Choosing a career is not easy under any circumstances, but choosing a career in medicine is especially difficult and exciting. It is difficult because of the sacrifices involved, and because it takes many years to become a practicing physician. It is an exciting and extremely rewarding career because it is valued by society. It offers you the chance to help others, to relieve pain and suffering, and perhaps to find new methods of treating and curing disease.

Medicine is an intellectually challenging and often lucrative field, and there is a broad spectrum of opportunity and career options for those who study it: there are dozens of specialties and subspecialties from which to choose. You can practice medicine in a hospital, in a clinic, in a group or private practice, in a managed care system, or in any combination of these. You can go into research in such an exciting and controversial field as genetic engineering. You can even become a teacher, leading new generations of doctors. (1).

Therefore, congratulations on your attempt to enter one of the most competitive career fields!

Despite the possibility of a physician surplus, there are actually physician shortages in many parts of the country, particularly rural and inner-city areas. To combat this problem, federal and state-funded programs offer financial incentives to doctors who agree to serve in under-served areas.

There is also a shortage of physicians from certain ethnic backgrounds. It is important to have a physician population that represents the population that it serves. Most medical schools attempt to recruit students of ethnic backgrounds that are underrepresented in medicine.

Approximately 45 percent of entering medical students are women. This is remarkable considering that just 20 years ago women accounted for only 30 percent of medical students, and in 1960 less than 7 percent of medical students were women.

Today, about 25 percent of practicing physician are women, and this percentage will continue to rise. There are outstanding women physicians in every imaginable medical field, especially in pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology.

At the same time there are important ethical issues related to life and death that physicians have to deal with. As a physician in the 21st century, some of your ethical dilemmas are likely to involve the conflict between saving money and saving lives. Many medical schools barely address medical ethics, leaving you on your own to learn about and to think through important ethical issues.

According to the American Medical Association, the next 10 to 15 years will be a period of substantial change for physicians. "Physicians who are flexible, adaptable, and responsive to changing circumstances are likely to prosper during such a period". (2).
Apart from flexibility, what are other traits that will help you succeed and find job satisfaction as a physician in the 21st century?

What it takes to be a doctor in the 21st Century:

Compassion - a critical part of healing
Advocacy - for your patients and for those without health care
Leadership - in improving health care at the team, hospital, and policy level
Lifelong learning - there will always be more to learn
Interpersonal skills - communication with patients and among providers has a key role
Negotiation - to work around bureaucratic constraints
Grasp - of a health care system in flux.

Ask yourself: Is medicine your CALLING?

There are many factors to consider when applying to medical school. Therefore, we hope that this handbook will help you to learn some things and will give answers to some of your questions.

Resources:

1. Medical School Companion. The Ultimate Guide to Excelling in Medical School and Launching Your Career by M. Ross-Dolen, K. Berkowitz, E. Ali. The Princeton Review. 1999.
2. Complete Book of Medical Schools. The Smart Student's Guide to Medical Schools. The Princeton Review. 2003 edition.

Updated 10/29/07.