Medicine - #1 Parents' Choice for their Kids...why?

[joan2468]

There has been recent news of too many private medical schools mushrooming all over the country, worries that the country may eventually become saturated with doctors (incompetent or otherwise) plus I have been constantly hearing about people who had a tough time convincing their parents to allow them to do something else other than medicine, and a few of my schoolmates who got saddled with the "my parents want me to be a doctor" situation.

Which I'm also in, actually.

So what's your take on all of this, ReCom-ers? Is medicine becoming too common a pick, even by those who cannot handle the strain and the difficulty of the work? Why do parents always want their children to become doctors? Is it the job prospect and salary, the house-hold-name fame? To be able to brag to their friends and relatives about how their clever son/daughter is taking medicine?

I understand that some people are truly passionate about becoming a doctor - the idea of being a saviour of lives is of course appealing. But the work of a doctor is a stressful one, and one that not every kid out there is capable of handling, especially if they have trouble even passing Biology and Chemistry, both key branches of knowledge in the field of medicine.

Discuss!

[Cactus]

Even teachers also think "good students" will want to do medicine.

Whenever I told my teacher that I'm going to study engineering/science etc, they (Malay teachers especially, lol) usually would reply:

"tak mau ambil medicine kah?"

[Dominic]

Even teachers also think "good students" will want to do medicine.

Whenever I told my teacher that I'm going to study engineering/science etc, they (Malay teachers especially, lol) usually would reply:

"tak mau ambil medicine kah?"

During my JPA interview, the interviewers took one look at my result and immediately asked, "Why aren't you taking medicine?"

I was like :huh.... why do I have to?

Sigh, the kiasu Malaysian mentality even permeates the interview session....

[joan2468]

Even teachers also think "good students" will want to do medicine.

Whenever I told my teacher that I'm going to study engineering/science etc, they (Malay teachers especially, lol) usually would reply:

"tak mau ambil medicine kah?"

Haha. Well so far I haven't had any of my teachers expecting to produce a class of doctors, but I know of a pair of twins in my class who are pressured into doing medicine by their parents, one of whom feels that she owes it to her parents to do what they want her to do. I can understand why she feels that way, but I disagree with the prospect of going through misery to satisfy a parents' wishes when it comes to matters about your future, your career.

And yes, my parents think because I'm a smart cookie I should do medicine :notrust It was a hard pill to swallow, but I told them that I had set my sights on having a career involving my number one passion, and that is in language and literature.

[edge_seraph]

LOL. Same here. When I told them that I wanted to do biomedical science, they would ask, why not do medicine? Or, is it the same as medicine? Worse still, some would even say, is this course even offered by local/overseas universities?

In the minds of the generation before us, medicine is a course that somewhat evokes an aura of prestige and high regard unlike any other courses. Same goes with Law and Pharmacy. Maybe because in those days, people that graduated from these fields are guaranteed a job, are paid a good amount of money and the most important of all, I reckon, are gained respect from all tiers of society. This notion might have lasted till now and parents today still believe that if their children studied one of the aforementioned courses, they will have a bright future ahead of them. This, I believe, sets the parents out in a frenzy that they must provide their children with a professional education (read: medicine, law and pharmacy) through whatever means, whether their children like it or not.

My opinion, however, just speaks for those who come from authoritarian families that yearn to be elevated to a higher social stratum. Nevertheless, another worrying trend is that how some parents are willing to provide the funds for their children to study these professional courses, whether local or overseas, even though they are very well aware that their children does not have what it takes to cope through these arduous and rigorous courses, especially medicine.

I believe the sudden and dramatic increase in the number of medical schools (some sources said that we have the highest medical schools per capita in the world) are partly attributed to both the parents and the children. It's a supply and demand thing. I know nothing about economics, and I shall stop at that.

[joan2468]

In the minds of the generation before us, medicine is a course that somewhat evokes an aura of prestige and high regard unlike any other courses. Same goes with Law and Pharmacy. Maybe because in those days, people that graduated from these fields are guaranteed a job, are paid a good amount of money and the most important of all, I reckon, are gained respect from all tiers of society. This notion might have lasted till now and parents today still believe that if their children studied one of the aforementioned courses, they will have a bright future ahead of them. This, I believe, sets the parents out in a frenzy that they must provide their children with a professional education (read: medicine, law and pharmacy) through whatever means, whether their children like it or not.

