• Question: I would love to be a doctor when I am older. Maybe a trauma doctor and then move onto be a consultant then specialize in something. Do you have any helpful tips or facts about being a doctor and working in hospitals? Thanks

    Asked by to Bethany, Hannah, Keith, Peter on 25 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Peter Elliott

      Peter Elliott answered on 25 Jun 2014:


      So the doctor I am isn’t the type you would go and see in the hospital, that is a medical doctor whereas I am a research doctor.

      However if you want to experience what it is like to be a doctor I would suggest either speaking to your gp or go to a hospital and ask if you can get some work experience shadowing a real doctor. This might help you decide what type of doctor you might like to be.

      Also keep up with chemistry, biology and maths at school as they are important subjects to help you become a doctor.

      Good luck.

    • Photo: Bethany Dearlove

      Bethany Dearlove answered on 25 Jun 2014:


      Confusingly, my PhD is in Clinical Medicine…so technically I am a doctor in medicine – I just don’t know how to treat people!

      It sounds like you’ve already given your potential career a decent amount of thought, which is really good. As Peter says, biology, chemistry and maths are all really important, so you should try and focus on those. As well as trying to get work experience in different departments of the hospital to help you think about where you might like to specialise, I would recommend doing some volunteer or leadership work. Medicine is really competitive to get into, so doing volunteer work can help show potential universities that you’re willing to commit the time and energy to really excel. It will also help with your communication skills, and obviously being this is a really important skill to have for talking to patients.

      Good luck!

Comments