The Premedical Student: Training and Practice Expectations

Occupational burnout is a substantial and growing problem among current medical practitioners. Many practicing physicians lament the encroachment of managed care, infringement of physician autonomy by insurers, decreasing salaries, and decreasing prestige. In light of this unfavorable review of the profession, why are thousands of undergraduates all over the country still on the premedical track? Do these young men and women really know what kind of work environment awaits them at the end of their arduous training program? What motivates them to become physicians? In this case study, we explore the reasons for pursuing a career in medicine among a sample of premedical students at a liberal arts college on the East Coast. College administrators agree that the pre-medical curriculum is one of the most demanding and arduous study programs. What do these pre-medical students see as the ultimate goal? As a result of various volunteer, training, and shadowing experiences in the medical field, many of these students have a realistic perception of the current environment of medical practice. Although they recognize the challenges that await them, they are driven to become doctors by a deep vocational calling to serve. However, not all of the students expressed this calling. Results from this study suggest that eventual career satisfaction may be correlated with baseline career motivations. Students who are becoming doctors to fulfill parents' aspirations, for upward mobility, and/or for prestige and high salaries may be disenchanted once they complete their training program.