Dr. Faisal Khaled Hadid*
Many people wonder: Is studying human medicine worth the effort? This question can only be answered by you, dear student and reader, with the help of your family.
It is recognized that before taking any step in life, it must be thoughtful, taking into account the material and moral reasons, to ensure the success of this step in the future.
Hence, I found it my duty to explain to parents and students some positive and negative points that I hope will help them in making their decision about studying human medicine.
First of all, studying human medicine and medical sciences in general is a noble and great matter. Imam Al-Shafi’i says, “I do not know of a science after what is permissible and what is forbidden that is more noble than medicine.”
Studying the medical sciences, especially human medicine, is desirable and required, but dear fathers and fellow students, we must not ignore the disadvantages of studying medicine, before venturing into medicine, delving into its sciences, and enduring its hardships.
Before starting to choose a medical school, like any other university major, the student and his family must think carefully and be vigilant about several factors.
I believe that the most important factors are desire, ability and capacity.
– Desire It is what you find easy for yourself, and you find yourself enthusiastic about it, and able to spend hours reading, researching, and delving into it. Here, the desire has directed you in the right direction, or at least pushed you closer to the right choice.
– As for ability It is a person’s ability to immerse himself in this experience, enjoy it and benefit from it. For example, someone who does not find the ability to have a book as his companion for several hours a day most days of the week will find it difficult to study medicine.
I would like to point out here that the student’s family must share his opinion and be frank with him regarding this element. When the student is not able and patient to read for several hours a day in the secondary levels, this is considered a negative element towards studying human medicine.
– AbilityHere, a person must be very frank with himself and his son. For example, can I sponsor my son’s studies in such-and-such college for several years, knowing that the cost is such-and-such? What after college? Will a bachelor’s degree be sufficient, or does my son need to specialize in order to enter the job market?
As I mentioned earlier, studying human medicine is a very noble matter, but like any university major, reasons must be taken into account. Is this student – even if he is my son and my dearest human being – suitable for this major, far from my hopes and desires? Are the three main conditions met for him to enter this specialty, namely desire, ability, and ability?
Now let us delve deeper into the specialty of medicine. The years of study in the Faculty of Human Medicine range from six to seven years, including the internship year, and in some Arab countries it reaches eight years. After this period, the doctor graduates as a general practitioner.
The years of medical school are divided into basic sciences, applied sciences, and then clinical sciences, approximately half by half. The first years are the most difficult and driest and will take double the effort from the student. Then comes the clinical stage (in which patients are dealt with), which is a little lighter because the sciences have begun. They become more practical than dry materials.
In both stages, the student needs long hours after completing his university work or clinical training in order to study his lessons and memorize the information that he will use in his daily life as a doctor.
I will not hide from you a secret that the exam stage for any of these stages is a stage of alert and isolation for the medical student so that he can review the abundant information in order to do well in the exams, which requires the support of the family to relieve the student and support him.
After completing medical school, the doctor most of the time needs at least two years of experience in order to obtain a license to practice the profession as a general practitioner, and in most cases this is for a small fee or without any compensation, but most doctors tend to study specialization, that is, choosing a specific specialty such as general surgery. Or esotericism, children, etc. The minimum time required for these specializations is no less than four years.
According to my knowledge, in most countries of the Arab world, specialization is for little or no financial compensation, which forces some colleagues to work in the private sector in addition to their full time in the specialization in order to pay some of their obligations.
After specialization, there are several options, including:
1 – Starting work. This is usually limited to your country only, as “most countries” require post-specialization experience of no less than two to three years in order to be able to work outside your country.
2- Obtaining a precise specialization for no less than three years, often for a small fee, and often for free.
Hence, dear reader, you must put the dots on the letters and take into account all the mentioned elements in order to put before you and your family what you are offering, and the family must be aware that in most cases the doctor needs financial and psychological support for a period that is not short.
As for you, dear medical student, once you pass the first year, beware of retreating in the face of difficulties, as all of that will go away with time.
In the end, this article is not to encourage or intimidate people from studying human medicine, but rather for clarification to help both the family and the student make the right choice.
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