One of the questions you’ll be asked when you apply for medical school is why you want to be a doctor. This might be obvious to some people, but for others, it could be a much vaguer thought, and if you don’t know how to answer the question, your interview might not go as well as you had hoped.
It’s good to prepare for these questions in advance. Not only will it ensure you can answer when the time comes, but it will also mean you can feel more confident in the interview, which will help you come across well. With this in mind, read on for some of the reasons people have to become doctors so you can find the one that matches your own thoughts on the subject.
Exploring Reasons to Become a Doctor
You Can Help Others
One of the biggest reasons why someone might choose to become a doctor is so they can help others. This is what a doctor, no matter what discipline they specialize in or the kind of doctor they are, will be doing on a daily basis.
As a doctor, you have a huge responsibility to help people overcome and recover from potentially life-changing (and sometimes life-threatening) injuries and illnesses. This really should be seen as an honor, and if you want a job that is rewarding and gives you a chance to put people’s lives back together, being a doctor is the answer.
Medicine Is Interesting
When you are a doctor, you’ll need to know absolutely everything about human anatomy, and you’ll also need to understand the human mind to some extent as well (especially if you choose to become a psychiatrist, for example). What could be more fascinating than looking into the endless wonders that the human body and mind can show you?
For most people, the way we move around and function is just something we do – it’s not interesting because they’ve never had to think about it, and they don’t have to understand it. However, for doctors whose job it is to investigate why certain areas of the body are not doing what they are supposed to, it offers up infinite possibilities, and there will always be something new to learn. From the time you complete your MCAT registration to the day you retire, you’ll never know it all, but you’ll want to know as much as possible.
It’s Exciting
Does the idea of sitting behind a desk for eight or more hours a day excite you? For some, that will be a dream job, but for those who want to be doctors, it won’t be at all – it will be the very opposite of what they’ll want.
The job of a doctor will have its quieter moments – there is a lot of paperwork to complete and many tests to get through – but it will also have many exciting moments. These could be life-or-death situations, or they might be breakthroughs in treatment or the final diagnosis of a difficult case. A doctor’s day-to-day working life will never be dull, and every day will bring something new and interesting to deal with. It’s a challenge, but if you choose to accept it, it can be the most rewarding thing you ever do.
