• Question: When i grow up i would like to become a Doctor of some sort! What advice would you give me?

    Asked by nazia1999 to Adam, Catherine, Karen, Leila, Nazim on 16 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Adam Stevens

      Adam Stevens answered on 16 Mar 2012:

      Work hard at school, especially in biology and chemistry.

      Do some work experience – go and offer your services at your local GP surgery or in a hospital. Show you care.

    • Photo: Catherine Rix

      Catherine Rix answered on 16 Mar 2012:

      Do you mean a medical doctor? If so when you choose your A levels make sure you take biology and chemistry and maybe physics too. An important skill for studying medicine is to be able to communicate with lots of different people so make sure you can prove this using the activities you do out of school. Good luck!

    • Photo: Karen Masters

      Karen Masters answered on 16 Mar 2012:

      Study the subjects which most interest you, but realise that to study medicine at University you will need chemistry and biology (and probably maths?) A-level… and very good marks….

      And try to do some work experience at a hospital or somewhere with doctors so you can understand if you really like the work.

    • Photo: Leila Battison

      Leila Battison answered on 19 Mar 2012:

      1. Always follow your dreams! If you want to do something, then don’t let anything stand in your way.

      2. Take science subjects. Biology and chemistry will probably be necessary, and Maths never hurts.

      3. Work hard. Qualifying to become a doctor takes longer thana lot of degrees at university, and you have to know everything really well because people rely on you to get it right. So I won’t pretend it will be easy, but it will be incredibly rewarding when you get there.

      I live with a doctor, and once had a doctor for a boyfriend. They are all lovely people, but all very different, so don’t forget to be yourself!

    • Photo: Nazim Bharmal

      Nazim Bharmal answered on 20 Mar 2012:

      Whatever kind of doctor you want to be, there are some simple rules.

      One, find something you really enjoy otherwise you won’t be able to do number two,
      Two, work hard at your subject and never give up, even if it is a nice day and you want to go outside—there will be lots of nice days but you only get one chance to study and then you can do number three,
      Three, keep at it and ask people who are doctors how they did it and ask lots of different people till you get a clear idea what you are supposed to do.

      Don’t forget, at secondary school there are careers advisors who can help you a lot and give you advice on where you should study at university (because you will have to go to a university).

      (All of us scientists are, or nearly are Doctors to, but I think you might mean a medical doctor. The training is not so very different: lots to learn and then lots of practice of what you are taught.)

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