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INFPs as doctors

25809 Views 50 Replies 24 Participants Last post by  skawdebeast
I would like to know if there are infp doctors here who work at hospitals or run their own practice. I would like to know your experiences with med school and the real world.

I am not a doc but I was very interested in becoming a veterinarian when I was younger. The possibility of going to med school has crossed my mind since I already have a bio degree and I already work at a hospital with doctors but I always though that it is too hard, competitive and expensive.

I see INFPs as great doctors always putting the patients need first. I have known doctors who are so cold hearted and insensitive to patients. But I imagine that infp doctors face many challenges as well that compromise their values etc etc.

For now I have seen one infp doc in this forum who is @eyenexepee I would like you to share your thoughts.
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The biggest problem I could think of for an INFP as a doctor is detachment. The same goes for many professions where you'll be exposed to people's problems on an intense, regular basis. If you can't maintain some level of detachment, the job would kill you eventually.
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I think I could do the detachment part, I actually don't feel pain for people I don't love except in an objective way, well, maybe that's an over-generalization but point is I think I could handle it, the problem for me would be all the detail work assosciated with becoming a doctor. Becoming a doctor is very hard and involves lots of MATH and a thorough, complex understanding of both the larger picture and the nitty gritties. I hate nitty grittes.
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I've often mused over how difficult I'd find it to be a doctor. I'd have serious problems detaching myself from people, and if someone died under my care I'd be very badly messed up for a long time. While I'm capable of detaching myself in certain tasks, I doubt I could do it if I was a doctor since a factor of the job is nursing patients back to health, and by doing so you take on responsibility for their welfare in whatever medicine or medical advice you give. I don't think I could handle that, especially (as I just mentioned) if someone were to suffer serious consequences such as disablement or even death as a direct result of my judgement.
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Doctor is the last thing on earth I would choose as a profession. Not that it isn't interesting, because it absolutely is!
But what a mess I would make, my nerves would be all over the place - I wouldn't be able to keep a stable mind.
To me, as I see it you have to be able to shut off your feelings. You just can't let your nervousness interrupt you, if you have an open heart surgery going on. And it would happen to me eventually, I have too many emotions going on in my mind.

I won't say that INFPs can't be doctors, if you are good at keeping your head cool and got the confidence.. then I see no problem.
But to me it is an absolutely no go, I would rather work in a factory with routine work. Simply because I as a doctor would end up killing somebody.
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Even though I am not a doctor and I am just a med tech in a certain field I don't want to mention to protect my privacy, working in a hospital is complicated in all aspects. All professionals including nurses and techs go through periods of high stress at certain points of their career when facing critical situations or making tough decisions at the last minute. In certain circumstances the professionals who serve the doctors suffer from more stress because sometimes they are given more responsibilities than they have and many are underpaid. Doctors do have to make tough decisions when making a diagnosis or choosing which type of medication to give to a patient with a critical condition and there is a possibility that this treatment may fail, because doctors are not perfect including the ones who are "T" and "J" users. That is why at the end of the day I prefer to be the one who assists the doctor rather than be the doctor to avoid such responsibilities.


In my job I have to turn off my "F" function most of the time to concentrate fully on my job, and I can't deny that I have overwhelming feelings when I have lots of work to do or when I have to deal with difficult personalities reasons why I come home feeling drained. But I don't think that "F" users should be afraid of being doctors, as not as not all fields are the same, you can not compare a general practitioner with a surgeon for example. There are fields which are less stressful and flexible.


I chose a very difficult field which I think is one of the most likely to be sued for medical errors, it is a field dominated by TJs but I have remained strong and have learned to be tough.
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I have the ability to feel detachment when I see patients with extreme cases or when I watch an autopsy that can cause some people to feel nauseous but me on the contrary I find it interesting. It looks like a tough job but if I had the training perhaps I can do it as well, but it does not interest me, but sometimes I wonder how would be if I were the one doing it.