Prestige is relative, though, and now that medical schools (and medical students) just seem to come a dime-a-dozen, that prestige has somewhat rusted. Whilst being a doctor/studying medicine may still invoke the usual "What a smart son/daughter you have!" reaction, it may even lose that glamour once this country does become saturated with doctors and medical graduates.

While Law is certainly the social science equivalent of Medicine, I wasn't aware that Pharmacy actually garnered the same amount of attention/respect :P

My opinion, however, just speaks for those who come from authoritarian families that yearn to be elevated to a higher social stratum. Nevertheless, another worrying trend is that how some parents are willing to provide the funds for their children to study these professional courses, whether local or overseas, even though they are very well aware that their children does not have what it takes to cope through these arduous and rigorous courses, especially medicine.

Yeah. No point shelling out the money if the kid can't perform well enough, honestly.

[zanyzephyr]

Exactly. My case is that I really have not much choice down my hands. I hate engineering, I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, I can't cook, I have zero drip of artistic blood in me and the only course comes with biology and chemistry is medicine, behind pharmacy. It's more like 50-50 thing. 50 is the parents, 50 is because I totally have no idea what else to do.

The thing is, almost all Tom-Dick and harry can take medicine provided they have at least BBB in A levels and $$$. The course is not as prestigious as before, and I see almost everyone I know, and whom I never expect to take medicine took it. Sometimes it made me wonder if Medicine is still a course which require that vigorous amount of commitment and capability. Then again, I have yet to step into the course itself, I have no proof nor evidence to defend my points.

The fact is, everyone sees being a doctor as a "rewarding" job especially when you niche in places like OnG, Surgeon, Dentistry or Dermatology. Little do they know of the amount of time and examinations docs need to go through in order to reach that stage. Owh well, the old generation never really had the exposure to these details anyway, at least the elder generation of my family hadn't. Not to mention, I'm going to be the sole alien in the house if I ever took Medicine. The other siblings and cousins are all business field scholars like ACCA, Acc and Finance, Actuarists.

I guess things are more affordable right now?It's like Iphone. Everyone can own it now, so does a MBBS degree. Great, more competitions in the future.

[AnnSecret]

Why, my situation is a reverse from all of you.

I had my sight set on Medicines since 4 years ago when I watched a very inspiring show -- no, it isn't Grey's Anatomy or the likes of it. I truly like learning about the human anatomy and Googling about bizarre diseases.

And when I told my parents about wanting to become a doctor, they were sceptical of course. In fact, they tried to dissuade me from it. They even recommmended that I do something (that they consider easy) like Accounts.

It's quite upsetting to see some of you being force to do something that for me, is my passion.

What I find disconcerting is the mushrooming of medical schools in Malaysia. Therefore, I truly applaud the gov's move to freeze opening of new medical courses. We simply have too many medical schools in Malaysia and some of these Medical School's competency to produce good medical doctors are dubious. What, with the most expensive medical course ranging at RM540K while the cheapest is around RM200K? The difference is appalling! I'm not saying that the price of the course matters, because it ultimately comes down to you.

But come 2015, medical schools will start mushrooming again. I say, we have ENOUGH.

(Shit. Looking at the topic of the thread. My post seems irrelevant. Sorry.)

[Nicholas92]

For a long time I wanted to be a doctor. But more because of my parents' constant prodding and my own lack of direction, rather than any real passion to serve. Now I've completely thrown medicine out of the window.

Why do parents want it? Doctors will always be in demand, never short of work; you'll have the respect of your community; your parents will get to brag about you, AND they'll have a personal doctor to look after them in their later years.

But when you really think about it, it's pretty horrible. The idea that parents are telling kids as young as 10 years old to sign up for a profession which takes years and years longer to study and induces perhaps the greatest amount of stress only to get out and work a number of years on-call for up to 2 days at a time, witnessing death, grief, and major disappointments. Even if the life of a private dermatologist can be pretty good, considering, the amount of crap he'd have had to go through in the past is nothing short of extremely difficult. And at young ages parents are already pushing their kids to do that. I find it terrible, personally.

