A doctor is a professional who has studied medicine for six years in the university. Ideally, medicine revolves around diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases. While diagnosing diseases, and thinking of the best treatment, medical practitioners employ scientific knowledge and skills.
On skillset, medical doctors should be compassionate and passionate people. Doctors should be active listeners, effective communicators, empathetic, altruistic and team players. ICT and excellent organisational skills and proper stewardship of time, make doctors achieve success. Doctors should remain calm and composed while working under pressure.
Likewise, they should be able to handle uncertainty and manage change. Medicine is a competitive course. Meaning, any high schooler dreaming of becoming a medical doctor must focus on garnering top grades in KCSE. Advisedly, B+ (plus) and above. Essential Career Guide by KUCCPS carefully captures: A student should shine in subjects that contribute to cluster requirements for medicine, which include: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics and English or Kiswahili.
Top-flight urologist, the late Prof George Magoha writes in his autobiography titled Tower of Transformational Leadership: Under normal circumstances, after qualifying to become a medical doctor, you specialise in clinical subjects.
At master’s level, you can specialise in a particular discipline either through fellowships or other equivalent certifications. Ipso facto, there are academic qualifications and professional qualification. Medical doctors register with Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board. Medical doctors work in hospitals. They also venture into private practices as consultants and owners of clinics.
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Medicine is broad. Therefore, at the point of specialisation, there are umpteen options. Neuro-surgery or brain surgery is one of them. Neuro-surgeons specialise in surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. Surgery can be general, neurological, otolaryngological, urological, gynaecological, ophthalmic, orthopedic, plastic, thoracic, cardiac and vascular.
In addition, doctor specialise as ophthalmologists, optometrists or opticians. Ophthalmologists specialise in diagnosing and treating illnesses, injuries and diseases of the eyes. Optometrists carry out vision and eye testing. Optometrists prescribe lenses and spectacles. Opticians are licensed to develop lenses, frames and spectacles according to prescriptions made by optometrists and ophthalmologists.
Furthermore, dentists treat diseases of the teeth, gums and tissues of the mouth. In dentistry, we have general, periodontists, endodontists, prosthodontists, orthodontists, pediatrics and oral pathologists. Consequently, psychotherapists treat patients with physical difficulties resulting from illnesses, injuries, disabilities and infirmities related to old age.
Moreover, radiologists use electro-magnetic radiation such as x-rays, gamma rays and ultra-sonic for the diagnosis and treatment of injury and diseases. Cardiologists treat diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Gynaecologists specialise in women’s diseases, with a special bent on reproductive organs. Dermatologists find, prevent and treat diseases of the skin, hair, nails, and adjacent mucous membranes. Pathologists focus on diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disorders of body tissues and fluids. Forensic pathologists examine cases of sudden, suspicious or violent deaths. Finally, pediatricians treat children. Oncologists treat patients suffering from cancer.
By Victor Ochieng’
The writer rolls out career talks in schools. vochieng.90@gmail.com
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