Why to be a doctor?

Doctors are known for dealing with high-stress situations while working strenuous hours that can potentially include long evenings and even weekends in the event of an emergency or call schedule. Many take pride not only in what that perseverance says about their own character but also in how those struggles elevate their talents as a medical doctor.

Experienced MDs have seen how challenging situations can bring out the best of their abilities—and many agree that’s part of what keeps the job so interesting. As you contemplate the question, “Why become a doctor?” it can be helpful to consider how seasoned physicians knew it was the right career path for them.

We gathered stories from doctors across the US about what drove them to pursue their calling in medicine. Their responses revealed what makes their daily work worth the effort. According to these MDs, there are plenty of reasons to become a doctor.

Those words feel incommensurate to the passion and drive most doctors and physicians have for their work. But for St. George’s University (SGU) graduate Dr. Moshe Karp, that is the simple truth behind his decision to pursue a career in emergency medicine: he wanted to be able to save lives.

And Dr. Karp was actually able to see that goal come to fruition before his medical schooling was even complete. In 2017, he was on a flight to New York City to begin clinical rotations after completing basic science studies at the SGU School of Medicine in Grenada. An hour or so into the flight, another passenger went into cardiac arrest.

Dr. Karp, with years of experience as an NYC paramedic, recognized the signs: the passenger was cool, pale, sweating heavily, experiencing agonal respirations, and had no pulse. The young medical student immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and assisted ventilation. Dr. Karp continued this for approximately eight minutes and ultimately brought the passenger back to an alert state with a strong pulse.

“To be able to help is very rewarding,” he says. “I had thought about going into family medicine because you develop close relationships with patients, but I think I thrive in emergency medicine.” The experience on the plane, Dr. Karp adds, taught him that emergency medicine may be where he’s needed most.

These days, medical information is only a click away for anyone with a smartphone or computer. As such, it’s easy for people to do a quick symptom check online and attempt to self-diagnose an ailment, bypassing professional medical consultations altogether.

While many medical professionals warn patients of the dangers of online self-diagnosis, some also see it as a sign that people are eager to be educated and empowered to take responsibility of their own health. “There’s so much opportunity now to help patients help themselves,” explains SGU alumna Dr. Barbara Bergin.

She believes the vast amount of information available to practitioners and their patients simply represents a new call-to-action. “I use handouts, draw pictures, and use my blog to teach patients about their conditions so that they better understand and can help themselves throughout the long haul of life,” Dr. Bergin says.

Ultimately, she believes her job as a doctor is not just to diagnose and treat as a response to what’s already happened. She’s also tasked with empowering people to be proactive about their wellbeing and help them gain control of their health. While it’s not always easy, Dr. Bergin wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Every day presents a new set of challenges, with each patient like a surprise behind the door to the exam room,” she offers. “Try to think of another career like that!”

When discussing the appeal of becoming a doctor, it’s easy to focus solely on the passion that drives those individuals. But the decade-long investment in education, the long hours working nights and weekends, and the stress of handling patients during times of duress can leave even passionate doctors wondering if the job itself is worth the investment.

As an attending anesthesiologist in private practice in Los Angeles, Dr. Edna Ma spends her career helping patients have safe and successful surgery experiences in the operating room. While she certainly can cite passion as a driving force in her practice, she also has a unique sense of pride in her specialized role.

“At the end of the day, I feel I have been a critical member of the health delivery team in a measurable way,” Dr. Ma says. She goes on to explain that anesthesiology is a very technical specialty. She takes part in procedures such as epidurals and spinals and places invasive monitors, including central lines, pulmonary artery catheters, and arterial lines.

Job security may not rank among many physicians’ primary reasons to become a doctor, but it does factor into the decision for some. “While there are other ways to earn a living, I feel medicine is a secure career path that can’t easily be automated or outsourced,” Dr. Ma explains. Being focused in a niche area has also given her confidence that she’ll enjoy long-term engagement in her field.

Despite the undeniable challenges on the road to becoming a physician, there are distinct rewards to pursuing a career in medicine. Becoming a doctor means surrounding yourself with passionate, talented people who have committed their lives to a purpose that’s greater than themselves.

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Applicants who effectively demonstrate to admissions committees that they have the proper motivation and skill set to be a good doctor are the ones who are accepted. Thus, here is a list of potential reasons to be a doctor.  If you can only identify with one or two of these reasons, most likely you do not have the right motivation to become a physician.

1. Helping others in an incredibly significant way

Most people value their health above everything else in their lives whether they know it or not. When someone is  sick or injured, his or her normal way of life is disrupted and doctors have the incredible opportunity to restore these people’s lives to normalcy and even save some from death itself. Therefore being a doctor is extremely rewarding.

2. Medicine is fascinating

Becoming a doctor means learning everything there is to know about the human body. The human body itself is an incredible thing to study and medical students and doctors have the opportunity to further examine it with the most innovative technology. From the pumping of the heart to drugs that take away pain to machines that allow you look inside a person, modern medicine remains one of the most fascinating subjects in the world.

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3. Trust and honor

By the virtue of their title, doctors are trusted with sensitive information that most other people would not have access to. Patients share their deepest concerns with their doctors in hopes of being healed. To be trusted to this extent by anybody is a great honor.

4. Influence and respect

Like it or not, by default, doctors are in a position of power. They are considered the leaders in health care and often have the final say on treatment decisions. When doctors talk, people usually listen. Even outside the work setting, doctors are regarded highly (just think how your impression of someone changes when you find out he or she is a doctor).

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5. Never a dull moment

Physicians interact with different kinds of people with various ailments every day. The variety of experiences guarantees that every day will have some sort of excitement.

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6. Other opportunities

Just because you are a doctor does not mean you have to see patients all day every day. There are numerous opportunities available for MD’s and DO’s: clinical research, basic science research, journalism, consulting, business ventures, hospital administration, public health, and public policy.

7. Ability to build meaningful relationships

Doctors who have the opportunity to see the same patients over and over again can build meaningful relationships with them.

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8. Job stability

The medical field is not very influenced by the ups and downs of the economy. Doctors are always needed so you will not have to worry about a fluctuating job market as much as most other jobs.

9. High compensation

One can argue that doctors don’t make enough money but they still do make a lot of money. The national average salary for a general internist, a field that is on the lower end of the salary spectrum, is still close to $200,000.

10. Requires critical thinking and problem solving

Doctors have to use their intelligence and technical skills to treat patients.  Many doctors enjoy the challenge of having to diagnosing a patient and figuring out the best way to treat them. Many surgeons and other procedure-based doctors love to work with their hands to find and fix problems.

Interested in considering a career in medicine? See how the expert advisors at MedSchoolCoach can help guide your medical journey, and can even help you get into medical school.

The primary job of a doctor is to save lives and improve the overall health of their patients. They often intervene during very challenging parts of their patients' lives and have the opportunity to help them recover and improve their well-being.