Regardless of whether you have been offered your first permanent role as a physician or are looking for career advancement, there are many things you will need to consider before accepting that all-important job offer.
Moving to a new place of work or a new department can bring with it many challenges, so you must give it the consideration it deserves.
Here are 4 things all physicians should consider before accepting a new position.
Reputation
One of the critical things to consider when accepting a new role is to ask yourself whether the ethos and reputation of the hospital or clinic is a good fit for you. If they have a terrible reputation for patient care or are well known for having high staff turnover, perhaps it might not be the right move. Do some research and make sure it feels right. If you will have a team of staff below you, ask to spend some time with them and gauge how well you think you might work together.
Your gut instincts will be a reasonably failsafe indicator of whether it’s going to be a good move.
Career Goals
Will the new position take your career to the next step or are you sidestepping for no good reason? If there are no significant differences between the new role and your existing one, you need to ask yourself whether there is any point moving.
If, on the other hand, the new position is going to be a good stepping stone to get to where you want to be in the longer term, then you are probably headed in the right direction.
Contract
If you have already decided to accept a job offer, you may have been presented with a very lengthy and detailed contract to sign. It’s a wise move to get someone with legal or contractual experience to look over it, particularly if you don’t understand some of the terminologies.
According to Physicians Thrive, an advisory group for doctors and surgeons, physicians who don’t have their contracts reviewed put themselves in professional jeopardy. Make sure you understand all of the terms, caveats, and obligations before you sign, or you could regret it further down the line.
Family
If your new position involves relocating, it will have an impact on your whole family, so they must be all on board and agreeable.
You may already work unsociable hours, but if the new position dictates that your hours will increase further, is your partner okay with that? Will it affect their career or your current childcare set up?
You will likely need to have some very detailed discussions with your family before accepting any new role. While it could bring lots of benefits, you need to be sure that it’s the right decision for all concerned.
If
you ever heard the phrase “not all heroes wear capes,” then you
should know that it refers to the selfless acts done by the likes of
firefighters, police officers, and especially doctors. Whether a doctor is
needed for checkups or to help someone recover from a terrible event, they are
among some of the most influential people we interact within our daily lives.
Do you want a career as a doctor? If you’re going to become a medical professional, then there are things you need to know.
1. Know What Undergrad Classes to Take
No
matter the role you’ll end up taking as a future doctor, it is crucial to take
the right classes during undergrad. Here are the basic elements for any
pre-medical education you could partake in:
One year of college Biology with laboratory. In Biology, you will learn about genetics, cells, and the framework of life, which are the building blocks of medical science and are crucial to succeed in the field.
One year of General (inorganic) Chemistry with laboratory: Provides you with a strong basis for understanding acid-base imbalances in the human body and how different medications work.
24 semester hours of Biology and Chemistry
One year or 6-8 semester hours of Mathematics: You will want to take Calculus or Statistics. Math is vital for doctors because it will help you to determine the proper medicine dosage for patients as well as read lab results.
One year or eight semester hours of General Physics: You will be introduced to key medical concepts, such as laws of pressure and volume, which are essential for cardiology and understanding how forces operate in the body.
English: Helps you with your critical thinking, reading and writing skills
Biochemistry: There is an increased emphasis on this subject on the MCAT
Psychology and sociology: With the added section on the MCAT, you will need a better understanding of these two subjects
Medical anthropology or history: Learn about how medicine has changed over the years.
No matter what major you choose during undergrad, you will want to make sure you maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher. Medical school admissions are highly competitive, so the better you do as an undergrad student, the higher your chances of getting into the school of your choice.
2. Take the Time to do Extracurricular Activities, Volunteer Work and Internships
While
doing well as an undergrad student is important, it is also essential that medical schools see that you are a
well-rounded student.
In addition to finding job opportunities related to the medical field, you
should have experience with underserved populations. More
and more medical schools are looking for passionate students who are
compassionate about addressing the health care needs of diverse populations.
