Could a person with AS be a doctor?

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It's my biggest goal in life. I know I have what it takes academically. But I fear being rejected because of my history of receiving academic services at my college, and the fact that I am pretty socially inept- I worry that I would not interview well. And are AS traits usually noticeable enough that people would pick up on them in their physician and not want their services? I want this more than anything in the world, but I am worried about the perceptions of the NT population.

Hi, in her book Different . . . Not Less:  Inspiring Stories of Achievement and Successful Employment from Adults with Autism, one of the people Temple Grandin includes is a medical doctor in New England.  This doctor is not yet ready to be out of the closet with her patients and co-wokers, and that's fine.  That's her own personal choice and her own personal time table.

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Working at H&R Block, I got very good at the more formal interaction of interviewing a client.  And I even found places where I could go quicker, for example, I can briefly ask "Presidential election fund?"  And I tried to disclose to clients that there is a risk when they use Block loan and bank products that they might loss their entire refund to third-party bank cross-collection (yes, really!).  I did this by underlining something on the bank application and being matter-of-fact, and I think that was more effective than if I had made a big deal about it.  The only way a client can avoid this risk is if they pay up front for the tax prep only.

An analogy from medical might be that at one time there was a 1% mortality rate from getting an angiogram.  Yes, a one percent chance of dying from a piddly diagnostic procedure.  I don't think there's anyway you can't tell patients and their families this, and in fact, there's a big risk that will come back and bite you in the butt if you don't.  And hopefully, this procedure is now safer.

Interestingly, one challenge you might face is from nurses and other support personnel who might think you "take too long" with patients.  At this other tax place, I had a co-worker directly tell me that I'm "too nice to these people" (who presumably are less intelligent than he is).  And this, too, is solvable.  I actually all in favor of going at a nice fast clip, and checking back to see how progress is going (in medical care, I guess), and some people and situations just might take a little more time.  So, one solution is with matter-of-fact confidence to stand up for yourself, 'Sometimes I like to spend a little more time with a patient,' and leave it at that.  And if you're caught off guard, as I sometimes am, it's fine to ignore it the first one or two times, even strategic to, and then briefly and matter-of-factly respond if it continues to be an issue.  Additionally, in a tax interview, I like a couple, three minutes of casual conversation at the end.

PS  Obviously, I like medicine.  If I were a doctor, I think I might go into infectious disease.

I can't think of one good reason why you would not be able to be a doctor. It's primarily up to you. If you think you can handle the hard work, and intense study and pressure, then don't worry about anything else and go for it! Aspergians can make great doctors.

I think athere are several doctors on the spectrum out there. The intensity and focus is one thing. Aspies are NOT stupid. My son has an extremely high IQ and when he's into somehing... well you know. Bedside manner might be an issue. I'm sure plenty of people have been rubbed the wrong way when conversing with a doctor. Wonder why that is hmmm.... For communicating and compassion I prefer interacting with the nurses or technicians.

i was a doctor for twelve and a half years. during my residency and urgent care work, i did okay with an occasional run-in with other staff. when i started my own practice, i found the 24/7 patient interaction to be extremely draining. my practice grew very slowly compared to others in the area. also and finally, i wasn't able to deal with hospital politics and lost my career. i wish i would have considered radiology and pathology more. i like helping people, and now am a part-time social worker. i didn't know i had AS, so it wasn't a consideration in my choice.

I am going to be starting med school in 2015, i can't see why we can't be doctors, I'm going to be a neurologist, neuro is my special interest, medicine generaly is a special interest for me so its a perfect career choice

I don't think ill burn out with the interaction, because its not social its professional, i will be a doctor diagnosing and treating patients, not having a chat about the weather

Yes!

I know a doctor who works in a specialty area and almost certainly has AS.
His clinical skills are outstanding, documentation meticulous and legible and patient care is excellent.
We get on quite well because perhaps because we think in a similar way.

People with AS can be whatever they want to be.
I don't know why I see so many "can someone with AS be a computer programmer/a scientist/a teacher/etc?".
It can also depend from someone's personality, not just from a disorder.

I'm pretty sure there are a handful of aspies with doctorates.You want to be a medical doctor which requires a lot of personal investment and focus. If that is your area of interest, I think you would be vastly more likely than your non-autistic peers to absorb that knowledge. I don't think it really matters if you are a little socially inept depending on what you want to specialize in. Personally, I would like a doctor that is able to have a professional distance, even if that makes them seem aloof at times. I just want them to do their job, honestly.

The only issue that might pop up is how well you work under pressure, but that's not just an aspie thing. I know plenty of aspies that work very well under pressure (even more than most NT's) so maybe you're one of them. Anyway, it's a skill that can be taught.

If you can follow social scripts, you can use that fairly easily to handle the social aspect of being a doctor.

I'm trying to be a psychotherapist. If that's possible with Asperger's than I assume that a doctor definitely is

I happen to know a doctor with ASD, so it's completely possible.