Doctors provide some of the most important services in our society, from treating common cold, giving vaccinations, performing surgeries to restoring a patient’s health and wellbeing. The journey to become a doctor is long and challenging. You need to be prepared to work long stressful hours and most importantly, continue to have a strong desire to help sick people.
If you choose to be a doctor, you need to have strong communication skills and able to listen to your patients and probe them to diagnose them properly. You will also need to explain their conditions and treatment in non-technical terms. Patients come to put their wellbeing, and sometimes life, into your hands, so you have to show empathy and genuine care for them. The training to become a doctor is highly rigorous with a lot of materials to study, gruelling examinations and long hours spent in the hospitals. Despite the stress you will be under, as a doctor you will need to continually think critically and quickly as every moment could decide the life and death of a person.
‘’you will also need to obtain a permit and/or complete compulsory service to practice in a particular country’’
As a branch of medicine, being a doctor means you will need to study pre-clinical in an academic classroom or lab as well as clinical training at teaching hospitals. This means that you will need to study for about 5 years. Admission to medical school is highly competitive and an entry to top-tier universities require you to be very academically inclined.
Completing a Medical Degree and internship will allow you to be a fully fledged medical doctor, or with additional 4 to 5 years of study, you can obtain a specialisation. There are also other careers related to medicine outside the clinical field such as hospital administration, pharmaceutical medicine, medical research, medical journalism and education.
There are several pathways to your desired degree after your Secondary Education. You can choose to pursue a Pre-University course or a Foundation in Science in your chosen university. Upon completion of any of those qualification, you will then be eligible to pursue a Degree in Medicine. Do your research for your desired university as entry requirements of top-tier institutions are usually more competitive.
*As a rule of thumb: ‘A’ Level minimum 3 Bs; STPM minimum 3 Bs; Australian Pre-University minimum of ATAR 80.0; Foundation in Science minimum CGPA of 3.0. All qualifications should include Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Mathematics
Dentistry is the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of oral diseases. Your teeth and gums can give you clues about your overall health, in addition to your overall wellness. Being a dentist can be extremely rewarding and it is a crucial role in the healthcare industry.
If you choose to be a dentist, you will need to treat oral conditions, prescribe medication, perform dental surgeries and most importantly, have genuine concern for your patients. As a dental student, you can also expect to learn large amount of materials, spend long hours and prepare for challenging practical examinations. Dentistry also involve other medical subjects to equip you as a good healthcare specialist. Remember that your dental patients may be complaining of an oral symptom of other illnesses or they may be on various medications for other conditions. You will also need to have good hand-eye coordination and dexterity. This practical skill is crucial in order to perform dental procedures.
‘’just like a doctor, you will also need to obtain a permit and/or complete compulsory service to practice in a particular country’’
As a branch of medicine, being a dentist is like being a doctor and you will need to study pre-clinical in an academic classroom or lab as well as clinical training at teaching hospitals. This means that you will need to study for about 5 years. Admission to dental school is highly competitive and most USA-based applicants have already completed 4-year bachelor's degree programs beforehand. Some universities in the USA also require pre-dental programs.
As a dental graduate, you will have developed valuable technical and skills for employment opportunities in government hospitals, private oral health clinics, government health services, community health centers and dental universities. You can choose to become a general practitioner (GP) or study for an additional of approximately 3 years to become a dental specialist who has an in-depth knowledge in a particular field such as oral surgery, orthodontics, periodontology, etc.
In order to be enrolled in a dental school, you will need good pass in your Secondary Education, including Science, and a Foundation in Science in your chosen university or an accepted Pre-University qualification. Specialisation will require further training. Check that the dentistry degree from your chosen university is recognised in the country that you would like to practice.
*As a rule of thumb: ‘A’ Level minimum 3 Bs; STPM minimum 3 Bs; Australian Pre-University minimum of ATAR 80.0; Foundation in Science minimum CGPA of 3.0. All qualifications should include Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Mathematics
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