Why do you want to become a doctor?

"Why do you want to be a doctor?"

This is the most frequently asked question when we were the junior medical students.

"I want to help others."

This is the most common answer given by us. Gold standard answer.
But most of the time, most of us are bullshitting.

"I want to help the poor, they deserve better treatment."

Sounds familiar? It is a standard answer from medical students. A good way to help the poor is to remain in the government service as they simply cannot afford to go to the money-sucking private hospitals. Unfortunately, when they are asked about the reason to reject JPA scholarship......

" Ishhh (walaoeh), need to bond to the government for 10 years, so long, dont want lah. Wanna be free."

or, when they are asked whether to remain in the government service......

"Government? Cannot stand the workload lah, so many on-calls some more, I want to sleep lah, wanna cabut to private after the compulsory service."

or, when ask to go to the ulu-ulu(rural) area to help the poor.............

"Ha?? NO cinema, NO McD, NO Shopping malls, NO entertainment, can bored to death, u know....dont want lah!"

Another standard answer given by medical student is:

"My family member had cancer and I couldn't do anything at that time, so, I want to be a doctor so that I can prevent this. "

Does this sound familiar to you? If that is your answer and yet you are so obsessed with clinical practice and show very little interest towards medical research, you are going to the wrong direction. When facing some terminal or serious diseases, it depends on the researchers who work behind the scene to develop the new treatments. Doctors? They only prolong the patient's life, and the result is still the same, death.

Another answer:

"It's my ambition since I was a kid."

Come on, how on earth can you decide that when you are still very much dependent on your parents for most of the decision. Obviously, you get the idea from the sample essay in which you need to memorize when you were in primary school. "Apakah cita-cita kamu?" "Cita-cita saya adalah menjadi seorang doktor yang berjaya." Get it?

Another answer....

"Parents force me to study medicine."

Your parents might force you, yet, you still come to the medical school with happy face and very motivated, kiasu some more. Yea, when there is no good answer, just blame the parents lah, very easy answer.

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Okay, why is it so hard to tell the truth?

" I want to be rich!"

" I want the title, DR. , glamour lah!"

"Doctor has higher status, people respect me!"

"Doctor syok, easy to tackle pretty chicks!"

Some doctors told us that becoming a doctor is not the way to be rich. After office hour, they were spotted sitting comfortably in BMW, Mercedes... (--III)
Yea, of course not rich lah, they are comparing themselves to Robert Kuok.

Some of you might say, "I can still help others by working in private hospital ma." Yea right, they pay a huge amount for your service, basically, you are just selling your skill to them. They pay for what they deserve but not at the mercy of your kindness. Some more, they can sue you if you don't give a good service. Have you ever heard that a kind Samaritan get sued because he/she is not giving a 'good enough' help?
"I sincerely want to help you, yet you sue me because my help is lousy? walaoeh!"

I don't doubt that, indeed, there are some students who really have the heart to help others and also to improve the medical services in our country, good for them and I salute them. But, how many of us are actually one of them? Are you?

Well, after almost 4 years in medical school, try to ask yourself the same old question again,

"Why do you want to become a doctor?"