The 10 Wrong Reasons to Become a Doctor

1- Money, stability or mobility (there are a lot of ways to make a good living, many of them “easier” to pursue than medicine).

2- Respect/prestige (many people will trust WebMD more than they trust you).

3- To be the boss (start a business if you’re ambitious and power hungry).

4- For my family (whether this means to make mom and dad proud, or to provide for your own family, you are off track. Your parents’ approval won’t matter when you’re cleaning out a patient’s giant fecal impaction at 3:00 am. As far as your spouse and kids, medicine will force you to compromise, juggle, and miss things more than it will make you a good provider).

5- To make the world a better place (even the most productive, brilliant physicians are not currently effecting macro changes. You will make a difference in the life of your patients; don’t expect more than that no matter how hard you work or how smart you might be).

6- Because I like ER, Grey’s Anatomy, and/or House (On some level, you must know that real hospitals are nothing like the ones you see on tv shows. Likewise, real doctors and patients are not like tv doctors and patients. Spend some time in a hospital to see just how different they are).

7- Because I don’t know what else to do (it is important for a doctor to want to be a doctor. This is different than not having any better ideas. If you default into the profession out of a lack of better options or clearer direction, you will probably end up wishing you had made a more thoughtful choice. Remember that when a doctor doesn’t actually like his or her work, the patients suffer).

8- Because I tried other things and did not like them (by itself this isn’t enough, but you’re on the right track. You ought to love medicine, but it helps to have a basis for comparison. Hating other jobs without knowing what medicine is like does not mean you should be a doctor. Explore medicine to see how it stacks up).

9- My parents are physicians (this tells no one that you are cut out for the profession, nor does it say anything about why you would want to become a doctor).

10- Hero worship (“I tore my ACL and I really admired my orthopedic surgeon and I want to be just like him!”). There’s no substance behind this reason and it shows a lack of personal reflection.

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So what are the correct reasons?

 

I love blood and innards and gunk. Reason enough? LOL

 

Are there any reason left? ... Self-righteous post, we are all in it for all of the reasons above

 

i agree with some of those reasons, but i don't think it is wrong when you want to be a doctor to make your parents or any other family member proud.

 

i'm in love with medicine

 

I love blood, surgery, adrenaline & shotgun. I'm soooo in love with medicine!

 

so what are the correct reasons?

 

It was my passion

 

So then what should be the reason

 

you only need one reason :

I WANT it because...

this is a good reason, its ok to become a doc because you admire another man, its ok to become a doc cause you want to help ppl or you want the money... its ok if you like the blood and cutting people, these are good reasons if you keep working and giving the best you can... there are no wrong reasons if you are doing it with all your might and you beleive in that reason...

stupid topic imo...

 

I'll share this to any other people I know.

 

Maybe, the correct reasons are love and vocation.

 

If you love so much blood, you're not a doctor, maybe you're a vampire. Just kidding!!

 

May I clarify that doctors DO deal with poo- author said "cleaning out faecal impaction", as much as I'd love to describe to you what this involves I wont because am pretty sure you're smart enough to find this out.

 

true! hard to swallow though... i guess one good reason you want to be a doctor is that you want to be an instrument of God and of help to others..

 

Let me try to balance this post in the following ways:-

1. No one would like to spend many years studying medicine knowing that they would be paid low. Salary should be considered! After all, parents paid thousands of dollars that I may do medicine.

2. I think, to a certain level, every doctor deserves some respect on the basis of their education.

3. Okay, if a doctor opens their own private medical institution, who are they going to be? A boss or a leader.

4. Mom and dad should be proud. Even if you don't do it to make them proud, they will still be proud.

5. I think some doctors are meant for the world. That's why they move from continent to continent. Doesn't this help them to make the world a better place?

6. The fact that you should do medicine may arise when you watch some inspiring medical programmes and medical doctors on TV...

7. It's possible to be a doctor when you were not previously decided to do it and still be happy. This is my thought.

8. You tried other things and you never liked them? Which things did you try? If those things you tried are not science related, then medicine will have a probability of being liked.

9. It's possible to receive a medical impartation from parents. After all, parents can decide for you to do medicine and you still be successful.

10. We all need inspirational people (heroes) to lead us into professional careers.