There are a lot of reasons why people choose to study a Medicine degree, ranging from personal calling to calculated financial gain. Whether it’s the first choice or the backup option, studying Medicine abroad is a long-term commitment and a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
After doing our research, we’ve discovered some of the best reasons why people choose to study and work in Medicine. Before looking at each one of them, here are a few med schools we recommend:
1. You'll have diverse Medical career opportunities
Often overlooked, this reason is actually one of the most convincing ones. After graduation, you have a broad range of opportunities for a future job in the field of Medicine. There are over 60 specialities you can choose from, so you’re spoilt for choice.
You can choose to work in hospitals or other healthcare facilities, research labs, or be part of the medical department in other professional fields.
Do not worry if you don’t see yourself as a future paediatrician, surgeon or therapist. As a Medical student, you have six years to decide what you are interested in.
Since Medicine is a broad field, you can choose a subdiscipline that focuses on research or management. We need new cures and treatments for chronic illnesses, and healthcare institutes need managers that understand the core values and principles of Medicine. You can also work in education if you’re willing to develop your pedagogic skills.
2. Find Medicine jobs anywhere in the world
All over the world, there is a great uniformity of Medical knowledge and practice. This means that by graduating from a medical school or college in Europe, you can find a job and work in any hospital in South America or anywhere else in the world. This does not apply to many other disciplines!
One thing to keep in mind is that if English isn’t widely spoken in that country, you’ll need to learn the local language. That’s essential when you communicate with patients and try to understand their symptoms and what’s causing them.
If you decide to study abroad, you’ll see that in many countries learning the official language is either part of Medicine studies or is among the admission requirements. Before choosing a Medicine programme abroad, always check if English skills are enough to graduate and practise medicine in that country.
3. Alleviate people’s pain and suffering
If you’ve ever been hospitalised or visited people who were, you know that those are some of the most difficult moments in someone’s life. It’s very easy for patients to feel desperate and suffer even if the illness can be cured, or they only have to go through a minor medical intervention.
This is where a great medic or nurse can use their empathy and people skills to make a difference. It’s very important to be honest with patients, but it’s just as important to encourage and give them hope.
Many doctors and medical staff confess that the interactions with patients and family members touch them deeply and often change the way they see their profession or even life priorities. In those moments, you remember why you’ve decided to work in Medicine in the first place, and you feel fulfilled.
There’s nothing better than seeing people joyful and healthy. Knowing that you play a big role in restoring their health and relieving their pain is perhaps the strongest and most important reason why so many people choose to study and work in Medicine.
4. Doctors are in high demand
The world needs more doctors. According to the Telegraph, “In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) projected that by 2030, low- and middle-income countries will have a deficit of 14.5 million healthcare professionals.”
The demand for healthcare professionals is also high in countries like the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for nurses and doctors/physicians is expected to grow between 7-12% by 2028.
The situation in Europe is reasonable compared to other continents like Asia or Africa, but some countries need more doctors than others.
This is reflected in European policies. A lot of EU countries that have forbidden or restricted employment of foreign citizens do not apply this decision to doctors. The need for healthcare professionals is so high that in most cases, Medicine students get a job soon after they graduate.
5. Careers in healthcare offer high salaries and job safety
Another pertinent reason to choose a career in Medicine is the job stability you will enjoy after graduation. This reason is even more important in countries where the recession is still a problem and where young people struggle to find a job.
We also need to mention the high salaries of healthcare professionals. While this shouldn’t be the only reason why you choose to study Medicine, it is impossible to ignore it. The reason why medical staff enjoy high salaries, or at least higher than average, is the importance of their job and the high demand for qualified professionals.
Salaries are much higher in well-developed countries, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you’re actually underpaid in a country with an unstable or slowly developing economy.
One common theme among medical professionals is the fact that although they receive a lot of money, it does not always compensate for the stress, sleepless nights, overwhelming night shifts, and not being able to spend more time with family and friends.
6. Find new cures and medicine through medical research
Many students go into Medical studies because the human body is fascinating. Whether we are talking about information travelling at around 400 km/h along the nerves or our bodies giving off a small amount of light that our eyes cannot see, we do many amazing things without even being aware of it.
It’s easy to understand why someone would fall in love and want to discover everything there is to be known about our organs, tissues, and how we function.
That’s why Medicine studies aren’t only focused on developing practical skills and working in a healthcare institution. You can choose a Medical degree focused on research and spend your time in labs, where you can examine cells, conduct experiments, and find new ways to improve our wellness and health.
What’s even more fascinating is that as we discover more about the human organism, we realise there’s so much we do not yet know. We don’t even know what we do not know! Can you wrap your head around that?
For example, a team of researchers from New York University's School of Medicine might have discovered a new organ hiding underneath our skin. That’s the beauty of science and medical research. It allows you to look where others have looked and discover something they either missed or couldn’t understand at that time.
This kind of work and discoveries help us better understand our bodies and the immune system. We can learn how disease spreads and develop better cures and preventive medicine. This is why medical research is such an important branch in the Medicine field.
7. You can study Medicine online
We know med schools can be very expensive. If you decide to study abroad, you’ll add other costs on top of your tuition fees. We’re talking about accommodation, travel tickets, living costs, and so on. When you add them up, you might discover that you’ll need a big monthly budget.
This is one of the main advantages of an online Bachelor’s or Masters degree in Medicine. The programmes are not always less expensive than traditional on-campus courses. But you remove all the other costs related to studying abroad.
Another benefit of studying online is creating and managing your own schedule. You know those mornings when you can barely convince yourself to go out of bed, but you have an important class starting at 8:00 AM. They’re not great, especially if it’s cold outside and even the weather is begging you to stay at home.
You wouldn’t have many options with a traditional degree, other than skipping class, which we do not recommend. It’s a bad idea in general, but it is even worse for med students. If you fall behind, you’ll make your life even harder, and life for future Medicine graduates isn’t exactly easy.
With an online Medicine degree, you can study and complete your assignments whenever you want, as long as you meet the deadlines. This is great for anybody; you might be a night owl, or an early bird, or maybe more efficient during the second part of the day. It doesn’t matter when you work better, distance learning programmes allow you to have a very flexible schedule.
Financial Navigating in the Current Economy: Ten Things to Consider Before You Make Investing Decisions
