[Thanks to TW for sharing the career research report on how to become a neurosurgeon and related occupational information.]
For my career research report I decided to dig into my interests of becoming a doctor and what it takes as far as my major and beyond graduating college. I’ve always wanted to help people. I find it fascinating, the ability to be able to make or break someone’s life. For me, this is really important because I want to change people’s lives for the good; I want to be able to help people in dire situations where the outcomes could be far worse than a bad cough or cold.
My current plan is to focus on psychology or a related science major such as biology and then as soon as I graduate enter med school to become a doctor. As far as med school goes and what specialization (type of doctor) I would like to become, it honestly depends on my interest level in that particular field. Until I’m there there’s no real way of telling which field I will specialize; however I will pick neurosurgery for now because that is my current interest of specialization.
A neurosurgeon does many things as a doctor, but their field is very delicate because it requires a lot of focus and information. A neurosurgeon usually gets a diagnosis from a neurologist that relays the condition and steps that need to be done in order to fix the problem. A neurosurgeon is only notified if surgery has to be done to a patient in order to improve their current conditions. Neurosurgeons can conduct a wide array of surgeries to help a patient; brain surgery is usually done on patients that have experienced head trauma in an accident. In addition to this, neurosurgeons also remove tumors from people’s heads in order to improve their condition. These are some of the few things that neurosurgeons deal with, and the wide array of things they deal with can expand from surgery, to prognosis and diagnosis.
The work environment of a neurosurgeon is stressful because the quality of their work ultimately determines the patient’s well being. Neurosurgeons can spend upwards of 12-18 hours in one surgery session. They do get breaks here and there but still this is a very stressful environment. This type of environment requires a patient, organized, and confident person in order to make things work, as well as a steady hand and good eyesight and coordination. These qualities are very important for any surgeon to have, but especially important for a brain surgeon. One wrong move and the patient could die.
In order to become a neurosurgeon one must have these natural abilities as well as a college degree and a high enough GPA to stay competitive so they can actually get into a med school and start the training. Overall college takes around 4 years, med school takes 4 years as well. Then after med school is residency that must be completed at a hospital, which lasts another 2 years. After this is complete the individual is now fully licensed and an independent doctor.
As far as earnings go, doctors can earn upwards of 60,000 dollars a year. On average most make 120,000 but as far as surgeons go they tend to make more money. Specifically brain surgeons can make upwards of 300,000 dollars per year. In general it’s a lot like the military, the more experience you have (the longer you work) the more you get paid. The AMA (American Medical Association) is a very important organization, they regulate and control funds as well as the standards and benefits to which doctors receive in accordance to their specialization.
As far as reaching these goals and becoming a doctor there are a few things that I need to do. As far as med school admissions I need to have a more competitive GPA. Currently a 3.2 GPA doesn’t cut it, and to be competitive you need a 3.3-3.6 GPA in order to surely gain admittance into a U.S. med school. As far as this fact it is important to do as well as I can in all of my classes. I just need to stay focused and keep doing well. Maintaining this, and the proper study habits and motivation will directly relate to the success and the ability to carry on my education in med school after college is complete.
As far as what I have learned about this, is everything. Doing this report has helped me dig deep into my personal interests as well as what types of things I have to keep in mind while on the long road of becoming a neurosurgeon. The road is long and hard, and it requires a lot of dedication. You just have to be up for the challenge, and this report has clearly helped me in that aspect of realization. After researching this, it has only increased my passion and motivation to become a doctor; I just need to keep pushing forward to reach my goal.
References
http://www.ama-assn.org/
http://www.physicianssearch.com/physician/salary2.html
http://www.neurosurgeon.org/
http://www.howstuffworks.com/becoming-a-doctor.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurosurgery
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