OK, so parents assume strength. They assume their kids can handle this sort of hardship, ergo, difficulty not being an obstacle, medicine's the best choice. To some degree that's sound. But not at all true. For me, unless you have the passion to serve, almost nothing else in the world will make you feel good about studying medicine and later working in reality. Lots of people still make it, yes, but if they had a second chance lots of people would have done something else.

It's also somewhat hypocritical that parents remain so skeptical about their kids pursuing "uncertain" career paths like music or other things yet are so willing to push them in the direction of medicine. It's just damn ridiculous. Things like Law and Engineering are understandably less...harsh, and actually I think if you're talking about job stability, income and lifestyle going into Law is actually a better bet - you start earlier, and can therefore start earning earlier, and though you earn less and your hours can be pretty wild as well it's not nearly as mad as a doctor's. It's a better trade-off. But the issue of compatibility and interest still ultimately comes in.

Also in today's world where everyone's competing for the most prominent courses - you have to play your strengths. And asking a university to take you in for a course you obviously have not much interest in is pretty much pointless. The best way to do well these days academically is to identify what you're good at and what you like and work with that.

[Laavania]

In my situation, i don't face this from my parents but from my uncle and aunt.
My stpm result is just enough to put me in a local university.They still blame that i missed my chance to be a doctor by having a high grade.All this adult see in a child becoming a doctor is earning plenty of money.How about all the things a person have to sacrifice to be doctor?Some even push their ambition onto their children.
When would the adults realize the life of a doctor is not easy?

[yanno_yamster]

My mum knows that if I become a doctor, I'll kill my patients instead of saving them due to my clumsiness. :laugh Also, being a manager in a bank she knows how it feels like to be continuously forced to put work above the family. So, she never really encouraged me to be a doctor.

Regarding the topic, I think it's because being a doctor gives one prestige and respect which every parent naturally wants in his/her child. A doctor is likened to a shaman in a tribe; people see you as a life-saver and someone who knows-it-all (even though it's untrue most of the time).

On top of that, instead of being called Mr/Ms/Madam you'll have the title of Dr which gives a feel of exclusiveness (of course you can earn a PhD to be called a Dr too). Wouldn't you feel proud if you see your child having such a special title?

The other siblings and cousins are all business field scholars like ACCA, Acc and Finance, Actuarists.

Interestingly, in my extended family it's the other way round. Many of them are/were applied science students whereas I'm a business student.

[joan2468]

My father is particularly against the idea of me doing something like literature or journalism, almost purely because he thinks the job prospect is poor. The ironic thing is, my father himself once enrolled in a medical course - but he stopped at the Foundation level and switched over to Architecture because he thought it was dull. I think he just wants me to fulfill his unfulfilled dreams.

I think many parents are too obsessed with the $$$ prospect rather than encouraging their children to choose according to their talent and natural strengths. Imho, being happy isn't always about earning a lot of money - it's about doing something fulfilling, something that is satisfying, that you have passion for. Everyone can get a job, but not everyone is capable of building up a career, after all.

Children are poisoned by the idea that to be successful they must dutifully study, cram the million-and-one facts into their head, score the highest, and - go into a career that makes the the most money, regardless of whether or not it is their actual interest. Nay, they are not encouraged to explore their own abilities, not given many opportunities to exercise their creativity. Rather they are bullied into being locked in their bedrooms to pore over their textbooks. They are not introduced to the concept of having a passion, something you do not because it earns you a billion dollars, but because it makes you feel happy. They are brainwashed into thinking that all the "smart people" choose medicine/law/etc. and that all the other jobs exist for those who were "not smart enough".

Well I have news for them.

Different kinds of smarts exist.

