Do You Have To Be Smart To Be A Doctor

And don’t worry about all those “Am I Smart Enough To Be A Doctor” quizzes either. They’re only meant for fun. Don’t be encourage/discouraged by their results!

Do You Have To Be Smart To Be A Doctor? (Explained!)

Dream of being a doctor but feel you’re held back by your intelligence? You’re not alone. There’s lots of people who assume the same.

But is it true? Can I still be a doctor if i’m not smart?

Yes. Studying to become a doctor is more dependent on hard work than natural intelligence (although it helps). Knowing how to study efficiently, with discipline and commitment, is key.

Obviously there are certain intelligence criteria, depending on how and where you get into med school, that you’ll have to meet to get your foot in the door. But almost everyone is capable.

Struggling to believe me? We’ll explore it more in this article.

• If an average student can get into med school
• If becoming a doctor is as hard as they say
• Which doctors are the smartest
• Tips on overcoming your supposed “lack of intelligence” and becoming a doctor anyway!

As someone who’s thought exactly this myself, I can tell you; it is possible.

Ready to learn more? Let’s go!

Are med students really that “smart”?

Maybe the idea that doctors or med students are “smart” comes from most people’s high school experiences.

Industrious, hard working or high achieving students, more often than not, are those that have an idea about going into med in the first place!

This was at least true in my case, growing up and going to school in the UK.

It’s open for debate if these people are the most intelligent or not. Based on what I’ve observed actually being a med student; I’d say students vary in their natural intelligence.

For example, I wouldn’t ever consider myself, based on my high school grades, in the “smart” category! But I am hard working.

So while you have to be professional to be a doctor (and it takes intelligence to do so), you don’t have to be incredibly intellectually gifted.

And don’t worry about all those “Am I Smart Enough To Be A Doctor” quizzes either. They’re only meant for fun. Don’t be encourage/discouraged by their results!

Can an average student become a doctor?

The short answer here is no.

Gaining access to public medical schools is, for the most part, insanely competitive. You’ll have to score in the top percentiles of your state exams and then give a satisfactory admissions examination to stand a chance.

And that’s before performing well on a medical school admissions interview too.

But the good news is that there are still options.

As I’ve discussed several times before on this site, there are several alternative routes into medicine that exist where average students can gain access to med school.

But there are also plenty of other routes; just as I’ve covered with the stories of studying medicine in Czech Republic, Bulgaria etc (cheaper places with more relaxed admissions requirements!)

These are open to average students.

Is it super hard to become a doctor?

There are a lot of challenges involved in the journey of becoming a doctor that can make it super hard.

The two biggest ones:

These far outweigh the intellectual challenge!

But how “hard” you might find it also comes down to mindset.

The more resolve you have and the ability to take failures in your stride (as well as discipline and habit to get the work done), the easier you will find it.

Of course there’s a lot of material to cover where some experience with the topics can help. Without certain backgrounds (math for example) things might seem more difficult. But never impossible!

Here’s what I think are the main factors that determine how “hard” you might find it being becoming a doctor…

1. Your expectations
2. Your med school’s expectations

The first one I’ve touched on before, arguing that grades shouldn’t really matter that much in med school. But in some cases, particularly those of highly competitive schools, they can be important.

They often determine whether you are able to keep your place on a course or not!

But the biggest factor that I’d argue makes becoming a doctor difficult? You.

Without the motivation to work (or the attitude to improve) it’s going to be very hard indeed.

What is the average IQ of a doctor?

According to IQcomparisonsite.com, the IQ of the average American physician is between 120-130.

This puts doctors in the superior intelligence bracket of most occupations!

But a 2009 article in the Daily Mail, interestingly, claims that there has been a gradual decline in the average IQ of doctors over the past few decades.

Possible good news but still not great in terms of how society views medicine (and becoming a doctor).

In their eyes, medicine is one of the smartest occupations to go into (except for maybe scientists or engineers).

But the problem with judging doctors by IQ is that it’s only one piece of the puzzle.

To really ask how “smart” you need to be to become a doctor, you have to ask what it means to be “intelligent” in the first place.

IQ is only intended to measure reasoning and logical thinking.

It doesn’t take into account communication skills, empathy, bed side manner, work ethic or determination.

Things that are hugely important to becoming a great doctor!

Which doctors are smartest?

Again the answer here is subjective.

Most high scoring USMLE students aim for neurosurgery or plastics. But then there are many that, out of preference, opt for other specialisms too. Thus making it difficult to suggest that there’s any one type of doctor out there who’s smarter than all the others.

A common measure would be to look at the most competitive specialities. As only the highest scoring applicants are granted residency on these programs, they could be a good estimate.

• Dermatology
• Emergency Medicine
• Neurological Surgery
• Plastic Surgery
• ENT
• Opthalmology
• Orthopaedic Surgery (and most other surgical specialisms)

But again, competitiveness does not necessarily indicate intelligence.

Or that any of the above specialist doctors are “smarter” than any other!

Advice for if you want to be a doctor but you’re not “smart”

If you want to be a doctor but don’t consider yourself “smart”, then I know how you feel.

I’m someone who has spent most of his life feeling the same!

But here’s some practical advice I’ve found useful that’s helped me on my journey…

1. Remind yourself that intelligence is complex, it’s not all about grades.
2. Look into alternative routes into med school – there are many options available for students with average grades.
3. Learn how to study more effectively (use active recall).
4. Learn about study techniques that can help with your lack of discipline or habit (like the Pomodoro method).
5. Recognize that it’s never too late to turn things around/start over!

