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As someone who has to manage a chronic disease every day, how can I build a career that understands patients beyond their prescriptions and helps them live a life unshackled from their limitations? #Spring26
Type 1 diabetes has forced me to completely change my lifestyle. Everything from what I eat to how I plan my day comes with a layer of calculation and awareness that shapes your sense of freedom. I want to peruse a career in healthcare than helps others feel less limited by their diagnosis and more in control of how they live.
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Hwal’s Answer
Sidath,
Your personal experience living with a chronic health condition should be a unique strength, and I get the sense that you already are aware of this. As a former registered mental health counsellor and now primary care internal medicine PA working with individuals sith intellectual and developmental disabilities, I myself have seen firsthand the many ways a person can use their talents to empower others. It looks like you're interested in medicine and health care, so we can narrow the options down somewhat, although health care is vast and offers so many directions. If you decide to use the tools of medicine though, I can confirm that you can most certainly help empower folks living with chronic conditions through education and advocacy. At the same time, a person living with chronic conditions often interacts with and needs the understanding and support from people working at all levels of health care, so I would say the opportunity to make a positive difference exists in many different roles in health care other than medicine, such as social work, nursing, therapy (speech, physical, occupational), counselling, health education, and public health, just to name a few.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any specific questions I can help with.
Good luck!
Hwal
Your personal experience living with a chronic health condition should be a unique strength, and I get the sense that you already are aware of this. As a former registered mental health counsellor and now primary care internal medicine PA working with individuals sith intellectual and developmental disabilities, I myself have seen firsthand the many ways a person can use their talents to empower others. It looks like you're interested in medicine and health care, so we can narrow the options down somewhat, although health care is vast and offers so many directions. If you decide to use the tools of medicine though, I can confirm that you can most certainly help empower folks living with chronic conditions through education and advocacy. At the same time, a person living with chronic conditions often interacts with and needs the understanding and support from people working at all levels of health care, so I would say the opportunity to make a positive difference exists in many different roles in health care other than medicine, such as social work, nursing, therapy (speech, physical, occupational), counselling, health education, and public health, just to name a few.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any specific questions I can help with.
Good luck!
Hwal
Updated
Mit’s Answer
Building a career like this starts with shifting the focus from just treating the disease to truly understanding the patient as a whole person. Managing a chronic condition like Type 1 diabetes already shows how much daily life is affected beyond prescriptions—so the goal should be to carry that perspective into whatever role you pursue in healthcare. It’s also very important to learn about the patient’s ecosystem—their culture, background, and upbringing—because these factors influence how they manage their condition and what support they actually need. What works for one person may not work for another, and understanding where someone is coming from allows you to provide care that is realistic and meaningful.
Beyond formal education, gaining real-world exposure through internships, volunteering, or working with patient communities can deepen your understanding. Listening to patients, observing their struggles, and learning what truly impacts their quality of life helps bridge the gap between treatment and lived experience.
Ultimately, building this kind of career means combining medical knowledge with empathy, cultural awareness, and a commitment to helping people live fully—not just manage their condition.
Beyond formal education, gaining real-world exposure through internships, volunteering, or working with patient communities can deepen your understanding. Listening to patients, observing their struggles, and learning what truly impacts their quality of life helps bridge the gap between treatment and lived experience.
Ultimately, building this kind of career means combining medical knowledge with empathy, cultural awareness, and a commitment to helping people live fully—not just manage their condition.
Updated
Walid’s Answer
Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Biology
Hi Walid, can you give more info as to how to build a career using these subjects?
Sharyn Grose, Admin
Updated
Judith’s Answer
As someone who has had to deal with a chronic condition, you are already more insightful and understanding than most people choosing medicine as a career. This is evident in the way you express yourself.
The current practice of medicine (quick, assembly line visits where physicians hardly make eye contact with patients let alone show compassion) has to change. Physicians are frustrated and patients are dissatisfied.
Bring your perspective of focusing on the patient and how their circumstances (illness, trauma, social determinants of health) affect them to your future practice- and you will be outstanding.
The current practice of medicine (quick, assembly line visits where physicians hardly make eye contact with patients let alone show compassion) has to change. Physicians are frustrated and patients are dissatisfied.
Bring your perspective of focusing on the patient and how their circumstances (illness, trauma, social determinants of health) affect them to your future practice- and you will be outstanding.