Recreating the empathetic medical professional: The traditional long path to a medical career

For earlier articles in this series click here.

Setting empathy aside for a moment, let's peruse the journey and  the length of time it traditionally has taken for a physician to hang out his shingle.  

Consider this journey: 4 years of college, then 4 years of Medical School, followed by a year of internship and then a residency that could take 3 years for internal medicine and up to seven years for neurosurgery.

That's 12-16 years so far and still counting....

But training is not yet complete in many subspecialities. Joining or opening up a practice is further delayed by the need for more clinical experience to keep up with changes brought about by advances in technology.

After residency many newly minted physicians follow up with more training in a one or two year fellowship programs;  here they assimilate  more hands-on experience--in fields where technology is leading and pushing the boundaries of  operational techniques at a rapid pace. (particularly in peripheral vascular medicine)

Medical Path: image courtesy of Kaplan Learning Center 

The total commitment now stands at up to 18 years after High School ... which translates into nearly age 40.

Next take a deep breath.

Now, contemplate the financial burdens encountered along the way; many young doctors emerge the slog carrying a debt burden that  easily totals  hundred of  thousand  dollars.... 

In my next aritcle, I will focus on techniques that have been introduced in medical training to enhance student empathy.

So tune in!

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