MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY.

Who is a doctor? The medical profession is one of the most sought-after and respected in the world. A doctor is a medically trained professional who treats patients. Doctors diagnose, treat and advise people with illnesses, diseases and injuries. Their many responsibilities include examining patients, gathering information about patients, performing diagnostic tests and directly treating illnesses. There is a specific type of doctor for almost every major organ system in the human body. For example, ophthalmologists, dentists, cardiologists, rheumatologists and dermatologists.

The origins of the profession date back over 25,000 years, when the first 'healers' were found in cave paintings in what is now France. The paintings showed people using plants for medicinal purposes. This is the first known example of tribal transmission of medical knowledge.

The list of medical specialties offers students a wide range of choices. These include:

• General Medicine
• Veterinary medicine
• Dentistry
• Pharmacology and pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Midwifery
• Nursing
• Medical management
• Medical cosmetology
• Molecular and Applied Biotechnology
• Biomolecular Engineering
• Chemical Biology
• Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Brewing and beverage technology
• Food Chemistry
• Bioprocess Engineering
• Food technology and biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemical Biotechnology
• Neurocognitive Psychology
• Psychopathology
• Clinical neuropsychology
• Medical and Clinical Nursing
• Neuroscience
• Neuroscience

Advantages of being a doctor

A noble profession. Being a doctor is one of the most important and necessary professions in society. A doctor does not just go through papers or do trivial things, he treats and cures patients and often saves lives. We rely on doctors in the most critical and extreme situations and trust them with our health. Doctors can be justifiably proud of their work and feel a sense of social importance.

Moral satisfaction. Every day, doctors save lives and help people. Their work produces relatively visible and rapid results. In addition to the joy of improving patients' health, doctors receive sincere gratitude from them.

Demand and career progression. Doctors are always in demand, and even more so today as there is an acute shortage of medical professionals, especially in rural areas of many countries. A good doctor will find work in both the village and the city. If you want, you can retrain to meet the needs of other countries and find work anywhere in the world. Doctors also have the opportunity to climb the career ladder, which can lead to the position of department head or hospital director.

Diversity of careers. There are a huge number of specialities for doctors. If you love children, pediatrics is a great choice. If you have nerves of steel and golden hands, try surgery. Animal lovers will enjoy veterinary medicine, and those who explore the human soul will enjoy psychiatry. Doctors also have a wide range of jobs to choose from. For example, obstetricians deliver babies in maternity hospitals, and ophthalmologists work in opticians' shops. Doctors can also work in private clinics or set up their own practice.

Intellectual work. Medicine is one of the most complex and fascinating sciences. It does not stand still, so doctors are constantly studying new discoveries and materials, attending conferences and learning for life. Students often struggle in medical school, but the excitement of the profession and the knowledge it provides are well worth the sleepless nights and hard work.

Disadvantages of being a doctor

Responsibility and stress. A lot of responsibility rests on the shoulders of doctors, as a medical error can result in the loss of a patient's life. Doctors often have to make important decisions quickly, often with the patient's health at stake. Doctors are also under pressure from heavy workloads and night shifts. Stress and tension accompany medical professionals throughout their careers.

Long and arduous studies. It takes at least 7 years to become a doctor. There is a lot of information to understand and digest, but also to cram (e.g. anatomy), especially in the first years. Much depends on the university, but in most cases it is practically impossible to skip school, except for reasons of donation or illness, but then you must pass credits or essays. The timetable at medical schools is usually packed with lectures, seminars and electives. There is no time for rest after studying. However, if a student is passionate about the profession, he or she will enjoy learning and become a passionate student.

Tight working hours. Many doctors work night shifts, sometimes more than one. Not only does this reduce the amount of time they can spend with their families, but it can also be detrimental to their health. Doctors often have to be on call, treat people after hours in emergencies, and be on call all the time.

Dangers of the profession. The main danger of being a doctor is treating patients with infectious diseases. The risk of infection is extremely high because doctors are at the forefront of the fight against influenza, respiratory infections, hepatitis and other diseases. This is confirmed, for example, by the independent "Memory List" statistics kept by doctors themselves. In addition, hospitals are sometimes the main centres of infection and healthcare workers are the main carriers. Other infections are transmitted through accidental needlestick injuries or contact with bodily fluids. In some cases, patients themselves pose a physical threat, for example in psychiatric institutions.

Medical specialities

Medicine is as vast and varied as the human body. Every doctor has a particular speciality. The following departments are common in medical schools

Medicine - general medical programmes, after which you can choose a narrow specialisation: surgeon, therapist, cardiologist, paediatrician, obstetrician, etc. The course usually lasts 6 years.

Pediatrics is the science of treating children's bodies (from the Greek "paidos" - child, "jatreia" - healing). Pediatricians not only treat and prevent illnesses in young patients, but also monitor their growth and development and advise parents on proper care. Pediatricians, like other doctors, must be able to recognise diseases by their characteristic signs. Parents of young children are usually frequent visitors to pediatricians. Pediatricians check babies' weight, height and general condition, and teach parents how to feed their babies properly.

