Pursuing a targeted dream specialty and a research career: Opinions and observations from a fifth-year medical student’s perspective

Letter to Editor

Abstract

With our fast-pacing life, numerous learning and scientific sources and information are available and required for medical students to boost their skills since their early life to accommodate with the great knowledge they take. Medical students should re-elaborate what they studied and exploit knowledge clinically. A good doctor is a good observer, so eyes should be kept on while mentor managing patients in order to add more to our medical notions. A seed to become a great future doctor starts by searching for a specialty that fits your personality, to practice it as a volunteer, to gain its skills earlier. So when you graduate, you have more time to gain other learning experience. As long as you practice it, the more chance to become one of its experts. Managing your patient as a relative, not as a bag of money, is very important to be applied. Inability to diagnose a patient is not a shame, so never let a patient go home without referring him to another doctor who has more experience than you. Having a background in other medical specialties will help you recognize common signs of other related medical conditions that could lead you to refer him to right specialty doctor. Joining a research lab will keep you updated with new inventions, drugs, algorithms, and guidelines, which will help you become more acknowledged with medical problems that you were unaware of. Time management is the key to success as a researcher without affecting your daily life activities and study requirements.

Graphical abstract

Aspiring experience journey towards research: importance and essential skills

Case Study

Abstract

Research is the creative and systematic conversion of ideas into knowledge and the application of this knowledge in different life fields. The more you get involved in research, the more experiences and skills you can gain. The continuous decreasing number of medical students interested in research can affect the public health in future. Our aim is to encourage medical students to involve more in the research career and to highlight the importance and skills needed for being a successful researcher. Discipline, passion to gain the knowledge, the accuracy of data checking, team work and strict rules are the most important characteristics of a research team. A researcher should be passionate, hard-working, and patient. Teamwork is the golden key to doing research; you should be responsible for your team and develop their research skills along the study period. A researcher should be a self-learner to increase his skills to get an advanced level. From the most important skill that a researcher should gain it by time is the leadership. Being motivated along the study period is an obstacle that leaders always meet, so you should have solutions for it. Fairness is an important manner a leader should acquire. Contribution in a research lab from your youth to build your CV, personality and gain great publications by time.

Graphical abstract

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