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What are some things i should know befor going into the medical field ?
What should I avoid. What should i do to get in. What grades do i need.
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5 answers
Updated
Martin’s Answer
Dear Tyler,
Indeed, you've touched upon the most crucial question. While I'll share my perspective, it's essential for you to contemplate and discover your unique understanding.
Embarking on a journey in the medical field requires you to first master the art of self-care and independence. This is fundamental, as it builds trust in others about your capabilities.
Embrace a healthy lifestyle by steering clear of smoking, alcohol, and narcotics. This ensures you maintain a clear mind and sharp vision, crucial for accurate assessments in your field.
Strive to derive joy from being a compassionate and kind-hearted individual. This is the key to finding true happiness in the medical profession.
Adhering to these guidelines will naturally lead to academic success. Remember, you're on a noble path, and these steps will only make your journey more rewarding.
Indeed, you've touched upon the most crucial question. While I'll share my perspective, it's essential for you to contemplate and discover your unique understanding.
Embarking on a journey in the medical field requires you to first master the art of self-care and independence. This is fundamental, as it builds trust in others about your capabilities.
Embrace a healthy lifestyle by steering clear of smoking, alcohol, and narcotics. This ensures you maintain a clear mind and sharp vision, crucial for accurate assessments in your field.
Strive to derive joy from being a compassionate and kind-hearted individual. This is the key to finding true happiness in the medical profession.
Adhering to these guidelines will naturally lead to academic success. Remember, you're on a noble path, and these steps will only make your journey more rewarding.
Updated
Scott’s Answer
Hi Tyler. The medical field is quite broad. It can mean anything from being a caregiver (such as a nurses aid in a hospital setting or a home health aid, caring for someone in their home) to a medical assistant in a doctor's office, to being an Xray technician, nurse, doctor, hospital administrator and many other options. Not knowing where you are in your education (HS, college?) and what you mean by "medical field" makes it hard to give any specific advice. If you are not nearing the end of college, I would suggest trying to get many broad experiences, perhaps volunteering in various situations as suggested by another respondee, or perhaps trying to get a job in a doctor's office to see what the day to day experience is like. If you have a more specific idea as to what you are thinking of doing, I would be happy to offer my thoughts. Good luck!
Updated
Marlena’s Answer
Grades aren't the only important thing but they help! It truly depends on what part of the medical field you're looking at and where. Scholarships, grants, etc. Are contingent on grades, volunteer work, any contributions you've made through your school years and early adulthood to causes close to you. Work hard, study hard, learn all you can! Science courses, math classes, college prep courses all help. Having hobbies, volunteering, and helping charities all look good on applications and resumes. Electives, sports, etc. Are also important. The more effort you're making now, the better the chances are you'll make effort in college. It's hard work, long days, sleepless nights, choices to miss important events to focus on your school work for a future career path will be necessary. Short term suffering for long term goals!
You can try shadowing programs in organizations and areas you are interested in to see what sparks interest. That'll give you an idea of career path, proper courses to take in school and college to prepare you. Read medical books, journals by professional organizations, but don't rely on opinions of others in terms of specific roles without seeing it for yourself. There are good and bad things no matter what area of Healthcare and medicine you choose. But what you are willing to do, the lengths you'll go to, to have that role, will determine how far you're willing to bend for a career choice.
Get out there, do research on career paths, determine the type of medicine you want to do or learn about, and find your passion. When you find it, you'll know! So many avenues, medical like doctors, research, lab, forensics, tons of options, etc. Nursing, holistic person centered care, tons of directions, same as the medical field but focuses on the person vs disease. You have therapy, respiratory, physical, occupational, speech, mental health, dental, eyes, ears, oh the possibilities are endless! Labs, research for cures of diseases, viruses, cancer, you have forensics, education, anesthesia, administration, etc. So many choices, you have to narrow it down to comprehend it somewhat to find a broad area to narrow :-)
Start with volunteering and/or shadowing in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, dog rescues, hospitals, long term care facilities, addiction centers, with doctors, nurses, administrative Healthcare professionals, lab technicians, anesthesthesia personnel, respiratory, infection prevention, educators for Healthcare professions, therapists (medical and mental), go to open addiction group meetings and truly listen (anonymity of course), dog shelters, veterinary clinics/hospitals, etc. Go to research labs and ask to shadow, forensic examiner, Healthcare informatics specialist, go to medical type open board meetings, pharmacies, etc. Possibilities are endless, the choice is yours! Start with your career counselor at school, reach out to people who know people in these areas for guidance on how to volunteer/shadow. Stay out of trouble though! We've all been young and stupid but in Healthcare, some of those stupid mistakes costs you the chance to even start! Writing bad checks, fraud, stealing, abuse, domestic violence, battery, etc. Be cautious! Have fun, learn and grow, but make wiser decisions if Healthcare and medicine is your idea, some mistakes stop you dead in your tracks because of exclusions. Talk to people, but learn first hand what a day in the life looks like!
