Are You the Right Sort of Person to Work as a GP?
A career in medicine is one with many possible paths. Whether you decide early on what you want to specialise in or it comes at some point during your career, there's certainly no shortage of options.
One of the options that's not always considered alongside the others is general practice. Part of the reason for this is that, despite the fact that general practice is a specialism in itself, it's sometimes seen as too vague. In reality, it takes a special sort of person to become a GP, not to mention dedication to your education and career development.
General practitioner jobs could be perfect for you if:
You're a people person
It should go without saying that all doctors should be good with people. But with general practice, it's even more important.
As a GP, you'll be most patients' first point of contact when there's something wrong. They rely on you to be caring, helpful and positive. Over time, you're likely to build trusting relationships with the patients you see often, and you will be an important part of their lives.
You like to be part of a community
GPs are typically an integral part of their local community. Even in large cities, the practice is one of the focal points of its surrounding area.
If you're someone who is community spirited and enjoys really feeling part of your home area, working as a GP could suit you perfectly.
You have wide-ranging interests
There's a myth about general practitioners that they know a little about everything, but not a great deal about any one thing. While it's not true that your knowledge lacks depth, it is important that you're interested in all areas of medicine.
In order to diagnose people properly and help with all the problems people will come to you with, you need to know your stuff. If you're only interested in one or two areas, it's tough to learn everything you need.
You have an eye for detail
GPs need to pay close attention to symptoms and spot patterns to reach a diagnosis. If you're someone who notices the small things and doesn't miss a thing, you could really excel in general practice.
You work well on your own
While GPs have support from colleagues, specialists and other health professionals, much of their work is done one on one with the patient.
General practice could be a great fit for you if you're happy working in this way, only calling on others for help and advice when you have doubts or need a bit of extra expertise.