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Interview
with Teresa |
| 1) |
Tell me about your job. Is what you do different in any way from what others in
your occupation do?
Like other family practitioners, I practice preventative medicine, which involves keeping people well-informed and advocating a healthy lifestyle. I also treat acute or chronic illnesses.
Unlike some other physicians, I work in a community clinic with a few other doctors and also at a university health centre. I deal with patients of all ages. Occasionally I also work weekends.
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| 2) |
Can you tell me about your background and how you got into this field?
I went to high school, university and medical school in big cities. I was attracted to my job by the challenges of combining the “art” of medicine with the science of medicine when dealing with patients and new medical advances.
I chose family medicine because I felt that I wasn’t really the specialist or surgery type. I liked the general nature of family practice, because it allows physicians to do a little bit of everything and deal with a wide variety of patients and problems.
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| 3) |
What
personal characteristics are required for someone
to be successful in your job?
Family practitioners must be personable and empathetic, because they need to get along with their patients and relate to their problems.
Physicians must also be proficient in medicine—they must have and apply the knowledge to diagnose illnesses.
It’s crucial that they are ethical, because they have to do what is right for their patients and the community to be good doctors.
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| 4) |
How much job security is there for people in your field?
I would say that most family physicians can count on having their jobs for life. Once you have opened or joined a practice, there is never a shortage of people who need medical attention and care.
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| 5) |
What other jobs could you do with the skills you have gained in this field?
Family physicians are well-prepared for any job that requires dealing with the public. This could include areas like teaching or social work (though some additional training is necessary). |
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| 6) |
What do you think the future holds for people in your occupation?
I believe the demand for family physicians will increase in the future. As the percentage of elderly people in the general population increases, more medical care will be needed.
Unfortunately, there will be some negative changes to the medical profession in the future. Less funding for health care, combined with an aging population, will mean fewer resources per patient. By this I mean that patients will have less time with their doctors, who in turn will be overworked. I will have to spend more time on the phone trying to convince specialists to see my patients faster—this is not a good situation.
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| 7) |
What are the biggest challenges in your job?
I think the most challenging part of being a family practitioner is keeping up with the medical advances. New diseases, treatments, technologies and drugs come up constantly, and physicians must always update their knowledge as much as possible in the interests of their patients.
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| 8) |
Are there many opportunities in your field? What should people do to get
started?
There are opportunities out there for people interested in family medicine. The best things for you to do if you’d like to become a physician are to do well in school, but also participate in lots of extracurricular activities. Medical schools are looking for well-rounded people, not just good science students.
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Likes
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"Well, I like getting to know my patients, developing a relationship with them. I like seeing the new-borns grow bigger with every visit. Or seeing the teenagers grow taller than with me with every visit.
It is also nice to know that at the end of the day I am doing something good for the community, whether it is preventative medicine, emergency care, or simply supportive counselling and just talking to patients.
Last, but not least, it is an intellectually stimulating job. I am continually learning about new medical advances which may help me in my practice."
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Dislikes
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"Well, the worst thing about my job is seeing patients’ health deteriorate and being unable to do anything more for them. That, unfortunately, is part of medicine, but you rarely get used to it.
What is not really part of medicine, that I hate doing, is filling out endless forms, either for the government or for private insurance companies."
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Advice
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“Well, schools are looking for well-rounded students right now, so you’ve got to get good marks. But you’ve got to get involved in the community also. Don’t be afraid to get a life outside of school.”
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A
Day in the Life
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8:30 am – 9:00 am
In the clinic, doing a complete physical on a patient (including eyes, ears, nose, throat, lungs, blood pressure, etc.); talking about the patient’s concerns; asking and answering questions.
9:00 am – 11:00 am
Seeing patients for 10 to 15 minute appointments about a wide variety of medical complaints, for example, an eye infection, poison ivy rash,bladder infection.
11:00 am – 11:30 am
Counselling a patient who is suffering from severe depression due to a family crisis.
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Lunch.
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Seeing patients for 10 to 15 minute appointments, for example, strep throat, sprained ankle, bad cough.
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Possible medical emergency, such as a baby with a high fever.
4:00pm – 5:30 pm
Doing paperwork: updating patients’ files; writing reports; possibly contacting a specialist about one of my patients.
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Breakdown
of Activities
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Working by yourself
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Working with co-workers
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Serving customers / clients
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Working with numbers
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Writing or drawing
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Making or creating things
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Running machinery
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On the phone
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Using computers
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Working outside
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Working inside
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Working at a desk
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On your feet
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Doing physical work
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Travelling
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