Choosing to study medicine will probably be the biggest decision you will make in your life which will determine your end. Medicine requires a lot of patience, dedication, and passion for human life. Most of the time, you will see yourself at crossroads making sacrifices for the greater.
Before deciding to study medicine, you should consult a counselor or someone you can refer to for advice.
You should be able to know all the details about becoming a doctor; well we’ll be taking you through all that and the medical books for high school students.
We hope to take you through the process as you make the biggest decision of your life about becoming a lifesaver.
Pros and cons of being a medical doctor
We want you to look at all the challenges and perks of being a medical doctor and what it will cost you. We hope to help you figure yourself out after reading this.
Some challenges you will face while studying medicine are (CONS):
A long period of study
Going to med school will take you a lot of years because of the different certifications. We will talk more about years of study in the coming sections.
Strict guidelines
All med schools always have strict ethics and standards which guide your code of conduct in school and later on as you practice. An example can be No fixing of nails, your hair should be tied into a bun during practicals, etc.
Stressful Academic period
The stress in med school stems from all the courses you are required to pass and how difficult it can be to understand them. Here are some articles that might come in handy as you start your journey to becoming a doctor:
Cost of Studying
Medicine is by far the most expensive field of study. It requires almost $260, 000 in the US to become a medical doctor; but do not be weighed down by this because you can always apply for scholarships and financial aid.
Some challenges you will face as a doctor
Little time with family
Because of the fact that you are dealing with human lives, you will always see yourself putting off family time to save lives. This will be the nature of your job most of the time. This is not however applicable to all doctors because of shifts. Working shifts allow you to know your hours of work and plan out your time accordingly.
Exposure to disease
You will get exposed to many kinds of diseases that may pose a serious danger to your health. You have heard about all the brave doctors who died while saving lives during covid-19.
Medical doctors are one of the first people exposed to life-threating and contagious diseases. Sometimes your patients will not respond to treatments and it will become a challenging time. The relatives will keep on reaching out to you to help save the life of their relative, causing you mental stress.
How about being the cause of major surgery failure, or accidentally causing the death of a patient due to negligence? All these can contribute to the mental breakdown of a doctor if that happens.
Having difficult patients who refuse to take medications and listen to you will be another thing you will have to worry about.
Stress
Being burnt out is a thing among doctors. There is always this tendency to forget about yourself as a doctor. You are always thinking about your patient and what to do to help them get better. That is great, but you should not forget to take care of yourself.
Pros of being a doctor
Satisfaction
There is this joy you will get from the fact that you are saving lives. This will be your biggest reward studying medicine. If you have a passion to save lives, go for it. It is a very overwhelming feeling that makes all the stress worth it.
High pay
Doctors earn a huge amount of money and benefits to account for all their stress and contributions to saving lives. Salaries however vary from place to place and are different for each qualification.
Knowledge
Studying medicine broadens your knowledge and understanding about different issues regarding the body.
How long does it take to become a doctor?
Becoming a doctor takes an awful amount of years. It will take up to 10-14 years to become a full-fledged physician.
Doctors are required to complete a four-year undergraduate program which are j5 or 6 years in some universities. Then you move on to med school which takes another 4 years to complete. After that, you will spend 3 to 7 years in a residency program in order to specialize in a particular field.
How do I know what to specialize in, in med school?
If you are starting out, you don’t need to worry about that for now. Just focus on going to med school and the path should become clearer as you progress.
The fastest way to memorize in med school
One way to help you grab stuff a lot faster and retain them in med school is using flashcards. They provide a fast and efficient way to memorize and organize your thoughts to help you study. Using Anki Flashcards* has proven a better way in studying with flashcards.
We have detailed this section in the article below.
The Medical Books for High School Students to Consider Before Going to Med School
Now let’s get to the interesting part. These books will give you a solid overview of medicine and prepare you for the journey ahead.
Med school confidential
This is a book by Dan Bissel that will guide you in your journey to becoming a doctor. It takes you step by step through the entire process from thinking about, applying to and choosing a med school and program, internships, residency, fellowships to choosing a specialty and finding the perfect job.
When breath becomes air by Paul Kalanithi
This is a non-fiction autobiography written by American neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi. It is a simple memoir about his life and battling stage IV metastatic lung cancer.
In this book, Paul shares what it means to live life and approach death with grace. A book that will help you understand the struggles of being a doctor.
The house of God by Samuel Shem
This is a satirical novel by Samuel Shem based on a group of medical interns. The book focuses on the psychological harm and dehumanization caused by their residency training.
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
This is a book written that emphasizes the importance of the well-being of medical care. It contains personal stories from the author.
In stitches by Anthony Youn
This is a book written by Youn that tells how he grew up from a nerd into a renowned plastic surgeon.
The soul of a doctor
This is a Harvard book that has stories of transitioning from med school classrooms to the realities of the hospital. It is like a guide for future doctors.
How we do harm by Otis Webb Brawley MD
How we do harm exposes the underside of working in a healthcare facility. He talks about things the healthcare keeps silent about. The malfunctions and discrimination between the rich and the poor.
Bad science by Ben Goldacre
This is a book that criticizes the media reports on health and science-related issues.
You can get all the books from google books, just search with the name and author. We hope to have been helpful to you as you decide to go to med school.
We hope you enjoyed all the tips and information we gave you on making your biggest decision yet. Are you ready for med school? Tell us what you think about medical books for high school students in the comment section.