To work as a pediatrician, it is important to love children and to be attentive, because diagnosing a child is difficult because he or she is unable to explain his or her condition. Specialisation is also not easy because children are restless and often afraid of doctors. Stress tolerance and emotional stability are a must for pediatricians.

Surgery is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques to treat disease or injury. The surgeon is responsible for the pre-operative diagnosis of the patient, the performance of the operation and the post-operative surgical care and treatment of the patient.

During surgery, the surgeon makes critical decisions about the health, safety and well-being of the patient. It requires nerves of steel, emotional stamina, patience, calmness and the ability to remain in control under extreme conditions. Physical stamina is important: operations last for hours and surgeons are on their feet all the time.

Nursing is the skilled care of patients. Nurses provide complete medical care to patients. It can be said that the job combines heart and mind. To become a nurse, you must have an extraordinary love for people. The profession was born out of compassion and a desire to help the suffering. The first nurse was Florence Nightingale, who went to field hospitals during the Crimean War with 38 assistants.

Depending on where they work, nurses perform a wide range of tasks, from making important treatment decisions and assisting in operations to sterilising instruments, administering vaccinations, writing and giving therapeutic massages.

How do you become a doctor?

To become a doctor, you need a degree from a university. Colleges in turn award qualifications as a nurse, paramedic, technician, etc. A doctor deals with the human body, so an interest in biology, anatomy and chemistry is a key skill for a future doctor. It is also important to study well and generally enjoy studying, as it takes on average more than 7 years.

Secondary medical education.

Colleges offer qualifications as a nurse, paramedic, medical laboratory technician, obstetrician, dental technician, pharmacist, dental hygienist, etc. To be admitted to the college, you must pass entrance examinations in chemistry, biology and physics. Sometimes psychological tests are also required, depending on the profession. Entrance is possible after grades 9 and 11, and places are paid and budgeted. Training usually takes 2 years and 10 months or 3 years and 10 months.

In addition to general subjects (history, mathematics, psychology of communication), professional disciplines and modules are studied. These include: human anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, human genetics with the basics of medical genetics, the basics of Latin, medical terminology, the basics of pathology, microbiology and immunology, diagnostic activity (propaedeutics of clinical disciplines), therapeutic activity (treatment of patients of therapeutic, surgical, paediatric age), obstetric and gynaecological care, etc.

Medical education.

Medical education is available at many universities around the world. To enter medical school, you must pass exams in core subjects: chemistry, biology or physics. There is no distance medical education, only full-time. There is only a bachelor's degree in nursing, which lasts 4 years. Training to become a general practitioner lasts 6 years. There are usually 2 main faculties: "Medicine" and "Paediatrics". Studies in specialities such as "pharmacy", "clinical psychology", "dentistry" and some others take 5-5.5 years. The study period in more specialised fields is 8 years.

After studying general practice, doctors have to pass an accreditation and then either start working or enter a residency (2-5 years) if they want to become a subspecialist, e.g. gastroenterologist, orthodontist, obstetrician-gynaecologist, forensic doctor.

Students are trained in polyclinics, health centres, outpatient clinics, district hospitals, private and public clinics, medical centres and maternity hospitals.

As you can see, medical training takes a long time. Much depends on the country you are studying in. In addition to the English language certificate, it is necessary to pass additional exams, such as MCAT - in the USA and Canada, BMAT, GAMSAT, UKCAT - in the UK, UMAT - in Australia.

Entry requirements to become a doctor.

Entry requirements vary from country to country and from university to university. Common requirements are:

• High School Diploma for undergraduate studies, Bachelor's/Master's Diploma for Master's/PhD;

Universities in Europe, USA, Canada:

• GPA requirements: minimum 3.8 (grades in chemistry and biology are particularly important);
• TOEFL or IELTS certificate;
• Letter of motivation;
• Letters of recommendation;
• Results of standardised examinations (MCAT, BMAT, IMAT, GAMSAT, UKCAT, HPAT) in the USA, Canada, Australia and some Western European universities;
• Entrance exams (in Eastern Europe).

Universities in Turkey:

SAT I "Evidence Based Reading and Writing" and "Mathematics" with a minimum total score of 1200 points.

• ACT (American College Testing) "Composite Score" with a minimum of 25 points.
• TQDK minimum 600 points
• GCE A Level: (General Certificate of Education)

Universities in China.

The incoming student must complete an admission form and attach a package of documents that includes

• Study Permit from the Chinese Government

(To obtain a permit, you must prove that you are a genuine student, hold a Chinese student visa, have no criminal record, and have the necessary qualifications to study the chosen programme (see university websites for requirements).

 Secondary school diploma (translated and certified if obtained outside China) and transcript of grades

• HSK certificate for Chinese language programmes
• (Generally, for undergraduate programmes, you will need to pass the HSK Chinese language exam at least at level 3)
• IELTS or TOEFL for English language programmes
• Other available diplomas and certificates
• An invoice for the application fee of $60-110.

 Many Chinese universities also require additional documents from students. The most common documents required for admission are

• Letters of recommendation
• a motivational essay
• A bank statement confirming the availability of funds to pay for study and living in China
• Student resume
• Evidence of extracurricular activities
• Creative portfolio (for creative programmes)
• Medical certificate