[Hebkya]

for me,I've always want to become a doctor since young because I was aspired by an ophthalmologist who have given good treatment to my dad...she is my idol till now and I'm glad to say that my parents give me their full support even though JPA didn't give me a scholarship to do medicine....I was devastated at first upon hearing that I was not awarded a medicine scholarship and I was thinking of doing other course because of my family financial prob..But what touch my heart is that my parents want me to continue pursue my dream of becoming a doctor even though they don't have the fund...they are willing to borrow bank loans etc just to support me to become a doctor...I was happy and glad to have good parents..I would definitely give my very best when I start studying and always remember what my parents did for me~~(my comment is a bit out of topic,pls forgive me...just to share xD)

[youngyew]

Seriously, I find it insulting and narrow-minded for someone to make such sweeping statement. What about criminology? Forensic science? Pathology? Biochemistry? Biostatistics? Genetics? Evolutionary biology? Zoology? Ornithology? Psychology? Biomedical science? It's like saying that "Just because I scored 100% in A-Level Economics, you must and will admit me to LSE". What about physics students who study medicine? You surely can't ask them to go back and study physics-related fields only, yes? Don't be surprised that in the States where medicine is a graduate-entry programme, people with anthropology/finance major are admitted into medicine courses.

People who study medicine are clear about their goals, not someone who enter just because they have no other options. The choices are there, it's just up to each individual on whether he/she would want to venture beyond the conventional options and pursue what really interests them.

Point being, being a doctor requires more than academic achievement. Sure, having straight As/A*s might help you through medical schools but the learning doesn't just stop at there. 2 years of internship, 3 years of medical practice, 2 years of specialisation, and subsequently, fellowship, board-certification, I mean, you will never stop learning. You also need to keep up with recent developments, knowing the latest diagnostic procedure, treatment and all sorts of things.

Also, you need to have the emotional capacity to stomach every insult/criticism/death/lawsuits hurled at you. Sure, being a doctor gains respect from people, but once you made a minor mistake that costs someone's lives, be prepared to be sued, go through arduous trials, and potentially lose your medical license.

Judging from the fact that you possess the gross motor skills of a 4 year-old, I would never ever have you take blood samples from me. Are you oblivious to the fact that medicine is actually one of the most practical field out there. Yes, most of us know that surgery requires a high level of finesse and dexterity but what most people don't know is that physicians are excepted to know how to perform basic medical procedures such as intubations, tracheotomy and those concerning emergency medicine.

If you really want to save lives, have you not considered being a paramedic or nurse? Pathologist is also another option if you want to be in the healthcare sector.
Admin Note: While you present some valid points in your post, please be reminded that personal attack is not tolerated in this forum.

Update: The original post has since been deleted by the author.

[lxy]

The thing is, life as a doctor isn't always hard. So yeah, med school's tough. Probably housemanship and the first few working years as well. But it isn't always like that. Especially if you're already a specialist, stuff like that. Then life usually gets easier.
It's just that people usually ASSUME that being a doctor would mean huge paychecks, a comfortable life and prestige, and, well, I guess most well-meaning parents actually want all these things for their kids.

[guy3288]

Even teachers also think "good students" will want to do medicine.

Whenever I told my teacher that I'm going to study engineering/science etc, they (Malay teachers especially, lol) usually would reply:

"tak mau ambil medicine kah?"

becos it used to be only the top in the class could get in, and the rests would just have to be contented with other courses........

[nickvl]

I always wondered whether anyone decided to be a doctor due to the rise of shows such as House, Grey's Anatomy, etc. Anyone?

Ultimately, I think our parents want the best for us and for our future. I believe the push to get their children into medicine is at best, misguided love and at worst, some way to fulfill their own unfulfilled dreams.

And as so many before me has mentioned, a doctor is someone well respected in society and there's no denying the prestige it brings. Perhaps this are the intentions of our parents.

There is also the scales by which we make decisions. On one end, should we pursue our dreams and be happy? At the other end, practicality rules and money is what puts food on the table. The crucial thing is convincing our parents and ourselves which is more important.

I also think this whole doctor thing is ingrained in our culture. Remember form 3 and form 5 literature, where the kids grow up and 'membalas budi' by becoming doctors?

[AngelColdplay]

becos it used to be only the top in the class could get in, and the rests would just have to be contented with other courses........

