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.

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.