The medical field, an overwhelming and competitive profession. Being a doctor means constantly being under pressure to succeed in school, and trying to help as many patients as possible. Is it worth it?

Many people contemplate the huge process of becoming a doctor, and taking that step requires a lot hard work and determination. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the total number of applicants for medical school in 2013 was 48,014, an increase of 6.1 percent. Pursuing this career is a laborious task, but the outcome is most rewarding.

Many prospective students at Regis Jesuit ponder the life decision of becoming a doctor. Students prepare for this in high school, and RJ can help to fulfill these dreams.

“I think science classes really help; it’s just the way the school is run, a college preparatory. If it is meant to be, it will work out,” sophomore Debbie Lee said.

These doctors and medical students help to explain their experience with a life in the medical profession for prospective students.

Profile: Katherine Misgen ‘08

Katherine Misgen, medical student at Loyola University Chicago and Regis Jesuit alumna, is currently studying to become a doctor.

Misgen graduated from Regis Jesuit in 2008 as the Valedictorian of her senior class. She pushed herself in high school by taking six AP classes, and was influenced by the dedication of her fellow classmates.

“Having a good, challenging work environment was very important because I was surrounded by girls who had a lot of drive, wanted to succeed, and valued being intelligent, so it encouraged that in me as well,” Misgen said.

Not only did attending Regis Jesuit prepare her, but teaching there helped as well.  Misgen took a year off after college to teach at the Boys Division, instructing freshman and sophomore biology, causing her to be exposed to a new form of learning. Misgen’s experiences with teaching helped her to understand and support those around her. She benefitted from the idea that teaching was also very similar to being a doctor.

“I got a lot of good experiences; practical things that I can use for being a doctor,” Misgen said.

Currently Misgen is completing her first semester of medical school, and she is already well aware of the challenging path ahead of her. The amount of work is overwhelming, but she says RJ prepared her well.

Her drive is very important in reaching her goal of becoming a doctor. According to the Loyola University Chicago medical school website, the flexible seven to eight year degree is focused on working towards a M.D or Ph.D. With this program, Misgen hopes to explore her interest of immunology further, but experience other types of medicine as well.

“You know that feeling when your head is just really numb and hurting? That happens everyday,” Misgen said.

Misgen encourages students thinking about the medical profession to explore. She advises people interested in the profession to try shadowing doctors to get an idea of what the job is like.

“The main thing is to not be discouraged, because it is amazing how many people will try to bring you down and tell you you won’t be able to be a doctor or get into medical school,” Misgen said.

Profile: Daniel Besessen M.D.

Daniel Besessen M.D. Professor of Medicine, has been working at Denver Health Medical Center for 23 years. As head of the endocrinology division, his job consists of three main components; scientific research, teaching students, and treating patients.

Besessen chose to pursue a career in the medical field because of his love for science. Both his father and grandfather were also doctors, and they influenced his decision greatly.

His research centers around weight regulation and obesity, but Besessen enjoys the scientific process in general.

“You do an experiment and you answer a little question that nobody knew before and now somebody has a bit of an answer to that. And that’s how we understand the world some,” Besessen said.

Besessen is also on the curriculum committee for medical school where he helps determine how the great knowledge of the body required by medical schools should be organized and transmitted to students. In addition, Besessen finds it very fulfilling to teach students one on one and work with individuals who are training to be doctors.

“To see those people get to develop their own ideas and learn something new, that’s super fun,” Besessen said.

Along with teaching, many doctors share a strong passion for patient care. However, most agree that the job can be very trying and exhausting at some points.

“(Being a doctor is) A little bit stressful. Some days are great, some days are hard, especially when there are difficult illnesses we have to deal with,” pediatrician Jody Hoffman said.

However, Besessen is still troubled by some aspects of patient care. For him, the most trying and difficult part of his job is taking care of people who are dying. Besessen struggled with this aspect of his job, but has learned to accept this inevitable fact of life.

Besessen advises anyone who is thinking about professions to find something that they love and see if there is a job in that passion. He did not think about being a doctor until he was a junior in college, and expresses that many people do not know they want to be doctors until much later in their lives.

“I think the most important thing for people is to find something that you care a lot about, and then say ‘is there a job in this? And what does the job look like? And what do I need to get there?’” Besessen said.

Besessen considers himself to be very fortunate, with his job keeping him both challenged and rewarded.

Misgen and Besessen are prepared to face whatever may be ahead no matter the circumstances. They know the life of a doctor is a long and momentous road with grueling moments of pressure and stress. But in the end, the reward is so great and triumphant that all that hard work and dedication is payed off.