This is my personal doubt and I do not have any statistics to back up my stand except for quite a number of examples that I have seen.
But, here is my question.

"Do you pursue doctor as a career because you want to do so or it's of external factorslike parents' expectation?"

I really wish to know this answer.
I have friends doing medicine. I can count them with my hands and legs but for those willingly to do on their own will, perhaps 1 hand is more than enough to do the count.

I share some examples.
One of my friend is very keen in doing Forensic science. She even looks up the information on her own in detail, and plot out her path etc. For me, she's probably someone different as that should be quite an exciting field especially in Malaysia. Well, she's doing Medicine now in India. Parent wants her to do so and she did not want to turn her parent down. Anyway, she did tell me she would want to be a pathologist.

Another of my friend has no idea what he wants to do. He applied for JPA last time and chose Medicine. He got called up for the seminar thingy special for Medicine applicants. He didn't turn up, because he didn't want to. Well, he's in India now also.

One of my friend made a pact with her parents. She'll do Medicine for 2 semesters. If she can continue, she would. Well, nobody knows her 2nd sem result, but now she's doing E&E, and going overseas soon.

One of my friend wants to do Vet. There's no places for her to do, she ends up at IMU pursing Medicine now.

One of my close friend loves Physics very much. He will be flying off to Russia this August for Medicine. His two brothers are already there. Do we need three doctors in one family?
(This is my close friend. I wish he had the chance to do what he likes.)

One of my determined friend has made an entry into Monash Malaysia, but chose to do in IMU instead. He's the 2nd sample that I have seen who is doing Medicine at his wish. My first sample is as follow.

My sis set her dream to become a doctor since very small. She's now a medical student in one of the prestigious UK universities, under the JPA scholarship. (Proud! )

Okay, now, do share with me, medical students, about your wish to become a doctor.
I was once someone in that shoes. My parents always want me to pursue a career of Doctor but I am now happily studying my course.
For me, to be a doctor is not easy. If one has never known much about the working environment and straight away venture into it, we might produce something, well, a doctor without doctoral heart? (That's why JPA comes up with that seminar thingy.)

Doctor controls the life of human, one of the most priceless thing that it can be in this world. Their decision often makes a whole family and circles of friends to get happy, or sad.
Doctor is like-saint. They commit what people can't commit, devote selflessly for the mankind. Without doctors, most of us would have been dead by now.

That's what really drives me in in considering Medicine but in the end I didn't make up. I have what I want to do and furthermore, I don't like the nature of being a doctor.
Have parents motivate their children in picking up Medicine based on what I propose? Or they use 'reputation' and 'rewarding pay' to attract their children instead? If that was the case, are those doctors fit to be doctors?

Medical students, tell me what you think.
Thanks.

I'm not a medical student, but I'm now...in your...Shoes.

btw, shouldnt we do this in the prospective Medical Students thread?

Parents, or the older generations, they sometimes are ridiculous, they motivated me in the fashion of : <Alert, I'm not b****ing>

"Since you can study, why NOT take Medicine"
"Since you can study, you can oblige the liability of bringing home a Doctor's fame" <What is this era like, 1800s?>
"Go study Medicine, then you can take you Music Composition PART TIME, or once you become a doctor, you'll also have the FREE TIME for the artistic side, I saw doctors with casual articles posted on newspapers, by then you'll have the CRUCIAL SOCIAL GUARANTEE in your life."
"Congrats for the offer from IMU, take it, coz it's a ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE." <Lifetime in once misstep maybe>

I'm not b****ing about me, but, as a value to the survey.
See, they dont even touch the points like: passion, compassion, interests.
<Do help me clarify that interest part>

But then, I'm kinda like a guy who likes to study, if I'm not having any interest in Medical studies, I'll sure be argumentative.


Hey, I assume this thread begins with a little non-academic tone, So I'm thinking of one question, you mentioned it earlier too, like.