Even TJs docs feel drained and are sick and tired of their jobs because I have seen it. I sometimes wonder why they don't appreciate what they have.
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I am sure an infp is capable of being a doctor if they so chose.
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For now I have seen one infp doc in this forum who is @eyenexepee I would like you to share your thoughts.
Yikes! I feel honored to be mentioned like this (and slightly under pressure since it seems there are some expectations xD )!.. But I'm not a doctor. ^^;

I did study medicine for a while, but broke it off, in the end getting a bachelor's degree in communication (organizational/corporate). It was medical communication training that inspired me to go that direction xD

But uhm, sure, I'll share some thoughts if that's okay with you. I'll leave out personal experiences for now, because without those, this is going to be a lengthy post already. xD

I am not a doc but I was very interested in becoming a veterinarian when I was younger. The possibility of going to med school has crossed my mind since I already have a bio degree and I already work at a hospital with doctors but I always though that it is too hard, competitive and expensive.
I'm sure you don't live in The Netherlands, where I live. From what I understand (I have a brother here in this country who is a doctor, and a cousin in the US, who is also a doctor), they'd have to 'retake' medical knowledge exams if they wanted to practice medicine in a different country, because the education is very different. Which sounds quite stupid, seeing how the human body is a universal thing :S

Nonetheless, this geographical difference is an important one. From what I know, there is not much competitiveness between doctors in our country. Maybe there is some competitiveness among specialists, but in general, not really. Assuming you live in either the US or the UK, you have a medical sector that is tied more closely to capitalism (our medical sector is pretty regulated). I suspect this is an important cause for the competitiveness you may perceive. I think it's also 'cheaper' in this country to become a doctor xD

I think the competitiveness can be a good thing, as long as it is in moderation, which I personally doubt it is in the US/UK. In this country, they're actually trying to make the medical sector more 'market-like' to drive prices down etc (which I think is a bad thing, but alright...). So I wouldn't be surprised to see more competitiveness in our medical sector as time goes by.

Anyways, it is up to you how you handle that competitiveness. INFP's don't handle that well in general, I think. We prefer harmonious relationships, also at the workfloor.

I see INFPs as great doctors always putting the patients need first. I have known doctors who are so cold hearted and insensitive to patients.
I can see why you'd say that. I mean, INFP doctors are more likely able to empathize with patients than say, INTP doctors. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of them would seem cold and insensitive compared to the majority of INFP doctors.

Like you said, being a great doctor is about putting the patient's need first. And this is where it becomes interesting for INFP doctors - because the patient has both medical and personal/mental needs. One can influence the other, but they're not the same. As example, bodily suffering from say, having your arm amputated because of a bad car crash, will most likely cause some mental suffering as well (okay this is a bad example now that I think of it but bear with me).

A good doctor, IMO, is mainly there for the physical cure. But a good doctor also has some 'social skills', this being empathizing, interpersonal communication, etc. The good doctor treats the body, but also needs to talk to the patient. What can the patient expect in terms of Quality of Life, what she/he needs to do to take care post-surgery, etc. At the same time, the patient is struggling with loss - face it, your life is going to be very very different after having your arm amputated. So how do you get all this medical information across to someone who has to deal with loss? Social skills. Or communication skills, if you will.

Now, as a stereotype INFP 'good doctor', you may have a natural inclination to empathize etc, but your main priority is the patient's bodily health. You may 'feel' her/his pain to the point of catering to all of the patient's need with utmost care and sensitivity, but that will 1) drain you (since INFP's stereotypically spend energy interacting with others) and 2) cut the time you have to treat your other patients.

As a summary: it can be both an advantage and disadvantage as a 'good doctor' to be an INFP.

But I imagine that infp doctors face many challenges as well that compromise their values etc etc.
There can be compromises of any sort... Compromises are plenty in the medical sector, I imagine even more so in hospitals than in private practices, since you have to 'obey' to the rules of the hospital. I imagine it's worse in the US/UK than it is over here, referring to once again capitalism.

It is not that non-INFP doctors don't have values, but I think they'll have less of a struggle with their values than their INFP colleagues, since INFP doctors are most likely more sensitive to conflicting values. What if your bedridden patient doesn't want to take the medical treatment that you deem best - for instance, what if in your medical opinion, your patient must have her/his arm amputated, while she/he refuses that treatment? Or what if they refuse a certain treatment on account of their beliefs (blood transfusion is a no go for some)?

So yah...

