I have always wanted to become a doctor to help people come out of their illnesses and lead a happy and healthy life. I studied medicine (*Medicinae Baccalaureus Baccalaureus Chirurgiae - MBBS*) at National University of Singapore - a five-year degree. As is the case with most doctors, I wanted to pursue a specialization degree as well - I chose *internal medicine*, which was 3 more years of studying. Internal medicine is a postgraduate training that focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases that affect adults, including chronic conditions such as heart disease.

Once I obtained my degrees, I worked at different hospitals to hone my skills. In a typical day, I attend to 20 to 30 patients and also respond to emergencies, where every second is a matter of life or death for the patient. Some of these emergency calls may be at 2 AM in the midnight!

Medicine and science is forever changing - while the fundamentals of human anatomy will remain the same, what is relevant 10 or 20 years ago when I studied in terms of practice (for a procedure) is no longer relevant now. Even after finishing your degrees, you need to constantly keep yourself updated by reading, attending talks, know about new drugs to stay relevant.

In today's world, anyone can become whoever they want to, with the right amount of effort and attitude. In my opinion, there are 2 basic skills/ qualities any person must have to excel as a doctor.

1. Perseverence: There are a few thousand people competing for a medical seat. So it is important that you persevere without losing hope make the cut. Once you get a medical seat, there are days where you might have very little sleep (less than 3-4 hours on many days) to prepare for your exams. You shouldn't give up easily on such days. Finally after become a doctor, you could be "on call" 24 x 7! You may have to attend to emergencies at midnights, on sundays, on Deepavali, on Christmas, on Ramzan, etc.

2. Empathy: You need to care not only about your patients, but also about their relatives and friends. Since the loved ones are concerned about the wellbeing of the patient, a doctor must always respect that and be considerate in talking to them and responding to their questions.