Habiba's blog post

Medicine is one of the largest industries in the world and it continues to grow as discoveries are made, but medicine in a workplace is majorly different from what is represented in the media. Through my internship with YSpot at Drs. Nicolas & Asp Centers , I experienced the different aspects of medicine and gained an insight into what a career in medicine would look like. These are a few of the things I learnt at Drs. Nicolas & Asp that can be applied to numerous careers.

During my internship, I got to experience various sections of medicine such as the financial side when dealing with insurance. We also got opportunities to be in the reception and learn about the administration aspect of running a clinic. Additionally, we contributed ideas and strategies for marketing which is essential as a doctor to be able to make yourself known to patients. I think that learning about all these aspects rather than focusing on one was vital to my understanding of a career like this.

While learning about a career is crucial, it is completely different to experiencing it firsthand as perceptions differ from person to person. For example, when speaking with doctors, I was interested to know how they stayed motivated through the long, vigorous years of schooling. A few doctors struggled with managing stress and had trouble maintaining motivation while others struggled less. The common idea between all of them was to have a hobby or activity that you can do in your free time to relieve stress. Depending on specialty, doctors can also be exposed to very upsetting situations, and it may sometimes become difficult to manage the emotional stress from situations like that. For example, doctors in pediatrics often deal with cases of abuse and that can take a toll on their mental well-being. The vast majority of doctors I spoke to emphasized the importance of leaving work at work and being able to maintain a healthy work life balance so that their job is not invading their personal time.?

Lastly, I discovered that in any workplace, healthy relationships with your peers can drastically improve your mental well being as your perception on work becomes more positive. Many doctors agreed that by creating relationships with others in medical school and in hospitals, they feel more connected to their community, and happier overall.