Studying medicine: How do I know if I am suitable?

Henry Hildebrandt

Henry Hildebrandt

Advisor at futuredoctor

Reading time: 5 Minuten
Last updated: 18 June 2024
Studying medicine: How do I know if I am suitable?

📖 Table of contents

Studying medicine: How do I know if I am suitable? Should I Study medicineor am I too bad for that? Do you have to be extremely intelligent to do it? Some myths about medicine are still quite persistent. But in this article, we explain what really matters and what you should be good at if you want to study medicine. This is what matters when studying medicine:

Studying medicine: can anyone do it?

Certainly, studying medicine is one of the more demanding degree programmes. But that doesn't mean it can't be done. The bottom line is that it depends on how much willpower you have to persevere to the end!

We have already written a separate article about this: How difficult is it to study medicine?

Studying medicine: How do I know if I am suitable?

There are some characteristics that certainly make it more likely that you will succeed at medical school. If you don't recognise yourself in any of these qualities, don't worry! You definitely don't have to give up on your dream. And some of these qualities can definitely be learnt through hard work over a longer period of time.

Stamina

There are phases when you just want to chuck it all in. In these phases, it depends on how much stamina you have, because there is always an end in sight!

You like to be alone sometimes

There are many topics in medical studies that are simply about memorising. This usually works best alone! You should feel comfortable doing this, because then it won't be a problem for you.

You are open

Studying medicine on your own will be quite difficult. That's why you need the support of your fellow students. It helps if you are a little more open to strangers and enjoy socialising. Of course, it's also possible if you prefer to be a loner. But then studying medicine will be a lot harder!

You can get enthusiastic quickly

This characteristic can help you a lot when learning! The reason? If you are enthusiastic about a subject, you can learn it much faster and more effectively. That can make a big difference.

Discipline

A very important point. You will have to make yourself study every day over a period of 6 years! Discipline is probably the most important quality when studying medicine. The good thing is that if you don't have much discipline, you can train it quite well.

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Studying medicine: How do I know if I am suitable?

If you have some of the qualities mentioned above, then you can definitely get through medical school. But it takes more than just being able to pass medical school. You have to be able to enjoy the journey and, above all, your future career.

These points can help you to assess yourself:

1. empathy

Whether you enjoy working as a doctor and even during your medical studies depends largely on how well you can put yourself in the other person's shoes. This helps in Dealing with patients Extremely! Empathy is important in medical school and later essential as a doctor.

For many, this is the most important quality of a doctor.

2. willing to take responsibility

This is a very important point, as you will have to make many decisions along the way. You will usually also take full responsibility for these. If you like a lot of responsibility, you are in good hands as a doctor! If you find this difficult, then it will at least be difficult to climb the career ladder.

3. resilience

It's not just the workload that is high as a doctor. Psychological factors should not be underestimated either. You are often confronted with situations that can be quite stressful for some people. You have to be able to deal with this. You should be aware of this and also listen to yourself. Unfortunately, you can't necessarily know this straight after school. But with a little imagination, you can do an internship in a hospital and put yourself in the doctors' shoes.

So should I study medicine? If you have these three qualities, then you will definitely enjoy your career as a doctor. And in the end, that's what it's all about!

Don't have the right A-level average for studying medicine? Here is the right guide:

Not sure how to get a place on a medical degree programme?

We will advise you free of charge and work with you to find the best way for you to fulfil your dream of studying medicine.

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Conclusion

Nobody can tell you exactly whether you are suitable for studying medicine. However, certain basic character traits will help you make your decision. If none of these characteristics apply to you, you should think again, but this should not put you off studying medicine! If your goal is to become a doctor, then you can do it.