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Did you know what you wanted to be from the start or did it alter throughout the years?


Why do you like what you do?

medicine healthcare doctor pre-med hospital-and-health-care hospital-and-healthcare
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Michel’s Answer

When I was 8 years old I wanted to spend a career in the military. I ended up wanting to do this all the way up until after my deployment to Afghanistan in 2013. I ended up messing up my back pretty bad, and realized that I was no longer able to perform my job duties. I had a couple of years of not knowing what I wanted to do and I thought I was just going to do a job and pay the bills and live a boring life.

I ended up taking a shot and going back to school. Originally I wanted to test it out and see if I was smart enough to even pass classes. I was a very poor high school student and didn’t have much hope. Well after the first semester I realized college was a lot more different than medical school. I ended up wanting to become a nurse for a bit. I started the classes and realized my grades were good enough to push the boundaries and go for medicine.

I completed the prereqs and was dead set on wanting to go into psychiatry because I was interested in helping people with PTSD. I saw a lot of it in the military and started doing classes in medical school and realized the field wasn’t for me. I am now wanting to go into Radiology.

Lesson being you will change your mind throughout the years. If you are interested in something like medicine it will most likely stay in that realm of possibilities. I have always been interested in the medical field and all of my advancement and changes in ideas has remained in that area. I love the difficulty of school and understanding what causes diseases and why we are able to treat certain pathologies.

Hopefully this is helpful let me know if you have any more questions.
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Chirayu’s Answer

To a point yes, I always had an interest in statistics or collecting data and find reasoning out of it. Over the years I built skills that would be helpful to me in the future. For example, by taking courses that would align me with my future career choice or talk to professionals in the career field to get an idea of what to expect. Some individuals know what they want and others like to try different things before they find what they want to do and there is nothing wrong with this. You should keep an open mind and explore what you have an interest in and align yourself with those skills.
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James Constantine’s Answer

Dear Kendra,

Choosing a career in medicine or healthcare is often a gradual process that may undergo changes over the years.

Many people who find themselves in the medical or healthcare sectors have a deep-rooted passion for science, a desire to help others, and a drive to positively influence people's lives. This passion can show itself in different ways during their early years, such as a fondness for science subjects, volunteering at hospitals or local clinics, or engaging in health-related extracurricular activities.

In high school, students may begin to contemplate a career in medicine more earnestly by enrolling in advanced science classes like chemistry and biology, and getting involved in related extracurricular activities. This is also a time when they might start exploring various healthcare professions, such as doctor, nurse, or physician assistant.

As they journey through college and university, students can refine their career aspirations by gaining more field experience through internships, volunteer work, or research opportunities. This practical experience can help them figure out if they truly love working in medicine and which specific area best matches their interests and abilities.

Throughout their educational and training journey, there are several reasons why individuals might find a career in medicine or healthcare rewarding:

Making a difference: A key driving force for many in the medical field is the chance to positively impact patients' lives by offering care, treatment, and support during difficult times.

Lifelong learning: Medicine is a swiftly changing field with continuous advancements in research, technology, and treatments. This constant evolution ensures that professionals are always learning and broadening their knowledge.

Variety of career options: The medical field offers a wide array of specialties, allowing professionals to select a career path that aligns best with their interests and abilities. The choices are vast, from general practitioners to surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, and more.

Respect and admiration: Medical professionals often earn respect and recognition from society for their vital role in preserving public health and well-being.

Financial security: A career in medicine generally provides a competitive salary compared to other fields, offering financial security for practitioners.

In conclusion, the decision to embark on a career in medicine or healthcare typically evolves throughout a person's life as they discover their interests and gain experience in the field. Many find this career fulfilling due to the chance to help others, ongoing learning opportunities, a wide range of career paths, societal respect, and financial stability.

Here is an example of what happened about 50 years ago my uncle had a severe coronary when I was in senior. He died at 38 years of age from familial hypercholesterolemia. Before that, I wanted to become an amateur astronomer because people had given me telescopes as gifts.

This soon changed with my uncle's death. To compound this, his ex-supervisor at another university in 1960 was a professor of biochemistry. He turns up at my college teaching and lecturing.

So I dropped the physics and mathematics majors and focused on nutrition in 1976 and biochemistry. I got to understand what killed my father and uncle but it was too late for them by the time I became a dietitian. That is possibly why I'm still surviving and they're all gone.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU!
James Constantine.
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Carol’s Answer

I wanted to be a registered nurse. Thru the years circumstances changed and when I returned to school I decided to go into information technology because that industry had huge potential for growth.
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Kim’s Answer

For many people, they know what they want to do earlier on in life because they've had exposure to the field. However, it's not unusual or detrimental to figure these things out later in life, especially once you begin to experience more things and mature in how you think. I knew I wanted to be a doctor when I was very young, but only in medical school did I also learn that I had the desire to pursue surgery and public health because that's when I became exposed to those fields.