Notice the words "used to be". The phenomenon still persists even though the situation has changed. I guess parents are still entrapped with the mindset where medicine trumps over other fields since it's afflicted with nobleness and the so seemed high pay doesn't hurt either.

This may be out of topic but my parents discourage me from taking medicine. The irony is that im geniunely interested and intent on pursuing it. Sucks to be me.

I always wondered whether anyone decided to be a doctor due to the rise of shows such as House, Grey's Anatomy, etc. Anyone?

Ultimately, I think our parents want the best for us and for our future. I believe the push to get their children into medicine is at best, misguided love and at worst, some way to fulfill their own unfulfilled dreams.

And as so many before me has mentioned, a doctor is someone well respected in society and there's no denying the prestige it brings. Perhaps this are the intentions of our parents.

There is also the scales by which we make decisions. On one end, should we pursue our dreams and be happy? At the other end, practicality rules and money is what puts food on the table. The crucial thing is convincing our parents and ourselves which is more important.

I also think this whole doctor thing is ingrained in our culture. Remember form 3 and form 5 literature, where the kids grow up and 'membalas budi' by becoming doctors?

I admit im hugely inspired by House. :)) Although i think in reality, it's a far cry from it.

[dcwk04]

I admit im hugely inspired by House. :)) Although i think in reality, it's a far cry from it.

Everytime I watch House, I go through the following emotional cascade:

i) WOW AWESOME DIAGNOSIS BY HOUSE AND TEAM! *INSPIRED*
ii) THEY ARE SO SMART~ <3
iii) Wait... I've never seen any of them studying. How do they know 1001 complicated facts at the tip of their tongue? Chase looks like he's in his early 30s!
iv) They must be geniuses...
v) I hate them!

Lolol ok sorry this isnt a thread chat. I just hate that they dont study but are smarter than me! Haha!

Productive input:

Possibly more than half of people who enter medicine never did it for "noble reasons". In fact, I only know one or two (out of the hundred or so in my batch, mind you) that wanted to be a Dr since young and want to "help others". For others, the reasons are "I dont know why" or "I got straight As for SPM and I didnt know what else I wanted to do" and of course "Money?". So its really sad because people who have the passion dont get into medicine and people who dont have the passion get into it!

Parents obviously see that doctors have a high status in the community, not to mention good job security (not too sure about this now) and a steady income for a good family etc etc one of those failsafe occupations for a good average life. And I guess they want that for their children!

~!~!!~~!!! ps- I didnt like season 7 finale for House~~!!

[yanno_yamster]

Productive input:

Possibly more than half of people who enter medicine never did it for "noble reasons". In fact, I only know one or two (out of the hundred or so in my batch, mind you) that wanted to be a Dr since young and want to "help others". For others, the reasons are "I dont know why" or "I got straight As for SPM and I didnt know what else I wanted to do" and of course "Money?". So its really sad because people who have the passion dont get into medicine and people who dont have the passion get into it!

I guess this is the reason why I prefer to be treated by older doctors...

[Young]

Possibly more than half of people who enter medicine never did it for "noble reasons". In fact, I only know one or two (out of the hundred or so in my batch, mind you) that wanted to be a Dr since young and want to "help others". For others, the reasons are "I dont know why" or "I got straight As for SPM and I didnt know what else I wanted to do" and of course "Money?". So its really sad because people who have the passion dont get into medicine and people who dont have the passion get into it!



I really don't understand why people keep antagonising doctors/doctors-to-be who enter the profession with money in mind. What, medical students aren't human now? Why is there so much social pressure for us to be entirely selfless and altruistic? Sure, there will be that handful of super dedicated and enthusiastic doctors who dump their practice and leave for Africa or Tibet but that doesn't mean all medical students who don't aspire as such will turn out to be bad doctors. I don't see anybody lambasting accountants, lawyers or engineers for the same reason.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying aspiring doctors should enter the profession with money as the solidary motivation nor am I giving them the liberty to overcharge. I just think the imposed 'obligations' of being altruistic and or be oozing passion are unjustified. Kindness, empathy, skill and knowledge can coexist with monetary intentions, you know?

