Are you sure you want Medicine? Read this first!

Are you sure you want to enter Medicine?

 Read this first!

If asked, what is the choice of the most prestigious courses in Indonesia? Maybe many will answer, majoring in Medicine!

Yes, every year thousands of high school graduates compete tightly for majors which usually have the highest "passing grade". The motivation of high school graduates who want to enter the Medical Department is not far from the following reasons:

"It's cool to be a doctor. The ideal profession of the future in-laws! "
"Mom said just take medicine. The job is clear. Get a lot of money. Can get rich quick. "
"I'm good and really like Biology from the beginning. Match the Medical department for me. "
"Being a doctor is a noble job. I want to be a helper in the future. "

Whatever the motivation, actually it's fine, as long as when you become a doctor, he can work with integrity. The problem is that not a few high school graduates were shocked when they succeeded in entering this department because it turned out that lectures and the world of medicine were far different from what they had imagined so far. Many do NOT understand what they will learn and the challenges they will face in becoming a doctor. In some cases, some were so depressed, lost their motivation to learn, could not survive, and the worst case was Drop Out of this prestigious department. Surely you don't want to be like that? 🙂

Now, on this occasion, I want to share stories about the intricacies of lectures and the world of medicine in Indonesia. Oya, we know first. My name is Thomas Adhi Nugroho Chaidir. Just call Thomas. I went to S1 Medical Education at the Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University. I am currently pursuing an Internship as a doctor.

In this article, I will uncover various misconceptions surrounding the Department of Medicine. I will also describe the journey and challenges that you will face to hold the title of doctor and work in the community. In the end, I hope you can understand the reality of the world of medicine in Indonesia and decide whether you really have a strong reason to become a doctor.

What is Medical Science?

Before we go deeper into the Department of Medical Education, it's good to understand first about Medical Sciences itself. What is the difference between medical science and biology which we have studied in high school so far?

According to Merriam-Webster, Medical Science is defined as:

"Science or art involved in health care, as well as prevention, treatment or management of disease."

From the words "health" and "disease", we can conclude that there are certain factors that can be influenced by "health" and "disease", namely the human body. In other words, Medical Science is the study of how the human body works, its equilibrium, factors that can disrupt the function and equilibrium, and how to maintain and restore the imbalance and disruption of the function to normal functions and equilibrium.

So, if you like Biology but actually prefer to observe flora and fauna like in National Geographic shows or like genetic engineering technology like in the film Jurassic Park; You will be strayed if you enter Medicine 🙂

What skills are needed to study medicine?

From a brief definition of Medical Sciences, we can describe any skills needed to explore this science.

1. Understanding Strong Concepts in Biology, Chemistry, to Physics and Mathematics
"I'm in high school now, the Biology value is good, right? Even though mathematics and physics are threatening, I want to be a doctor only. "
"We in middle and high school have learned a lot about the human body. We learn the blood system, the motion system, the digestive system, a lot. So actually the Medical lecture material has been studied in the past right? "
Not a few who want to study medicine solely because they like or have good Biological values ​​in high school. This is a big mistake that always occurs every year among new Medical students. To survive as a medical student and become a reliable doctor in the future, it is not enough to just look at high school biology skills.

Learning about the human body at the medical college level is far different than studying Biology in middle and high school. In high school, maybe you will "survive" if you can just memorize the names and order of bones. In high school, maybe you can still get good grades or even be able to rank if you can memorize functions and diseases of the Human Reproductive System without understanding the connection with other organs studied in previous chapters.

... at the undergraduate level, this knowledge is very different. Medical studies at the level of lectures are far more integrated and focus on the balance of the body. You are not enough to just know, but you also have to understand the function of the objects and engine wheels that are on