As a teenager, you are often faced with many choices for a potential career path, that is often bewildering in its complexity. Often your idea of a job is governed by what you see on TV, in ads or on sitcoms or is based on stereotypes.  It is easy for teenagers to have an unrealistic idea of what a job is like.

As a physician myself, I can tell you firsthand what you need to decide to go into the medical field. You definitely need to love science and be able to do well in science . The required courses for being a doctor include Chemistry, Physics,  and Biology,  to name a few. You need to be focused and disciplined and to be able to study long hours, in preparation for getting into medical school .  You can take some science courses, in middle school and junior high and figure out if you find them interesting, and if you are naturally scientifically inclined, and can do well in those classes if you put in the effort.   You also  need to be able to function in a hospital setting and to be able to see sick patients and blood without fainting or vomiting. The best way to decide if you like a hospital setting is to volunteer to be a candy striper. The hospital volunteer experience really  helps you to understand the hospital environment, and what it’s like firsthand. I would also talk to people who are actually in the field, and ask them what it’s like , so that you have a clear understanding of what a healthcare job really entails. Ideally, if you can “shadow” a person in healthcare, by going with them to work and seeing them in action, that would give you the most realistic idea of what their job is like, so that you can decide if you want to follow in their footsteps.

Furthermore, I would speak to your guidance counselor in junior high and high school about your interests and questions about healthcare and get their input. Remember, those people are there to help you decide what career path you would like to choose, and to give you suggestions about where to find information about that field. Make use of that opportunity to see if healthcare is right for you!

Above all, what is critical to being a healthcare professional is the desire to want to help others and an interest in science.