Going into college, many students have medical school on their minds. A year or so later, a large percentage of those ambitious scholars, for one reason or another, find that they no longer want to pursue medicine as a career. Some are intimidated by the demanding coursework, others find a different passion, and many decide to choose a different career path once they begin to realize exactly what it means to be a medical doctor. But what does it really mean to be a doctor, and what is life as a physician really like? Below we will discuss some of the things that are often overlooked about practicing medicine.

Medical School, Residency & Debt

Medical school requires a lot of hard work. Sure, we’ve all heard it before, but attending medical school is something that you can never really tell what it is going to be like until you’re there. For four years straight, your life is confined to intensive classes, dissecting cadavers, and burying your nose in textbooks. That is all at a high rate of tuition. Unless you have medical school paid for, you’ll likely graduate with a sizeable amount of debt to your name. Once you begin your residency, you will be making some money, but most likely not enough to cover your cost of living and student loan debt. By the time you do start working and earning money, you’ll have a ways to go before you begin making a dent in your debts.

What Do Long Hours Really Mean

Many professionals work long hours. Attorneys in large law firms are notorious for working 80 hours or more each week, every week. Still, this does not compare to the hours physicians often work. Many physicians, especially those working in hospitals, work long shifts, some up to 24 hours straight. Others may not work a full day at a time, but have to work during the wee hours of the morning, because as we all know, many trauma incidents occur after midnight. Of course, doctors are generally well-compensated for their work, but you have to ask yourself if that compensation is really worth the time commitment.

Being On Call

Being on call, just like attending medical school, is something that cannot really be accurately gauged until you have experienced it. To paint a picture, being on call means that you have to be awake, in your city of call, and ready to respond almost immediately if needed. And more times than not, you’ll find that you will be needed while on call. Realistically, being on call means sitting and waiting, potentially at the cost of missing out on spending time with friends and family, or chasing your life dreams.

Coping With Stress

We all have to cope with stress, but dealing with stress as a physician is much different. For one, the stress associated with being a physician is more extreme than in other professions. As a doctor, you are responsible for the lives and overall health of people, and offering such care can be especially taxing. Another factor often overlooked is that doctors have the ability to write prescriptions – and some doctors abuse this privilege to write prescriptions for themselves. It’s a terrible thing to think about, but it is real, and sometimes temptation can get the best of us. Also, some physicians seek to cope with their stresses with help from tobacco and alcohol, both of which can provide short-term relief, but at the cost of long-term damage. Not all doctors cope with stress in unhealthy ways, but many do, and if you have a tendency to deal with stress unhealthily, a career in medicine may only exacerbate those tendencies.

Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Ms. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to healthcare careers.

Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Ms. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to healthcare careers. http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Laser-Spine-Institute

Author Bio: Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Ms. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to healthcare careers.

Category: Career
Keywords: Medical Careers, Medicine, Medical School