Pros and Cons of Becoming a Doctor

There's only one way to have a fresh new start for this blog, and that is to have a simple glimpse of what this blog is really about: becoming a doctor. We are all aware of the pride and prestige that 'MD' can bring to an individual once it is connected to his name. However, in order for someone to achieve this feat, the willingness to embrace a lot of sacrifices and hardships must be existent. Is becoming a doctor worth all these? Maybe in one way or another but here in the Philippines, especially, where doctors turn into nurses to experience the greener pasture abroad, becoming a doctor is really not a simple walk in the park. Nonetheless, many are still responding to their "inner calling" to be a doctor amidst not-so-favorable environment. And for those who are still undecided to pursue the medical career, I included here the pros and cons that you have to consider before making that big decision. The pros are an excerpt from an outstanding analysis by Dr. Willie T. Ong, which he posted on one of the forums in Pinoy MD, an online community of Filipino doctors.

Pros:

* Prestige and respect - There is nothing like adding an MD after your name. Being a doctor, for many, is one of the noblest profession that can influence people by just a simple touch and conversation.

* Ability to help - If you want to make a difference, if you want to help the sick and poor, then this is the profession for you. Armed with only a stethoscope, doctors help multitudes by just sitting, listening and advising. Unlike businessmen who need to donate millions in order to help, for doctors, helping is a way of life.

* Power and influence - Whether you’re caught for a traffic violation or you just need an excuse, doctors usually get away with it. In addition, a lot of doors open for doctors in business, in their advocacy or even their love life. The level of influence is directly related to the doctor’s specialization and status in his or her field. The higher up the ladder, the more the clout.

* Lots of friends (and admirers too) - One thing sure, if you’re a doctor, you’ll never be lonely or bored with daily patient interaction and inside knowledge of people’s darkest secrets. There’ll always be someone asking you for help.

* Caring for ones family - Every family needs a doctor. There’s nothing like a doctor-son or daughter caring for his or her parents. Diseases are detected early, treated correctly and lives are prolonged. Less worry and headache for everyone. This was especially true for Dr. Manuel Chua-Chiaco, Sr. as he confides, “I wanted to be a doctor to be of service to my family. My father had tuberculosis, my mother had hypertension, two brothers had thyrotoxicosis, and one sister had severe asthma.” Many parents appreciate the doctor’s importance. “It was my Dad’s dream to have a physician in the family. I ended up being the ‘chosen one’,” says Dr. Frances Lina Lantion-Ang.

* You won’t starve (but you may not get rich either). - Most rich doctors are already rich to begin with. Earning tons of money in medicine is possible but sometimes your conscience sometimes dictates that you give free services. If you are a believer like me, I guess the doctor’s rewards are in heaven (where moths and insects can’t get to them).

* Doable even with an average IQ - For medical students, earning the MD is the norm rather than the exception. You don’t have to be a genius. A good heart will go a long way. You could be like Dr. Trinidad Echano-Madrigal who hates math, “It was the only career option requiring a minimum of math subjects. I was poor in numbers, hence the choice.”

* Indispensability - As Dr. Ernesto P. Namin says on why he chose to become a doctor, “The most needed professionals in my community were physicians and I felt it was romantic to be indispensable.”

* God’s servant - Spirituality and peace of mind are welcome benefits for doctors. There’s nothing like helping needy people to cleanse ones soul. Dr. Amado M. San Luis understands the spiritual aspect of medicine: “I consider medicine to be the noblest profession and an extension of God’s healing hand, the only profession given the privilege to understand life and cure diseases afflicting man.” Dr. Homobono B. Calleja agrees, “Of the three learned professions (the clergy, law and medicine), medicine serves the totality of the human being, the spiritual as well as the physical.”

* Love of country - Here is something new. In the light of the massive brain drain of health workers, studying medicine and practicing in the country has been equated with heroism. It doesn’t hurt that our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, is also a doctor who studied abroad and came back to serve his country.

Cons:

*Tuition fee- This one is not new to us, as we are all aware that Medicine is one of the most expensive career to pursue (average tuition for a well known private medical school would range around 70-90 thousand++ per semester). Including the years one has to survive for the pre-med course, med proper, and internship plus all the other expenses for books, daily transportation and other things indispensable for a medical student, pursuing a medical career is undoubtedly a burden heavy enough especially for a middle-class family. Unless you are intelligent enough to make it to one of the country's top public medical schools or grab a scholarship that will cover all your five years in medical school, then the financial issue will not matter to you.

*The length of time it takes to be a doctor- After nine years (pre med, med proper and internship combined) you will still have to spend a year or two on hospital residency and a couple years more to be a specialist.In addition to that, a medical student should be persistent enough to withstand the fact that most of his former classmates will be getting high-paying jobs and receiving promotions after promotions within those years that he'll be spending his time in the medical school. That's why pursuing this career is a tough decision that no one should take for granted.

*Limited money-making opportunities- This pertains to all those years that a medical student will be spending inside the school and hospitals where time is extremely limited for extra-curricular activities, especially for part-time jobs and other money-generating activities.

*There's no guarantee of an abundant life- This is the main reason why doctors here in the Philippines have transformed into nurses during the previous years. Working as a nurse abroad is indeed more satisfying than being a local doctor as far as financial compensation is concerned.