What can I do with my MBChB?

I’m sure all of you have been told at some point that having an MBChB opens doors, but what doors are those exactly?

The image of someone in white coat with a stethoscope around their neck is what pops into my most of our minds when someone uses the word “doctor”.

Maybe you think of your friendly neighborhood GP, who always smiles while scribbling out prescriptions, which usually include Panado.

Perhaps you think of one of multiple American actors in their blue scrubs , eg. Grey’s anatomy, who use terms like “code blue” that nobody really understands but assumes means there’s a serious emergency.

Nowaways we are being forced to abandon the stereotypes because times have changed.

In the post-Covid era where telemedicine and robotic surgery are becoming common place we have to re-evaluate our understanding of what a doctor is.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary define a doctor as : “a person skilled or specializing in healing arts especially  : one (such as a physician, dentist, or veterinarian) who holds an advanced degree and is licensed to practice.”

So what makes one a doctor is not the stethoscope or the white coat but their licence to heal.

This licence can be used in many ways, conventional or unconventional.

Conventional applications are the roles we’re all aware of and usually include performing the act of healing eg. being a GP or Specialist or a hospital doctor who physically examines patients and treats them.

Many unconventional paths are available to doctors though:

1. Business-medical products/equipment

2. Management- hospital management

3. Research

4. Invention

5. Pharmaceuticals

Some people even branch out into other fields where just the title gives them credibility.

The point is not to limit yourself to the stereotype, because you have multiple options.

You may start out intending to be a GP in your home town and life may divert you on a path to fame and fortune, or maybe family commitments may cause you to seek out a more flexible role.

Life has many twists and turns, before deciding on a career path do your research and find out what options you have available.  Whether your dream is to be successful specialist or just to have a job that affords you more time with your family, this degree will help you achieve your goal.