*looks at length of post*
*looks at the clock*
*facepalm*
xD

I need some time off this topic, but I'll see that I'll reply to your other posts later, and if you wish, I can add some personal experiences.
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I've met many caring doctors who were general practitioners. I think that might be a little easier for a sensitive person than being a surgeon.
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Oh snap! I though you were a doctor because I once saw in one reply you posted somewhere that you studied medicine but I think I misread it. You still provided an insightful post and I thank you for taking the time. You are still the right person to ask here :) since you had some experience with med school. I will reply it tomorrow cause is also kinda late here as well. :)

Yikes! I feel honored to be mentioned like this (and slightly under pressure since it seems there are some expectations xD )!.. But I'm not a doctor. ^^;

I did study medicine for a while, but broke it off, in the end getting a bachelor's degree in communication (organizational/corporate). It was medical communication training that inspired me to go that direction xD

But uhm, sure, I'll share some thoughts if that's okay with you. I'll leave out personal experiences for now, because without those, this is going to be a lengthy post already. xD


I'm sure you don't live in The Netherlands, where I live. From what I understand (I have a brother here in this country who is a doctor, and a cousin in the US, who is also a doctor), they'd have to 'retake' medical knowledge exams if they wanted to practice medicine in a different country, because the education is very different. Which sounds quite stupid, seeing how the human body is a universal thing :S

Nonetheless, this geographical difference is an important one. From what I know, there is not much competitiveness between doctors in our country. Maybe there is some competitiveness among specialists, but in general, not really. Assuming you live in either the US or the UK, you have a medical sector that is tied more closely to capitalism (our medical sector is pretty regulated). I suspect this is an important cause for the competitiveness you may perceive. I think it's also 'cheaper' in this country to become a doctor xD

I think the competitiveness can be a good thing, as long as it is in moderation, which I personally doubt it is in the US/UK. In this country, they're actually trying to make the medical sector more 'market-like' to drive prices down etc (which I think is a bad thing, but alright...). So I wouldn't be surprised to see more competitiveness in our medical sector as time goes by.

Anyways, it is up to you how you handle that competitiveness. INFP's don't handle that well in general, I think. We prefer harmonious relationships, also at the workfloor.



I can see why you'd say that. I mean, INFP doctors are more likely able to empathize with patients than say, INTP doctors. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of them would seem cold and insensitive compared to the majority of INFP doctors.

Like you said, being a great doctor is about putting the patient's need first. And this is where it becomes interesting for INFP doctors - because the patient has both medical and personal/mental needs. One can influence the other, but they're not the same. As example, bodily suffering from say, having your arm amputated because of a bad car crash, will most likely cause some mental suffering as well (okay this is a bad example now that I think of it but bear with me).

A good doctor, IMO, is mainly there for the physical cure. But a good doctor also has some 'social skills', this being empathizing, interpersonal communication, etc. The good doctor treats the body, but also needs to talk to the patient. What can the patient expect in terms of Quality of Life, what she/he needs to do to take care post-surgery, etc. At the same time, the patient is struggling with loss - face it, your life is going to be very very different after having your arm amputated. So how do you get all this medical information across to someone who has to deal with loss? Social skills. Or communication skills, if you will.

Now, as a stereotype INFP 'good doctor', you may have a natural inclination to empathize etc, but your main priority is the patient's bodily health. You may 'feel' her/his pain to the point of catering to all of the patient's need with utmost care and sensitivity, but that will 1) drain you (since INFP's stereotypically spend energy interacting with others) and 2) cut the time you have to treat your other patients.

As a summary: it can be both an advantage and disadvantage as a 'good doctor' to be an INFP.


There can be compromises of any sort... Compromises are plenty in the medical sector, I imagine even more so in hospitals than in private practices, since you have to 'obey' to the rules of the hospital. I imagine it's worse in the US/UK than it is over here, referring to once again capitalism.

It is not that non-INFP doctors don't have values, but I think they'll have less of a struggle with their values than their INFP colleagues, since INFP doctors are most likely more sensitive to conflicting values. What if your bedridden patient doesn't want to take the medical treatment that you deem best - for instance, what if in your medical opinion, your patient must have her/his arm amputated, while she/he refuses that treatment? Or what if they refuse a certain treatment on account of their beliefs (blood transfusion is a no go for some)?

So yah...

