According to Clinton School of Public Service, medical doctors are one of the most revered professions in the modern economy. With good reason, when it comes to relieving suffering and improving the world, doctors have some of the greatest impacts on the people they help. However, although the profession is respected, many individuals have an incomplete understanding of what it’s like to be a doctor in the present day and age.
In order to begin answering this question, we turned to Dr. Alddo Molinar. Using details from the doctor, we’ve been able to create an overview that paints a more complete picture of what a doctor’s life is really like.
Becoming a doctor
One of the first things that many people think of when they think of the path to becoming a doctor is the need to attend medical school. While this is an important aspect of the journey, medical school is just one component of a process that actually begins much earlier. As we can see from Alddo Molinar, the early stages of his life show that a doctor’s journey often first starts with a natural aptitude and desire to relieve suffering. That was something the doctor showed quite early on in life. Motivated, in part, by witnessing firsthand the devastating toll that illness took on family members, his interest in helping others heal was seeded as a child. That desire, coupled with early mechanical abilities, helped establish his professional goals early in life.
After that early interest, the doctor pursued an undergraduate degree in biology followed by, yes, medical school at The University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas. Though these were formative experiences in his life, perhaps some of his most influential training came during his residency at the Cleveland Clinic. The medical center helped provide the doctor with a more complete understanding of not only his primary field of anesthesiology, but also additional subspecialties such as neurology and cardiology. The doctor followed his residency with a fellowship at the same medical center where he served as Chief Fellow and was able to further refine his set of skills.
Packed days
Since patients typically only interact with doctors in the context of their own medical needs, they don’t often get a chance to see how filled the rest of a doctor’s day might be. Speaking with the anesthesiologist provides a more complete picture of his work, which helps set the example for how the days of many other doctors are filled. The doctor likens his work to being a pilot at a busy airport. In his case, the airport is the operating room and his role is to ensure that patients are properly anesthetized so that surgeries can occur safely. He does so as part of a highly coordinated effort with other medical professionals in a typical operating room, whose actions bare a resemblance to the structured schedule that is maintained at a busy airport.
In order to accommodate the needs of such a busy working environment, the doctor must rigidly structure his own routine as well. This typically involves waking up at 5:15 am before arriving at the hospital and seeing his first patients of the day by 6:15. Surgeries begin shortly thereafter, leaving his plate full as he watches over multiple operating rooms making sure his work is going smoothly. This busy schedule continues throughout the day, leaving even his breaks highly organized. To that end, the doctor will typically schedule a 10:00 am cup of coffee to give himself time to reflect on his morning’s progress and look forward to the rest of the day.
Constant flexibility
As scheduled and orderly as a doctor’s day may appear from the outside, it also incorporates a high need for flexibility. Since medical professionals are often responding to the urgent needs of patients, there is no telling when such needs might arise. Even while the doctor is monitoring multiple operating rooms to ensure that planned surgeries are progressing as scheduled, he also keeps his attention open to needs that may require his attention from other sources. This can include patients at the preadmission clinic, recovery rooms, intensive care unit, and other locations. Even the main desk can serve as a focal point of attention if a patient arrives in need of immediate assistance.
Though the above information showcases how packed a doctor’s workday can become, it doesn’t touch upon the ways in which a doctor’s assistance may be needed outside of normal operating hours. In reality, patients can require assistance at any time or on any day of the week. This often requires that the doctor be on call after hours and even finding the nearest pharmacy open 24 hrs so that he can handle emergencies as they arise. While on call, he will often communicate with patients who he’s already worked with in order to follow up and make sure that their recovery is progressing in a positive manner. As can be seen, the inherent uncertainty that accompanies work in the medical field requires a high degree of flexibility in order to properly fulfill one’s job responsibilities.
Staying motivated
In the face of the many difficulties that can be encountered in the medical field, many doctors struggle with staying motivated and not burning out. Speaking on this topic, the doctor helps explain how he remains devoted to his work and patients by pointing to people in other professions from which he draws inspiration. One of the people that has served this role for him is Michael Jordan, the famous basketball player. He notes how Jordan was always learning from his past and utilizing those lessons to progress towards his goals. Through this focus on learning and relentless preparation, he was able to become recognized as one of the greatest players of all time. The doctor strives to institute his own high level of preparedness in his work in order to stay focused and motivated to achieve his aspirations regarding patient care.
Though doctors are one of the most well-respected professions in the world, their work is not always fully understood. By learning more about the profession, individuals can help to better understand this critical field. Look to the above overview, which utilizes information from Dr. Alddo Molinar, to begin to gain a better understanding of how doctors operate in the current medical system.
More about Alddo Molinar at https://medium.com/@alddomolinar