Studying Medicine: What Field is Right for me?

Studying medicine is one of the most worthwhile and noblest fields of study available to us. Medicine is about more than simply understanding the body and what drugs do what. It is about making an oath to do no harm. To help those in need and strive to make the world better than you found it.

But platitudes aside, studying medicine is tough for several reasons. Firstly, it requires mental fortitude and resilience not required in a lot of other fields. You cannot make mistakes in medicine as it may cost someone their life. Those studying it need to be absolute in their studying and take everything seriously.

Secondly, there is just so much of it. That is why no one studies every aspect of medicine. People specialize. It is why surgeons don’t often spend a lot of time diagnosing. It is why nurses don’t perform open-heart surgery. It is why oncologists don’t get called in for dental issues. People have to specialize. The phrase ‘Jack of All but master of none’ springs to mind.

And this is the first hurdle any budding medical applicant faces. What do I study? What field of medicine is right for me? And it is a daunting choice. So we are going to look at a few different fields of the medical field and highlight their challenges and what sort of person is best suited for them.

Marketing

You must be curious. How is marketing a medical field? And it isn’t. Not really. But is it important? Absolutely. The world of marketing is about more than simply selling products. It is about providing information. And when it comes to health, wellbeing, and medicine, incorrect information is deadly. That is why the medical field needs people who are trained and educated in the medical field to step into the world of marketing. They need experts to advise them. A great example of this is medical spas, a new powerhouse in the private medical sector. Companies like practicebloom offer medical spa marketing services but to do this properly they need medical experts to advise them, otherwise, people could get hurt.

The upside to this is you won’t be interacting with patients, rather dealing with the medical profession and other business entities. So anyone who is looking to step into this field needs to be confident, reliable, and able to navigate the often-cut-throat world of business.

Oncology

Oncology is one of the most respected, and difficult fields of medicine to deal with emotionally. Oncology is the study of, diagnosis of and treatment of cancer. Cancer is one of the evillest and heart-breaking illnesses mankind has ever faced. It endlessly takes people away from their loved ones. This is why this field of medicine requires someone with strong mental fortitude and emotional balance. Giving bad news is part of being a doctor, but in the field of oncology, most of the news is bad.

The medicine itself is complex, yet very well understood. Research into cancer has been intense for countless years and, as such, we have a well-documented and strong understand of cancer and how it works. Most of your time will be spent either administering cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, diagnosing people, or simply talking to your patients. Being an oncologist requires you to be a therapist as well. You need to be warm, comforting, and reassuring, while always remaining firm.

Radiology

Radiology is a different field of medicine. It is centered around using imaging devices to scan patients’ bodies and examine inside of them, without ever cutting them open. You might think anyone can do this, but the devices that radiologists use don’t simply create crystal clear pictures. The images are difficult to interpret and require extensive training. A mistake in reading an image could lead to serious consequences. People who move into radiology often are more concerned with solving puzzles and using tech, rather than directly dealing with patients.

Surgery

Known as Sawbones, surgeons are responsible for carrying out the complex operations that can save lives. The human body is a well-evolved machine, but it is packed tight. And opening it up can be dangerous. That is why surgery is one of the most intense, complex, and rigorously trained fields of medicine. One slip while someone is cut open and it could mean death. Only those with a steady hand and a firm constitution should take up this practice. Surgery is not quick either. Some big surgeries can last anywhere from 7 hours to multiple days. For those that do dive into this field, it is very rewarding. Surgery can change people’s lives and give them a second chance they never thought they would get.