Your New Career as an ER Doctor
Thinking about a career as an emergency room doctor? There are many factors to consider as you determine whether or not this occupation will be a good fit for you. Aside from the many years of schooling required prior to entering the field, you also must make sure this is a job you will feel passionate about for a long time to come. Emergency room physicians treat patients who need immediate care and must be trained in advanced cardiac life support , trauma care, and management of other life-threatening situations. Working in the ER can be a very high stress job that requires the ability to think fast, remain calm, and maintain a sense of compassion as you deal with a wide variety of physical, mental, and emotional challenges each and every shift. But it can be an incredibly rewarding occupation, as well. If you thrive on variety, genuinely love helping people and being of service to others, then you may be just the right person for the job.
Make sure to do plenty of research on the pros and cons of working as an ER doctor before coming to a firm decision. There are plenty of great resources out there and it will be worth your while to thoroughly investigate and gather all the information you can so that you feel confident this is the best career path for you. One great website by an experienced emergency room doc is www.erbook.net . Kevin Pezzi, MD, is an ER physician and author of True Emergency Room Stories. He offers a down-to-earth, real-life look into all aspects of working in the emergency room and will give you some helpful insight into whether you are a good candidate for this particular brand of medicine. Take the time to gather information from multiple sources so that you can make a balanced assessment.
Because the ER must remain open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, emergency room doctors need to be available to work a variety of shifts with extended hours. People who are adaptable, possess great people skills, enjoy interacting with folks from all cultures and backgrounds, respond quickly, and exude a sense of balance, while being able to elicit trust from their patients, can do very well in this field.
Since much of their time on the job is spent dealing with traumatic circumstances, many emergency room physicians have learned to alleviate on-the-job stress by making sure they lead an active life outside of the work environment. Physical exercise, sports, and music are great ways to maintain good mental and physical health so that when they are on the job, doctors feel fresh and have an upbeat attitude.
The emergency room can be a challenging place filled with sights, sounds, and experiences that no one in the outside world will ever be exposed to. But if the gratification felt from knowing you just saved someone’s life fills you will a compelling passion to reach out and help others, then a career as an emergency room doctor may be just the job for you.
