…..Starting a career in the medical profession is not, and has never been, an easy task – and this is especially true for doctors. It is a high pressure career where the best of intentions can end in litigation, and one mistake can be the difference between life and death. Couple this with having to adjust from the academic environment to being thrust into the real world, and you’ve got the makings of a disaster lurking just beyond sight. But no one has ever lived a perfect life in medicine, and it is important for young doctors to have realistic expectations about what lies in store. Here are three things every young doctor needs to hear:
- Real Patients Are Nothing Like What You’ve Seen In The Books – Forget what you read – real patients are completely different from anything you have seen coming out of med school. Human bodies can be very unpredictable, and each one may react differently from another. In fact, we don’t actually fully understand the way the body works, but medical knowledge and technology have advanced greatly.
- Doctors Do Make Mistakes – There will come a time when you will make a mistake. Don’t lose sleep over it, as even the best doctors have erred. The important thing is that you learn from your mistakes and use the experience to develop into a better doctor.
- You Can’t Always Be The Hero – Making the right diagnosis or successfully healing a patient feels great – and you will surely have moments like this in your career. But do not lose steam when dealing with the down moments – as these are all par for the course, as well. Sometimes, you will have to break the bad news to your patients and their friends and families. It’s never easy, but it’s a part of every doctor’s life – and you should expect that there will be times when the worst will happen.
…..Lastly, making good financial decisions is an art all on its own, and too many doctors struggle with mastering their finances. Rather than keeping dormant money hidden away in your bank account, consider investing your earnings in low-cost index funds that earn compound interest – and do it immediately, if not sooner! It’s never too early to start doing this. Even small amounts of money every month can eventually build up into big time savings over long periods of time.
…..As a young doctor, you need every bit of help you can get transitioning from school to the real world. Make TukkoMed your partner and let us guide you to success.