The Doctor Career in The Sims 4’s Get to Work Expansion Pack is renowned for its engaging and intricate gameplay. Unlike typical Sims careers, becoming a doctor plunges your Sim into a bustling hospital environment where they’ll be responsible for diagnosing illnesses, treating patients, performing surgeries, and even delivering babies. This career path offers a unique blend of challenge and reward, demanding both skill and attention to detail. This guide will provide you with an in-depth look at how to excel in the Sims 4 Doctor Career, offering insights into everything from entry-level tasks to mastering complex diagnoses and climbing the ranks to become Chief of Staff.
Getting Started in the Doctor Career
Embarking on the Doctor Career in The Sims 4 begins much like any other career: by selecting it from the career panel. Located within the Get to Work Expansion, this career immediately sets your Sim on a path filled with unique objectives and responsibilities. Initially, your Sim will start at the bottom rung as a Medical Intern. Don’t expect to be performing surgeries right away! The starting levels focus on familiarizing you with the hospital environment and basic tasks.
Early Career Tasks and Objectives
In the initial ranks, your Sim’s duties will be quite hands-on but not medically intensive. Expect to perform janitorial tasks such as making beds and mopping up puddles. Patient interaction will be limited to basic social interactions, and you’ll spend time chatting with colleagues to build relationships and fulfill daily objectives. These early stages are crucial for building your Sim’s work performance. Focus on completing these simpler tasks efficiently to quickly progress.
Key Tips for Early Career Advancement:
- Efficiency is Key: Quickly complete assigned tasks. Don’t linger on social interactions unless they are specific objectives.
- Maintain Focus: Utilize the ‘Ponder Moves’ on a chess table or ‘Browse Simpedia’ on a computer before work to get your Sim in a Focused mood. This will boost work performance.
- Utilize Hospital Resources: Once at the hospital, use computers to ‘Research Health Reports on Medical Journal’ to maintain a Focused mood throughout the workday.
- Strategic Moodlet Management: Consider placing Mathematical Diagrams (created via Logic Skill) in common hospital areas to passively induce Focused moodlets for your Sim.
Understanding Career Progression
As you advance beyond the initial levels, the Doctor Career becomes significantly more engaging. You’ll transition from basic tasks to directly interacting with patients, conducting examinations, and eventually making diagnoses and administering treatments. Each promotion unlocks new abilities and responsibilities, bringing you closer to the full doctor experience.
Diagnosing and Treating Patients: The Heart of the Doctor Career
The core gameplay of the Doctor Career revolves around diagnosing and treating patients. This aspect becomes increasingly complex and rewarding as you climb the career ladder.
Initial Patient Interactions and Examinations
At level 2 and 3, your focus shifts to patient care. You’ll begin by examining patients, taking their temperatures, checking their eyes, and performing initial assessments. At these levels, it’s beneficial to focus on patients who have already been diagnosed (indicated by a flashing red icon above their heads). This allows you to practice administering treatments and medications, boosting your career performance while you’re still learning the ropes of diagnosis.
Mastering Diagnosis: Symptoms and Illnesses
Accurate diagnosis is crucial in the Doctor Career. Misdiagnosing a patient can negatively impact your performance. The game presents a variety of illnesses, each with unique symptoms. To effectively diagnose, you’ll need to:
- Observe Symptoms: Pay close attention to visual cues and animations displayed by the patient. These can range from rashes and dizziness to more subtle signs like sneezing or discomfort.
- Conduct Tests: Utilize medical equipment like the Chemical Analyzer, X-Ray machine, and Treadmill to gather more data and narrow down potential illnesses.
- Process of Elimination: As you gain experience and run tests, you’ll eliminate possibilities and converge on the correct diagnosis.
Common Sims 4 Illnesses and Symptoms:
Understanding the different illnesses and their associated symptoms is vital for accurate diagnoses. Here’s a breakdown of common ailments your Sim doctor will encounter:
- Bloaty Head: Characterized by a visible headache and steam emanating from the Sim’s ears. May also present with orange and green spots rash.
- Burnin’ Belly: Patients exhibit clear signs of stomach pain, often clutching their abdomen. May also have a fever. This illness requires surgery.
- Gas and Giggles: Uncontrollable farting and giggling are the primary symptoms, sometimes accompanied by a tiger-stripe rash.
- Itchy Plumbob: Patients will itch frequently and may develop a tiger stripe or orange and green spots rash.
- Llama Flu: Symptoms include shivering (fever), coughing, sneezing, and a cloud of gas surrounding the Sim. May also present with orange and green spots rash.
- Starry Eyes: Dizziness and stars appearing above the Sim’s head are key indicators. Patients may also swat at invisible objects and exhibit a swirly rash.
- Sweaty Shivers: Patients may itch and shiver, indicating fever. Can sometimes present with orange and green spots rash.
- Triple Threat: Features dizziness and coughing, but lacks the swatting of Starry Eyes and the fever of Llama Flu. Requires surgery.
Visual Symptom Guide:
To further aid in diagnosis, visual symptoms are crucial. Here’s a guide to help identify illnesses based on rashes and other visual cues:
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Swirl Rash: Could indicate Starry Eyes or Triple Threat.
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Tiger Stripe Rash: Suggests Gas and Giggles or Itchy Plumbob.
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Orange and Green Spots Rash: May be Sweaty Shivers, Itchy Plumbob, or Llama Flu.
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Dizziness: Could be Starry Eyes or Triple Threat.
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Fever: Points towards Burnin’ Belly or Llama Flu.
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Headache: Likely Bloaty Head.
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Stomach Ache: Could be Burnin’ Belly or Gas and Giggles.
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Swiping (at invisible objects): A telltale sign of Starry Eyes.
Note: Coughing/Sneezing can indicate Llama Flu or Triple Threat. Steam from ears is a definitive symptom of Bloaty Head. Itchiness may be Sweaty Shivers or Itchy Plumbob.*
Administering Treatment and Performing Surgery
Once you’ve accurately diagnosed a patient, the ‘Treat Patient’ option becomes available in the social menu. Selecting the correct treatment is crucial for successfully curing the patient and improving your work performance. For certain illnesses like Triple Threat and Burnin’ Belly, surgery is required. As you advance in the career, especially to level 7 and beyond, you’ll gain the ability to perform surgeries.
Delivering Babies: A Unique Doctor Career Milestone
Reaching level 8 unlocks one of the most unique and rewarding aspects of the Doctor Career: delivering babies. As a high-level doctor, you’ll occasionally encounter work emergencies requiring you to deliver Sim babies at the hospital. Successfully delivering a baby is not only a significant career milestone but also a heartwarming moment in the game.
Advancing Through the Doctor Career Levels
The Doctor Career in Sims 4 consists of 10 levels, each with increasing responsibilities, higher pay, and unique rewards. Here’s a detailed look at the career levels, wages, schedules, daily tasks, and promotion rewards:
| Rank | Job Title | Wages | Schedule | $/Day | Daily Task & Promotion Requirements | Promotion Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Intern | $18/hour | Fri-Tue 7AM-3PM | $144 | Attend an active work day at the Doctor Career venue | N/A |
| 2 | Orderly | $23/hour | Sat-Wed 7AM-3PM | $184 | Treat Patients (2) | $192, Doctor Xavier Ray’s Display, Not So Blind Eye Chart, New Clothes |
| 3 | Medical Assistant | $35/hour | Sun-Thu 8AM-4PM | $280 | Treat Patients (3) | $256, X-Ray Machines are now available for use at work, Give Medical Advice, Give Bad Medical Advice (Mischief 3) |
| 4 | Medical Technologist | $49/hour | Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM | $392 | Successfully Diagnose and Treat a Patient | $312, Defeat the Darkness Surgical Light, Medical Treadmills available, New Clothes |
| 5 | Assistant Nurse | $68/hour | Tue-Wed, Fri, Sun 6AM-4PM | $680 | Successfully Diagnose and Treat Patients (2) | $384, Restless Thankless Medical Stool, Surgery Tables available, Check Hotness |
| 6 | Registered Nurse (R.N.) | $95/hour | Wed-Thu, Sat, Mon 7AM-5PM | $950 | Successfully Diagnose and Treat Patients (3) | $576, Doctor of Medicine Diploma, Determine Baby Gender on Pregnant Sims |
| 7 | Doctor – General Practitioner | $135/hour | Thu-Fri, Sun, Tue 8AM-6PM | $1350 | Perform Surgery on Patients (3) | $816, Seat of Health, New Clothes |
| 8 | Medical Specialist | $195/hour | Sun-Mon, Wed, Fri 9AM-7PM | $1950 | Deliver a Baby (1) | $1136, The Diligent Doctor’s Desk, Sickness Resistance Trait |
| 9 | Surgeon | $245/hour | Wed-Thu, Sat, Mon 9AM-7PM | $2450 | Successfully Diagnose and Treat Patients (5) | $1496, Skelly Sim |
| 10 | Chief of Staff | $280/hour | Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri 9AM-7PM | $2800 | Go to Work | $1720, “General Hospital” Styled Room ($7,685), Doctor Career Uniform Unlock |
Key Milestones and Abilities Unlocked:
- Level 3: Gain the ability to give medical advice and use X-Ray machines.
- Level 4: Medical Treadmills become available for patient examination.
- Level 5: Surgery Tables are unlocked, and you can check a Sim’s “hotness.”
- Level 6: You can determine the gender of unborn babies.
- Level 8: Acquire the Sickness Resistance Trait, reducing the chance of your doctor Sim getting sick. Baby delivery becomes a part of your responsibilities.
- Level 10: Reach the pinnacle of the career as Chief of Staff, unlocking a special styled room and career uniform.
Essential Tips and Tricks for Doctor Career Success
- Utilize Focused Mood: Maintain a Focused mood for your Sim throughout their workday to enhance performance.
- Upgrade Medical Equipment: Invest in Handiness skill to upgrade the X-Ray machine and Chemical Analyzer for faster operation and reduced breakage.
- Time Management: Efficiency is crucial, especially during busy shifts. Prioritize tasks and patient care to maximize performance.
- Observe Patient Animations: Pay close attention to patient animations and idle behaviors in the reception area to identify symptoms before admitting them.
- Don’t Neglect Basic Tasks: Even at higher levels, completing basic tasks like admitting patients and responding to work emergencies is important for maintaining performance.
- House Calls Strategy: House calls can be time-consuming but offer a good performance boost. Consider taking them when hospital tasks are less pressing, or if you need a change of pace.
- Learn from Mistakes: Misdiagnoses will happen. Use them as learning opportunities to better understand symptoms and improve your diagnostic skills.
Conclusion: Is the Doctor Career in Sims 4 For You?
The Sims 4 Doctor Career provides a deeply engaging and rewarding gameplay experience. It’s perfect for players who enjoy challenges, strategic thinking, and a career path with significant progression and varied responsibilities. From the initial tasks of an intern to the critical decisions of a surgeon and the heartwarming experience of delivering babies, the Doctor Career offers a rich and fulfilling Sim life. Dive in, hone your diagnostic skills, and guide your Sim to the top of their medical career!
