Saving someone’s life is perhaps one of the most remarkable feelings in the world. Even so, not so many of us have the chance to experience this. It takes passion, a strong personality and years of study to be able to work in the medical field.
Pursuing a Medical degree is not only challenging and demanding but also competitive. Medical degrees are shaped for people who show high motivation and commitment as well as interest for sciences.
Throughout a Medicine degree, candidates are equipped with a wide range of competences, from practical abilities required for specialized hands-on tasks to communication skills needed to interact with the patients. Thus, any medical students will be able to take a simple blood sample as well as perform a complex surgical procedure.
Undoubtedly, medicine is one of the most vital fields of work – therefore there will always be a high demand of workforce needed. The employment rate for a medical graduate student is of 90%.
Due to its diverse branches, graduates from a Medical course have a variety of career choices, according to their expertise. Nursing, radiology, anaesthetics are just some of the many specialities offered in this field. Regardless of the speciality, the most important aspect needed to be taken into consideration is that medical professionals are well-respected and well-paid all over the world.
Additionally, graduates possess a series of transferable skills, such as logical reasoning, critical appraisal, listening, written and oral communication and many others. These assets are sought and highly valuable in most fields of work.
Medical courses are usually a six-year commitment, but it can vary according to the university. Most of the modern universities integrate clinical education with basic sciences from the beginning of the academic curriculum, while traditional institutions divide them into preclinical and clinical education.
Most schools understand the importance of practical knowledge, especially in this field, therefore they encourage the students to observe professional healthcare practitioners. Another way to gain practical experience is to go to different clinics and receive specialised training, followed by actual practical work.
No matter the practices of the university, always keep in mind that medical courses are structured differently in every country. Therefore, medical qualifications gained in one country are not necessarily recognised in another country.
Case Western: An Academic Paradise
Case Western Reserve University is a highly-regarded private institution in the United States. With world-class education programs and a wide array of subjects, this university attracts top students from around the world. If you go here, you have one thing assured: your future is set. Graduate programs and employers know that Case academics are demanding and ask a lot of effort from students. All in all, this school seems like a really great opportunity. However, there are some catches to consider.
1. Social life. If you are the kind of person who likes to party every weekend and do nothing but hang out with friends, this school is NOT for you. People here are extremely focused on their academics, and sometimes sparking up a conversation can be intimidating and awkward. You can find a cool group of people if you look hard, but this is not a social school.
2. Flexibility. Even though Case claims to be “open door” with regards to its programs, it is really hard to switch from a B.A to a B.S, or switch from a major subject to another, even if you do it early on during freshman year. There are many barriers to overcome, and eventually most students who go through with the switch end up repeating versions of their already-taken classes so that they can get the credit from them. Personally, I couldn’t change my program to an engineering-oriented program simply because I didn’t take a math class that was required, even though it was a version of another one I did take. Please note, this was during the fall semester of freshman year, and it was very frustrating. I ended up not going through with the change.
3. Cleveland. Even though it is a nice city to look at, there is really no life in here. Downtown seems ghostly no matter when or where, and you end up doing the same things around campus. It isn’t a safe city either, which makes it another downside.
All in all, Case is a great school for high-achieving students who want to advance their academic careers significantly. However, it is not the school for everyone and many things have to be taken into consideration.