School career counselor
Volunteering
Shadowing
Charity work
Make the grades
You can try shadowing programs in organizations and areas you are interested in to see what sparks interest. That'll give you an idea of career path, proper courses to take in school and college to prepare you. Read medical books, journals by professional organizations, but don't rely on opinions of others in terms of specific roles without seeing it for yourself. There are good and bad things no matter what area of Healthcare and medicine you choose. But what you are willing to do, the lengths you'll go to, to have that role, will determine how far you're willing to bend for a career choice.
Get out there, do research on career paths, determine the type of medicine you want to do or learn about, and find your passion. When you find it, you'll know! So many avenues, medical like doctors, research, lab, forensics, tons of options, etc. Nursing, holistic person centered care, tons of directions, same as the medical field but focuses on the person vs disease. You have therapy, respiratory, physical, occupational, speech, mental health, dental, eyes, ears, oh the possibilities are endless! Labs, research for cures of diseases, viruses, cancer, you have forensics, education, anesthesia, administration, etc. So many choices, you have to narrow it down to comprehend it somewhat to find a broad area to narrow :-)
Start with volunteering and/or shadowing in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, dog rescues, hospitals, long term care facilities, addiction centers, with doctors, nurses, administrative Healthcare professionals, lab technicians, anesthesthesia personnel, respiratory, infection prevention, educators for Healthcare professions, therapists (medical and mental), go to open addiction group meetings and truly listen (anonymity of course), dog shelters, veterinary clinics/hospitals, etc. Go to research labs and ask to shadow, forensic examiner, Healthcare informatics specialist, go to medical type open board meetings, pharmacies, etc. Possibilities are endless, the choice is yours! Start with your career counselor at school, reach out to people who know people in these areas for guidance on how to volunteer/shadow. Stay out of trouble though! We've all been young and stupid but in Healthcare, some of those stupid mistakes costs you the chance to even start! Writing bad checks, fraud, stealing, abuse, domestic violence, battery, etc. Be cautious! Have fun, learn and grow, but make wiser decisions if Healthcare and medicine is your idea, some mistakes stop you dead in your tracks because of exclusions. Talk to people, but learn first hand what a day in the life looks like!
Marlena recommends the following next steps:
Thanks, can't wait to put this advice into action!
Tyler
Updated
Hwal’s Answer
Tyler,
Before you go into medicine or health care, it would be helpful to think about and decide whether it's what you really want to do. Then, you could research and look into the so many different options available. It seems like you may be interested in medicine and paediatrics, so look into those areas and think about what you think you would enjoy about them before deciding whether that's your true passion. Then, I think answers to your other questions, like how to get into a program or what grades you need, will come to you naturally. For my example, deciding to become a PA helped me narrow my focus on researching more than 200 PA programs for application and admission requirements, such as undergraduate GPA, patient care/healthcare experience, and prerequisite coursework.
I'm a family medicine PA, so let me know if you have any specific questions for me. Good luck!
Hwal
Before you go into medicine or health care, it would be helpful to think about and decide whether it's what you really want to do. Then, you could research and look into the so many different options available. It seems like you may be interested in medicine and paediatrics, so look into those areas and think about what you think you would enjoy about them before deciding whether that's your true passion. Then, I think answers to your other questions, like how to get into a program or what grades you need, will come to you naturally. For my example, deciding to become a PA helped me narrow my focus on researching more than 200 PA programs for application and admission requirements, such as undergraduate GPA, patient care/healthcare experience, and prerequisite coursework.
I'm a family medicine PA, so let me know if you have any specific questions for me. Good luck!
Hwal
Updated
Emma’s Answer
Before entering the medical field, aspiring healthcare professionals should be aware of several critical considerations. First, understand that medical education is a lengthy and financially significant commitment. Emotional resilience is essential, as you'll encounter challenging and emotionally taxing situations in patient care. Expect long hours, irregular schedules, and a lifelong commitment to learning and staying current in a constantly evolving field. Effective communication, teamwork, and adherence to ethical and legal standards are paramount. Consider specialty choices carefully, prioritize work-life balance, and be culturally competent. Lastly, recognize the potential for malpractice risks and the importance of practicing defensively and maintaining proper documentation. Gaining insights through shadowing, volunteering, and informational interviews can help make an informed decision about pursuing a medical career.