Biological Sciences: Pathway to a Medical Career

Are you dreaming of becoming a medical doctor someday? You’re not the only one. Most of the students enrolled in Mahidol University International College’s (MUIC) Biological Sciences Program are aiming to enter medical school after graduation. We asked three seniors why they think MUIC is the best place to prepare for entering medical school (and becoming a physician someday).

Ms. Sakulrat “Snow” Martpunyachon

For Ms. Sakulrat “Snow” Martpunyachon, “becoming a medical doctor has always been my ultimate dream because being a doctor would allow me to be useful in many areas or environments.”

Regarding the medical area she would like to specialize in, she said she is yet to decide, however, the courses she is taking in the Biological Sciences program are helping her form that decision in the near future. “They strengthen my core knowledge of the different medical fields,” she said.

She added that the main reason that makes MUIC a good place to start her path to medical school is its supporting environment. “Everyone knows going to medical school is very tough, but it would be much much easier when there are so many good people supporting you,” she explained.

Ms. Siriyakorn “Punch” Chudhakorn

For Ms. Siriyakorn “Punch” Chudhakorn, it was only in the past three years that her dream of becoming a medical doctor has firmed up. What inspired her were her every trip to hospitals and “every doctor I encountered.” She explained, “becoming a medical doctor would really help me understand firsthand the actual health problems and concerns of the patients.”

And what kind of doctor does she want to become? “I would love to be a pediatrician because I get along well with children. They are more vulnerable than us and require more attention, and there are many diseases related to children that I find (professionally) fascinating.”

And here are the three reasons why MUIC is the good place to start your path to medical school, according to Ms. Siriyakorn:

Good learning environment
Supportive and understanding professors
Opportunities provided by MUIC

Mr. Tanapat “James” Sathapornsermsuk

Mr. Tanapat “James” Sathapornsermsuk has also not settled yet on which specialization he would undertake. “I have not decided on the specialty yet because I would like to have firsthand experience in clinical rotation.”

According to Mr. Tanapat, here are the three reasons why MUIC is the good place to start your path to medical school:

MUIC provides us a variety of choices for pursuing our medical studies. “There is the SGU (St. George University) pathway where we can choose to study in the US or in the UK. There are also other pathways to other specializations such as veterinary medicine and dentistry which are also available and worth checking out.
MUIC gives us high quality of content in every biological subject. “You would be surprised how much you could learn in 12 weeks! Many instructors are enthusiastic. A number of classes are fun. The student community is mostly supportive.”
You can opt for other career paths. “Even if you are not sure yet if you would like to ultimately be a medical doctor, there are still other career opportunities if you enroll in the biological sciences program. The curriculum provides you a broad background, but enough in depth knowledge, of biology. If you’re not interested anymore, it’s alright. There are many other fields in biology and other fascinating majors you can pursue which means there are other excellent plan Bs to choose from.”

Students planning to enter medical school have to work harder during their undergraduate years to demonstrate that they are academically qualified. Having supportive teachers, classmates and friends are therefore, very crucial. These students are indeed fortunate to be in such a nurturing environment.

If you’re interested in the Biological Sciences program, please click here: https://muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/programs/undergraduate-programs/science/major-in-biological-science/

Learn more about the MUIC-SGU Doctor of Medicine Pathway: https://muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/programs/collaborative-programs/pathway-to-us-residency-training-and-medical-careers/

For those planning to study veterinary medicine, check out the details of the Pathway to Veterinary Medicine and Surgery at the University of Edinburgh: https://muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/programs/undergraduate-programs/science/pathway-to-veterinary-medicine-surgery-at-the-university-of-edinburgh/