It takes all sorts of different people, with different attributes, personalities and skillsets, to make the world go round, so it is just as well that, while some people are talented in all things artistic, others are mathematics whizzes – in short, everyone is different.

Should you be considering, or indeed have based your training and educational qualifications thus far around, becoming a medical doctor, then this is the article for you.

Here are four necessary skills for a career as a medical doctor.

1. A Large Dose of Empathy 

As with many other vocational careers, to become a doctor, it is mandatory to work yourself up through the ranks and as such, no matter where you decide to stay on the hierarchy and no matter the band you choose to remain in, empathy is absolutely essential. 

This innate and sensitive ability to both appreciate and understand the feelings, emotions and connected behaviors in others, especially in a situation when they are undergoing some kind of medical issue, is at the heart of anyone who chooses this career.  

2.  Interests in Several Different Medical Fields

Another necessary quality of someone who wants to work professionally as a medical doctor is that, even though there is no doubt you will, of course, one day be the leading doctor in your preferred field, you should be interested in medicine and medical discovery as a whole. 

From experience working in medical labs with innovative and potentially groundbreaking prostate xenograft models in the field of oncology, to being involved with the design and production of prosthetic limbs for children, having more than one intended specialism is important. 

3.  Natural Confidence

You will know yourself, whether you are currently working in the medical field or not, how much confidence, trust and respect both the patients themselves and the patients’ families place in their doctors, which is why an air of natural confidence is essential.

The following points are to help you foster a sense of confidence in everything you do and indeed, everything you say:

• Stick to your guns 
• Incorporate physical exercise in moments of consideration
• Always follow through with what you propose you are going to do
• Disregard the opinions of those who are not involved and therefore do not matter

If you feel you are not, at heart, a naturally confident person, then it is strongly advisable to take on board the above advice and also look for your own personally effective ways of increasing your confidence levels moving forward.

4.  Resilience

The fifth and final mandatory requirement for anyone who is looking to train to become a medical doctor is resilience and without it, frankly, you may not be prepared enough to face the regular struggles, hardships and challenges that come with the profession. 

Being able to deliver difficult news and advice, talking to patient’s families when an outcome is less than desirable and generally being able to bounce back is vital, not only for your patients, but also for your own emotional health and wellbeing too. 

By Adam Torkildson

Keywords: Careers