Medical school is tough business and if you have decided to enter the health care field, it must have been a thoughtful decision. Saving lives, takes years of school, research, and dedication. Before you take a step ahead, think about your decision to go to medical school or apply for a residency. Are you really cut out to be a doctor?
Responsibilities at Med School
Medical education is expensive and must be highly valued. The first two years of school, you will have to keep pace with the other students, attend lectures on time, take gruelling examinations, and memorize a whole lot of information. Be prepared to up your game in the third year. You will be required to start making end-to-end clinical presentations and diagnosis. You will also have to be a part of rotations, which need good clinical experience and self-study on your part. There will also be times when you have to do the “menial” work but do remember that this is all part of your medical school experience.
Are YOU ready to be a Doctor?
If you find that you are losing interest in medicine and you feel burdened with all your responsibilities then take a moment to stop and think – what you are experiencing is not new. As a doctor, you have to be disciplined and remember why you chose to be a physician in the first place. You cannot lose hope. You have to be prepared to face the worst, indulge in competitiveness with your colleagues, and face off against people who may be smarter than you. But each time you have to remember why you made this career choice and what makes you passionate about the field. Medical school is a test of you as a human being and as a doctor.
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What qualities do you need to survive in this intensely, demanding profession?
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Doctors have to be selfless and place their patients before themselves
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As a doctor, you have to be dedicated and be ready to make sacrifices
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The wealth of knowledge that you have amassed over the years, you have to put it to practical use by holistically treating patients
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It is also important that you be a good communicator, patient listener, and cooperative colleague
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It is imperative that you take the patient into confidence and be understanding of his or her demands, needs, and expectations
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Patience is a highly prized quality in this profession
How to get into a good Med School?
The admissions process for medical school is becoming more and more competitive these days and the average MCAT score has shot up to 27.9 from 26.9. Even the average GPA is now 3.51. To get into a good medical school you have study hard and also remain committed to getting in. Apart from showcasing outstanding academic and non-academic achievements, you also have to write an exceptional medical personal statement that convinces the admissions committee that you are a perfect fit for medical school.
A well-written medical personal statement is a great way to let the admissions committee have a better insight into you as a person and as a professional.
How you can prep yourself for Med School
Prepping yourself up for medical school is a difficult task but is not impossible. Here are a few things that you need to do before you decide to go to Med school:
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Do you possess the qualities required in a good doctor – kindness, friendliness, warmth, intelligence, humility, compassion, a sense of humor, and excellent communication skills?
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Do you have the will power to survive the struggles of internship and residency?
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Before you think about becoming a doctor, ask yourself – Are you truly passionate about science and medicine, in particular?
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Medicine is a profession that demands care and patience from you as a physician. Are you well-equipped to withstand the pressures?
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There might be situations where you will come face to face with death. Are you ready to handle those situations?
Medicine is a noble profession but with intense competition, it is now a survival game. If you are the best at what you do and if you have the faith then you can succeed. There is no room here for people who cannot handle the pressure or who give up too easily. For a stressful yet beautiful profession, you can be rewarded in many ways. Now, you have to make the decision of going to medical school by assessing your personality and your passion for the subject.
The best policy is only the best if you can afford it you could take a great deal of time investigating various options you face when choosing the type and size of a life insurance policy. You can even involve experts in this particular field including those you know quite well and trust. But discovering the best policy for your present and future needs, as far as we can assess the future, is of questionable value if you cannot reasonably afford the premiums.
Yes you want cover whether it be term insurance or whole of life or perhaps an income protection policy but getting the terms of the policy right is one thing, being able to afford the premiums is another.
Now we need to be sure we understand what is meant by being able to afford the premiums. Obviously you would not take out a policy which required significant premium payments if you were on a small even very small income. So it’s a matter of degree.
Just as you sit down and work out the amount of cover you require, so to you should sit down and work out the amount of money you can afford to put aside to pay the premiums. Remember that this is not just a policy which pays out at a certain time or upon your death or incapacity, this is also a form of saving. Your premiums, depending on the policy, after a period of time become available as a source of funds from which you can draw.
Now obviously there are conditions should you choose to borrow from the amount you paid in premiums including the possibility that any payout in the future will be reduced, but you do need to understand that this type of insurance has more than one benefit. It is assumed that many years after you’ve taken out the policy and being faithful in making your premiums, you come across a situation where you need funds; funds you currently do not have. Well actually you do have funds and you can access them if your policy allows you to borrow against it.
The points made in this article can only be described as fundamental. Choosing the right type of health insurance and the right amount of cover are both fundamental issues. Get them right and you immediately have peace of mind and, should an emergency arise, whatever else you have you have a sound financial cover. But in achieving that end result you need to be sensible in your decision-making. Do not overstretch your ability to pay the premiums. The premiums are the key to your peace of mind and a possible future financial advancement but as the years pass by you need as little pressure on your budget bottom line as possible. Remove any unnecessary pressure by choosing a policy with premiums you can comfortably afford.