Summary

You don’t have to be smart to become a doctor.

You can still get into (some) med schools with average grades.

If you have a desire to learn and a commitment to the task then you can make big strides.

Don’t let your own perceived lack of intelligence stand in your way!

Doctors: 7 Things You Should Know (For Students)

For many becoming a Doctor is a lifelong dream.

Becoming a Doctor requires relentless commitment and resolve over several years.

It is a challenge for even highly qualified capable and committed individuals.

You might be asking, how hard can it be to become a Doctor?

What if I don’t have the grades and am not good at maths or science, can I still be a Doctor?

So are doctors smart? Do you have to be smart to be a doctor?

Are Doctors Smart? Do you have to be Smart to be a Doctor? (Explained)

Yes, Doctors are intelligent, and they must have an above-average IQ to comprehend and memorise a large amount of information. Doctors must be intelligent to perform difficult exercises and comprehend difficult material.

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Being intelligent also helps doctors in practice, as it allows them to draw on medical knowledge to think quickly and through complex issues and situations.

While it is evident that being a Doctor requires a high level of intelligence, we’ll now discuss common concerns people have around becoming a Doctor.

Can I be a Doctor if I am not too intelligent?

To be a Doctor you do need to have some level of intelligence to understand to study medicine and also practice medicine.

If you are someone who struggles with learning, is not very focused, or has trouble understanding complex subjects, then being a Doctor might not be for you.

However, nothing is impossible, if you work hard, be focused, and believe in your abilities anything is possible.

To become a Doctor you will need the following attributes:

• • Some level of intelligence, not necessary at genius level but be able to comprehend complex issues and situations
  • • Ability to memorize and understand vast amounts of information, over several years of determination, having to study between 12 to 16 years to become a Doctor.

    The timeline to become a Doctor looks something like this; you need to complete an undergraduate degree then there is the medical school itself that takes at least 4 years, then an internship of 1 year, next residency of at least 1 year, and finally vocational training of 3-8 years.

    With few places on offer, getting into medical school can be difficult.

    If there is a high cut-off point you will need to reach a higher score than your competition to obtain a spot.

    For some students, this won’t be such an issue.

    But for some who are less scholastic, then more study effort is required to prepare for the medical school entrance exam.

    To be a Doctor, do you have to be good at Science?

    Yes, you must be skilled in science. Being uninterested in science will jeopardise your chances of becoming a doctor.

    Just to get into medical school, the prerequisites are biology, biochemistry, and chemistry.

    The better you are at those subjects, the better your chance of being accepted and passing medical school, and becoming a Doctor.

    Do Doctors have to be good at Biology? (Explained)

    Yes, you can still become a Doctor; however, it will be more difficult for you to gain admission to medical school and achieve the required grades.

    One of the prerequisites is getting into medical school and becoming a doctor knowing biology.

    Thankfully, Biology is one of the easiest pre-medical subjects you can understand.

    If your ambition is to become a Doctor not being good at biology should not set you back.

    There are plenty of online courses (most are free) that you can improve your knowledge and understanding of biology.

    Doctors required to be good at Physics? (Explained)

    No, you don’t have to be a Physicist to be a doctor. It should not be a barrier to entering Medical School and becoming a Doctor.

    However, If you are seeking out a Medical School to attend, check out if there is any requirement to know physics.

    Probably even worth getting your hands on any entrance exams that have been used in the past.

    If there are questions relating to physics then you might have to learn the basics of physics, enough to get you through.

    The good news is there are plenty of online courses in Physics to get you through.

    Doctors required to be good at Chemistry?

    You are not alone if you are having difficulty with chemistry. It is difficult to learn because it combines the use of math, chemistry concepts, and language.

    If you are not good at Chemistry, it will be more difficult for you to become a Doctor.

    Medicine is largely based on chemistry and physics.

    Therefore, having A grade marks or being comfortable with chemistry will set you in a strong position to join a medical school and become a doctor.

    If you are not that great at Chemistry, there are things you can do.

    But first of all, you do need to realize that learning Chemistry requires a lot of hard work and dedication.

    Secondly don’t freak out, despite Chemistry being difficult to learn it can be learned.

    To improve your understanding, there is plenty of books or even better tons of free accessible online materials available to learn and upskill.

    Do Doctors need to be good at Mathematics? (Solved)

    If you are not good at math, you should not be able to become a doctor. Most medical schools require one year of college-level mathematics.

    Typically the math required is calculus 1 and 2. There is also a need to learn statistics, but it is not the “hardcore” calculus-based statistics.

    Having an understanding of basic mathematics and statistics will help you to understand statistical concepts when dealing with research paper conclusions.

    If you are bad at maths you can overcome this hurdle by practising formulas and concepts until you have a firm understanding.

    The good news there is plenty of free content online.

    Do Doctors require good high school grades?

    Yes, even if your high school grades were poor, you can become a Doctor. Grades in high school are unimportant. However, high college grades are required for admission to medical school.

    If your grades at high school were bad, you will need to adjust your approach to studying if you want to become a doctor.

    There is a huge amount of studying required to become a doctor.

    Noting that college is much harder than high school, medical school is much harder than college.

    Final Thoughts

    To become a Doctor you do require a high level of intelligence.

    You also need to be committed to spending 8-12 years studying and memorizing a huge amount of information.

    The need to study continues once you become a Doctor keeping up with updates in the medical field.

    If there are subjects that you are not strong in, preventing you from fulfilling your dreams of becoming a Doctor you can take additional studies to improve and lift your understanding.

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