Taking the Hippocratic Oath is a dream for a lot of youngsters. There are careers, and there are careers, but a career in medicine is one of the noblest human professions. A person who is good with people is the best candidate for the health industry. Along with these personality traits, one obviously needs to be prepared with a lot more to start on a career in medicine. The career paths open in medicine are Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Pathologist, Physician (D.O.), Physician (M.D.), Physician's Assistant, and Physician Scientist. Here's how you can jump on the medical bandwagon...
Get trained and qualified:
The first thing is to equip oneself with necessary skills and training needed for a job of this kind. The prescribed education for a physician is 4 years in undergraduate school, 4 years of medical school, and between 3 to 8 years of internship and residency, based on the discipline of specialization. There are also joint curriculum courses (undergraduate and medical school) offered by some schools.
The reputation of certain institutions for certain specializations, and the exposure one is likely to get in these institutions, should be considerered in a decision on internships and residency. Choosing a specialty should be after due consideration of one's strengths, shortages in certain specialties, etc. Admission to medical schools is extremely competitive, and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores are considered during admission, along with transcripts, personality traits, etc.
Getting a license:
In addition to qualifications and training as discussed above, physicians must sit for a licensing examination to be granted a license. A specialty certification needs almost 7 years of in-residency training. The certification would be granted by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). A sub-specialty certification would need additional years of residency and training.
Searching for a Job:
The current employment outlook for physicians and surgeons is very bright, with an expected growth of 14% from 2006 to 2016 - more than the average growth of almost all other occupations.
The various avenues open to an aspiring employee looking for medical jobs are:
- Online job sources
- Medical job boards
- Recruitment agencies and career consultants
- Professional associations and their websites, which provide details on available openings
- Internships, which turn into employment opportunities
- Government jobs with the Federal Government
- Federal and State Employment Service offices
- Personal contacts
Applying for a Job:
After clearly identifying job opportunities that are interesting, prepare your resume, clearly highlighting your strengths, qualifications and experiences that make you a perfect candidate for the advertised role. When application forms are given, care needs to be exercised to ensure that no information requested is omitted, and everything is presented legibly and clearly.
Where application forms are not offered, present an attractive resume with the most important details given first, and showcasing qualifications, skills and experience that make you the right candidate for the post. A brief cover letter introducing yourself and presenting the best aspects of yourself for the role is also a good idea during the job application.
Have a good interview:
Present yourself professionally, equip yourself with all answers for probable questions, and have a positive attitude during the interview.
Evaluate the Job Offer:
Once you receive an offer, evaluate it objectively in terms of the organization's size, vision statement, job location, job content, its match with your skills and interests, the job's importance to the organization, your growth prospects in the job, etc.
Now all you need is to make the right decision in your medical job search, and then apply your skill sets, and a wonderful and fulfilling career will unfold before you.
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