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Doctors use their knowledge and skill to help make and keep
people healthy. Their patients might need help with anything from losing weight to recovering from an injury or disease.
To be a doctor, you'll need an interest in--and great knowledge of--the human body. And be prepared for long hours on the job. After all, emergency sick calls often happen early in the morning or late at night!
Types of Doctors:
Pediatricians—
If you like caring for your siblings, then you may want to become a
pediatrician. These doctors work with children, from infants to teens.
Specialists—
If you're interested in organs and how they function, than you may want to be a specialist. Cardiologists have a thorough knowledge of the heart, while a pulmonary specialist has studied the lungs.
If you’re a real brain, being a neurologist may be best.
Surgeons—Similar to specialists, many surgeons have a specific area of expertise. From the basics
of putting a few stitches in a finger, to performing something
as life-threatening as open heart surgery, these men and women
must be available to deal with extremes.
But they also get top pay in their field.
Interview
with Dr. Carol Vorenkamp
Dr. Carol Vorenkamp
claims the
sight of blood never bothered her. In fact, even as a child, it pumped her up.
 "When
kids in the neighborhood fell off their bikes, had nosebleeds,
or concussions, I was always the first one on the scene!"
Sure, she was the calmest
and coolest kid on the block. But what she remembers most
is giving CPR to a litter of pups.
Over the
years she's saved lots of dogs’ lives. "I trained,
raised, and bred Golden Retriever show dogs since I was a
little girl. So when the mama pup would have a litter, a lot
of times the babies would need a few breaths of air to
get going. So I’d get them breathing.
"I actually
started out wanting to be a veterinarian," she says,
"But when the vet I was working for suggested I become
a doctor, I thought, 'Wow, how cool, then I could save people's lives.' "
As soon as she
graduated from high school, Dr. Vorenkamp entered pre-med
and later medical school. And finally, eight years later, she
started her residency with a local doctor. A year after that,
she was in her own office.
"It was a
long, tough haul,” she said. “But well worth it."
Dr. Vorenkamp's
final words of advice, "You'd better be ready for anything.”
After all, sometimes even she's not prepared to face the urgent stuff day-to-day. She says her sense of humor helps her through the rough times. But there are scary moments, too, Dr, Vorenkamp admits.
"It's all worth it when you know you've given someone another chance at life."
What You Can Do to Get Ready:
As with Dr. Vorenkamp,
most doctors go to college for at least 8-12 years. So save
your pennies and earn lots of scholarships! To get a head
start, you can also take some college courses in high school
and get your core classes out of the way. Volunteering at
your local hospital, doctors office, or nursing home isn’t
a bad idea either.
What it Pays:
Depending on what
specialty you're in, the good news is (after all that education)
you can make anywhere from a base salary of $133,000, to
a whopping $320,000...or much more!
Other
Resources:
Women
Are Surgeons--If
you're interested in becoming a doctor, check out this site.
You can order a free poster and video on being a surgeon.
Niehs.nih.gov/kids/baylor/riff1.htm
- Interview with a lung specialist.
Mommd.com/premedplanning.shtml
- Step-by-step planning to become a doctor.
Cfms.org/pre_med/doctor.cfm
- What does it really take to become a doctor?
Medicaleducation.com/becoming-a-doctor.htm
- Tips to help you get ready for medical school.
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