some idea of what I mean by "easy", I didn't do 1 minute of homework or 1 minute of studying during my entire senior year, aside from a couple of papers for humanities classes. Assigned homework was so simple that it could be completed in home room and/or between classes, and tests were so simple that one could be assured of getting an A just by paying attention during class itself. Although this was great while in high school, since I had a perfect 4.0 GPA and still had a ton of free time at home, I was left with terrible study habits, or more accurately, no study habits. I honestly had no idea how to actually study; how to memorize, retain, and recall information; or how to effectively manage time. So when I got to MIT, I got crushed my first semester. I think my first exam was in multivariable calculus, and I got something like a 65 on it, which was the first time ever I had gotten something lower than a 90+. It took all 4 years of undergrad to undo all of the terrible habits I had learned in high school, and to figure out how to keep up with my peers. If I could go back, what I would do differently about high school would be to force myself to study, even if it wasn't necessary for my classes. I know that sounds crazy, but it would have been very helpful later on. And you don't necessarily need to study school stuff (if you are already acing your classes), and you don't need to even study premed/medicine stuff (since there will be plenty of time for that later). But you should study something rigorously, including taking self-assessments/tests of some kind. It could be another language (I highly recommend Spanish, if you are living in the US), or computer programming, or music theory - whatever - the topic doesn't matter, but your commitment to doing it rigorously does. Probably best to pick a topic that you really enjoy, irrespective of future relevance, because that will increase the chance that you stick with it. >But now I really don't know what to pick. How do I lead now? If you are in the US and attending a conventional college/university, you will have plenty of time to choose a major. As I state in the video, majoring in bio gives you only a tiny advantage in med school courses, since most of the bio taught in med school (e.g. physiology, immunology, biochem) does not significantly overlap with the focus of undergrad majors (e.g. genetics, molecular bio, cell bio). I'd major in what you find most interesting - it could be anything. Only 2 other considerations to keep in mind: You want a major that you can work into a backup plan, in the event that med school doesn't work out. And you will find that majoring in bio, chemistry, or related fields such as biomed engineering will reduce your undergrad coursework a little bit, due to the increased overlap between major requirements and premed requirements. >I know that they are really busy individuals but do they not get vacations or any type of family life with their children? Does that mean doctors in general are not happy/satisfied (i don't know the right word to express myself right now) with their pay, salary, etc? I mean I just don't get it can you please make it clear for all of us out there who might be confused about this? LOL. Don't worry, doctors get plenty of vacation. My first year as a hospitalist, I worked 7-10 days on and then 7-10 days off, all year long. My wife, also a doc, had the exact same schedule - so we took around 20 short vacations that year. Then, for the next 6-7 years, I had 5 weeks of vacation a year. And now, as I am technically part-time employed, the limiting factor to taking vacations isn't vacation time, but rather my teaching schedule. I literally have 2-3 months of unused vacation days which just roll over from one year to the next. The following applies only to health care within the US: Regarding satisfaction of doctors, I think that is partially addressed by a graph in the video, which shows significant variability between specialties, with some association with salary, but not perfect correlation. At the moment, there is a large amount of dissatisfaction among doctors, which (in my opinion) is largely the consequence of the recent and rapid evolution in how medicine is delivered. 15+ years ago, doctors were kings/queens in the hospital and clinic; they could do what they wanted, make the decisions they thought were best for their patients, didn't have to worry about insurance companies denying claims or administrators getting on their case about long wait times. Now, administrators have much more power, and medicine is very metric-driven, instead of being driven by the doctor-patient relationship. So now, if a doctor decides that they prefer to spend 20 minutes per patient instead of the usual 15, their clinic manager or hospital chief of staff will reprimand them for not generating as much revenue for the institution as their peers. It's really unfortunate. While one can debate whether these changes towards metric-driven care actually leads to better patient outcomes, it is clear that medicine as it is practiced today is not what most doctors expected when they entered medical school. It is this gap between expectations and reality which is the main driving force behind dissatisfaction and doctor burn out. One of the reasons that I've chosen to practice at a VA hospital, is that the VA has largely been immune to many of these changes, though unfortunately, even the VA is starting to move towards a type of medicine that many of us don't enjoy as much. For you and other future doctors of your generation, you will be entering the medical profession already with this expectation that doctors are no longer in charge of the care they are delivering. Since your expectations will be closer to reality, I think it will translate to better satisfaction.
I'm a sophomore in high school and I am looking to become a forensic pathologist. I have done research on the career but was wondering for your input, what can I do now to become more exposed to the field? As well, what routes should I take for college?
