Kids as young as four years old are often asked what they want to be when they grow up. They always seem to have a ready answer, probably influenced by what they see around them, what they learned about community people in preschool, and their parents’ careers.
As soon as kids show interest in their future, parents should talk to them about possible careers. This would encourage them to dream and work hard on those dreams.
But experts suggest that the best time to sit down with your child and discuss their future is when they begin secondary school. This is the perfect time to assess their interests, skills, and current situation shaping their future.
If your child expressed interest in a healthcare career, you might want to guide your child since this is a job with a great future.
Here are some tips to guide you in preparing your child for a healthcare career.
1. Discover What They Want
Kids would always say that they want to be a doctor or a nurse, but they’re not familiar with the fields of expertise and the vastness of the medical field. Some would say, ‘I want to be someone who delivers a baby,” and here’s when you can discuss the difference between midwife vs. obgyn. Or maybe they’ll say, “I want to be a nurse, but I don’t want to work inside the hospital.” This is possible with many different types of nurses out there.
Many kids conjure an image of a doctor in a scrub suit and think of it as a sophisticated job. They don’t realize that there’s so much more behind that aura of authority and intellect. They haven’t discovered the compassionate patient care that goes with it yet. Here’s when you need to discuss the aspects of healthcare with your child, not to dishearten them but to open their eyes and maybe inspire them more to navigate the world of healthcare and how their interests could fit right into it.
2. Assess Their Math And Science Footing
If your kids excel in their math and sciences, it’s an excellent launchpad for their healthcare careers. But if it’s the contrary, you might want to find out how you can help your child with these subjects. Because healthcare revolves around science and math, a keen interest in these will significantly help your child succeed in this field.
3. Have Your Child Attend Volunteer Programs
Volunteering will help your child develop critical skills like managing multiple tasks, following directions, handling pressure, and communication skills. Volunteer programs like medical missions and outreach done by charitable institutions can significantly jumpstart their career in healthcare.
4. Take A Tour Of The Hospital
With the hospital’s permission, you can explore the various sections of the hospital and talk to doctors and staff as you go along. This real-life interaction will let your child see the healthcare system objectively and form his own thoughts about it. You may explore the different departments so your child can narrow down his choices. You may visit the emergency room, take a glimpse of the operating and delivery room, check out the nursery, intensive care units, and laboratory. This way, your child could see actual interactions even from afar.
5. Help Your Child Select The Right Undergraduate Program
Before going to medical school, your child must take up an undergraduate degree first. You may help your child select from a vast list of undergraduate programs like the following:
- biology
- biochemistry
- psychology
- nursing
- human physiology
Your child’s pre-medicine course will help prepare them for the difficulty and rigors of the field. Getting into a top medical school is highly competitive, and you must have exceptional grades in science subjects, especially chemistry and biology, to get a spot.
6. Visit The Top Medical Schools
Taking an excursion to your child’s top school choices and seeing what these places have to offer will inspire and excite your child with their future. Take a short day trip and visit the campus grounds, medical school buildings, and the university’s amenities to spark their interest in their potential future school.
Conclusion
Helping to mold a child’s future is every parent’s responsibility. Guiding your child to succeed in any field and career they opt for is every parent’s dream too. As soon as your child displays curiosity in a future career, you have to be there and feed that curiosity. Talking about the process of getting there is an excellent bonding activity that will also forge your bond together.
