Career Sneak Peek

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life" - Confucius

Pursuing a career is daunting because none of us wants to work for a job that we despise for the rest of our lives. Finding a career that you enjoy and provides great stability can be difficult, especially if we don't actively explore our passion and take risks while we still have time.

Before coming into college, I was determined to pursue a career in healthcare. I know I wanted to become a physician, but I was still in the process of exploring the varieties of specialties in the medical field. I hope through my years at UCLA, I will be able to find my passion in one specific field and aim toward achieving that goal.

To gain further insight into the life of a doctor, I was fortunate to be able to contact Dr. Wu, my primary care provider, a few days ago and ask him six questions regarding his career choice. Here is the interview:

Me: What inspired you to pursue a career in the medical field?

Dr. Wu: "I want a career that offers stability and prestige. Being a doctor offers both. No matter what, people will get sick. And we cannot be replaced by Amazon or Google. Patients look up to us because all those years of schooling and caffeine. They show respect when they come into the office."

Me: Were there any failures during this journey of becoming a doctor and how did you overcome them?

Dr. Wu: "There are always failures in life. I did not pass a class during my first year of medical school. By repeating the class second time, I realized that there were a lot of smarter people out there. I worked very hard and passed the class the second time. Keep trying and chase your goal."

Me: What do you like most about your career?

Dr. Wu: "When you are in a room talking to patients, they tell you what is going on with not only their health, but also their work, family, and worries. They trust us. I can not really explain that feeling of how much patients trust you. It is that feeling that gets me back to work daily."

Me: If you could go back in time would you have done anything differently about your career choice?

Dr. Wu: "I would not change a bit. I really enjoy talking to a patient and discussing their treatment plans with them. I am a people doctor and enjoy having conversations. Surgery in the operating room is not for me. Reading x-rays in a dark room is not for me. I would still choose family medicine if I do it over again."

Me: What do you think is the most important quality to have to become a successful physician?

Dr. Wu: "Be a good listener. A successful physician is not how much you know. It is how well you listen to your patient. That is why we are made to have 2 ears and 1 mouth."

Me: What would you say to someone who wants to follow your footsteps and become who you are today?

Dr. Wu: "Be ready to make sacrifices. You will wake up when your kids still in bed and come home when they are already in bed. You will miss their first time riding a bike, Christmas play, or field trips. Being a doctor becomes a duty to serve your patients."

The responses, I have to say, gave me great insights into what the life is like to be a physician. The most important thing that I got out of this interview is that there are bittersweet moments during this journey and always be ready to make sacrifices even if it's family time. I'm happy to the say that this interview didn't turn me away from pursing a career in healthcare, but instead, got me excited to face some of the challenges along the journey.