*looks at length of post*
*looks at the clock*
*facepalm*
xD

I need some time off this topic, but I'll see that I'll reply to your other posts later, and if you wish, I can add some personal experiences.
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I need to advise you, before you go any further, that I cannot endorse you pursuing an M.D. with an avatar so anatomically incorrect.

I just can't do it.
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There is a constant shuffle of patient's coming in, each with there own problems, which to them are their number one priority. After seeing so many patient's with problems you would eventually come to see as minor, I think I'd become desensitized. Also, if you want to help, I'd be the type to give them good advice on changing diets, quiting smoking, exercise more, etc.. and then when they don't do it you wonder what they expect. How could you help them when they don't help themselves?
There are those I'm sure I would see where my heart goes out to them, but for the most part it would be impossible for me to care as much as they'd want me too. I would even grow to loathe many of the complainers and hypochondriacs, I'm sure, as well as those that come in thinking the world owes them something. It all seems romantic, you're bettering or even saving lives, like on HOUSE, but in reality it seems as if it would lead you to an early grave yourself. But I can only speak for myself. I've had so many doctors come in to see me after an hour waiting in either the waiting room or in the little room they stuff you in, only for them to rush through the evaluation and send you to the lab for blood work or write a quick prescription and ask you to come back in two weeks. My current doctor is the same way, just seems...tired... but he at least knows what he's talking about so I trust him enough.

You have the administrative side which becomes routine and tedious. Less than perfect patients aside, other burdens I envision are complying with insurance standards at all times, lawyers waiting on the drop of a dime to sue you for something, DME providers sales associates constantly demanding paperwork or business(because they have to comply with insurance standards as well), and who knows what else.

To me, it would be an ideal job if it were much more laid back and you could do things on your own accord. I would match my ideals that way. However, based on my own observations, the reality of it all would turn me cynical. At least you could afford to vacation all over the world (whatever your heat desires) so that could be worth it perhaps. There are other jobs that might allow one to reap the benefits of helping those that really need it, if that fills a void in your "soul" or whatever. A physical therapist or RT or even a nurse, where you get to spend most of the time on a patient and let the doctors and supervisors deal with the red tape and most of the administrative side and paper work.
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I need to advise you, before you go any further, that I cannot endorse you pursuing an M.D. with an avatar so anatomically incorrect.

I just can't do it.
lol... :)

Somehow I knew you were an NT before I glanced above your avatar.

;)
Medical school is more than going to school and hitting the books. Residency is a b*t*h. Doctors are going to treat you like gum under their shoes. So you need to grow a tough skin before your residency...

Also, you're going to have to be willing to accept that you will be making horrible pay during your residency, all while being teamed-up on by nurses and doctors.

All medical school students go through this though. It's a tradition... a 'rite of passage.'

That's the only hurdle I can see an INFP going through during medical school... Besides dealing with death and etc. afterwards.

Use to work in the ER... I had my good moments with those evil doctors/nurses haha.
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If you can grow a thick skin, if you can study your ass off (all those details of physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, etc), if you can handle constant stress, and if you can be comfortable with the idea of massive student debt (250K +) to become an MD....

then of course you can do it.

The best way to find out if you would make a good doctor in real life is to work in a hospital yourself. Some premed students become CNAs and EMTs to get their feet wet. Shadowing and volunteering are very limited, so I would not rely on those two methods. You have to be part of the medical team to truly understand what happens there, how you react to emergency situations, etc.

I find it horrifying that so many young people make career decisions based on hearsay and book learning, only to realize waaaay later that it was a bad fit. And by then they have a lot of debt and it's tough to start over. Take your time to find out for sure you want to be a doctor. It's a very long, tough road.
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That is the idealist view of the human body where the organs are embracing and loving eachother. A happy body is a healthy body. It is
missing the intestines and other organs, and I am not sure wether the liver is making love to the stomach or just hugging it but I still think is cute. You should contact the creator of the drawing to let her know. :)
I need to advise you, before you go any further, that I cannot endorse you pursuing an M.D. with an avatar so anatomically incorrect.

I just can't do it.
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what an awesome thread. When I was younger, I wanted to be a veterinarian since I have always loved animals and science but I foresaw the 'detachment' issues. I carry the problems of everyone I love on my shoulders and of course animals are no exception.
So to kind of circumvent this I think I want to do biomedical research. I love molecular bio and biochem since they're so rewarding to study, and getting results in the lab is an incredible feeling.

