Discussion: Am I making the right decision?

[ashley]

This is what I have been asking myself lately..but first let me introduce myself. I was a medical student hopeful, so very excited in my pursuit to become a doctor. I am an enthusiastic person so maybe that's why I had the chance to speak and meet up with doctors working in GH. One of them was already an MO and have a very bright future ahead of her. The other was a houseman who was planning to apply for a transfer to a smaller hospital due to the heavy workload in GH. Both of them had advised me on the lifestyle of doctors and the problems I might encountered in the future. The reason I am saying this is to show that I do know the pros and cons of being a doctor..and I was not intimidated by the prospect of working on call or having a hectic lifestyle just yet, perhaps because I find that working in an office can seem pretty mundane at times. However I have to take into account that I am not a houseman right now and I am still young, would I still feel like that in my 20's? 30's? Or would I be wishing I have a normal working hours?

I have also been an avid reader of Dr Pagalavan's blog. I find his blog informative yet deeply depressing at times...especially when he writes about the oversupply of doctors in the future. There are many medical schools mushrooming in Malaysia and I am pretty worried about it as students could easily enroll in any one of them as long as they have the funds. Medical studies are no longer dominated by the countries top scholars, students that are below par could get into the new medical schools easily (I am not discriminating anybody over here as I am just an average student and I am truly sorry if I did offend anybody). There are students whose marks does not entitle them to enroll in dental school, yet somehow they managed to obtained a degree from a new dental university that does twinning with India. Would it be fair to those who are really qualified to be a dentist? Though I am not saying that they won't do well in the future, but there will still be some subtle differences between top students and poor students don't you think?

Just thought I'd put that out there. Whether it even makes sense..
........What the hell did I just write?????

So anyway, could fellow recom-ers give me their opinions and thoughts on this? I am still contemplating on whether I should study medicine or pharmacy, although I realize that the future for pharmacists are not that great either

PS, I am quite new in this and if this post should be somewhere else, moderators please don't hesitate to move this post

Thanks

[frostbyte13]

Haha, hope the moderators will attend to your issue. Some of them are already in the medical profession while some of them have extensive knowledge of being a doctor who can give you a personal opinion. Either way, that's just the way things are in Malaysia. Anything goes ; even on the road to becoming a doctor. Pharmacy is also not a very bright future now as my friend told me that many pharmacists find it difficult to find placing in hospitals and most of them find difficulty setting up their practice in our pharmacies outside hospitals (not sure how true though)

[ashley]

I really hope so as I am interested to listening to their advice
yeah i agree that its tough to find a placement for pharmacist nowadays (and I have no idea why do I want to choose that over medicine, perhaps because of my family's encouragement)..I think I am not the one who would opt to set up a practice outside the hospital as I have an unreasonable fear of nobody buying any medicines from me and eventually go bankrupt
but is it true that pharmacists could work in industries too? like in B Braun?

[Paige2]

nothing is easy as the saying goes no pain no gain.. both pharmacists and doctors do not have really bright future.. follow ur passion and interest instead

[eve88]

If you are a *competent* junior doctor you will be valued. (Which also means higher workload + lower appreciation aka the taken for granted thinking). Pick a medical school based on the amount/type of clinical teaching you get - bookwork/lectures are possible to study by yourself but its clinical exposure and guidance that will make the difference.

The demand for doctors I can't comment on - yes i should be more interested in this but to be honest i have other thigns to worry about liek EXAMS, but if you're not picky about which speciality you work in or where you want to work (eg rural areas still has higher demands) I doubt you'll be "jobless" - it is compulsory to do housemanship for at least a year after graduation so for that period at least you have some sort of job security.

Being a mid-20s (omg im so old) med student, I can say that sometimes i wish i didn't have on call days >< and that at times i wish i was like any other uni students (lucky sods get to arrange their timetables howevr they like) BUT It is still enjoyable - every day is different! there is a expectation that you can and will pick new things up every time you see a patient (as a student), and as a doctor no matter at what level the work you do is important (potentially life and death. Rare, but every case does have that chance that it might be an emergency)

i can't imagine working at a desk 9 to 5.

