Is Being a Doctor Worth It?
Being a doctor is a profession that allows one to care for people and contribute to society. Learn if a career in medicine is worth your time and effort.
A career in medicine is certainly not something to be pursued on a whim. Given that it takes years of attending med school and completing residency which takes tremendous hard work and dedication, it is fair to think if it is worth being a doctor, especially if you are seriously considering doing this for the rest of your life.
Read on to understand the benefits of being a doctor.
1. You positively affect patients every day:
A doctor’s career is all about helping others, alleviating their suffering, and that is the greatest positive impact they contribute on society. They go through years of training, rotations, incessant education and research just to be able to make a difference. This is one of the most rewarding experiences of being a doctor and one of the greatest reasons why medical students aspire for this profession.
2. Medicine is a highly satisfying career:
If you are a science lover and a lifelong learner, medicine is one of the best fields to pursue as a career. Medical school students just mark the beginning of their education and over the years they keep learning through difficult situations, unique health situations, evolving technology and newer methods of treatment. To be able to help the sick and injured on their hardest days is the ultimate satisfaction one may seek to attain from their work. This level of satisfaction is one of the greatest advantages of being a doctor.
3. Intellectual Challenge:
Medical sciences is one of the most rewarding careers intellectually as well. Newer methods, technological breakthroughs and fascinating research are being uncovered all the time in this field, which only means doctors have to be learners at heart. If you study medicine, you’re most likely going to relish the enormous learning opportunities you’ll have.
4. You’ll have immense job security:
With the rapid advent of technology, many jobs in today’s world have become irrelevant. However, doctors never really need to worry about that. There’s always a need for qualified and licensed physicians anywhere in the world. Besides that, doctors rarely struggle to hold on to this job. There is constant work for medical staff and doctors.
5. You’ll enjoy a good salary:
Doctors undergo years of training and practice before they earn the license to start practicing. And that only means that they are one of the most generously compensated categories of the workforce, given that there’s also such high demand for their knowledge and skills. While a junior medical doctor salary may not see the financial benefit immediately, with the right experience they can easily earn three-figure salaries. After years of dedication, they are rewarded with excellent earnings and a great quality of life.
Realities of a career in Medicine
The need for physicians is enormous at any given place and time, and a doctor’s services are ineffable. Depending on the area of practice or subspecialities, the demands may vary accordingly. Some have a higher demand than others. Medical emergencies know no time and doctors are the first point of contact at such an hour. As such, they have to be prepared to show up at the drop of a hat. There is no scope of negotiation once you start practicing. You work when your patients are in need. This makes the profession highly challenging, as maintaining a work life balance can initially be very difficult.
So, is being a doctor worth it?
If you are a lover of science and you are keen to help those who are in need, medicine is going to be a highly rewarding and satisfying profession for you, given the sheer number of people whose lives you get to improve. As a profession, it is not under any threat of going irrelevant. Doctors are always on demand, with some specialties seeing more patients than some others. However, the process to become a doctor is a long journey and if that makes sense at the end of the day, then by all means being a doctor is really worth it.
Are you looking for relevant programs to kickstart your career in medicine? Check out the MD program offered by the St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine (SMUSOM). SMUSOM has a stellar record of first time USMLE Step 1 pass rate of 97% (2020). They are known for their highly experienced faculty, who hold an MD or a Ph.D.
More than 2000 graduates from this school have successfully landed prestigious residencies or earned permanent licensure to practice in almost every state in the U.S., as well as in Canada. To learn more, click here.