*end of rant*

[Nicholas92]

I really don't understand why people keep antagonising doctors/doctors-to-be who enter the profession with money in mind. What, medical students aren't human now? Why is there so much social pressure for us to be entirely selfless and altruistic? Sure, there will be that handful of super dedicated and enthusiastic doctors who dump their practice and leave for Africa or Tibet but that doesn't mean all medical students who don't aspire as such will turn out to be bad doctors. I don't see anybody lambasting accountants, lawyers or engineers for the same reason.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying aspiring doctors should enter the profession with money as the solidary motivation nor am I giving them the liberty to overcharge. I just think the imposed 'obligations' of being altruistic and or be oozing passion are unjustified. Kindness, empathy, skill and knowledge can coexist with monetary intentions, you know?

*end of rant*

Good point actually. For me, well, I'm not antagonistic towards people taking up a profession for the money...it's a practical, pragmatic thing to do after all. Nothing wrong with going for a job that pays well and gives you a good life. But personally, I think potential med students shouldn't pursue medicine solely for money simply because in my view, their life will be nowhere near comfortable nor easy. I mean, I don't think we have to mention anymore the long hours and the draining aspects of the job...the bottom line is, while most people may be able to handle the less comfortable aspects of other jobs if they're just in it for the pay, the same may not hold true for medicine because it's so demanding.

Maybe someone decides to become a lawyer for the sake of finances. Even if they're not particularly into the job, they can probably still cope with the long hours and the tedious work, if their pay motivates them enough. But for medicine, I think it's much harder to cope with the job's demands if you're really not into it.

It's an extreme case of course, and I realise that most people who're pursuing medicine for a stable job are also comfortable with the required knowledge and skills to some degree. They may not love the job but I've seen lots of them live with it just fine.

[nickvl]

I really don't understand why people keep antagonising doctors/doctors-to-be who enter the profession with money in mind. What, medical students aren't human now? Why is there so much social pressure for us to be entirely selfless and altruistic? Sure, there will be that handful of super dedicated and enthusiastic doctors who dump their practice and leave for Africa or Tibet but that doesn't mean all medical students who don't aspire as such will turn out to be bad doctors. I don't see anybody lambasting accountants, lawyers or engineers for the same reason.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying aspiring doctors should enter the profession with money as the solidary motivation nor am I giving them the liberty to overcharge. I just think the imposed 'obligations' of being altruistic and or be oozing passion are unjustified. Kindness, empathy, skill and knowledge can coexist with monetary intentions, you know?

*end of rant*

There's nothing wrong in going in for the money. In fact, money can be great motivator for success. The original topic was more about why parents continually push their kids into this field, which clearly isn't what they want. And one of the reasons happen to be the monetary pay.

[frostbyte13]

My reasoning why these parents are so 'authoritarian' is just the fact that they are tiger parents, enforcing their wants on the children. It is so predictable that parents believe that doctors earn stable incomes and are well able to support both themselves and the parents. My guess is that parents want to secure not their child's future, but THEIR OWN FUTURE in the sense of a comfortable retirement.

I can bet these sort of parents don't know what it's like to play doctor in a hospital. I suggest that the government, not only sends the JPA scholars for the Kursus Perdoktoran but the parents as well, LET THEM SEE WHAT THE REALITY IS OF BEING A DOCTOR.

My 3 friends who came back from the crash course, felt a very moody and tense atmosphere there. Doctors giving the talk were moody and also some were very discouraging towards their aspirations, telling them to quit while they can. This is what I heard from them :

Doctor's life. Wake up 6am, reach hospital by 8am, shift : 8am-5pm, on-call until next morning. If you have to go back and forth the hospital, equivalent to working 24 hours a day.

No family life for first few years with government. Doctors did a survey, majority would never marry a doctor, reason is not good partners or parents.

