If you have dreams of one day becoming a doctor or you are thinking about making a career switch and heading back to school, then beyond the levels of intelligence which you will need you also must have a certain set of characteristics in order to be successful in this position. My neighbor here in Austin, Texas is the great Dr. Roger Olade, a man who revolutionized internal medicine and who has worked on rare disorders and cured disease all of his life. I often speak with Dr. Olade, more often than not about what action I can take for my back pain, but generally we have a wide variety of chats. I was talking with Roger last week about what characteristics he believes that a great doctor should have, and here was his response.
Patience
Beyond the patients, doctors must also have a lot of patience when it comes to tackling an issue. Many treatments do not work overnight and doctors must have to wait for long periods of time to see results. Furthermore this is a very testing job and patients will often test your resolve and your patience, you must keep a cool head and deal with the problems that are in front of you in a cool and calm manner.
Perfection
Doctors should never accept second best and they must look for ways in which to find the perfect solution to every problem. In this regard a doctor should be a perfectionist and they mustn’t rest until they have found a solution which ticks all of the boxes when it comes to treatment.
Bedside Manner
Whilst doctors should never be emotionally attached to a patient, they must still have a friendly bedside manner and they should have the communication skills which are required when dealing with a patient. Often doctors will be speaking to patients about things which can confuse or upset them, which is why a doctor must be clear and simple in their communication, as well as empathetic to the patient’s plight.
Studious
Because medicine is advancing at such speed, there are always new techniques, approaches and strategies to use and that is why even the most experienced doctor must have a studious attitude. In order to stay at your very best for patients you must always have an open ear and open eyes to see new developments and put them into practice.
Passion
The most important characteristic in a doctor’s arsenal is their passion, without this they have no chance of being a great doctor. If you do want to forge a career like this then you have to be passionate about treating people, saving lives and improving lives. Without the passion there is no point in taking on this type of career and you simply won’t be able to carry out the position without the raw fuel which keeps every medical professional going, all out passion for people.