This experience will allow you to talk first hand about your experience, what
you gained from it, and how you can use this perspective as a future physician.
Volunteering is another experience future medical students should have. Look into volunteering at a hospital or clinic to gain exposure to working in a health care setting or Volunteer as an emergency medical technician. Consider working in crisis-affected communities with a medical corps group — volunteer at a summer camp counsellor working with children with disabilities. No matter where you volunteer, commit and stick with it. The length of time you volunteer somewhere will look more favourable versus only doing it for short stints.
As a future doctor, you will want to show medical schools that you have teaching and leadership experience. One of the most important roles a physician plays is being a teacher when they impart information to their patients. You can gain teaching experience through teaching swimming, a musical instrument to a child, or becoming a teaching assistant. To gain leadership experience, consider holding an office in the student government, in an on-campus club, or organisation. Look into mentoring at-risk youth or organise an event on-campus or in your local community.
Whether you volunteer, work in the medical field or take on a leadership role, it is vital that you show medical schools that you are willing and capable of working hard to accomplish any goal you set for yourself.
3. Spend Time Studying and Preparing for the MCAT
All prospective medical students must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). This computer-based standardised test was developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges and is administered fourteen times a year at the Prometric Testing Centers. The exam takes eight hours to complete and will test your physical and biological sciences as well as verbal reasoning. The four main sections of the exam include:
Critical
Analysis and Reasoning Skills
Biological
and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Chemical
and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Psychological,
Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
When preparing to take the MCAT, you will want to allow at least twelve weeks to study.
Make sure you register early through the AAMC website so you can secure your test date and location. Once you know your test date, set up a study schedule, and make sure you stick to it. Next, invest in suitable study materials that give you the option to take as many practice tests as you can. It’s best to simulate what the actual test will be like, so there are no surprises on your test day.
4. Take Time to Research Medical Schools
Before
you narrow down what medical schools you want to apply to, make sure you take
your time to research each school. Some things to consider when researching
potential medical schools include:
What is the cost to attend? Is there access to financial aid?
What is the atmosphere of the school? Is it calm and collaborative? Or cut-throat and competitive?
What is student life like? Consider talking to current students or alumni.
What is the faculty to student ratio?
What is the teaching quality like? Ask current students for their perspective.
Think about visiting the medical schools you are considering applying to. This will give you a chance to talk with current students, alumni, professors, as well as the admissions office and ask them questions about the school, curriculum, and life outside of class. While you are at the school, tour the campus and the surrounding area to get a better idea of what it would be like to live there and attend school.
5. Know the Application and Interview Process
When
you start the application process for medical school, you need to remember that
schools admit students on a rolling basis. This means that spaces in the
program are offered to qualified
candidates until all spots are filled.
For your primary application, you will submit a single application through one of three centralised application services; AMCAS (for MD admissions), TMDSAS (for Texas Medical Schools), AACOMAS (for DO admissions). Your primary application will provide medical schools with the information that need for the initial screening process. The application will include:
Transcripts
MCAT scores
Information about your most meaningful
experiences. This is where you would include extracurricular activities,
research, volunteer work, clinical work, etc.
Personal statement
Letters of recommendation
Make sure to submit your application as early as
possible. Applications that are submitted early in the cycle will be reviewed
first, which will give you a better chance of acceptance.
There are two possible outcomes after you submit
your primary application. First, it could be rejected, or second, the school
will send you its secondary application. The secondary application usually
includes a variety of essays you must write on assigned topics.
Once your secondary medical school application is
reviewed, you will either be rejected, invited to the campus for an interview,
or your application will be put on hold until after the first round of
interviews. If your application is placed on hold, it will be reviewed as other
candidates accept or decline offers.
Final Thoughts
These five things will help you on your way to becoming a doctor.
Start preparing during your undergrad career as you begin your journey to
becoming a medical professional.
