We are joined today by the wonderful Dr. John Denboer, a man who has dedicated his life to medicine and a long term friend of mine who has been kind enough to help us out with this piece. What we want to discuss today is a brief look into the life of a doctor, an insight which many of you may enjoy, especially anyone out there who has dreams of one day becoming a doctor like John. Dr. Denboer specializes now in dementia studies but his experience in the medical field is similar to what many go through, regardless of their specialization.
Work Levels
There are some aspects of being a doctor which people very often get wrong, but the level of work which doctors put in usually exceeds even what the general public think. Being a doctor is about banking hours, and that extends to beyond the 12 hours shifts in the hospital. Doctors will also have to be on call for a length of time every month, which means even not being at work means that you are still working.
Studious
A common misconception which people have is that once medical school is wrapped up that the education is all done for doctors, again this is just not the case. Doctors n every field have to be able to offer their patients the best care and in order to do that they need to stay on top of any changes in the industry and any advancements that have been made. This means that doctors must continue to study if they want to offer the best care for their patients.
Personal Sacrifice
Something which many doctors will explain to you is the toll that the position has taken on their personal lives, much of this coming down to the time that one must spend working. During our chat John told me about people who had to cancel honeymoons, disappoint their friends for important events and miss the most important moments in the lives of their kids, all because they were on duty. The divorce rate alone amongst doctors is higher than almost any other career, and that is because of the difficulty that so many have in juggling an intense work life with a home life. In most cases it just can’t be done, and what is amazing is that healthcare wins over personal desires, such is the dedication of these men and women.
Emotional Toil
Doctors are thick skinned and strong and they can deal with just about everything that comes their way, but not always. There is always a story, a patient or a family member who is just too much for a doctor and eventually that emotion has to come out. Many of us fail to realize the emotional toil which these medical professionals go through each day of their lives, and it does make an impact.
This is what you can expect when you become a doctor.
