Want to be a doctor? How to prepare? The path to becoming a doctor. Those who are interested in studying medicine or want to become a doctor must understand because there are many things we need to know if we want to pursue this career.
From the previous episode, we got to know another team behind the scenes who work hard to communicate information to the public that is correct, complete, and reliable. And for the ultimate goal of just hoping that the public can have a better life, know how to take care of themselves to be safe and survive COVID-19. They are the Corporate Communications and Customer Relations team. We can see the results of their hard work from video clips, pictures, or public relations announcements on various matters of Thammasat University Hospital.
At this point, we will not be looking at the work processes of the behind-the-scenes team. We will jump back to the beginning. The starting point of work may start from 1, but today, we will take everyone to start from 0 because this starting point is before working in the hospital. Today, we will get to know the path to becoming a Thammasat doctor from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilok Biyayothai, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University.
“When deciding to pursue a career, you should make decisions based on accurate information.”
Before deciding to study medicine, it is important that we first discover the career that we truly want. And searching for that career requires accurate and reliable information. Studying medicine at the bachelor’s level takes 6 years to graduate as a general physician. You may go on to train in medical skills for another 3 years. If you are interested in a certain field, you can add another 3-5 years to study to become a specialist physician. When you count it, studying medicine takes up more than 10 years of your life. So you have to ask yourself first if you really want to do it?
“The heart is important. You must really want to pursue this career.”
Thammasat University will have an Open House for students to come and experience and see the life of a doctor. There will be a one-day tour to observe the work, learning, teaching, and various performances related to being a doctor in a format that gives a picture of what you will encounter if you come to study. Another format is like a camp, giving students the right to come and study how doctors work in real hospitals for a period of time. Even though you won’t get 100% exposure to the medical profession, it will still help you get information that is as close to the truth as possible before deciding to come and study.
“Illness doesn’t choose when.”
The difficulty of studying is certainly true. The study content is extensive because it involves taking responsibility for human life. The first 3 years are spent studying scientific data, going into depth on health, physiology, the human body, and anatomy. Years 4-6 are spent doing real work under the supervision of professors and senior doctors. It involves applying the theories learned in practice. As you gain more experience, you will be able to take care of your own patients. In addition, when you start working at the clinic, you will have to work shifts, sometimes in the afternoon, sometimes in the morning, because patients do not choose when they are sick. Therefore, no matter what time the patient comes, we must be ready to provide the best care.
“Thammasat is a university for the people.”
In fact, in the education system, the medical curriculum is designed no differently because the Medical Council will oversee and control the curriculum and determine what qualifications each doctor must have to graduate. This makes all doctors have the same standards. Each university will be different in terms of roles or characters. For example, it is well known that Thammasat is a university for the people. This is something that students from all faculties accept willingly. Therefore, if we talk about doctors who graduate from Thammasat, they will also have the character of Thammasat doctors, doctors of the people.
“Teach from a community-based perspective and learn from problems.”
The Faculty of Medicine has been around for over 31 years. The point that makes Thammasat University’s teaching different is that it is a Community Based Learning teaching method that is based on the community and Problem Based Learning. Learning from problems has a role that must think of the people first and learn from problems. It is a study that is open to everyone to do work that everyone loves, including participation in bringing knowledge and skills to help society in the future.
“Doctors are a diverse profession, and it can be more diverse than that.”
In the past, if you studied medicine, the extension and branching out from the word doctor would be in the matter of expertise, such as cardiologist, pediatrician, surgeon, etc. Or another branch that looks diverse would be in the matter of the target group that we want to treat, such as being a teacher, working at a government hospital, going down to help in difficult communities, or working in a private hospital according to what we are good at, etc. But with the current era, graduating as a doctor does not necessarily mean going into a career with the word doctor in front.
“This is the era of integration.”
The world is becoming more open. Many people who graduate as doctors go on to other careers, such as starting their own businesses or providing health advice, becoming executives, or studying law. Each path shows a variety of paths. For example, during the COVID-19 situation, hospitals have had to try to find doctors with technological skills to work with engineers to develop hospital systems. Therefore, studying to be a doctor is not just about being a doctor.
Direction of curriculum development at Thammasat University
Now the medical curriculum has been developed to be more international. Lecturers have been sent to study at world-class institutions such as the School of Medicine UC DAVIS – University of California, John A. Burns School of Medicine – University of Hawaii, Nippon Medical School, and School of Medicine and Graduate School – Mile University, among many others, to upgrade the university’s curriculum. Now the university’s curriculum has been certified by WFME, which stands for World Federation for Medical Education, an international organization that certifies the standards of medical curricula worldwide. In other words, doctors who graduate from Thammasat University can take an exam to gain the opportunity to study at world-class institutions.
New medical curriculum: Study for 7 years and receive both a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
The university is now opening two new medical programs in collaboration with other disciplines: the Master of Arts in Health and Medical Law (MA in Health and Medical Law), a collaboration between the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Law, which has developed a curriculum that includes additional learning from regular medical studies, including patient rights and medical law; and the other program, a collaboration between the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, a Bachelor of Medicine program that combines medical studies with a Master of Arts in Hospital Administration and Health Business.
“Don’t just look at a patient’s disease, look at their mental state as well.”
Graduating from medical school means that we are already good people. Our goodness may be measured by national standardized examinations. But what we want doctors to have apart from being good is goodness. If we use our medical skills to treat them, they will simply get better. But if doctors have compassion for them, patients who are treated until they are cured will not only be cured, but they will feel our good intentions, resulting in happiness for both parties. Another important thing for being a doctor is to be happy. Be happy and love your job. These things will make you the best, the best, and the happiest doctor.
Conclusion
Being a doctor is a profession that requires learning throughout the career. Learn from reliable sources before deciding to study. Learn from books, textbooks, and theories once you have decided to study. Learn to treat a variety of patients each day. Learn to be a doctor who continues this great profession with pride.
Even if you are not a doctor in the field of psychology who has to treat the minds of patients, I want you to know that all patients need good communication and compassion from doctors. Please think that they did not study the same as us. They may not understand, causing anxiety to arise from that ignorance. If we treat the disease while taking care of their minds, it is not difficult to be a good doctor.
From the patient’s perspective, it is normal to have expectations of doctors because they want to get better. There must be communication about what disease it is, how to treat it, and whether it will cure or not. The most important thing is communication. In the past, doctors have treated according to the correct treatment guidelines but did not tell the patients or communicated in a way that was not understood, causing conflict or misunderstanding.
“If both doctors and patients can do this with compassion, society will be better.”
Want to be a doctor… The path to becoming a doctor with the truth that we must know | Thammasat University Hospital
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