While deciding what you do in life, some people might decide that they want to do something in the health field. However, there are several different career paths in health (these are careers found in hospitals - do not include dentistry or podiatry or physical therapy and etc.). The most common paths include: nursing, physician assistants, pharmacy, administration, and doctors. This post is NOT to put one path below the other. Each path is very noble in their own respect and are extremely important. It is essential that they work together to create the best possible treatment plans for patients. However, I would like to discuss why I chose being a doctor rather than these other paths.
The first path is nursing. Nurses are the backbone of healthcare and are some of the smartest people you will meet. With their vast experience, they know exactly what to do in any situation. This career path requires the least amount of schooling as you are eligible to go to nursing school with an associates degree. Furthermore, nurses also have the most patient contact as well. From feeding the patients to cleaning up after patients, nurses are extremely under appreciated in medicine. For me personally, it is not very appealling to me to have as much patient contact as them because I am much more of an introvert. Nevertheless, this is a common path for many people who want to go into the health field as soon as possible or want to be on the front lines.
The second path is physician assistants. My mom decided to go back to school after taking a huge gap and became a physician assistant a few years ago. People that choose this path are basically doctors but without the extreme amount of pressure that doctors face. I say this because physician assistants work under a doctor. Because of this, they get the benefit of someone double checking their work to make sure they did it right which takes a lot of pressure off (I am not trying to say they do not face pressure!). After completing an undergraduate degree, they go to PA school where they get the training necessary. The reason why I did not choose this path is because I want to work independently rather than under someone. Don't get me wrong, as a PA, you get a structured pathway and more friendly hours and don't have to worry about starting a clinic or doing any of that so it's a great pathway for some but for me, I like the idea of working independently.
The third path is pharmacy. My dad is a pharmacist so I understand how under appreciated these people are. Pharmacists are the guardians of drugs and make sure that if a doctor does make a mistake in the prescription they gave, it gets corrected as fast as possible. In the hospital, most pharmacists are clinical pharmacists so they make rounds in the hospital but there are also pharmacists that work independently and in stores. Just like PA's, you have to go to pharmacy school after an undergraduate degree (but you can also get in with an associates degree). For me personally, I did not choose this path because they do not directly have patient contact and I do not enjoy chemistry as much as others (these are some of the most knowledgeable people you will meet). It is important to understand the mechanism of drugs, composition and etc. However, that sort of stuff is not as exciting to me as it may be to others so that is why I did not choose pharmacy.
The fourth path is administration. These people control what's going on in the hospital and work on running the hospital as efficiently as possible. I know several people that are interested in going into administration! It is a great career choice if you want to work in the health field but do not like blood or dealing with patients directly.
The fifth path is becoming a doctor. These people are the ones that have the final say in patient care and make rounds around the hospital. Not only do they face a tremendous amount of pressure because they are responsible for someone's life, but they are also very influential in teaching the public about medically related topics. A lot of people might get discouraged because of the amount of schooling it takes to get this point. I somewhat agree because this path is definitely not for everyone! People have other obligations and might be worried that they will lose interest in the middle because of how long the program is or waste their lives so if you share these concerns, you might want to go into a different health profession. Similarly, you might think that this path has way too much pressure or is too difficult and to that point, I say, if you have the motivation, you will get through it! For me personally, I want to become a Cardiovascular Surgeon and work for the CDC.
In the end, all of these paths are noble in their own respect and each has their benefits and drawbacks. Everyone is different and should follow what is best for them and their lifestyle. Each position is just as IMPORTANT as the others in order for the healthcare system to work properly. Just make sure you live with no regrets! With great power, comes great responsiblity.
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