By Justin Hsieh, Staff Writer
It’s not unreasonable to say that no career path is more sought after at Fountain Valley High School than medicine. Becoming a physician is a pretty standard career aspiration for high-achieving, academically inclined students (of which FVHS has no shortage). However, while it may seem straightforward to set one’s sights on a medical career, there are in fact many things that one should consider before seriously pursuing it.
“I would say about 70% of the students who come to me want to be a doctor,” said guidance counselor Lindsey Gonzalez. “A lot of students say they want to be a doctor without really knowing what that means. I think students need to really understand what a doctor is; what they do on a daily basis, what the different types of doctors are, et cetera .”
One of the most important things to understand about being a doctor is the extreme intensity and length of training required to become one. Becoming a licensed physician requiresanywhere from 10 to 16 years of post-high school education; including 3 to 4 years of undergrad college education, 4 years of medical school, 3 to 5 years of residency, and possibly an additional 3 years of fellowship. Not only is medical education tremendously long, it also requires students to be constantly competitive and focused; with students needing to take multiple standardized tests (i.e. the MCAT and USMLE 1-3) and maintain a high GPA throughout their higher education to ensure advancement into subsequent phases of training.
“A lot of our students are box-checkers; they want to take this class and get this grade and move on. But you have to really understand the concepts and know how to learn in those classes, because that’s what school is about,” said Gonzalez.
Another issue to consider is money. A very common motivation for pursuing a medical career is its perceived lucrativeness. And, while medical education can indeed be an excellent investment when seen all the way through, what many may not consider is the fact that the extensive extra years of higher education are very expensive, and physicians don’t start earning money until much later in life compared to other careers. Data from the American Association of Medical Colleges indicates a median debt level of $200,000 upon graduation from medical school.
“About 50% of those students who come to me wanting to be doctors want it for the money. You can’t do it for money. It’s kind of a 1980s mindset to think that being a doctor is the one way to earn money. There are lots of other career paths that pay well without needing two decades of schooling to achieve,” said Gonzalez.
If money can’t be the motivating factor, then what is? The answer is unsurprising but commonly underappreciated: passion. Only students with incredible love for science and math, specifically the medical sciences, can persevere through the long and difficult path of medical education.
“[Loving the field] is super important. I mean, think about it: you’ll be going to school for over 8 years after you graduate high school and even then you won’t necessarily become a practicing physician right away,” said FVHS alumnus and UCI biology major Dorothy Ngo. “It’s a long process and it’s only worth it if you truly love the practice. Those who get through it believe it’s worth it.”
For those who do have the enthusiasm and drive to pursue it, however, the good news is that there are many things that you can start doing in high school to prepare for a medical education and career path. The first of these things, of course, are the classes you take.
“Your science classes would be the most important, obviously,” said Gonzalez. “AP Biology and AP Chemistry are pretty standard. Other classes that we have that we highly recommend but that are often dismissed or overlooked because they’re not AP classes include physiology – which is probably the single class on campus that is most related to becoming a doctor – as well as sports medicine and our ROP EMR [Emergency Medical Responder] class. EMR is especially cool because it’s a way to both gain experience and to support yourself while you’re in medical school.”
In addition to classes taken within the school day, extracurriculars are hugely important in preparing for a medical path. Not only do they allow you an opportunity to feel out your interests and gain experience, extracurricular commitments also demonstrate passion and dedication to colleges.
“Starting my sophomore year, I volunteered at the UCI Medical Center and I worked on the telemetry unit of the hospital. Everyone coming in is in a critical state and constantly needs to be monitored so I was constantly on my toes, running around. Something about the adrenaline rush and bouncing from room to room really appealed to me,” said Ngo. “I was also in Medical Society and it helped expose me to other career options besides just becoming a doctor.”
Those “other career options” are also a key point to consider. One of the most common misconceptions about the medical field is that the one and only way to be successful is to become a doctor. In reality, there are plenty of other paths in medicine that require less time, money, and training but still offer completely viable career options for medically inclined students.
“When most people hear ‘medicine,’ they tend to immediately think of ‘doctor.’ But that’s really not the case,” said Ngo, who is studying to become a physician assistant. “There are so many options in healthcare, and I encourage you to do your research on the different career paths. There’s nothing wrong with being a doctor but I wouldn’t limit myself to just that option. Figure out what’s best suited to the lifestyle you want to live and your personality.”
Now, none of this is to say that there is anything wrong with becoming a physician. Doctors are some of the most important people in our society, and the profession is a time-tested way to build a good life for oneself while also contributing to the community. It’s just important to keep in mind that there are many factors involved in being successful as a physician, and that one should consider all of those before committing oneself to that path.
“If you want to pursue a career in medicine, that’s great! Make sure you know why you want to do it,” said Ngo. “The reason for pursuing that career is what’s going to drive you through the tough times that school will present you with. There will be times where you’ll have doubts of your abilities but at the end of the day just remind yourself why you wanted to pursue this in the first place and that should fuel you through it! Feel free to ask questions and don’t be embarrassed if you feel like you’re lost. It’s very complicated, but the more questions you ask, the more prepared you’ll be.”
