Personal Development Planning - Essay Example

? Personal Development Planning Introduction Training to become a doctor requires time and dedication. In the United States, undergraduate educations usually take at least 4 years. To join the undergraduate training, one is required to have performed well in science related subjects (physics, Biology and chemistry) in the high school studies (Heller, 2009). Restriction however it is not limited since some students can enter the field with other qualifications. Before making a decision to choose the doctors career, there are a number things to consider: the personality is crucial since the medical field require a strong personality. Training in the medical field is challenging learning process and requires perseverance, desire and passion to help the society (Heller, 2009). Specialties in the medical field usually take duration from 3 to 6 years of study depending on the field of specialization. Basically it takes an approximate of 12 years to start practicing medicine from the year of joining college. Studying in a medical requires some intelligence in the way one study in order to finally achieve an undergraduate degree. The basic requirement for one to achieve in the medical field is the passion. One should have the passion to learn more, curious in achieving knowledge in the medical field and the desire to have a hand in helping the society (Heller, 2009). The performance in science related studies can be used to gauge the ability to succeed in medical field. Though the science plays an important role in decision to take concerning the medical career, excellent performance in science is not usually a guarantee to success in medicine (Heller, 2009). It is usually necessary to be strong in science and also have a good relationship with people. Basically being a physicist is taking the task of assisting others. To begin with, the feeling of helping others attributes a good character of becoming a physicist (Heller, 2009). The medical field is broad and involves handling patients in various capacities and in diverse categories. It ranges from specializing in research, practicing in the field and educating doctor. Depending on the course taken, becoming a physicist is always treated with high esteem and honor in the society. Taking a physicist career may guarantee a job security because in an unfortunate event, there is always a tendency of illness to occur. Joining the doctors’ career in a university is highly competitive. The places in medical school are scarce therefore universities would always revise the minimum requirement every year depending on the demand. The career structure also changes with time (Green, 2009). Basically the profession requires a huge motivation for a person to successfully complete a university course and become a doctor. A typical medical training would take a minimum of 5 years training as student, internship and practice till becoming a full doctor would amount to seven years. Taking medicine as a second career A choice of becoming a full doctor may not be the first choice however a decision to join the career may come later in after achieving in the first choice career. Generally the probability of being considered may be even higher than the fresh candidates joining a career for the first time. Basically this is because of the composure and the ability to properly answer the interview questions gained in the other field. Joining a bachelors degree in medicine The choice of the degree mainly depends on the performance in courses related to physics, chemistry and biology. Basically a year study on these subjects determines the medical school to join. Usually the studying medicine requires the highest grades in these subjects (Green, 2009). In order to increase knowledge in the field, it is always advisable to take a volunteer work in healthcare activities that would enhance understanding on the field. Higher grades in sciences and at least a qualification of 3.3 in GPA enhance the chances. Application process When applying for the medical school, a MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is usually done after one year of study (Green, 2009). It is used as an aptitude test in gauging a personal ability to complete a medical school. Various interviews will be done in the medical fields depending on the choice and qualification in the MCAT. Usually the number of interview would be limited by imposing fees in the interviews. Additional post study after MCAT would increase the chances of being chosen. A number of requirements will be considered before being cleared to study in the field of choice in the medical school. One will be required to write an essay, show maturity and professionalism in work(Green, 2009). During the learning period in the medical school, the students learn on variety of subjects on the field of medicine and across other fields related to medicine. The final year of the medical school involves the selection of areas of specialties. The students are interviewed for the residency program. After taking interviews, it would be advisable to engage in prioritize the programs to engage in. the one of great interests should be chosen first and the rest follows in the list of preference. On the other hand the programs will also rank the students according to their qualifications. Residency After the acceptance in the residency program, medical students join the program usually in June as an intern for the first year. After the intern, another three would be a learning period where tests are conducted to access the performance of each of the students under training (Shakur, 2011). The residency period may last up to nine years for the students taking the surgery program depending on the need. The student after the completion of residency training will join fellowship for another period of two to three years before being certified as trained physician (Shakur, 2011). Medical practice Medical jobs range from medical assistants to specialized medical practitioners. Basically a responsibly depends on the education received and experience gain practicing medicine. There are various categories of medicine subspecialty but the major ones are; Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Radiology, Gynecology and Family Medicine (Shakur, 2011). Basically their work is usually specialized in a certain disease treatment therefore they would require assistance from the wider medical field. The major groups working with the doctors are the medical assistants and the nurses. They work together to ensure the patients receive the utmost care and treatment. A medical assistant for instance coordinates the work of doctors and nurses. They are usually responsible for providing patients with the basic treatment and facilitating the patients’ treatment and frequently checking their conditions. Sometimes, their work may be administrative. There are various categories of nurses (Burnand, 2007). Basically there are registered nurses, certified nursing assistant and licensed practical nurse. Depending on their qualifications, nurses are generally responsible for planning the best treatment course for patients. Basically they are responsible for developing a plan that would be used in treatment of patients. Internal Medicine Medical physicians are specialized in treatment of unusual and very serious diseases. There are wide areas of study but the main feature is in the internal medicine (Gutkind, 2011). The treatment in this category is non surgical but the work is usually done in the hospital. The older age group usually prefers the internal doctor for consultancy purposes. In order for one to attain the necessary Education as an internal doctor, the learning period would take a period of up to 10 years of study. It is a requirement that one should obtain a certification of subspecialty in the internal medicine. The certification is usually after an additional training in the area of specialization is done. The ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine) is mandated to issue certification in the fields of internal medicine (Gutkind, 2011). The body usually certifies the internal medicine subspecialties from cardiology, Nephrology, Critical Care Medicine, Infectious diseases among others. An internal medicine specialist therefore has the mandate of playing an important role in treatment of illnesses. Apart from the diseases that are specified to geriatrics, the internal medicine doctor is a critical player in offering specialized treatment to patients with serious infections and complications. Importance of my internal medicine in my present career The internal medicine specialist is important in offering specialized treatment to patients with serious infections and complications however it does not conduct surgery. Being in the business profession I would require an internal medicine subspecialty would work well when called upon to work as Locum doctor (Blundell, Harrison, & Turney, 2011). This would give freedom to choose the place to work and sometimes leave practicing while busy with other businesses. Basically the field can be advantageous as it doesn’t bind anyone to long term contract or commitment to a specific duty. A quicker experience in both the medicine and management is obtained while the importance of the position is also crucial in the job market. Therefore such an achievement would develop a strong foundation in achieving the dreams of being a physician and also operating a private healthcare hospital (Blundell, Harrison, & Turney, 2011). Conclusion Choosing a second career would be difficult in life but sometimes it can be worth the perseverance. Basically, choosing a medical field on top of the business would prove to be worth since it helps in established business in a field of specialization is crucial in establishing a business. References Blundell, A., Harrison, R., & Turney, B. W. (2011). Essential Guide to Becoming a Doctor. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons. Burnand, J. (2007). Becoming a Doctor: Surviving and Thriving in the Early Postgraduate Years. Sidney: Elsevier Australia . Green. (2009). Becoming a Doctor: Is Medicine Really the Career for You? London : Developmedica Limited. Gutkind, L. (2011). Becoming a Doctor: From Student to Specialist, Doctor-Writers Share Their Experiences. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Heller, T. (2009). On Becoming a Doctor: Everything You Need to Know about Medical School, Residency, Specialization, and Practice. New York: Sourcebooks, Inc. Shakur, R. (2011). A Career in Medicine: Do You Have what it Takes? Second Edition. London: Hodder Education. Read More