Being A Doctor

Ok.

I have gone through 5 years of medical school and successfully (thank God) graduated as a doctor. I understood from the day I chose to do medicine (and I really only chose this profession as I cannot do physics - hence no engineering etc, accounting is really boring - hence no accountancy/finance, and never really dabbled in the arts stream - hence too chicken to try it out) that I have a multitude of exams that I have to complete even after my finals.

That I can handle.

But now that it is interview season for me to hopefully get into the specialty of my choice (which is anaesthetics and the exams are ALL physics based on top of medicine - how am I gonna pass that?!) I realised that being a doctor is so much more than being..... just a doctor.

Essentially, this makes me angry.

To be a doctor, I need:

1. Sound clinical knowledge.
This is the crux of my profession and yes, I agree, constant reading and updating myself - resuscitation courses, reading available literature/journals/medical articles should be part of my continuous learning on top of learning on the job and attending teaching sessions. An ALS course costs £300, an ATLS course costs £600. Besides that, there are others such as ultrasound courses (£400), radiology courses (£200), IMPACT (£300)... oh I can go on. I've done ALS and IMPACT. ATLS will have to come sooner or later and perhaps an ultrasound course.

2. To pass my exams.
Already know I have to do this. Part 1 of MRCP done, Part 2 and 3 left, and my entire FRCA to complete if I want to do anaesthetics. This in itself is NEVER sponsered (unlike you actuarists/chartered accountants that get them all sponsered) so I anticipate to spend at least £3-4K on it inclusive of paying for revision courses.

3. To show that I can teach
On top of my normal daily ward work, I have to take time out to teach medical students. I enjoy teaching. I do. But now I find that I have to not only prove I AM teaching, I have to show that I designed, led and initiated a teaching programme in my hospital, or even better, at a regional level. Oh wait, that is not enough. I will have to be formally trained on how to teach, ie attend a teaching course.

Now.

Hello. Firstly, the teaching course costs money. £180 for a 1 day course; for a 2 day course, £500 easy. And do we get it back? Possibly if one's study budget is £1000. I get to claim up to £700, but for friends who work elsewhere - a measly £200.
Secondly, DESIGNED AND LED TEACHING? What, teaching itself is not enough? We have to take on the administrative work to freaking design the whole programme??? This is called cheap labour. But for me to gain maximal points at the interview, I need to do it.

4. Audits

So audit a practice in the hospital acording to standards set already by some governing body, ensure we are up to scratch and implement changes if we are not. Then I'll have to reaudit it to ensure that we have reached the standards now. Whole lot of data collection, trawling through notes and yes, whole lot of time required again.

5. Research

So on top of audits, I need to do research too. Where does that time come from? And to ensure it is a good enough research to be published in some journal if not it will be a whole waste of time? So I will need to depend on a bit of luck on finding a right tutor and also a bit of luck on finding good enough results to be published. Then go through the pain of writing it up, submitting it, get multiple rejections and pray that it will get accepted somewhere? The mental anguish.

6. Win a prize

Anyhow, somehow, somewhere. Submit something and win a bloody prize.

7. International presentations

Same goes, submit it to some international conference, get it accepted to be presented be it a poster or orally, and freaking pay to go there to do it. Money back no guarantee.

8. Extra curricular activities

Stuff not pertaining to medicine please. Win an international prize for it and you score even more points. I knew that try out of X Factor was going to happen one day. The fact that our life revolves around medicine, we still have to find time to be actively involved in sports, play 10 musical instruments at the opera, sing in Royal Albert Hall.... AND PROVE IT?

That is all required.

To be a doctor.