I think the important thing to remember is that it's okay to take time to develop what you like. It's your life, and you should do your due diligence in discovering what you're passionate about and what gets you excited when you go to work every day. Try new things, talk to new people, and don't be afraid to put yourself out there! Do what is in your best interest when trying to discover what you like or don't like, and if you have an open mind and a positive attitude, hopefully, you'll narrow down areas and jobs that you like!
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Sheila’s Answer

Hi Kendra:

I'm answering your question from a parent's perspective who has a young adult son in the medical field. There's no one-way path to the answer. I'd like to share that on "RARE" occasions sometimes a person might know early what they want to be. "Here's my true story". . .

My son knew what he wanted to do at a young age. He would dissect tomatoes and leave them in the fridge for a long time until they grew mold and spores, and pull them out and analyze the appearance and texture. He took notes, made comments, etc. At that time, I was a young Mom who didn't realize what he was doing until my husband told me to let him explore, which I did. . I just wanted the smelly tomatoes out of the fridge.

While in middle school, my son and a friend paired on a project to talk about the veins in the human body. They were provided with long paper to draw the body. One person lay down on the paper while the other outlined the body. They drew the organs, veins, and bones. This was very impressive for such young boys. To this day, I still have that precious paper outline of the body because I honestly think it was the launching pad for my son wanting to go into the medical field. Of course, while showing much interest in the medical field at a young age aunts, family members, and friends also encouraged him along the way. He has first cousins following in his footsteps to become a Psychiatrist and Psychologist.

I share this personal story with you to let you know that sometimes there are people who do know what they want to do in a career. The hard part is deciding on which field you are interested in. It's okay to change your mind. Nothing is concrete that can't go in a different direction. It's up to you to do the work to make it happen. Best of luck to you!

~ Sheila
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Ndi’s Answer

When I was younger I wanted to be first a lawyer or a Nurse. I knew I love to see nurses in their white scrubs, again I was supper fascinated by the lawyers costume.

It's completely alright to be like me when you are just over whelmed by their outlooks and feel it will be cool to look like one was well. Some people, had a clearer path whereas others found their passion as they study and get more exposure.

I grow up to be more exposed to the nursing fields and my passion grew each day. I tell you when the right time comes you will know what you want, so donot worry about it just keep on studying and everything will fall in place perfectly.
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Lesli’s Answer

I fell into hospice care my first year of nursing and I've love the field everyday.
I did not intend to be a nurse right out of high school. I applied for Architecture.
I have no regrets switching field.
I've always encouraged my kids to do what they love and then live within those financial means. They are both successful in their professions; Army (23 yrs) and a Charter Fishing company owner. They are both very happy, too.
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jennifer’s Answer

Some people know exactly what they want to do from a young age, while others may take longer to figure it out. It's not uncommon for people to try out different careers or fields before settling on one that they are passionate about and that aligns with their strengths and goals.

It's important to remember that it's okay to explore different options and to be open to changing your mind. It's also important to be proactive in learning about different careers and seeking out opportunities to gain experience and insights that can help you make informed decisions about your future.
Thank you comment icon Hi Jennifer: Your comments are insightful. I agree with "some people know exactly what they want to do from a young age". That was my son. He's now in a medical fellowship program and thoroughly LOVEs his work. Thank you for sharing. Sheila Jordan
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Aimee’s Answer

I'm not sure if you're trying to determine what specialty to go into or not by this question but my general career experience has changed through the years.

When I was young I wanted to be a veterinarian. I worked as a janitor at a vet clinic in high school and realized I loved the patient's but didn't like their owners much, which is not helpful in veterinary careers. I did discover that we were sending away samples to a lab and that there are laboratories that take human samples for testing as well.

That's when I found out about my current career of medical laboratory science. We collect and process samples for patients in hospitals and other medical facilities. This way I can help people but don't have much patient contact. It's great, but then I discovered teaching for medical laboratory students and am getting my masters to continue to pursue that.
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Kess’s Answer

When I first started in the medical field in 2007, I really wasn't sure that was what I wanted to do. Almost a decade later after working as an EMT (emergency medical tech), I was tired, burnt out, stressed, and totally swore off working anything medical! I jumped around from manufacturing, to modeling gigs, work from home, security, you name it. However, when I was working security it was at a hospital, we had a patient who came in with "chainsaw to the chest". I helped unload him from the helicopter and felt the urge to just jump right back in. I got my EMT cert cert back, challenged for the CNA cert, finished my bachelor's, and am a 3rd year medical student.

TL;DR: you may not know your calling yet and that's ok. When you feel compelled to follow a career, I think that's the one you're meant to be in.
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