Why be a doctor

For some, the sheer capabilities of the human body make being a physician remarkable. This is certainly true for Dr. During a conversation at an airport, a pilot told her that he gets to work with the greatest machine that exists on a daily basis.

Doctors often see individuals who are going through something incredibly difficult. Watters says. Odugbesan singles out working the obstetrical floor and being involved in transplant procedures as some particularly notable examples.

Odugbesan says. Certain jobs have become obsolete as technology has advanced through the years. Knowing why you want to be a doctor is really about knowing your strengths and knowing your best and highest use as a human being.

If you don't know your strengths, there is a career counselor, mentor, a brave best friend or self-help book that can start you on your journey. If you get to know your strengths, then the answer becomes clear. For me, my strengths are in synthesizing a lot of information into higher order ideas, turning theory into action, identifying narratives and helping others figure out their own unique stories and solving problems effectively.

At the emotional-social level, I am really dedicated to justice and fairness. My Grade 4 teacher gave everyone little dolls out dressed as the career they might have when they grew up, and my little doll was dressed as a judge.

Did anything like that happen to you? Can you remember a defining experience that could shed more light on your strengths? Know the answer to this question for yourself, do good work and the rest becomes a matter of logistics. If you're having trouble, review our blog to find out how a medical school admissions consulting can help you with your medical school application.

Now let's assume you know the answer to this question. And you have discovered your genuine desire to become a medical doctor instead of choosing from an infinite number of other careers paths. Now it's time to have an answer that's concise, coherent and convincingly. Here's how to do just that:. First you have to communicate the event or events that triggered your curiosity about the field.

You'll have to include a lot of personal details to back up your story and you must remember to avoid cliches such as "because I want to help people" in or to stand out. Anything we didn't cover? Have a question? Weekly draws! My youngest brother was born with a serious birth defect called occipital encephalocele. I vividly recall peppering my mother with questions about what it was and what it meant. She would speak with warmth and gratitude about how his pediatric specialists advocated for him.

He and my family have adjusted time and time again as his special needs have evolved, and the ongoing effect of his condition on his life has informed my appreciation for how physicians can impact their patients and families.

I have a special respect now for the patients to whom I sometimes provide difficult diagnoses, knowing the lifelong impact this can have on them and their families.

I decided to become a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon as I believe that, as surgeons, we have the duty and responsibility to offer the safest and least invasive options to our patients with the goal of improving patient outcomes with shortened recovery times. As an academic physician, I am able to advance the field of medicine through scientific questioning and discovery.

Housner is an assistant professor of sports medicine and family medicine with U-M MedSport. Caring for athletes of all ages is a remarkable experience to be a part of the journey from bedside back to the sideline. It is a privilege that I do not take for granted.

Though it was often hard, I have no doubt that my upbringing formed the foundation of my own work ethic, attention to detail and ability to prioritize and sacrifice to achieve an important goal.

I remember being convinced that I was my own man, making my own decisions based upon my own life experiences. While the ability to integrate caring for those in need, a love of science and need for ongoing intellectual stimulation were durable themes which guided my career choice, it is only in retrospect that I realize how much my father provided the education and opportunities which helped me to choose a career in medicine.

Indirect ways included the passion and enthusiasm that was apparent whenever he spoke about being a physician and a scientist. Direct ways included shadowing him at work and incorporating me into his research laboratory as a preteen and adolescent.

At the same time, I take pride in conducting clinical research that shapes the way doctors care for patients with gastrointestinal disorders. Finally, I greatly enjoy my role as an educator and mentor. I am clearly a much better mentor now than I was early in my career. Given how much time each of us spends at work, it only makes sense to pursue a career that provides happiness and fulfillment.

I feel fortunate that I come home feeling happy and fulfilled many more days than not and live each day with the satisfaction that comes from knowing that I have made a difference in the lives of others. Chey is a professor of internal medicine and director of the GI Physiology Laboratory. He also serves as co-director of the Michigan Bowel Control Program. I really enjoyed obstetrics, and I enjoyed my next rotation in pediatrics even more.

My wife and I had our first baby while I was a chief resident here at U-M — and I decided then that I would become a neonatologist. I felt like neonatology would be the best opportunity for me to help other families in a meaningful way as they became parents.

Weiner is an associate professor of neonatal-perinatal medicine, and the director of the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Training Program. Michigan Medicine. March 30, AM. Be sure to speak about what you have learned about yourself, the assumptions you made that were challenged, and how you adapted to changing circumstances and experiences.

What failures and successes did you have, and how did they affect you? What did you learn from them, and how did they strengthen your commitment to the healthcare field?

When considering these points, tie them to specific reasons why they would make you a better doctor. There are some things to avoid mentioning or that would be detrimental to bring up during your response. Namely, do not mention money or profits in your answer. If your primary drive in becoming a doctor is making money, that likely means you will not be putting patients first.

Remember, being a doctor is more than a job or career. It is a lifetime commitment to help and care for others. There are many challenging career options out there, and doctors are expected to encounter complex problems every day. Instead, explain how and why being challenged is something you can handle daily and how you will care for patients despite the daily grind.

Speaking about yourself is good in small doses, but do not focus your entire answer on only yourself. Be sure to explain how and why your experiences have helped inspire you and driven you to help patients. Remember to mention what drives you to keep going despite adversity and how these reasons go on to inspire you to care for others.

And while having medical professionals in your family is excellent, this is not reason enough by itself. Instead, tie it to specific reasons they inspired you to keep going and pursue medicine yourself. How did they take care of patients that made an impression on you and made you want to pursue being a doctor? Remember that medical school can be challenging and bring blows to your self-esteem at times, so mention what it is about having folks in your family that keeps you going.

This is not only a weak reason to go, but it also shows selfishness rather than compassion and care for others. Make your answer unique and specific to you and your experiences, and do not feel you have to follow this example directly. Keep in mind you will answer this question in an interview. Do not try to memorize your response. Focus on key points and make it feel as natural as possible. When I was eight years old, I had to go in for a routine checkup with my family doctor.

While I was not a child who was afraid of the doctor, I did not really enjoy these checkups. My doctor understood this and took the time during each of them to provide some entertainment. Once, when he measured my height, he mentioned that the average raccoon standing straight up would be shorter than me. I found this quite funny as a child, and it showed me that doctors were people too and understood what it was like to be there in a cold office when you did not want to be.

On that particular appointment, an x-ray showed a strange lump near one of my ribs. Instead of trying to deflect attention away from it or being coy, my doctor calmly explained what happened and why they had to keep me there a little longer.

He covered what an x-ray was and the various reasons they might see something unusual. I was eager to learn more, and he was happy to answer my questions at a level I could understand.

It turned out to merely be a blemish on the film, but the experience stayed with me. After this initial spark of curiosity was triggered, I wanted to learn more and understand what it was like to be a doctor.

I could not get enough of these, and in school, I took extra interest in science classes after that point. In high school, we had a field trip to a local hospital, and while other students seemed to have found it boring, I was excited at the chance to ask the doctors there even more questions and find out more about what it was like in their day-to-day lives.

I also made sure to ask the patients we were allowed to speak with what it was like for them and how they felt. Their stories reminded me of my childhood family doctor and reinforced to me that being a caring, empathetic professional was right for me.