Chapter 1 : Have I made the correct decision ( 1 )

1.1              Have I chosen the correct field?

Of course you have. The fact that you are reading this book is an indication that you are aiming to become an excellent doctor. If you are a person who is concerned about the well being of others and is always happy to lend a helping hand, then you are in the correct profession.

If you are ready to work hard and strive to know as much as possible about the human body so as to be able to relieve another human suffering, then you are off to a good start and will receive all the blessing of God.

According to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there are five things that are  very much encouraged to be performed. One of them is relieving the suffering of others. There is no better job in trying to achieve this than being in the medical field, as people who come to you are those with some form of suffering, be it physical or mental.

Imagine the change you can make to the lives of others. As an example, imagine a person who is blind in both eyes due to bilateral cataract being able to see the very next day after surgery.

From experience, I have seen many patients who are in tears after being able to see their loved ones once the eye bandage is removed following a cataract surgery. For many of them who appear morose before the operation, their facial expressions entirely change and their level of activity at home improves.

As doctor you have the ability and opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.

Another hadith states that whenever a person leaves his house with the intention of helping another human being, God will give him the blessing equivalent to someone who perform ‘iktikaf’ (meditates in the mosque) for a month.

So, a doctor who leaves his house to help other people will get the blessing from God all day long, provided he is sincere and does not expect any direct reward from the person that he helps.

I am sure by now you have realized that having a strong spiritual conscience would encourage a person to become a doctor and help the needy.

Note :

Before healing other, heal yourself :

- physically

- spiritually

- emotionally and

-socially

1.2              Can I be a doctor one day?

If you are determined and remain focused in your goal, have strong discipline in your study methods and maintain a healthy attitude in your study and course work, you will succeed to become a doctor. You must be positive in your attitude and have confidence in yourself during the process of becoming a doctor.

Recall the time in school when you were doing so well and were the teacher’s pet. Recall how confident you were to speak in public and answer questions, intelligently in class. In every person there is tremendous potential and God permitting, nothing or no one can come in your way from achieving your primary ambition.

Studying medicine requires that you remain organized, consistent, disciplined and interested throughout the five years of study. Each year in medical school may require different components of your capability in varying proportions such as the capability for understanding, synthesizing, evaluating, public speaking and communicating.

The list is too long to describe but you can rest assured that the training in medicine will make you become a wholesome person possessing good values and social skills.

(How to become a good & successful medical student; Muhaya Hj Mohamad)