Why Medicine?

Now that the blog has been introduced, I feel it is time to explore some of the questions I myself will be faced with in the coming years. Upon my arrival at the volunteer office of the hospital, I was challenged with this question prematurely. The lady at the desk (who will be known as Penelope for the sake of this story) asked me this in response to my desire to apply to the hospital. I already had well thought-out reasons for wanting to pursue a medical career, but wasn’t expecting Penelope to ask me about them.

I replied with something mediocre like this: ‘well, you see, madam, I’ve been interested in medicine for a few years now but have never done anything to learn more about it as a career. I figured “what the hell (I didn’t say hell), I’ll apply to the hospital down the street from my university” and, well, here I am. But moreover, I’d like to experience working with patients, even if I am asked to do something as simple as bringing them food and water. Experiencing patient contact and gaining a newfound outlook on medicine as a whole are the reasons as to why I am here.’ Penelope then gave me an approving nod and took out a bunch of application papers for me to fill out. They included two reference letter requests, a list of volunteer positions available in the hospital, and two immunization papers (one of them was a tuberculosis sheet, the other a request for my personal record of immunization, to be signed by my family physician).

I understand this minor experience of mine has little-to-nothing to do with the infamous “why medicine” question. But it’s definitely a start to the exploration of this particular enquiry. After all, having been tested on this for the first time had me thinking about it a lot since then. The interview committee at a medical school, to my current understanding, will always ask this specific question because it is the answer you give and the way you justify your reasoning that will be evaluated – simply put, there is no right or wrong answer; it is the way you craft the answer (again, this is to my understanding of the hundreds of articles I’ve read in the past few years regarding this subject).

Before starting medicine you really need to think about what lies ahead. The trouble is that it is almost impossible to understand fully what the profession demands, particularly during the early years of postgraduate training, without actually doing it. Becoming a doctor is a calculated risk because it may be at least 5 or 6 years’ hard grind before you begin to discover for sure whether or not you suit medicine and it suits you. And you may change; you might like it now, at your present age and in your current frame of mind, but in 6 years’ time other pressures and priorities may have crowded into your life (Richards, 2007, p. 2).

The passage above indicates a very important point: perspectives will change throughout the long haul of pursuing medicine. Although I’m only in my first year of the pursuit itself, I feel the possibility of simply changing my mind is a great one as my priorities will inevitably change. I do plan on getting married and having kids, and these things could unfold while I’m a medical student. The pressure of staying on track is a great one – but one I have thus far dedicated myself to nonetheless. I feel that remaining dedicated to it despite the ongoing hurdles life throws at you truly define you as a potential physician.

References

Richards, P., Stockill, S., Foster, R., & Ingall, E. (2007). Learning medicine: How to become and remain a good doctor. Cambridge University Press, 18, 1-10. Retrieved from   http://assets.cambridge.org/97805217/09675/excerpt/9780521709675_excerpt.pdf