[INFJ] INFJ physicians around?

[intuitiveadrenalinejunkie]

hey, im infj wondering about becoming a doctor... there are obvious things in the profession which appeal to me - however, i have some concerns with the rather strong Sensing aspect of the work detail...

so are there any infj's around who are doctors? and who can tell me how they experience it?

thanks a bunch!

 

[Salt n' pepper]

Honestly, I think being a doc means being able to balance S/N preferences, well. I think a well developed N is pretty valuable in medicine. Giving treatment to a patient is very much about seeing what's good for the patient in the long run. What long term effects will this or that treatment have? It's tremendously important to be able to see the bigger picture here. Cause that's your intent as a doctor, right? To try to ensure the patient a life beyond today and tomorrow. In crisis management, it's crucial to act on the here and now, emergency situations. However, with no insight to the impact of ones "emergency actions", a new crisis will soon appear on the horizon.

 

[Salt n' pepper]

Also, go for it! What kind of specialty? I mean, if you're gonna be a dentist, maybe a lean towards S can't hurt. A lean towards N, might.

 

[poppy]

I see no reason why an INFJ couldn't be a grand doctor. You guys are like the archetypal healer. I'm afraid I can't be much more help than that, but this place is crawling with INFJs and I'm sure they'll be able to answer your questions soon enough

 

[pockets]

I'm an ENFP/INFP, and I'm supposed to be doing my homework now (it's still homework only it's not called that anymore), but I'll give my $0.02.
Try not to ignore the fact that there is a lot of Sensing involved, but most times it can be overcome. E.g. for me listening to heart murmurs on a stethoscope was ridiculously hard. When I first started doing that I had trouble just LISTENING carefully to the rhythm and rate, instead of thinking of all the various types of murmurs, their etiologies etc. I had to literally tune myself into the stethoscope. It just takes more effort.
And hospitals are pretty grim places. It's like seeing broken toys all around that cannot always be fixed. And the toys are sad and want to be fixed. It's an effort getting used to fighting losing battles.
On the up side, I get steelier, I grow a spine. Still soft and easily flattened underneath though

 

[whatusername]

hey, im infj wondering about becoming a doctor... there are obvious things in the profession which appeal to me - however, i have some concerns with the rather strong Sensing aspect of the work detail...

so are there any infj's around who are doctors? and who can tell me how they experience it?

thanks a bunch!

Hey, I'm in the same position as you. I also want to study medicine.

I think much of it goes into what kind of medicine you want to practice. I want to go into trauma medicine.

How about you?

 

[intuitiveadrenalinejunkie]

thanks all for replies so far. lot of good insight.

what i was getting most at, though, was — and this is where i might (and in fact hope to) be wrong — that the day-to-day work of being a doctor involves a lot of "sensing" information, ie. physical symptoms, reading of charts and whatnot, and listening to stetoscopes and counting heartbeats (as was mentioned). im actually afraid to get bored! i mean, if it's like that all day—from one stetoscope to the next—i might feel frustrated for not having room to get into ... i dont know what, the spiritual side (?) or emotional side of it? dont get me wrong (i know it's hard—highly confused individual speaking), but i dont want to become a psychologist or anything like that. i'm interested in studying medicine because of the "human" side of it, the "healing" (as someone put it) or the caring about others. // incurably idealistic, i was long thinking to write—ie. write screenplays, meddle in art in general—but i have (nearly) come to the conclusion that there will be the direct element of caring/helping others missing. (does anyone else identify with this? on a sidenote, that is.) // so all that sounds well and good, the only thing that's "wrong" with the picture, is the appearantly inordinate amount of "sensing" work...

would love to get some (more) feedback from a physician (and others!). the more i talk about it, the more i'm suspecting that i might be mistaken and that, being who i am (in this case, INFJ), i'll simply have my own approach to practicing medicine. but i still have to listen to stetocopes!!

see my paradoxical confusion?! any input—on point or besides it—is highly appreciated.

to whatusername: i'm thinking about pediatrics myself. just love children and want to work worldwide. in my thinking, trauma medicine will be rather hardcore "sensing," do you agree? all direct, immediate sensory information, and little of — whatever it is that intuition has to do with medicine (comfort, emotional understanding, longer vision of patients, etc.) what do you think? thanks for joining the general discussion and your insights! =)

