There is no doubt that a medical career is regarded with high prestige. To be honest, being identified as a “Doctor” is fantastic. It not only shows that you got into medical school, but you also finished. Graduating from medical school is not easy, as only about 40% of applicants gain admission. Successfully finishing medical school is an even more significant accomplishment.
However, you shouldn’t attend medical school for the prestige. You should do it because you want to serve. In this article, we want to help you answer the question, “Is medical school for me.”
Can You Handle the Medical School Process and the Academics?
• Are you interested in the sciences?
• Do you have the endurance for years of training and education?
• Are you enthusiastic about learning, reading, and taking exams?
• Are you easily nervous?
Monetary Concerns of Medical School
• Can you pay for tuition and accommodation expenses? Be ready to incur about $200,000 or more of loan debt, which does not include the debt that is incurred when acquiring an undergraduate degree.
• Are you prepared to live for years on a tight budget without an influx of cash?
• Are you ready to handle the possibility of malpractice suits? Are you aware of the cost of malpractice insurance?
Social Factors
• Are you ready to work long hours every day? Is it usual for doctors to work for 24 hour days?
• Are you ready to watch your counterparts in other fields of study progress and become financially established in their careers while you continue fulfilling the rigorous requirements of medical school?
• Do you know that medical students find it hard to successfully keep a romantic relationship because of the pressure that comes with loads of work?
Psychological Factors
• Are you prepared to spend your 20’s in medical school, enduring rigorous training? You may discover that you’ve already hit your 30s when you complete your residency and specialization requirements.
• Are you ready to attain some of life’s essential achievements later than your contemporaries? Like becoming financially stable, owning a home, getting married, and becoming a parent.
• For a woman, are you ready to delay childbearing till your 30s?
• Can you handle intense pressure for a prolonged period? The pressure that comes with the exams and with working to save lives?
Studying to become a doctor is demanding and strenuous, but also beneficial in significant ways. If you want to study medicine and provide a valuable service to the community, then the medical profession might just be right for you.
