A request from medico to all non medicos

As a medical student, I understand the curiosity and questions people have about our career paths. It’s natural, and most of the time, it’s well-intentioned. But there’s one thing I’d like to request: please, don’t tell us what we “should” do with our careers, especially when it comes to pursuing postgraduate studies (PG).

At a recent function, someone confidently told me, “You must do PG. PG is important. You can’t live without it.” —what qualifies them to decide what’s “important” for me? They weren’t from the medical field and likely had no idea of the relentless years of studying, exams, sacrifices, and mental pressure we endure during our MBBS journey.

So, to all well-meaning non-medicos: we appreciate your concern, but please leave the career advice to us. Support us, encourage us, but don’t dictate what we must do. Trust us to make our own decisions—we’ve already been through enough to know what we’re doing.