What challenges will you face as a doctor?
You may well think that a career in medicine is well suited to you but you must show the examiners this by showing that you are serious about being a doctor and that you have done your research- you know that as a doctor you will face many challenges.
Being a doctor is highly rewarding however it has its challenges. Doctors work long hours-they are usually required to work nights and on-calls. It can be difficult to maintain an active social life or have an excellent work life balance all the time. It is a highly stressful career, you must be able to make decisions on your feet and in some cases this can be choosing which sick patient to save over the other as well as breaking bad news.
It is a lifelong learning career- you must be up to date with the latest guidelines and technological advancements and drugs in the world of medicine.
Mediteach top tips:
- The examiners want to see that you have a realistic understanding of what a career in medicine involves. For this reason, you should try to steer away from answers such as saying that a day to day life of a doctor involves being in ICU and saving lives. Although this is true for doctors who work in the ICU, you must understand the greater role of doctors in diagnosing and treating disease and being involved in the holistic care of their patients.
- When mentioning some of the challenges, make sure to say how you believe you will be prepared to face some of these challenges as best you can. You can do so by talking about how you had to face similar challenges in your life and how you overcame this.
- Including a personal example will strengthen your answer.
