I Want To Be A Doctor!
When I ask Thai students who are considering to go to study in Canada, what they would like to become when they grow up, I often get the reply, “A doctor.”
I don’t think many other professions are as noble or demand as much respect as this one. After all, being a doctor is not a job but a profession; in many cases, it is a vocation. No one profession in my mind conjures more thoughts of hard work, sacrifice, intense, all-consuming, pressure boiler, stress and exhaustion.
I, for one, am not the man I would need to be to become a doctor. First of all, I do not think I could commit the time or energy to this one singular objective for the first 9-12 years of my career. I like some balance in my life, which most medical students and doctors do not have. Of course, if I were that man, the word doctor would conjure more positive adjectives, like rewarding, inspiring, empathy, gratifying, humbling and purposeful.
Whenever I get that “I want to be a doctor” response, I wonder which group of adjectives above pop up in a student’s mind. Do they really know what they are getting themselves into? Have they analyzed the lifestyle of a doctor and the commitment it will take to become one, or are they only focused on the prestige and financial rewards of their chosen profession? Are they truly empathetic to mankind and have a mind ‘to serve others’ (they make the best doctors), or heaven forbid, are they doing this because it is what their parents want them to become? I can’t tell you how much it makes me cringe inside when I ask the student this question, but instead, the parent jumps in and says, “Junior wants to be a doctor.” All I can think of those words in Pink Floyd song “….leave those kids alone”
Whatever the reason, and whatever the profession, I am surprised at the number of students who either have no idea what to do or study after high school. I say ‘Do’ because jumping right in more studies is not the only option. Working or traveling for a year to better understand yourself, your strengths, and your passions is a great way to help one choose your path in life. I think focusing on lifestyle AND career is very important as the latter will strongly dictate the first. This picture of the boy looking into the mirror just about sums it up. Life is short, so you should find a profession or career that will provide you with a good standard of living, satisfy you emotionally, and challenge you mentally.
How to best do this is to start with ‘designing a life prototype’ that appeals to you, not to others. Remember – it is your lifestyle. This is about you and no one else. It might seem easier to let others tell you what you should do based on how they see you, but if you listen to them and find yourself in the future stuck in a career or profession you do not like, it will ultimately be you. You cannot blame others. Even if you did, no one is going to listen or blame anyone other than you.
There are lots of blogs, YouTube videos, online courses (paid or free), and books to get you started. Talk, I mean really talk, with your school’s career counselor. They are there to help you after all. But don’t only rely on them. You can easily analyze yourself: what are you good at, what are you good at but do not like doing, what are you passionate about, and what can you spend all day and night doing without even realizing that the hours have passed by? When going to a party, who do you hang out with? The athletes? The geeks? The musicians? All of them? Do you prefer to do manual and physical activities or be sitting at a desk and computer? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Are you the type that can work 60 hours per week, or do you need a balanced lifestyle? Do you mind getting dirty, or must you always have your Sunday best on? Do you have hobbies? Can these be incorporated into work? Do you have many friends or just a few? Are you quiet or talkative? Is becoming rich more important than quality of life or vice versa?
As you can see from the questions above, you need to be aware of many aspects of yourself that will help you determine what kind of lifestyle is right for you. If you do this, it will be easier to find a job, career or profession that you are suited for and, therefore, more likely to be enjoyable, which, in turn, you will be more successful at.
If you still are not certain, reach out to me and let’s set up a Zoom or in-person meeting and get you started on designing a lifestyle you will love.
Rene is a Canadian education consulting and student recruiter based out of Bangkok with over 20 years of experience in the S.E. Asian market. He can be reached at info@gostudycanada.net and followed at GoStudyCanada (FB & IG)
