Academic Performance ≠ Future in Medicine

"It is said that the ambition of all top STPM scholars who do well is to be a doctor and the main reason given is that they wish to save lives. Is this their dream profession? Or is it their parents'? 

However, there is one simple test to puncture this claim. If they are so keen to relieve the suffering of mankind, we just wonder whether they have heard of St John Ambulance or the Red Crescent Society?"

I have to totally agree. Many of those who are interested in medicine have never tried to help treat people in need during school times. They do not know how the position is like, helping sick people regardless of sex, race, or religion, before embarking on the torturing journey. In many cases, these same people are the ones who are either less competent, or are willing to withhold help in the name of personal beliefs. In medicine, whenever a patient requires it, you open him/her, touch him/her and perform other actions as required. Without prior experience, you either perform too much, or perform too little. And this is before considering whether the actions have been performed correctly or not. Before considering the 3 years of clinical practice to learn the art of treating patients, take the 5 years in school to care for other students in sports events, track events, camps, etc via the school's Red Crescent/St. John's societies. If you think that is too hard, or you do not have the heart to be a bit more altruistic, you are not emotionally or mentally fit to become a future doctor, regardless of your academic performance.