I pity children who are being sent to be doctors for the sake of their parents' wishes. God willing, I hope that some of these parents I mention will actually have a look at this. Because I feel this is something very apparent in today's society regarding tertiary education. I am a straight A+ student, my parents' response was to do whatever I had interest in, as long as I understood the future prospects of my choice.:)

P.S. My parents' colleagues all said that it was a waste of talents with my results and also should try pushing me to do medicine. Pfft :mad

[yukitou]

My dad is hoping me not to choose medicine course although he can afford me to a medicine course. He's afraid that I might gone crazy with those stress. Well, I'm interested in human immunity,disease. I don't dare to say I can handle those surgery stuff well, but somehow I don't really like to communicate with the patients. So, I choose an alternative course to satisfy me and my parents. But my friends are so surprised that I don't choose medicine because they are taking medicine course.

Anyway, there are too many people choose medicine course, and I don't think this is a good news. We need to focus on other field also.:)

[AngelColdplay]

I can bet these sort of parents don't know what it's like to play doctor in a hospital. I suggest that the government, not only sends the JPA scholars for the Kursus Perdoktoran but the parents as well, LET THEM SEE WHAT THE REALITY IS OF BEING A DOCTOR.

My 3 friends who came back from the crash course, felt a very moody and tense atmosphere there. Doctors giving the talk were moody and also some were very discouraging towards their aspirations, telling them to quit while they can. This is what I heard from them :

Doctor's life. Wake up 6am, reach hospital by 8am, shift : 8am-5pm, on-call until next morning. If you have to go back and forth the hospital, equivalent to working 24 hours a day.

No family life for first few years with government. Doctors did a survey, majority would never marry a doctor, reason is not good partners or parents.

I pity children who are being sent to be doctors for the sake of their parents' wishes. God willing, I hope that some of these parents I mention will actually have a look at this. Because I feel this is something very apparent in today's society regarding tertiary education. I am a straight A+ student, my parents' response was to do whatever I had interest in, as long as I understood the future prospects of my choice.:)

P.S. My parents' colleagues all said that it was a waste of talents with my results and also should try pushing me to do medicine. Pfft :mad

I went for the Kursus thing and it wasn't so bad at my hospital of choice. Generally, the doctors we met were very patient and friendly (as opposed to moody) to explain what a doctor's day job consists of, the disadvantages and hardship BUT they also encouraged us to pursue medicine IF we do have actual interest in the field because, to quote one doctor, "It's a very gratifying experience for the soul (albeit not materialistically, since working for the government doesn't grant big bucks) to be able to cure a patient."

However, the same couldn't be said about the officers that were assigned to bring us around the hospital. They were very discouraging and went on and on about the downside of being a doctor-although i took it a bit personally and thought "Well, what do u know? U're not exactly a doctor, right?". I understand perhaps they didn't want us to enter the field based on parents' pressure or whatsoever reasons but it could have been done in a more professional and diplomatic manner, instead of hardcore discouragement which could make one wonder whether they all have a personal vendetta against doctors. Lol.

Good on u to have such understanding parents. Prove the colleagues wrong! :)

Everytime I watch House, I go through the following emotional cascade:

i) WOW AWESOME DIAGNOSIS BY HOUSE AND TEAM! *INSPIRED*
ii) THEY ARE SO SMART~ <3
iii) Wait... I've never seen any of them studying. How do they know 1001 complicated facts at the tip of their tongue? Chase looks like he's in his early 30s!
iv) They must be geniuses...
v) I hate them!

Lolol ok sorry this isnt a thread chat. I just hate that they dont study but are smarter than me! Haha!

~!~!!~~!!! ps- I didnt like season 7 finale for House~~!!

i) Agreed. If only House actually exists..
ii) Agreed, witty too if i might add, what with the spot on one-liners that crack me up more often than not. :)
iii) Chase is so hot, what's his age actually? Lol.
iv) House is THE bomb (not to mention sexy) :D
v) Haha i love them.

Life isn't fair sometimes. Haha. Season finale no good? :( Im still watching season 7 on AXN, no spoilers please. :)

[frostbyte13]

I love House too !!! Have not kept up with the episodes, lost track from Season 2 :(

And yeah, forgot to mention. Some of the doctors were more encouraging towards my friends on the third and final day. They just said if your passion for this job is high enough, those shortcomings that are part and parcel of being a doctor will seem insignificant enough :)