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What made you want to do this career?
Honestly ever since I was younger i've always been interested in being a medical assistant or a pediatrician or at least working in the medical field.
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Cameron’s Answer
Hi Anahi, I was a mechanical engineer and decided that career left a lot to be desired! I started feeling more and more like a glorified Microsoft Excel user and so I am currently applying to medical school myself. So its great to see others out there with the drive to pursue difficult careers as well! I became a CNA after quitting my job as an engineer to get familiarity with the medical field, have direct interactions with patients, and to understand the dynamic between other health professionals such as therapists, nurses, and physicians. I found myself working *very* hard, but the entire 8hour shift would go by as if I had only spent 2 hours on the job. I think whatever you decide, you should look for that kind of feeling in whatever you pursue. It means you are engrossed in your work, at least that's what it meant for me. I never found that feeling as an engineer. I also spent some time job shadowing physicians to know a bit more what I was getting myself into.
If I were you, I would reach out to local pediatrician offices to ask about job shadowing. You can probably find someone out there willing to lend you their perspective, just make sure to dress and behave professionally as you will be seen as an extension of them by their staff and patients. Take a notepad and take notes of how the physician responds to certain situations, things they say, things they do... etc. (Just make sure to ask for permission first). This helps to not feel like you are just standing there awkwardly as they do everything!
As far as the differences between the various fields such as physician / physician assistant (as well as the other mid-level careers) the big differences to be aware of are the ability to write certain prescriptions, autonomy on the job, and obviously pay. Physician assistants do make less overall, though still a very comfortable salary. That said, they have a lot more flexibility to change up the context they want to work in. Part of the year they can work in the Emergency Department and then they could switch it up to go work with the Orthopedic unit, and migrate somewhere else after that! So are you the kind of person that wants to have more autonomy on the job, be paid more but also have more responsibilities, and are comfortable being more set in the career direction you choose? That might point you more toward being a physician than a Physician Assistant. Just some food for thought there that its good to see what you want out of a job. Salary certainly should not be the main driver no matter what you go after in my opinion though, there are certainly other ways to make a comparable living with less stress, fewer years of time in college, and much less debt! You definitely have to feel a certain calling to go after it. I just finished up a Medical Master's Degree in Biomedical Sciences and still feel this is the right path for me.
Good luck!!
Reach out to local doctor's offices to see if you can job shadow.
If you are serious about it, start looking for volunteer opportunities.
Don't let your grades slip!! GPA is a very important factor, no matter what profession you are looking at.
If I were you, I would reach out to local pediatrician offices to ask about job shadowing. You can probably find someone out there willing to lend you their perspective, just make sure to dress and behave professionally as you will be seen as an extension of them by their staff and patients. Take a notepad and take notes of how the physician responds to certain situations, things they say, things they do... etc. (Just make sure to ask for permission first). This helps to not feel like you are just standing there awkwardly as they do everything!
As far as the differences between the various fields such as physician / physician assistant (as well as the other mid-level careers) the big differences to be aware of are the ability to write certain prescriptions, autonomy on the job, and obviously pay. Physician assistants do make less overall, though still a very comfortable salary. That said, they have a lot more flexibility to change up the context they want to work in. Part of the year they can work in the Emergency Department and then they could switch it up to go work with the Orthopedic unit, and migrate somewhere else after that! So are you the kind of person that wants to have more autonomy on the job, be paid more but also have more responsibilities, and are comfortable being more set in the career direction you choose? That might point you more toward being a physician than a Physician Assistant. Just some food for thought there that its good to see what you want out of a job. Salary certainly should not be the main driver no matter what you go after in my opinion though, there are certainly other ways to make a comparable living with less stress, fewer years of time in college, and much less debt! You definitely have to feel a certain calling to go after it. I just finished up a Medical Master's Degree in Biomedical Sciences and still feel this is the right path for me.
Good luck!!
Cameron recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Midwest’s Answer
The key aspect of the medical field that I view as both a prerequisite for entering it and an important and attractive aspect of it is that it is a profession that you enter into for some reason other than money. Personally, I was attracted to the medical field broadly and cardiac surgery specifically as an opportunity to make an immediate yet profound impact in another person's life through a career that would continually challenge me on a daily basis and which would remain important for patients in their most vulnerable states. This and all medical careers are a tremendous challenge and privilege and should be maintained as such.
The most helpful tool in this decision making process is exposure to the different roles within the medical field that one may have. It sounds like medical assistant or pediatrician is attractive to you, which means a good starting point is probably a local children's hospital. You could pursue shadowing opportunities in both an office and inpatient hospital setting which would allow you to see the different healthcare roles working in the same setting and decide what is most appealing to you. One of the excellent aspects of the medical field is the numerous options of involvement within any given healthcare system. By seeing these in action this should help you better determine which one you want to pursue or at least seek out additional information about.
Personally, I was attracted to making an immediate but deep impact on patients through intervention, specifically surgery. This interaction and relationship with patients was highly attractive to me and appeared as both challenging and rewarding. The daily routine of surgeons I observed when in your shoes was something I envisioned in myself and the cardiothoracic physiology gripped my attention. After determining those preferences, the rest of my decision-making process was ruling out alternate careers, which I ultimately was able to do. The most important aspects to this process are aggressively pursuing diverse exposure and honest self assessment and reflection about what you value most.
Volunteer at a local children's hospital
Inquire about shadowing opportunities in a pediatric clinic and inpatient setting
Determine which medical role suits you best
Establish next steps depending on the pathway for that role
The most helpful tool in this decision making process is exposure to the different roles within the medical field that one may have. It sounds like medical assistant or pediatrician is attractive to you, which means a good starting point is probably a local children's hospital. You could pursue shadowing opportunities in both an office and inpatient hospital setting which would allow you to see the different healthcare roles working in the same setting and decide what is most appealing to you. One of the excellent aspects of the medical field is the numerous options of involvement within any given healthcare system. By seeing these in action this should help you better determine which one you want to pursue or at least seek out additional information about.
Personally, I was attracted to making an immediate but deep impact on patients through intervention, specifically surgery. This interaction and relationship with patients was highly attractive to me and appeared as both challenging and rewarding. The daily routine of surgeons I observed when in your shoes was something I envisioned in myself and the cardiothoracic physiology gripped my attention. After determining those preferences, the rest of my decision-making process was ruling out alternate careers, which I ultimately was able to do. The most important aspects to this process are aggressively pursuing diverse exposure and honest self assessment and reflection about what you value most.
Midwest recommends the following next steps: