Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the meanings that first-year medical students make about becoming a physician from the messages they receive from the faculty environment, faculty members and senior students after their one-month experience at the faculty of medicine. METHODS: In this phenomenological qualitative research, in-depth semi-structured interview was used to collect data from 21 first-year medical students, and data were analyzed through inductive content analysis method. RESULTS: As a result of the analysis, one theme and four categories emerged about gaining professional competencies, having emotions specific to the profession, having sources of motivation, and challenges of becoming a physician in the future. The results reveal that first-year medical students think being a physician will help them gain professional competences, motivate them as the job is prestigious, a guaranteed profession, provides a multidisciplinary working environment, and gives opportunity to serve society and keep people alive. On the other hand, the first-year medical students are aware of the fact that their future profession will bring some challenges such as having to deal with a lot of stress, long working hours, mobbing, and having to study hard all the time during their education. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that the current study presents significant results and some useful knowledge regarding the first-year medical students' perception of their future career as a physician.