Disclaimer: If you are thinking of going to medical school or if you know anyone who has lofty ideas of doing so.... Think again!
There's a meme on the internet that reads, "In a Nigerian family you can only be a 1) Doctor 2) Engineer 3)Lawyer 4) A disgrace to the family.
In other words, everyone expects you to either be a doctor, lawyer or engineer; anything other than that, na you sabi.
So once you are in science class in senior secondary school, it is automatic ally assumed that you plan to become a doctor or worse case scenario, a dentist. Nobody really talks to the younger ones about what it entails or what to prepare for.
Here are some things I wish someone had told me before I decided to study medicine.
1) You never graduate from medical school. Not really. If you want to make any headway in the medical field, best be prepared to study your ass off till you are grey.
2) Do not, I repeat, DO NOT study medicine in any country that they don't speak English. Unless you plan on learning the language extensively. How else would you communicate with the patients which is the most vital part of your field?
3) For those who plan to study abroad and come back to Nigeria, allow me to establish a timeline for you:
- graduation after 6 years of blood/sweat. Yay!
- write licensing exams to practice in Nigeria after 3 months of lectures at a designated Nigerian university
- apply for house job for a year. And by apply I mean, you still have to write exams or do an interview to get the job. You must get a job within this one year or else your temporary license expires and you have to sit for the exams again. And as we all know, this is Nigeria.
- go for one year of NYSC
- apply to become a resident doctor. At this stage anything you want to do is up to you, depends on your career path. If you want to specialize, of course there are series of exams for that. Everyone is doing public health these days. Don't get me started on USMILE/PLAB.
4) The Nigerian medical system is designed to steal your joy. Don't let them. In the words of a colleague of mine " If you raise your head , they will clip your wings, feathers, tails, head and basically bury you, one piece at a time" 🙆🏼🌚😕👹
Oh I don't mean to sound cynical. Medicine is great. Being a doctor commands respect, it has the potential to increase your bride price and sell your market exponentially. If you plan on getting rich quick tho, you might wanna reconsider or try your hands on other things.
Which reminds me, just about most of the medical students/doctors I know have avid interests in music, writing, business and fashion which they actively pursue.
In my next life would I become a doctor again?
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