I Want to Be a Doctor

Today's question is from a 3rd year medical who asks: Help! Everyone on my rotations keeps asking me what I'm going into and I DON'T KNOW! How do I choose a specialty?! Well I wish I could give you a simple answer. Take this test, sort yourself into the correct Hogwarts house, hold this thing in your hand and it will turn the color of... But no, I'm going to start by saying there's no wrong answer but there's no right answer. Kind of like

Today's question is from a first year medical student who asks "I'm so confused with embryology. What do I do?" As someone who is still confused with embryology, let me tell you, you are not alone. I don't know any practicing physicians who are really clear on embryology unless they did research in the field before medical school. It's a really confusing subject. It helps to https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a college freshman who asks: How do you remember to do all the things on your calendar? I'm constantly forgetting to do something. Yeah, me too. Which is why I don't rely on my memory at all. Ever. I know a lot of people who try to remember to do things and that's totally fine if it works for you. For me, my brain is so overloaded with everything else that I just can't. And if you can't either, that's okay. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a first year medical student who asks "Did you ever pass out during a procedure?" Why yes, I did! And I'm here to tell you that you can have a tendency to pass out, overcome it, and no one will remember long term that it was you. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from an 8th grader who asks what is the difference between a doctor, a nurse practitioner, a nurse, and a physician's assistant? You are not the only person who wonders that! It can be very confusing understanding all the different roles in caring for a patient. The two main differences are the training and what the person is able to do. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a number of you who asked, “Where have you been the last couple weeks? Why haven't any new episodes dropped?” So today I'm going to talk about something that most physicians and aspiring physicians struggle with. Being human. So to answer the easy part of this. Where I've been the last two weeks was recovering from a concussion and then covid. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a college sophomore who asks, “How can I deal with all the thoughts that keep popping into my head? There's so much I'm trying to figure out right now and I just want a brain break!” I'm so glad you're realizing you need this now instead of waiting until you're further along in training or your career and totally burned out. There are many ways of dealing with all the thoughts but I'll tell you some of the things that I do. These are what I recommend to my kids, who are in 4th and 7th grade, and to the medical students I teach. They are what I use every week to keep myself sane and happy. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a second year medical student who is going to be starting clinical rotations in a few months and asks where should I do my surgery rotation? Life is so full of the question of where! ... So I'll answer this both more generally for people who are choosing a college, medical school, or residency as well as your specific question. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from someone who is just starting medical school in a few months who asks “Did you get homesick when you had to keep staying at the hospital all night?” You know, that's something I worried about too. And yes, I did get homesick. But it also wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a medical student starting clinical rotations in July: How do I succeed in my clinical rotations? But the advice is applicable to anyone and is what I regularly recommend for everyone from my kids to adults I mentor. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a student who didn't give their grade and who asks: What is the best way to study? Well, what is learning? Learning is literally building connections in your brain and strengthening those connections and being able to access those connections when you need the information. Athletes refer to this as muscle memory. But it's not really in your muscles, it's in your brain. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a 7th grader who asks: Did you ever fail a test?'' Yes I did! When I was in medical school, [I do talk about cadavers and cadaver lab in this episode so if that's not a topic you want to hear discussed, skip from 1:51 to 3:45. The word pops up one more time but it's not discussed.] https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a third year medical student who asks: I'm loving my surgery rotations but I also want to have a family. Can I be a surgeon and be a good dad? Yes absolutely. But you're probably looking for more details than that. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a 1st grader who asks I'm 6 years old and I want to be a doctor. People treat me like I'm cute and suggest that I watch Doc McStuffins. But I'm actually really interested in the human body and in being a doctor. What should I do? How old were you when you started wanting to be a doctor? Well guess what! When I was 6 years old, https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a recent college graduate who asks Why did I get several interviews but then not get into medical school and what should I do now? First off, I know it really stinks when you've worked so hard and then hit a wall like that. https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor

Today's question is from a student in 11th grade who asks, “I know I want to be a doctor. What can I do to start making myself look good for my medical school applications.” You're certainly planning ahead! And most of today's advice will be good for anyone from a student in elementary school to someone in college because it will work for a variety of applications, not just medical school.

Today's question is from a 5th grader who asks Why Did You Want to Be a Doctor? You know what's great? The reasons I wanted to be a doctor turned out to be my very favorite things about being a doctor. Different people want to be a physician for different reasons. I had several. From mysteries to socializing, my favorite activities are also part of being a physician.

Introducing the I Want to Be a Doctor Podcast. Everyone needs an honest friend they can trust to tell them what they really need to know. If you want to be a physician--you've found that friend! https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor