Doctors are healthcare professionals who encourage health, treat illnesses and injuries, and restore health through diagnosis and treatment. They examine patients, discuss medical issues, think about various conditions, and document patient information. Becoming a doctor involves a long education, including undergraduate study and sitting entrance exams. It can be rewarding but also challenging, with long hours and responsibility. Aspiring doctors need strong interpersonal skills like empathy, confidence, and respect. Science subjects are required for medical school, with chemistry, physics and biology desirable.

1. YEAR 11 SMALL GROUP

2. What does a doctor do?
 Doctors are healthcare professionals who:
 Encourage people to be healthy
 Maintain peoples health
 Restore health
through
Diagnosing
Treating
illnesses & injuries

3.  Referred to as
 Physicians
 Medical Practitioners
 Care for people and families
 Refer patients to other healthcare providers
when necessary
 Doctors can specialise in many fields or may
focus on broad and comprehensive care for
individuals (GP)

4. Day in the life of a doctor
 There is not a typical day!
 See many patients
 Examine patients (depends on where you work)
 Discuss happy and sad issues
 Respond very quickly
 Think about many conditions
 Document a lot of information

5. PRO’s
 Ability to save lives
 Ability to provide service and support to others
 Continuous learning
 Rewarding
 High status occupation
 Challenging
 Decent salary

6. CON’s
 Debt
 Long and ongoing education
 Can be difficult (training and on the job)
 Can be depressing (when unable to help)
 Time consuming
 Long hours
 A lot of responsibility

7. Is this the right job for me?
 Doctors need to be:
 Approachable (Can ask them anything)
 Empathetic (understands what I am feeling)
 Trustworthy
 Confident (“a confident doctor gives me confidence”)
 Humane (caring, compassionate, kind)
 Forthright (tells what a patient needs to know)
 Respectful (takes the patient seriously)
 Thorough (complete, pays attention to every detail)

8. School subjects
REQUIRED
 English
 Math B
 A science subject
DESIRABLE
 Chemistry
 Physics
 Biology

9. Now what?
 Start thinking and acting like a Doctor
 Think about what career path you may take
 Research the university
 Visit
 Ring and request a new student guide
 Read as much medical related information as
possible
 Medical journals
 Textbooks
 Current medicine related news

10. How to ‘get in’ to study med?
1. Apply for direct entry as a school leaver and
sit the UMAT
2. Study an undergraduate degree and then sit
the GAMSAT
 Nursing
 Science
 Allied health (physio, dietician, OT, etc)
 Any undergraduate degree…
 Most universities use an interview as part of
their entry requirements

11. Undergraduate degrees
 Bachelor of Medical Science
 Science
 Nursing
 Physiotherapy
 Paramedic science
 Any undergraduate degree...

12. Bachelor of Medical Science
 2 year fast-track to Medicine (at Griffith)
 Very competitive
 Only 50 - 70 places/ year
 OP 1 only
 Must pass with GPA 5.0 or above
 Course will teach skills in:
Modern biosciences
 Clinical sciences
Human Skills for Medicine

13. Science
 3 years duration
 Most universities offer
 A scientific basis for understanding the natural
and constructed world around us.
 OP 11 -15 (2013)
 Further study options include:
 Medicine, research, other health care options
 Engineering
 Veterinary science

14. Nursing
 3 year duration
 Most universities offer
 Allows registration as a Registered Nurse
 OP 9 – 12 (2013)

15. Physiotherapy
 4 – 5 year duration
 Limited universities offer (similar to Medicine)
 Physiotherapy enables promotion,
maintenance and restoration of health and the
prevention of disability
 OP 2 – 3 (2013)

16. Other health related degrees
 Nutrition & Dietetics
 Social sciences
 Occupational therapy
 Psychologist (not a professional psychologist)
 Exercise Physiologist (often combined with
physiotherapy degree)

17. Any other Bachelor degree…

18.  Best of luck….