Commiting to a Medical Career: Deciding it it’s a Good Fit
It’s no secret that pursuing a medical career takes time, money, and dedication. After college you’ll have to attend medical school and spend years in residency. After that you could spend years paying back student loans.
These are just a few of the reasons why you should decide if you’re a good fit for a medical career before pursuing one.
There are many things that aspiring physicians can and should do before deciding if they should become an MD, a DO, or any other type of medical professional.
Ready to learn how?
Here’s how to decide if a career in medicine is the right fit for you.
Do Your Research
The first step in making any big decision is to do your research. Before deciding to apply to medical school or major in pre-med in college, research:
- The level of education required
- The years of training required
- The number of years it will take to get your license
Unlike other jobs that require graduate school education, a job in medicine requires much more. While you might attend medical school at the same time your peers are attending grad school, most of them will complete their education at the end of grad school. Physicians are required to do further training in the form of residency and, sometimes, an additional fellowship.
Assess your overall career goals to determine whether or not you want to spend your entire twenties in school and in training. Keep in mind that some specialties require just three years in residency, while others require six or more. If the timeline doesn’t align with your overall goals, a career as a physician might not be the right choice for you.
Consider the Expenses
In addition to investing the time to train as a physician, you’ll also have to invest money. Medical school is expensive, costing an average of $57,000 per year. Residents earn an average of just over $63,000 per year, and typically work 80 hours per week.
Medical education and residency don’t allow for much free time, and many aspiring doctors find it impossible to even work a part-time job to help cover their living expenses and financial obligations. While your post-residency career may be a lucrative one, you’re likely to rack up a considerable amount of debt along the way.
Before applying to med school, decide if the financial investment is one you’re comfortable making.
Understand the Entire Process
The process of becoming a licensed physician doesn’t end when you complete your residency. Licenses need to be maintained and renewed, which often requires obtaining continuing medical education credits. The number of CME credits required varies from as few as 12 to as many as 50 per year, depending on your state and designation.
In addition to CME, you’ll also have to pursue the process of credentialing and privileging. This is something that physicians will do many times throughout their career, and for some specialists, the process involves extra steps.
For example, if you pursue a surgical specialty, you may need to obtain admitting privileges, courtesy privileges, and surgical privileges. If you pursue a career as a primary care physician, you may not even need admitting privileges at all.
Checkout this article for more info on the process of credentialing and privileging, and why both are so important.
Are You Passionate About the Work or the Money?
Becoming a physician is a long and arduous process, and most doctors don’t start earning a physician’s salary until they’re well into their thirties. Before committing to med school, answer the following question:
Are you interested in medicine because you’re passionate about the field or because you want to make a lot of money?
While physicians do earn higher salaries than most other professionals, there are plenty of other careers where you can make even more money and start earning it at a younger age. If your focus is on the salary and the lifestyle that salary will afford you, you might be better suited for a position in engineering, finance, or tech.
Remain Open Minded
Many people are passionate about pursuing a medical career but find the cost and time investment daunting. The good news is that there are many different ways to have a successful career in medicine without becoming a licensed MD.
If a career in medicine is what you aspire to, consider pursuing your education and training in:
- Nursing
- Hospital administration
- Biomedical engineering
- Epidemiology
These are just a few of the many medical jobs available that don’t require you to attend med school.
In Conclusion
A career in medicine is the right choice for some, but the wrong choice for others. To determine if you’re a good fit, do your research. Consider the time and financial investments involved. Know that training and education never ends.
Even if becoming a physician has been your life long goal, it’s okay to shift your focus into a different area of the field. Should you decide that being a physician isn’t right for you, there are plenty of other medical careers that you can pursue that can be equally as rewarding.