 

[Drezoryx]

im an xnfj and did move towards mbbs for a month then hopped over to computer science for a shortwhile during college but switched over to commerce which i completed with satisfaction for the longer term and then over to law which i finished then moved towards bureaucracy and then to UN then to HSBC/DHL/ENY/KPMG in chartered accountancy audit work back to law work and now moving towards judgeship. so ive seen the feudalism of the government and the slick corp culture of 21st century closely. All this and im 25!

if u look at things from far they all look pretty but the closer u get the worse they look. eventually there are no perfect fits, and everything is some comprise or the other and finally its just your liking. law gives me great freedom own working hours own fees own cases whatever i like, now im looking at putting life on automatic gears by moving towards state judgeship where there are no recessions no running after clients, good intellectual stimulation and relaxed life. no 90 hour work weeks like in finance and no 30 hour shifts like my ex gf is facing in medical centres. pick up any law which doesnt change much like constitution or tax law and advise political leaders eventually move into politics like obama if ure ambitious. otherwise move into judgeship and relax with the good status in society.

good luck with whatever you decide

 

[the state i am in]

anything is possible. most of the Ni doms i know get really fucking frustrated with the process. you absolutely positively MUST find a good environment for school in order to succeed. the actual education process is extremely focused on S and Te. soooo many estjs and some esfjs. you have to be able to deal with intense rote memorization all day every day, and work on the problems from a very methodical stance.

the questions you may find interesting are less relevant than the diagnostic methods and rote memorization until you are really far along and probably a research doc. obviously some nfjs make it, but ntjs and ntps do better for the most part. again, it depends on the program of study and the actual school, their style, and the overall environment with the students. i've heard horror stories and for nfjs and Fe it sounds unbearable in some of them.

if you're 100% committed that's one thing, but if not, it's pretty grueling even for those who are more made to fit the programming process.

 

[whatusername]

thanks all for replies so far. lot of good insight.

what i was getting most at, though, was — and this is where i might (and in fact hope to) be wrong — that the day-to-day work of being a doctor involves a lot of "sensing" information, ie. physical symptoms, reading of charts and whatnot, and listening to stetoscopes and counting heartbeats (as was mentioned). im actually afraid to get bored! i mean, if it's like that all day—from one stetoscope to the next—i might feel frustrated for not having room to get into ... i dont know what, the spiritual side (?) or emotional side of it? dont get me wrong (i know it's hard—highly confused individual speaking), but i dont want to become a psychologist or anything like that. i'm interested in studying medicine because of the "human" side of it, the "healing" (as someone put it) or the caring about others. // incurably idealistic, i was long thinking to write—ie. write screenplays, meddle in art in general—but i have (nearly) come to the conclusion that there will be the direct element of caring/helping others missing. (does anyone else identify with this? on a sidenote, that is.) // so all that sounds well and good, the only thing that's "wrong" with the picture, is the appearantly inordinate amount of "sensing" work...

would love to get some (more) feedback from a physician (and others!). the more i talk about it, the more i'm suspecting that i might be mistaken and that, being who i am (in this case, INFJ), i'll simply have my own approach to practicing medicine. but i still have to listen to stetocopes!!

see my paradoxical confusion?! any input—on point or besides it—is highly appreciated.

to whatusername: i'm thinking about pediatrics myself. just love children and want to work worldwide. in my thinking, trauma medicine will be rather hardcore "sensing," do you agree? all direct, immediate sensory information, and little of — whatever it is that intuition has to do with medicine (comfort, emotional understanding, longer vision of patients, etc.) what do you think? thanks for joining the general discussion and your insights! =)

Well, I've been thinking of volunteering for UN or Oxfam and I thought trauma med would be most useful. I honestly didn't think it would be hardcore sensing at all, until you mentioned it...hmmm...now I kind of agree. Hehe.

Working worldwide? That sounds exciting. I hope to do the same thing as well.

