i wanted to become a doctor?

Question

but the problem is i cant stand seeing blood because it makes me faint and it takes around a decade i think to become a doctor...my mom has suggested that i go for genetic engineering well idk whether that's wat i really want...so can u please suggest some other option in the field of medicine? and also could you please tell me how many years it takes to complete that field?

i hope i am not asking too much but thank you for helping me.

Answer 1

Hi! Over time, you can get used to the sight of blood. There are a lot of doctors out there that fainted at the sight of blood while they were medical students. I know of one paramedic student that was so afraid of needles she had to take meds before her blood was drawn. She gradually got over her fear, and has no problems now.
Yes, it does take awhile to become a doctor. It's not a field that you should enter lightly. After all, people's lives will be in your hands.
So, why do you want to be in medicine? What attracts you to the field? Is it the quest for knowledge, or is it helping someone in their time of need? Once you figure out exactly what attracts you to the field, then you can find a career that fulfills you. If you love helping people, but don't really care for medicine itself, there are lots of great careers in medicine. If you like hands-on medicine, there are jobs that don't require you to see much blood, you just have to research your options carefully. Respiratory therapist or physical therapist might be a good option. If you are interested in the research aspect, there are tons of research jobs that don't even require you to see a patient.
Most jobs in medicine require at least an associate's degree (two years). Respiratory therapist is a two year degree. Physical therapist is a doctorate degree (8 years) but a therapist's assistant has less stringent educational requrements. Any research positions will probably require a doctorate or PhD degree.
Hope this helps!

Edit: One of the answerers stated that after you finish medical school, you won't see much blood. The truth is that it depends on which specialty you enter in. In almost every specialty, there is blood, and that's the truth. After all, who do you think performs surgery, sets fractures, and sutures cuts? If you want to become a doctor, you need to get over your fear of blood. That can totally be done, and it shouldn't stand in your way of your dream of becoming a doctor.

Answer 2

You definitely need to overcome the issue with fainting when you see blood, even though how often you'll see it after you are a doctor depends on the specialty you choose.

To study medicine in the US, you need 90 credits of premed requirements to apply to med school (about 3 college years), that includes at least 8 credits in Chemistry, 6 in Math, 6 in English, and at least 8 in Biology (it can vary from these but not much). Then if you get into med school, it's 4 years.

During the last 2 years of med school you need to approve the licensing examinations, and then, you need to go through: internship, transitional residency or straight to a residency program (these are in-hospital training), and the times for those vary depending on which path you choose. For an Internal Medicine specialist, it must have taken him/her approx. 11 years to get there since HS.

Any other medical-related careers are usually 2 years, like Respiratory Technician, X-rays or any imaging technique, ultrasound, physical therapy, EMT (paramedics)...

Answer 3

Well, going the MD/RN route versus the biology route are much more dramatically different than you would imagine. The biggest difference is that the med school route is largely rote memorization with little thinking. The science route is some memorization at first, but the vast majority of it is logic and troubleshooting.

Time wise it depends on how far you want to go- a BS in a biologically relevant field is a pretty useless degree. Expect to at least have to get some sort of certification after the fact if you dont want to get a masters or a PhD. That said- nearly nobody gets a masters anymore, though a PhD is "only" another 4.5 years or so after your undergrad.

Answer 4

Hey there joyo,

I think i really all depends on what you want in life. Being a doctor has its ups and downs, and not forgetting the long working hours and the large volume of knowledge one have to learn in med school. Regarding your fear of blood, if you really want to be a doctor, I don't see it as a hurdle for you. Yes, your initial exposure to a bloody scenario may make you feel uncomfy, however, with repeated exposure, you should be able to cope, just as how medical students gets desensitized to the sight of cadavers.

Hau

Answer 5

I suffer from the same problem but I never wanted to be a doctor! Remember that after going to medical school it is the nurses ONLY that will take blood samples and give shots! Don't let it stand in the way of your dream! I think you would be a really good doctor! Follow your dreams you will never be happy otherwise...and probably you will overcome your phobia

Answer 6

so what your saying is that you have a dream, but you're too scared to try and accomplish it because you will face adversity in the process? well if not a doctor then you can be something really lame, how bout a pharmacist?