At our parents' era, there really is not much choice, I assume that many just step on Medicine simply, or without in-depth considerations, but after the years, they still succeeded in becoming a Doctor right?

This question sounds stupid, but if one have been in the crossroads, he'll sure be sensitive to issues.

Thanks

This post has been edited by ShaneNg: May 16 2009, 07:05 PM

I didn't mean to hijack that thread, because it's irrelevant about what I wish to bring up. But I should thank the thread to remind me of this issue and hence bring it up.

I don't understand your question. Do you mean regardless of what the initial reason of pursuing medicine studies, the person ends up being a doctor, serving the community. If that is the case, then there's no need reason for studying medicine, just need to get into and go through the 5 years. Do you mean something like that?

Sorta, I'm not planning to do so, but I think there definitely will be some Doctors who fit that description.

There are 101 reasons why a person wants to take up medicine. We will never know. For parents, normally they think that the 'health sciences' field will at least guarantee a secure career for their kids in the future. Seldom we heard a doctor being jobless. You get the point? There's demand for doctors any time. So career wise, some parents think being a doctor is good.

About the student him/herself, you have to ask that person. Sometimes I find those people saying he wants to become a cardiothoracic surgeon/ neurosurgeon kind of irritating, because you even haven't finished the 5 years course, why think so far? Yes, it's good to have a dream, but I feel that in reality, specialization is not one might think how it would turn out to be. I mean, there's really a lot of factors, and as one newly grad doctor told me, you tend to change your mind when you see the real thing. One might think of becoming a paediatrician but in the end, he might become an oncologist.

So my point here is, it is better to ask yourself are you really prepared to become a doctor (as in a normal doctor, not specialist) for the rest of your life? Thinking too far ahead seems a bit unrealistic to be, but I stand to be corrected.

For me, people thinking of earning big bucks by becoming a doctor seem to have made a wrong decision. I think medical field is about providing service first, monetary gain second. You can lead a comfortable life, but certainly not to the extend of spending lavishly.

Last but not least, I think medicine is not reserved exclusively for those brainy and geniuses. I have come across people who excelled in their studies, but communication skills wise they fared poorly. How to comfort or talk to a patient if that's the case? I've personally seen a very, very rude doctor in A&E department scolding a foreigner (who broke his hand) but I knew he's a top student back then. So what say you?

P/S: I'm a medical student just for the record.

Darky,
Thanks for the comment.

It's great to know that there are students willing to do Medicine at their own will.

But I think parents' demand are not due to its secure job nature. (Accounting, Engineering are all secure jobs.) It's more to the fame, income and probably the parents' egoism, so that they can brag about "My son/daughter is a doctor."
Partly, I believe it's to allow the parents to fulfil their own dreams where they fail to claim in their times.

engineering isnt a secure job. at least in msia.

well i know of one person who went to medical school juz coz his dad insisted.
he was a top student, scoring 5A for stpm back in the days when 5 subjects were compulsory.

and after that, when he came out working, ppl hav quoted him as saying "erm, actually ok la this job. i kinda like it". lol. time can change people.

i think at the end of the day. some of the forced students are actually pretty smart and can complete med school without dying in the exams. This students are considered smart and hardworking, which actually have the brains to push them through the degree.

While on the other end of the spectrum, are students who have been forced to do the degree by their parents, and come one man , getting BCC for A levels is hell of a shit result. I would never contemplate even taking medicine up no matter how much I want it or my parents have forced me to do so. Few people I know are currently doing this.

I'll give you my personal story. I'm more of a semi want to do it. I just didn't wanna go to IMU. Feel I'm missing out on a lot of good things overseas. but i'm still going through the motion, waiting to go off. I would have given up on IMU, or medicine for that matter a career i've been wanting since form 1 to do Law a totally unrelated career. but my parents wont let me go overseas for that, hence defied the purpose of me straying off my current track. I know was a little silly of me to do so. but i guess nothing goes your way in life. you just gotta keep on working and suffering. Btw, my results are almost straight's for every major exam working my way up to my currently level. Only pray my results this friday would be okay through to 2nd year if i do.

