Medical careers: explore the work before choosing a training route
A medical career can involve clinical care, research, teaching and other responsibilities. Job titles and training routes differ between countries and change over time. Exploring a role is more useful when you look at its everyday work, required preparation and fit with your interests rather than its name alone.
A specialty title is only the start of understanding a role
Each of the various types of medical roles require clinicians to utilize different combinations of consultations, procedures, investigations and ongoing care. Clinicians perform their duties in multiple locations including hospitals, community health organizations, etc. In addition to the scientific basis for the role, descriptions of a particular field should include the people being served and the decision-making processes involved in delivering care. Communication and teamwork are integral parts of clinical work.
To illustrate this point, compare an average working day in two potential fields you are currently contemplating. Determine how much of each day is spent directly interacting with patients, examining patient information or collaborating with other professionals. Do not assume that a dramatic case represents the whole job; ask what is routine in that particular role. Ask about typical responsibilities as a way of identifying essential features of a role that are frequently overlooked when reviewing a list of "unusual" procedures.
Consider what you want to learn and how you prefer to work
Your interest in a particular body system may serve as a starting point; however, the schedule you keep and type of accountability you will have can play just as important a role in defining your future career path. Skills utilized in clinical practice (reasoning, communication, attentiveness) are acquired through experience and feedback. As you continue to pursue your career goals, your preferences regarding the timing of various responsibilities may shift based upon what you have learned about the job.
Create a brief narrative describing an event that captured your attention and describe why you were interested. Be careful not to confuse your enjoyment of studying a topic with evidence that you understand the role related to that topic. Next, create a list of questions that relate to the roles you are contemplating, i.e., "How does follow-up care get coordinated?" or "How do teams make decisions together?" Asking these questions allows you to engage in reflective thinking about your career aspirations and creates an action plan that is specific to your situation. It also avoids assuming that one observation is all that is needed to define your entire career path.
Requirements need to be checked for the place and role
The qualifications for entry into a program or field, registration requirements, length of supervised training, and specialty certification process vary depending upon where you live, your chosen area of specialization or profession. Information about one system or set of rules should never be used as representative of another. Additionally, qualifications and application deadlines for programs change over time; therefore, a general guide cannot establish your eligibility. Always use current information provided by the governing education, training or licensure organization when applying for admission.
When creating an action plan, differentiate between a qualification required for entry into a particular pathway versus a skill developed during your training. Create a checklist noting which requirements still need verification and who is accountable for establishing them. Never rely upon outdated deadlines or second hand descriptions. An effective plan documents the questions that still exist rather than attempting to fill in gaps with assumptions based upon how things are done in another country's system.
A career includes continued learning and changing responsibilities
Medical practitioners’ career paths can lead to a variety of responsibilities including providing direct care, teaching, leading and researching. Practitioners also have ongoing professional obligations and opportunities for growth and learning while practicing. Not all progress toward advancing one's career is evidenced by changes in title; increased capability to accept new levels of responsibility with adequate competency and support are also key indicators.
Compare your present interests with questions posed by a realistic role description. Choose a specific next learning opportunity such as meeting with an advisor who has knowledge of your contemplated role or reflecting on your experiences under supervision. This webpage encourages exploration not promises of employment, salary or acceptance into training. Individual career choices require current regulations and guidance applicable to the location.
Check your understanding
A short quiz, with an explanation after each answer.
What helps explain a role beyond its title?
Go back to the section you had difficulty completing and explain the example without referring back to the original webpage. Explain it again after verifying it with yourself. The best indicator of whether you have understood the rationale behind a solution is if you can explain it without reference to where you first encountered it.