[What I do worry about is how do we "detach" ourselves from those who are in physical pain? Most of time I sort of feel it when people around me are in pain. I think being INFJ has to do with that. I'm just wondering how NOT to completely break down when I see someone who's in excruciating pain.]

 

[Drezoryx]

i find the sensing work being referred to as initially required yes but later it will be very intuitive and easy to diagnose and work around. meaning the profession will require a long long gestation period with sensing but eventually a natural intuitive person will stand heads and shoulders above the rest.

infact most mbbs moving towards wholistic healing do so because getting shackled by strait jacketed logical material sensing fixing of the body just doesnt cut it. the body/mind link and energy meridians for example cant be ignored.

plus another point on idealism. the life of a doc sucks big time during the gestation period mentioned above. so the nf idealism is going to be seriously challenged and require enormous patience.

atleast that was my thinking despite biology coming very naturally to me in high school and later. still there is no need to inflict painful personal goals on oneself. this is a nf hobby which one should be aware of.

 

[whatusername]

i find the sensing work being referred to as initially required yes but later it will be very intuitive and easy to diagnose and work around. meaning the profession will require a long long gestation period with sensing but eventually a natural intuitive person will stand heads and shoulders above the rest.

infact most mbbs moving towards wholistic healing do so because getting shackled by strait jacketed logical material sensing fixing of the body just doesnt cut it. the body/mind link and energy meridians for example cant be ignored.

plus another point on idealism. the life of a doc sucks big time during the gestation period mentioned above. so the nf idealism is going to be seriously challenged and require enormous patience.

atleast that was my thinking despite biology coming very naturally to me in high school and later. still there is no need to inflict painful personal goals on oneself. this is a nf hobby which one should be aware of.

I agree with the whole idea of the gestation period being taxing on NF idealism.

The last four years of law school was like that for me.

I think though that what comes after will be worth it.

 

[The Grand Chameleon]

what i was getting most at, though, was — and this is where i might (and in fact hope to) be wrong — that the day-to-day work of being a doctor involves a lot of "sensing" information, ie. physical symptoms, reading of charts and whatnot, and listening to stetoscopes and counting heartbeats (as was mentioned). im actually afraid to get bored! i mean, if it's like that all day—from one stetoscope to the next—i might feel frustrated for not having room to get into ... i dont know what, the spiritual side (?) or emotional side of it? dont get me wrong (i know it's hard—highly confused individual speaking), but i dont want to become a psychologist or anything like that. i'm interested in studying medicine because of the "human" side of it, the "healing" (as someone put it) or the caring about others. // incurably idealistic, i was long thinking to write—ie. write screenplays, meddle in art in general—but i have (nearly) come to the conclusion that there will be the direct element of caring/helping others missing. (does anyone else identify with this? on a sidenote, that is.) // so all that sounds well and good, the only thing that's "wrong" with the picture, is the appearantly inordinate amount of "sensing" work...

would love to get some (more) feedback from a physician (and others!). the more i talk about it, the more i'm suspecting that i might be mistaken and that, being who i am (in this case, INFJ), i'll simply have my own approach to practicing medicine. but i still have to listen to stetocopes!!

see my paradoxical confusion?! any input—on point or besides it—is highly appreciated.

to whatusername: i'm thinking about pediatrics myself. just love children and want to work worldwide. in my thinking, trauma medicine will be rather hardcore "sensing," do you agree? all direct, immediate sensory information, and little of — whatever it is that intuition has to do with medicine (comfort, emotional understanding, longer vision of patients, etc.) what do you think? thanks for joining the general discussion and your insights! =)

I have a very close INFJ friend who is currently excelling in medical school. His convictions regarding the larger picture, i.e. aiding the human condition, are what I believe propels him through those static phases of paperwork and the like. He has had some difficulty accepting the dog-eat-dog world of a medical student, but his forward focus on the notion of making a difference drives him onward. And if it's any type whose convictions are unwavering, I would imagine it to be the INFJ.

