gogopogo Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Hi just wanted to see how others would handle this question in an interview: "If you enjoy helping people, why be a doctor, why not a nurse?" I know this may seem like a "no duh" but I found it was not the easiest point to defend when challenged. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbene085 Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Answer it honestly. An interview is all about being honest, not about coming up with answers to wow and please them. Personally, I believe that the challenge of diagnosing patients would provide me with a type of stimulation that I need to be happy with my career. While treating patients is an important part of being a doctor, I think I would miss the element of diagnosis if I were to pursue a career in nursing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamP Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 I think there are plently of points you could bring up one for me would be the scientific/research/design/leadership aspects that the M.D. offers in greater abundance than a nursing career would but i would say it is a pointed question if you asked the average person this question of would they prefer to be a doc or a nurse and why it their answer would most likely be based on money, prestige etc. Even the nurses I spoke to during my co-op (esp. the male ones) told me I should pursue the MD...perhaps for the same reasons mentioned Although this may be somewhat of a generalization the average nurse may not require as much scientific reasoning abilitiy as the average doc, just as the average doc may not need as much patience as the average nurse...of course there would be expeceptions to this. it would be cool to hear what a current med students thoughts on this are... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafield Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 My mom is just finishing her nursing phd and if she had it to do all over again she would have done an M.D. Lol however biased I am I will tell you that she is a brilliant person and very accomplished with hospital based nursing, clinical Nurse Practioner work, rehab and counselling, and research. She's mentioned that research money is less competitive (at least for her) in Nursing due to the lack of nurses with phd education but given all that at the end of the day she felt limited in her position and had several doors closed on her in her lifetime because she had a nursing and not medical background. When I hear a brilliant, highly accomplished (both career and academically) person who I have a significant amount of respect tell me Medicine may give me greater opportunity than Nursing to achieve different goals from my career that's all I need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogopogo Posted February 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 When I hear a brilliant, highly accomplished (both career and academically) person who I have a significant amount of respect tell me Medicine may give me greater opportunity than Nursing to achieve different goals from my career that's all I need. supafield that is a tremendous anecdote, and futdoc I also would quote your post as well given the chance. Both are impassioned answers, I humbly thank you both for the insight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafield Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 I just shadowed surgery all day today in Misssissauga a) it was amazing Given the choice to be the person cutting and operating, or the person handing, stocking, and counting the tools what would you choose. Lol the shallow other side of why I would choose medicine... Thanks for your kind words.... and best of luck during interviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asclepius Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Answer it honestly. An interview is all about being honest, not about coming up with answers to wow and please them. Personally, I believe that the challenge of diagnosing patients would provide me with a type of stimulation that I need to be happy with my career. While treating patients is an important part of being a doctor, I think I would miss the element of diagnosis if I were to pursue a career in nursing. NPs can diagnose and treat a lot of illnesses as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallinar Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 NPs can diagnose and treat a lot of illnesses as well. alot but not all (or as much as docs). Plus i doubt they have the same depth of scientific knowledge as a doc does. I'm also guessing docs have more flexibility (ease) to get involved with research and that they have more potential influence when it comes to health care policy change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogopogo Posted February 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 NPs can diagnose and treat a lot of illnesses as well. This was an argument put before me as well. Nurses can pursue specific sub-specialities and undertake research projects. Likewise, the time spent from beginning to end of training is shorter, the money is considerably less, and the altruists out there who just want to selflessly help people get to do that sooner. Likewise, there are leadership and mentorship roles to be considered. The point he was trying to make (the question-asker) was that assumng that medicine is the only path to goals like "Well, I just want to help people" was a false one, and that many other options were available and viable. The key to the argument seemed to be defending your decision for medicine from perspectives that do not solely revolve around the healing and mentorship aspects of the job. As I've previously stated, I think there have been some very good responses to this thread, thank you all again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbene085 Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 NPs can diagnose and treat a lot of illnesses as well. You could always pull out something like, "I think that I might like to pursue a residency in surgery, and that would not be an option with a career in nursing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonesRN Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 I don't know if this is politically correct or not... but patients tend to trust doctors more than nurses. Wouldn't it be easier to help someone get better if they trusted your judgment? Actually, not quite true. A national poll was done a year or two ago (can't remember the name so if anyone can refresh my memory it would be great) with regard to trusting professions. To top the list was #1...firefighters and a close #2 was nurses. Physicians actually fared somewhere in the middle of the pack and lawyers and politicians were right at the bottom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafield Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Actually, not quite true. A national poll was done a year or two ago (can't remember the name so if anyone can refresh my memory it would be great) with regard to trusting professions. To top the list was #1...firefighters and a close #2 was nurses. Physicians actually fared somewhere in the middle of the pack and lawyers and politicians were right at the bottom I agree with you if the person is interviewed after the treatments experience. But in a clinic of 9 M.D's and 3 N.P's in Niagara falls the %'s of people that would answer no they wanted to see a doctor rather than the nurse practitioner even if it meant waiting was high... I think it comes down to whether the trust is regarding personal character or ability to administer medicine and treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supafield Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 Really? Cool, didn't see that survey... As a pt, I'd prefer to see a doctor because I'd feel they were better "qualified" to tell me what is wrong with me. I would trust nurses with other aspects of health care though... I'd probably prefer to have a family doctor over a "family NP". not a survey, a clinic I volunteered at.... lol I also saw one of the N.P.'s burn a few of the M.D.'s on diagnosis and watched them refuse to admit they were wrong with their tail between their legs lol.... lol but hardly a true representation of the whole scenario just a single case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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