If you failed would you try again?

To med school applicants or people looking to do Medicine: If you didn't get into Med school as an undergraduate would you pick something like Biochemistry and try again? Or is Medicine just not worth the hassle of 8-10 years of Uni?

Personally if I didn't get accepted by any of the Unis I applied for I would give up and become an Engineer. 3/4 years of Uni and then 6 years of Med School would be too much and though I really want to be a Doctor I won't be able to spend 10 years at Uni. The debt I would build up would be too much and I would be waaaay too old by the time I actually started. Also the prospect of studying with young whippersnappers would be a little too strange for me.

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Reply 1

dances_with_lamposts

would you not reapply?

Reply 2

Gammo

just choose normal degrees that are just 3 years!

Reply 3

FatFridge

To be honest, I dont know why anybody would go into medicine in the first place unless it was something like Dentistry. Most Doctors and Nurses work their ass off and huge shifts for very little money. I know it's an honourable career path but it's just not worth the hassle.

Reply 4

CalB92

I could not spend 10 years at Uni lol

I dont even start till 2011 and that thought scared me!

Just imagine being 28 and all these young 18 year olds are with you that would make me feel sooooooo old and depressed!

Gap year?

Scrubby

You wouldn't be way to old. Assuming you started at 18, 10 years at university would make you a doctor at 28 -that's not too old. (In fact that would be pretty standard in the US) You have 35 odd years work in front of you!

You wouldn't be studying with whippersnappers either. Again, if you started med school at 21 you might be studying with 18 year olds. Hardly much of a difference.

Reply 7

Howard

CalB92

I know a steelworker who quit and became a dentist in his early 40's. And why not indeed!

Reply 8

t3h_y0u553f

If you don't get in first time you don't have to do another degree. Providing you got AAB at A-level or more, you could take a gap year (do more work exp etc) and re-apply without prejudice to your application.

Reply 9

Howard

12358

Gap year?

How would that help?

Reply 10

12358

Howard

How would that help?

Well, rather than spending 3 years doing a degree that isnt medicine, why not spend 1 year doing relevant work experience, voluntary work etc and reapply.

Reply 11

Howard

12358

Well, rather than spending 3 years doing a degree that isnt medicine, why not spend 1 year doing relevant work experience, voluntary work etc and reapply.

I see. Maybe that would that swing you a place. Not sure.

Reply 12

saab_101

Howard

I see. Maybe that would that swing you a place. Not sure.

Let's hope so, because it's what I'm doing :biggrin:

I think it shows more dedication and commitment than choosing another degree and going post graduate, and from what I've heard, post grad is harder to get into anyway, although I still intend to go for it if i don't get in again this year.

I WILL become a doctor one day, they can't stop me, never! :smile:

Reply 13

SomeStudent

I got four rejections for this years entry, so after lot of thinking I rejected my 'biomedical science' offer and decided to take a gap year. Im on a gap year now, re-applying and I'll just see how it goes. :smile:

If I get four rejections again, then I would study Biomedical science at warwick, cos my parents wouldnt let me take another gap year. :o:

Reply 14

12358

Howard

I see. Maybe that would that swing you a place. Not sure.

Well it might not, but you might be a better applicant after a year out. Obviously most people tend to have very good applications the first time but ultimately some of it comes down to luck and your uni choices etc.
I'd rather spend 1 year out with the chance of possibly getting in a year later than expected than 3 years doing a degree that i didnt really want to do.

Reply 15

Howard

saab_101

Let's hope so, because it's what I'm doing :biggrin:

You could also consider studying to become a doctor overseas. There are some excellent medical schools that run programs (in English) abroad. Charles University in Prague for example. You'd have to find out how transferable these courses are of course.

Reply 16

saab_101

Howard

Yeah, fair enough, i'm not THAT dedicated to a career in medicine. If i don't get in this year i'm definitely going for some other related degree, probably human sciences at kings, but maybe if I don't get a high enough degree and I still want to do medicine, who knows?

For now tho, i deffo want to stay in the UK. Thanks tho

Reply 17

Howard

saab_101

Yes. You'd certainly have to be pretty dedicated to spend 6 years studying in Prague but Czech women are really hot so that'd be a bonus.

Reply 18

rockyone2

I personally would take a gap year, currently my weakness are my AS grades and ukcat. If I am forced to reapply next year I will have good A2 grades plus good GCSE grades so a better chance.

Reply 19

SomeStudent

Howard

^^^ Yes that's true, when my friend failed her AS-levels, she got so demotivated (didnt want to resit ASs) that she applied to a uni in Hungary for medicine with foundation year and she got in! So basically she's finished the Year 0 and starting year 1 in medicine... and the course is in english... how awesome is that!
maybe i should go after her, i need to get into medicine asap :o: