Some things to consider if you want to study medicine

If you want to study medicine, there are many things you should consider first. First of all, it is completely okay to not know what field of medicine you want to go in. Lucky for you, you don’t have to know until your second half of medical school. If you know you want to do something like dermatology or plastic surgery, you should know to work extremely hard, and stay at the top of your class, as these specialties are very competitive, and “match” with only the top students.

You should know some specialties take longer than others. That being said, you need to think about how long you want to be in school. Some people want to start their family by the age of 30, however, depending on what field you decide to take part in, you could be in school into your mid-30s.

Also, keep in mind that each specialty has different work hours. Some are shorter while others are long and exhausting. Some physicians have more free time, where they can travel, relax, or spend time with friends and family, while others are always stressed out, and can never make plans as they are always working.

Is the way you are treated by your patients or co-workers important to you? If so, keep that in mind when picking a profession. Some specialties will not be treated in the best way by their patients.

A very important thing to make note of when picking a specialty is whether it will last in different economies. For example, aesthetic plastic surgery will not survive when the economy crashes as most people will not have the money to spend on something that is not necessary. On the other hand, some specialties, like emergency medicine, are unaffected, regardless of economic status.

Finally, make sure to consider where you want to work. Do you want to work at a private practice? Or do you want to work at a big hospital? Working at private businesses is less common than working at large hospitals. Everyone has a different preference, so all that matters is that you enjoy where you are.

As you know now there are many aspects to consider when studying medicine, that can have a huge impact on your life.