The McLaren Oakland cardiologist offers her perspective and advice for those seeking a career in medicine.
“I’d recommend as early as high school starting to volunteer at different medical facilities to start to really see what the medical field is like,” said Dr. Amy O’Neil.
The McLaren Oakland cardiologist is established in her practice but reaching this point in her career is the result of a lot of hard work in her education and training.
It’s career preparation that requires a significant sacrifice of seven to 10 years of the future doctor’s 20s. But it’s preparation that leads to a true impact on the lives of patients.
“In medical school, you learn a lot of hard science, and the algorithms on how to treat patients,” she said. “But when you get into the practice, you realize its also as much an art as it is science, and not every patient falls into the algorithm or plan. There’s a lot of critical thinking.
“You’re an advocate for the patient, but you’re also a teacher in a lot of ways.”
Meet Dr. O’Neil and watch her full interview here.
Heart care at McLaren Oakland
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