Maybe it's kinda weird for an INFP but I'm actually quite good at Bio/Org Chem/Calc. In every other way, I fit the mold to a frightening degree.
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I can't believe that I wrote a long paragraph and I lost everything......oO starts all over again That is why I hate writing in iPad. Turns on laptop. UGH.

Yikes! I feel honored to be mentioned like this (and slightly under pressure since it seems there are some expectations xD )!.. But I'm not a doctor. ^^;

I did study medicine for a while, but broke it off, in the end getting a bachelor's degree in communication (organizational/corporate). It was medical communication training that inspired me to go that direction xD

But uhm, sure, I'll share some thoughts if that's okay with you. I'll leave out personal experiences for now, because without those, this is going to be a lengthy post already. xD


I'm sure you don't live in The Netherlands, where I live. From what I understand (I have a brother here in this country who is a doctor, and a cousin in the US, who is also a doctor), they'd have to 'retake' medical knowledge exams if they wanted to practice medicine in a different country, because the education is very different. Which sounds quite stupid, seeing how the human body is a universal thing :S

Nonetheless, this geographical difference is an important one. From what I know, there is not much competitiveness between doctors in our country. Maybe there is some competitiveness among specialists, but in general, not really. Assuming you live in either the US or the UK, you have a medical sector that is tied more closely to capitalism (our medical sector is pretty regulated). I suspect this is an important cause for the competitiveness you may perceive. I think it's also 'cheaper' in this country to become a doctor xD

I think the competitiveness can be a good thing, as long as it is in moderation, which I personally doubt it is in the US/UK. In this country, they're actually trying to make the medical sector more 'market-like' to drive prices down etc (which I think is a bad thing, but alright...). So I wouldn't be surprised to see more competitiveness in our medical sector as time goes by.

Anyways, it is up to you how you handle that competitiveness. INFP's don't handle that well in general, I think. We prefer harmonious relationships, also at the workfloor.



I can see why you'd say that. I mean, INFP doctors are more likely able to empathize with patients than say, INTP doctors. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of them would seem cold and insensitive compared to the majority of INFP doctors.

Like you said, being a great doctor is about putting the patient's need first. And this is where it becomes interesting for INFP doctors - because the patient has both medical and personal/mental needs. One can influence the other, but they're not the same. As example, bodily suffering from say, having your arm amputated because of a bad car crash, will most likely cause some mental suffering as well (okay this is a bad example now that I think of it but bear with me).

A good doctor, IMO, is mainly there for the physical cure. But a good doctor also has some 'social skills', this being empathizing, interpersonal communication, etc. The good doctor treats the body, but also needs to talk to the patient. What can the patient expect in terms of Quality of Life, what she/he needs to do to take care post-surgery, etc. At the same time, the patient is struggling with loss - face it, your life is going to be very very different after having your arm amputated. So how do you get all this medical information across to someone who has to deal with loss? Social skills. Or communication skills, if you will.

Now, as a stereotype INFP 'good doctor', you may have a natural inclination to empathize etc, but your main priority is the patient's bodily health. You may 'feel' her/his pain to the point of catering to all of the patient's need with utmost care and sensitivity, but that will 1) drain you (since INFP's stereotypically spend energy interacting with others) and 2) cut the time you have to treat your other patients.

As a summary: it can be both an advantage and disadvantage as a 'good doctor' to be an INFP.


There can be compromises of any sort... Compromises are plenty in the medical sector, I imagine even more so in hospitals than in private practices, since you have to 'obey' to the rules of the hospital. I imagine it's worse in the US/UK than it is over here, referring to once again capitalism.

It is not that non-INFP doctors don't have values, but I think they'll have less of a struggle with their values than their INFP colleagues, since INFP doctors are most likely more sensitive to conflicting values. What if your bedridden patient doesn't want to take the medical treatment that you deem best - for instance, what if in your medical opinion, your patient must have her/his arm amputated, while she/he refuses that treatment? Or what if they refuse a certain treatment on account of their beliefs (blood transfusion is a no go for some)?

So yah...

*looks at length of post*
*looks at the clock*
*facepalm*
xD

I need some time off this topic, but I'll see that I'll reply to your other posts later, and if you wish, I can add some personal experiences.
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