Things to Consider if Looking for a Career in Medicine

A career in medicine is an incredibly rewarding one, there’s no doubt about that – but it requires a huge amount of determination and commitment from you as a student and scholar before you get to the stage where you can actually practice medicine.  We have put together a list of things that you should consider before choosing a career in medicine.

It’s a Competitive Sector

Becoming a medical professional is one of the most competitive career choices there are.  Due to this, it means that you need to work harder than you would in some respects if you were to choose this over another profession. Top medical schools are looking for well-rounded individuals that stand out in the crowd, so you need to prepare to create an application that is packed full of reasons as to why they would select you over other premed students.

The Dreaded MCAT’s

Even if you have no experience in medicine – you will no doubt have heard of the dreaded MCAT’s before.  These are the exams that you need to take as part of consideration in your application to medical school.  Medical schools are looking for some top scores from these exams.  There are lots of subjects that are included in MCAT’s such as biology, chemistry, psychology, analysis and reasoning and more.  Although they are critical to you getting a place in medical school, there are some great test study guides that can help you on your way to success.  Before you start investing in study books and courses, ensure you do your research into what’s available. We’d recommend you start by looking at The Princeton Review which has numerous benefits, all of which can be read in TestStudyGuide’s article.

You Need More than Good Results

Extracurricular activities are essential as part of your application.  You need to think about whether or not you are happy to dedicate your time out-with academic hours not only for studying, but for these kinds of activities.  If you are into sports for example – this requires a lot of time in-season, which means you’d need to give up some summer hours for academic research.  It also is incredibly beneficial if it’s tied in with healthcare.  For example, it’s good to get some experience under your belt when it comes to volunteering in hospitals or other medical environments.

It Can be a bit of a Long Slog

With other careers, once you have your qualifications, you can go on your merry way and seek employment within that industry.  It’s a little bit more complicated when it comes to becoming a medical professional.  Once you have been accepted to medical school and managed to pass your exams – you then need to take up a residency spot.  This is where you will get more hands-on experience as to what it’s like being a physician under the supervision of Doctors.  After this, you also need to attain a license before you can fully practice which comes with more exams.

It’s all Worth it in the End

As mentioned at the beginning, there is much more work involved – and it can take a lot of time out of your life for a while – but is one of the most rewarding jobs you could choose to do. 

This is a guest blog entry.