(rambling thoughts of a decidedly average med student)

[ashley]

@Paige2 Thanks for your advice

@eve88 Its tough to chose the right med school..students from IMU will be promoting their own university and students from manipal would be saying otherwise @.@ (an example)

The thing that interest me in medicine is that it doesn't tie me to a desk! There would be new set of problems to face and solve everyday, which I personally feel is quite invigorating..

If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been studying in Dunedin? I assume you are under a scholarship right? which probably means you have to serve a bond if you are under jpa that is..

[frostbyte13]

Originally Posted by ashley

@Paige2 Thanks for your advice

@eve88 Its tough to chose the right med school..students from IMU will be promoting their own university and students from manipal would be saying otherwise @.@ (an example)

The thing that interest me in medicine is that it doesn't tie me to a desk! There would be new set of problems to face and solve everyday, which I personally feel is quite invigorating..

If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been studying in Dunedin? I assume you are under a scholarship right? which probably means you have to serve a bond if you are under jpa that is..

Well, you've clearly highlighted what you want, and I can say even not as a medical student, this is the field you can get that. So it's now just a matter of shortlisting potential university choices which give you the most clinical exposure. Just as it is with actuarial science, medicine is amongst the most elite professions that require you to actively exercise all of your knowledge and skill. It's best in my opinion when it comes to medicine, to NOT rely opinions of students but the graduates.

[eve88]

me? No, I took out a student loan, and the rest of it Father and Mother Scholarship.

Meaning that for the next few year out (the Housemanship Years) there's a large chance that I'll be working here in NZ instead.

I'm a 5th year student (have been here 4.5 years), before this i did 2 years A-levels in Singapore after SPM.

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Now to wait for youngyew's comment

[zanyzephyr]

just make sure you do it out of your passion, not by thee bandwagon or someone else. I'd say get as much exposure as you want. I was one of the "aspiring" doc-wannabes when I was back in high school, and after 6th Form I've been exposed to so much, in which I am pretty sure there so many more which I have yet to know about the medical profession, and what I truly wish to do.

Get attachments, don't let any chances to increase your exposure go to waste. If I had enough exposure, I would have known medicine is not the ONLY thing left I can do after slashing accounting because I hate the tables, engineering because derivatives drive me nuts, architecture because I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler, pharmacy or dentistry because of every tom dick and harry jumping into the bandwagon, law because oh I so suck in memorizing cases, and last but not least medicine, because I have truly found my true love, Veterinary Medicine.

Trust me, it took 1 sem to just turn the tables from each side, because of the amount of exposure I've been through. I will not decide anything for you, but one thing is for sure, love what you do. I've been through vet school and med school, trust me even at elementary level where everything's the same, knowing that you are in the right school gives you a hell lot of difference in motivation.

So again, the right thing to do is be wise.

[ashley]

Originally Posted by frostbyte13

Well, you've clearly highlighted what you want, and I can say even not as a medical student, this is the field you can get that. So it's now just a matter of shortlisting potential university choices which give you the most clinical exposure. Just as it is with actuarial science, medicine is amongst the most elite professions that require you to actively exercise all of your knowledge and skill. It's best in my opinion when it comes to medicine, to NOT rely opinions of students but the graduates.

I did didnt I?
Just out of curiosity, which medical schools would recom-ers prefer? Would you guys encourage students to enroll in Manipal?

Originally Posted by eve88

me? No, I took out a student loan, and the rest of it Father and Mother Scholarship.

Meaning that for the next few year out (the Housemanship Years) there's a large chance that I'll be working here in NZ instead.

I'm a 5th year student (have been here 4.5 years), before this i did 2 years A-levels in Singapore after SPM.

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Now to wait for youngyew's comment

Woah!!. You must be a super top student to be able to gain entry to the med school there
The last time I checked, there is no seat for international student in the medical school except for those sponsored by JPA.
How did you get in?? any advice? hehe