On Monday, we talked with our partners in Russia again. While talking about career choices, the pre-medical career path came up. Because I am currently pre-med and studying to get into medical school next year, I was very interested to find out about the similarities and differences between America and Russia in this topic. I was surprised to find out that in Russia, medicine is NOT really a desirable career. Many students choose not to pursue it, and the doctors are poorly educated and poorly paid. Overall, it seemed that there are very few students entering the medical field, and their ambivalence and apathy seems to translate into their dedication and work once they become doctors.
I was surprised, because in America, this is pretty much the exact opposite. Becoming a doctor is seen as a highly desirable career choice. Doctors are highly paid, and medical school is hugely competitive. Students have to work very very hard in undergrad, get nearly perfect grades, be over-involved in extracurricular activities, volunteering, shadowing, and get amazing MCAT exam scores. Even with all of that, it's still very difficult to get into medical school.
I found this contrast between our countries very interesting and even a little confusing. I don't know enough about the Russian healthcare system, but I did some research. Apparently a lot of the healthcare system is still in pieces from the time of the USSR. Up until the 90s, healthcare in the Soviet union was a mess, and it is in the process of being reformed, currently. I wonder if this has something to do with the current model of healthcare and the opinions and training of pre-med students. I'd be interested in learning more about healthcare in Russia currently.
-Carissa Vinovskis
A video from an American medical school:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLT9SBypzpw
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