So, you wanted to do Law originally?

Btw, are there many exams through the first year?

This post has been edited by ShaneNg: May 17 2009, 10:13 PM

Well, so it's parents' will that make you did not choose Law.
Hmm, interesting to know that someone comes to a decision of Medicine based on that.

Wow, your ambition is Law eh? Well I just we all have gay dream when we were small but do something else when we grown up. I for one is lucky as I already thought of being a Doctor since a kindergarten kid with a fake stethoscope around my neck The only problem is a huge burden carry by expectation by my WHOLE family ever since I got 5A and 8A in UPSR and PMR. I got a little unlucky in STPM due to nervousness in the exam.

Anyway, life goes on as people said...

no it wasnt law, law was second choice. hope i didnt phrase it differently.

first was medicine. second was law. but as i was giving up on medicine cause i didnt like imu and wanted to go off overseas straight and not pms. but they didnt support me going over except for medicine. so after much thought it was not wise to change course just to go overseas straight.

Oh you are really exciting to go to oversea huh? Why not stay in IMU. Perhaps boring KL?

just for the record, i think engineering grads are finding it hard to secure a job nowadays. I've known a few engineering grads who couldn't find a job and had to apply to become temporary teacher instead.

Whereas for doctors, I think after you grad, the MOST you have to wait is 6months before you get called up for your housemanship. After that, you're basically a gov servant unless you screwed up somewhere.

Yep, my brother did engineering in Edinburgh even with an advanced entry (2 year instead of 3) and taking a nanotech project along the way.

he got job with SIA and fired 34 years ago. he never got another job again

better work in healthcare like Pharmacy, medicine or Nursing

Eh 34 years ago? What happen to your brother after that?

Well for me, becoming a doctor was one of my childhood dreams (yes, yes the cliche reason: I want to help people) but after years of contemplating during my adolescent years, I figured I wasn't cut out for the job, I'm too empathic, I can't stand to see people in pain (I'd want to shoulder the pain in their place), in the end I'm taking a course my parents and I agreed on. Although in the future, I'd like to move into a profession that is involve in humanitarian aid - thought of taking law in grad school (work in those international aid organization) or be trained as a counselor, missionary as well as pick up some medical skills perhaps as a medical aid worker.

Figured there are other ways to help people rather than the tradition route taking medicine.

34 YEARS AGO!!?? How old're you now??

Btw,I have 2 uncles that both're engineer,one of them worked with SHELL as petroleum engineer but his contract just ended few years back ;the other one currently still working with SONY as electronic engineer through contract also ....
Just recently few days back I met them in my hometown,they told me that healthcare field has better job prospect compare to others and engineering nowadays very hard to find a job just like what Ibrahimovic said

When i was small, i always get good results, and my dad will always says that to me: "Next time you can be like your uncle" (My uncle is a doctor). And I think that he really hopes that i can become a doctor...
As I grew up, I felt that helping people is really nice, especially when I joined St. Johns Ambulance during secondary school.
When time come for me to choose the course I want, my dad says that he will not pressure me, I can choose to study anything I like. But I had already chosen medicine, don't know because of him or myself. So, i am studying medicine now...

well my parents always wanted me to become a dentist cause of the Secure future, but i rejected cause had no interest. Pursue your interest and you will thrive in your field.

A teacher reminded me of something Earlier.
No matter how insecure a field's future prospect is, If you can be at the top of your game, you will definitely find yourself a job. Instead companies will be hunting for you.

Haha, sorry it's 3-4 years ago He still 30 y/o without any job especially now on global recession.

Just remember this, people can avoid buying product or services but they can NEVER avoid healthcare which translated into a more stable career.