Are any aspiring medics worried about the higher risk of getting ill as a doctor?

I've wanted to be a doctor for a really long time and finally got an offer to study GEM!
I'm so pleased but I'm pretty worried about putting myself at higher risk of picking up illnesses as a medical student/doctor. Especially in light of the current virus outbreak and seeing many healthcare workers getting ill, it has made me consider this quite a lot.

Does anyone have similar fears? Or advice on how to handle it? I'd appreciate any thoughts

I've wanted to be a doctor for a really long time and finally got an offer to study GEM!
I'm so pleased but I'm pretty worried about putting myself at higher risk of picking up illnesses as a medical student/doctor. Especially in light of the current virus outbreak and seeing many healthcare workers getting ill, it has made me consider this quite a lot.

Does anyone have similar fears? Or advice on how to handle it? I'd appreciate any thoughts

I've got ill far more often since having children than I ever did from working as a doctor!

It's part of the job. I don't really see it as something to handle, you just...need to get over it? I don't mean that in a rude way, but I think fundamentally there's not much else you can do apart from acknowledge it as an inherent risk, take steps to protect yourself and others, and then move on with your life.

Well done on your GEM offer.

Its a legitimate concern, mainly applicable to pandemic flu type situations though, which so far have thankfully been rare. With increasing globalisation and expanding meat industry though, it might become much more common. No one really knows though.

Another concern might be picking up pan-resistant bacterial strains. However to my knowledge there hasn't been much evidence of healthcare professionals suffering from things like MRSA infections more than average. I might be wrong though

I have no statistics but I suspect that a bigger concern should actually be shift work. Its well known that rotating shift work correlates with stress, heart disease and early death, proportional to how long you do it for. I'd imagine this will likely make a bigger impact than any infectious disease.

In terms of minor viral illnesses, yes you'll get more as a doctor, but kids are far worse in my experience, especially once in nursery/school.

You also do get some... staff perks... in terms of knowing how the healthcare system works, and somewhat preferential treatment if you do get sick. All unofficial, of course.

Basically: maybe you want to consider this. However it seems like a pretty minor consideration to me.

One of the main reasons I decided not to go into medicine. Especially when it comes to more severe (though often rarer) infections.

this is really the biggest and only concern I have about being a doctor!.

I feel you lack imagination.

Thanks for your reply☺️
I’m sorry to hear this stopped you from pursuing Medicine. Was it something you had dreamt of doing? This has been my dream for a long time so I’m thinking about how and whether it’s possible to overcome my concerns about getting ill.

Do you ever regret not going into Medicine because of this reason.. and do you think it’s a justifiable reason to not do it despite it being a job you’ve always wanted?

Sorry for all the questions!

Every occupation comes with its risks, especially hands-on ones like medicine. Carpenters run the risk of injury (trauma), those working with chemicals run the risk of breathing in poisonous fumes and its effect on the body.

Accountants: Death by paper cut.
Marketing executive: Death by boredom.

Death by PowerPoint is a term often used in training environments.

Every occupation comes with its risks, especially hands-on ones like medicine. Carpenters run the risk of injury (trauma), those working with chemicals run the risk of breathing in poisonous fumes and its effect on the body. Ultimately, people recognise these risk and take relevant precautions for it. That's not to say that with precautions the risk drops to 0, but you do the best you can to reduce it.

At the same time, I'm sure you would consider medicine for its many other benefits. So then it's for you to weigh them up and see which side comes out stronger. Assuming you're generally healthy before this, with no immunosuppression or immunodeficiency, then you're probably pretty 'safe'. With the current coronavirus pandemic, definitely doctors (and other healthcare workers) are at increased risk. I guess that's where the altruism kicks in.

Disclaimer: medical student, not a doctor.

I've got ill far more often since having children than I ever did from working as a doctor!

It doesn't stop when the kids grow up either.

Went to pick up my daughter (final year Med student) earlier this week. She now has high temperature, night sweats and a persistent dry cough. She's still getting on with her revision though for final exams which Uni are insisting will go ahead.

We're currently self isolating until we know whether she's passed it on.

It doesn't stop when the kids grow up either.

Went to pick up my daughter (final year Med student) earlier this week. She now has high temperature, night sweats and a persistent dry cough. She's still getting on with her revision though for final exams which Uni are insisting will go ahead.

We're currently self isolating until we know whether she's passed it on.

Oh no! Big virtual hugs to all of you! We are waiting patiently for out turn to come