Becoming a Doctor
You might be thinking that you are too old to enter the medical profession as you are no longer in your twenties and straight out of college. But in reality, as long as you are willing to study and work hard and possess the drive and ambition that you need to obtain your medical license, then there is no reason why you should not consider this career at any stage in life.
There is already a shortage of doctors and nurses here in the US, which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic this past year. If anything, the pandemic has taught us that we should appreciate the medical staff that looks after such sick patients and battle through long, endless shifts each day so that they can fulfill these roles.
The need to fill these jobs has probably never been so high, so if you possess the desire and willingness to help out others, then you should not be put off by the notion that you need to be young to qualify. It is never too late to enter the medical profession if you want to save lives and care for sick patients.
Here are some reasons why becoming a doctor later on in life might in actuality be beneficial.
You Can Benefit From Previous Career Experience
You are more likely to feel confident and know what you are doing the older you get, and it might not feel as daunting taking on a new role. This might contrast what you feel when you are young and have only just finished college. You might feel slightly pressured into following a medical professional because it makes sense due to the subjects you have just finished studying and appears to be the natural progression.
Life and work experience can certainly work in your favor as you will be able to transfer any skills you have acquired over the years into your new job in the medical profession. Skills such as working under pressure, making informed decisions, and working within a team construct will all be valuable attributes that can be transferred into a healthcare setting. These might not, in contrast, be skills that you would have as a young adult after finishing your studies. So in this instance, an older employee can combine all these elements easily into this role.
Patients Are More Likely To Take You Seriously
It can be quite daunting when you are a young, newly qualified doctor, and the patients perhaps do not trust that you know what you are doing due to your young appearance. If you are a little older, this might actually work in your favor as the patients could be more willing to take you seriously and follow your advice.
The Ability to Deal With Tough Situations
Over time with more experience gained throughout your working life, you might find you can deal with stressful or unexpected situations more easily. Each day is certainly going to present new challenges, and you might need to deal with an upsetting diagnosis or maintain good spirits through a long, difficult shift. The more you get used to these situations, the more resilient you become. So by qualifying as a doctor later in life, you will be able to draw upon previous career experiences to cope with the new set of challenges that you face in the medical profession each day.
The Importance of a Medical Uniform To Fulfill Your Role
Looking smart and ensuring you have a good supply of Cherokee scrubs from Uniform Advantage will certainly be useful when working in the medical field. Wearing a professional uniform is an important part of the job and knowing what you are doing. When you work in healthcare, you need to be dressed appropriately for the role of a doctor or nurse so that you are easily identifiable to both your patients and colleagues. The various colored scrubs available also help facilitate this and provide a smart, practical attire to wear to carry out your everyday duties.
Becoming a Nurse
Just as you would consider a career becoming a doctor later on in life, the same can be applied to becoming a nurse. In actuality, it will take you less time to fully qualify as a nurse, so there is certainly no reason not to if this area of work interests you.
Having The Confidence To Communicate Effectively
The ability to talk to your colleagues and patients so that you can explain scenarios clearly and concisely will certainly be useful. If you have gained more confidence over the years in your previous jobs, this will help you communicate effectively to both your patients and colleagues so that they understand what is going on. When you are working as a nurse, you need to talk to people without hesitancy and listen intently. These are skills that you acquire over time and can put to good use in a nursing role.
The Ability to Cope With Long Shifts
This might not be a gratifying part of the job, but the ability to handle long shifts by being on your feet all day is certainly going to be part of your duty as a nurse. If you have been able to cope with these sorts of scenarios in your previous career, it will be a lot easier to adjust to this working life where you barely have time to eat or drink any food and have to be physically fit to cope. When you are not used to working in such an environment, it can be pretty daunting and difficult to cope with.
Possessing Quick Reaction Times
When you are working as a nurse in a hospital environment, no two shifts will ever be the same. You will most likely deal with many medical cases and patients and will need to be prepared for the unexpected. You might get nice patients who appreciate the job you do or get extremely rude and difficult patients who choose to be verbally aggressive.
You will also need to think quickly on your feet in emergency situations when you need to assist a patient quickly, calmly, and professionally. When you are not used to dealing with such high-pressure situations at a younger age, it can feel somewhat overwhelming, traumatic and undermine your confidence, which can cast doubts on your suitability in this role.
Demonstrating a Good Ability to Prioritize Tasks
Another skill that you acquire with time and experience is the ability to prioritize your tasks accordingly. When you work as a nurse, you will need to demonstrate how to prioritize your tasks based on importance and necessity quickly. You might be fulfilling a certain task until an extremely sick patient enters the ward, meaning you have to stop what you are doing to attend to their needs whilst also looking after various other patients at the same time too.
You will be responsible for ensuring that patients are administered the correct medications, which is an important job. So possessing the ability to prioritize tasks, remember to complete them whilst also being aware of time constraints are tasks that you will excel in with more confidence and experience over time.
Overall, despite the general belief that a career as a doctor or nurse is only suitable for young graduates, it is simply not the case. As long as you possess the necessary skills required to work in this field and are willing to undertake some studying before obtaining your medical license, there is certainly no reason why you cannot become a medical professional later on in life.
