Salary.sg Forums - View Single Post - How is life as a doctor in Singapore?
View Single Post
  #2260 (permalink)  
Old 10-06-2021, 05:59 PM
Unregistered
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
hello there, i am a student. Do you have to be really really smart to be a doctor? Is it way harder than the A levels?
How hard is the houseman years, is it true that it can be 30 hours without sleep?
Thanks
Hi,
In the working world, ‘smart’ takes on a different meaning altogether.
It really depends on your outlook and priorities in life.
As a student, smart = deans list / scholarship.
As you would discover (hopefully sooner rather than later), life is much more than that.
And you will look back and think about what it truly means to be ‘smart’.

To answer your question more directly,
Yes it is way harder than A levels.
There are many examinations to clear
And after med sch, it isn’t enough just to be book smart
You actually have to apply / think on your feet, interact with patients, work with other professionals, lead and teach your juniors. AND continue to clear more examinations at the same time.

Houseman year will be challenging. But it is not impossible.
It will be stressful physically, emotionally, mentally.
But many have gone through it and came out alive.
Few who are not so resilient / get into really tough spots like patient complaints or unreasonable bosses may crash.
The hours are long when you’re on call.
Come to work at 6/7am, work overnight all the way till next morning, finish your work and hopefully leave by 12pm. Sometimes later. Go home to rest and then report the following day at 6/7am again and life goes on. This continues all the way until you become a consultant (which can take anywhere between 6-10 years after med sch).

At the end of the day, being in medicine, you have to realize that it is a life of service - as cliche as it may sound. For the time finance blood sweat tears risks involved, the remuneration is not great.
Many people write beautiful essays to enter med sch. But after med sch, some just want an easy life / go for prestige and money. Nothing wrong with all these, but if these are your only motivations then you will be really disillusioned along the way.
Reply With Quote