I have ISTJ, ESFJ, ESTP, ENFJ, ESTJ, ISFJ, INFJ and ISFP friends that are currently in medical school, and of all them only the INFJ said he would do it all over again, had he knew then (before school) what he knows now. Kudos to your type

Regarding your desire to become a doctor, you'll most likely need more reasons (at least on paper) other than, "wanting to help people." If you say that in your interview, they'll ask why you aren't pursuing a career as a nurse, EMT, social worker, etc. You have to want that M.D./D.O. like there is no other career in the world that you would rather do. You'll have to show that you are capable of the rigors of a medical curriculum, and that as a doctor you will be indispensable to your community.

At least that's my understanding of it.

 

[Drezoryx]

The Grand chameleon sure id say if you're so determined. move into bureaucracy and influence health policy on a countrywide scale rather than one patient at a time! its less painful less upfront and wider reaching. ofcourse if u want hands on experience there are ways other than going through the entire mbbs md facs and f*cks lol

 

[The Grand Chameleon]

The Grand chameleon sure id say if you're so determined move into bureaucracy and influence health policy on a countrywide scale rather than one patient at a time! its less painful less upfront and wider reaching. ofcourse if u want hands on experience there are ways other than going through the entire mbbs md facs and f*cks lol

What is this in response to? My INFJ friend? Or additional reasons to become a doctor?

 

[Kangol]

What is this in response to? My INFJ friend? Or additional reasons to become a doctor?

I think it's in response to an ethanol overdose.

 

[Drezoryx]

its a reply to op with reference to the determined infj you mentioned, The grand chameleon. its not really any sort of overdose. where im hinting at is using the welfare aspect in a much broader way. for example as a lawyer taking up issues of 10% of americas population which has no health insurance. or cases against the pharma majors-docs nexus overdosing the patients, advising needless medicines/tests. or as a health secretary making broad sweep changes in the entire country. plus its easier, faster route to making visible changes in society. the previous comment is probably coming across strongly Kangol, sorry for that just that passion should not get wasted, specially of younger guys/gals before their idealism fizzles out in trying to show a strong exterior while they are crumbling inside handling the curriculum, turning into middle aged cynics by the time they graduate.

 

[The Grand Chameleon]

just that passion should not get wasted, specially of younger guys/gals before their idealism fizzles out in trying to show a strong exterior while they are crumbling inside handling the curriculum, turning into middle aged cynics by the time they graduate.

Thanks for the clarification.

That is the fatal flaw of the idealist: defilade from this type of "erosion" takes a strong-willed individual. I was just saying the INFJ is particularly well-equipped to handle such pressures.

 

[sunnyraining]

I am an INFJ (coupled with Type 4w5) dental student in my 3rd year (out of 5) and I agree with all the comments that have been posted.

Sensing is definitely required early on but intuition can come in great use in group work and patient management - the latter of which is heavily featured this year for me. I'm enjoying it greatly. The "buzz" you get from a patient who is grateful and whom you connect with; from knowing that you have added something meaningful to the world and from moving 'beyond yourself' is what drives me forward past the academic slogs and hurdles.

T also gets a big workout also imo - you do need to be able to walk through logically how you achieve certain conclusions/results (medicine/dentistry/health sciences is not exactly a walk in the park!). Sometimes I do wish though that I could get away from it all and draw, paint, read, ruminate, write for (being Type 4) I have a deep seeded artistic longing however students in this profession are often stripped for time .

 

[sunnyraining]

I'm going to add on a few interesting points;
- idealism is common in a lot of young people who want to change the world and it is true that more often then not, this passion burns out by middle age. I think the salve to this is patience and the realisation that youth does last a lot longer then we sometimes think it to be; that instead of changing the world first, we should look inwards and change ourselves first. There's a beautiful passage from Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamazov on the idealist Aloyasha, describing him as veering away from this 'danger' and giving his early life to servitude and reflection.
- Nietzche also talks about the Camel, The Lion and the Child in his ' Thus Spoke Zarathustra' which follows a similar theme - you can look the story up - in my view it's a preparation, mentally preparing yourself to change the world (and in doing so grow spiritually) so to speak.

- On cynicism and idealism - I believe that they can work together (in fact sometimes with better results). One lends itself to the more practical aspects of life and people, the other strives for the possibilities and the highest levels of what humanity can achieve. If you can funnel both to work for you then it's easier to cope, you're less often disappointed (and depressed) and you know the best spots to push for results.