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Would it be possible to become a psychiatrist with a BA in English Literature?

effyeffyeffy

I haven't even started A levels yet haha. I'm just eager.
I don't want to go straight into medicine; I want to do Lit so I'm just figuring out potential job opportunities based on my other interests :smile:

Fair enough. I suppose you can get the necessary qualifications and switch career paths at any point, although it can be expensive. I really would recommend trying to figure out which degree leads most directly to the kind of jobs you want to do though. There is no point messing around and wasting time and money unnecessarily.

Reply 21

crazyspacemonkey

11

GodspeedGehenna

Is there seriously any point in just guessing and posting? Pretty much everything you have written here is wrong.

Yes there is a point. It passes time.

Reply 22

effyeffyeffy

OP

12

TickTockBoom

Fair enough. I suppose you can get the necessary qualifications and switch career paths at any point, although it can be expensive. I really would recommend trying to figure out which degree leads most directly to the kind of jobs you want to do though. There is no point messing around and wasting time and money unnecessarily.

The only thing that I really, really want to do in the future is write novels :smile:

but there's a possibility that I wouldn't be able to make a career out of that. The only other jobs I can think of that I wouldn't mind doing are Psychiatrist and Lawyer.

Reply 23

BlueSheep32

11

You'd probably have to do a foundation year before doing the graduate entry medicine course, but I think it's meant to be a lot easier to get onto an (accelerated) graduate entry medicine course if you've done science a-levels (including chemistry) and a science-related degree. Check with the unis that offer graduate entry medicine though, I'm probably wrong.

You could always do a psychology degree and train as a clinical psychologist, I don't think you'd be able to prescribe treatments but you'd be able to deal with mental health patients, if that's what you want to do.

For law, I think you can do pretty much any degree and then do a conversion course. English Lit would probably be a particularly good one for this.

Reply 24

TickTockBoom

11

effyeffyeffy

The only thing that I really, really want to do in the future is write novels :smile:

but there's a possibility that I wouldn't be able to make a career out of that. The only other jobs I can think of that I wouldn't mind doing are Psychiatrist and Lawyer.

If you want to write novels there is nothing to stop you working on that without a relevant degree. There is also nothing to stop you studying literature in your spare time. A lit degree wont really help you get published. Maybe you should take a degree that will get you into a profession you are interested in, like psychiatry or law, and then you have a good solid back up if the writing doesn't work out.

Reply 25

GodspeedGehenna

3

OP can apply to the following without science A-levels or a science degree:

Keele, KCL, Newcastle, Nottingham, St. Georges, Swansea, Peninsula (5yr) + a load of 6yr courses.

But tbh, Psychiatry is a very small part of medicine and there would be ALOT of non-psych to get through just to specialise. Have you considered Clinical Psychology instead?

Reply 26

Democracy

20

crazyspacemonkey

I would have thought you can do a Masters or equivalent that converts you over; may well be longer than a year though, because you'll have to do some sort of foundation. Psychiatry isn't like being a surgeon you don't need to know how people's insides work. Try contacting a few uni's, you'll mixed answers here.

Reply 27

Elles

17

This thread took a bit of a Why are Psychiatrists Medical Doctors? turn that might be on interest to people in this one? :p:

Reply 28

effyeffyeffy

OP

12

TickTockBoom

If you want to write novels there is nothing to stop you working on that without a relevant degree. There is also nothing to stop you studying literature in your spare time. A lit degree wont really help you get published. Maybe you should take a degree that will get you into a profession you are interested in, like psychiatry or law, and then you have a good solid back up if the writing doesn't work out.

Well, Lit is supposedly a good BA if you want to go into law, which is what I was thinking of doing initially. Just seeing if there's anything else I can go into with Lit, because that's the only thing that I really, really enjoy.

Reply 29

TerryTerry

You could forget the med degree and become a pyschotherapist. Quicker route.

Reply 30

effyeffyeffy

OP

12

DeanK22

That wasn't the point I was making. It would be akin to David Cameron obtaining information that he will be the PM in three years time and yet he is setting up a plan now based on the current situation (*).

Times will have changed so of course the plan will change when he does come into power - perhaps he thought pulling out from Europe would be good but when he gets to power it has already happend. By the time you have gone through a few years your plans will have changed.

(*) It just so happens that because of the current state of the economy that any economic plans made now would actually be reasonably suitable for three years time as we weill still be trying to recuperate but any others would probably not be so set in stone.

Mmm, I do see what you're saying.

Reply 31

sarahwitkowski

7

If literature is what you really enjoy, then that's all I would worry about for now to be honest. University is so much better if you do something you love. You can always change your mind later. And if it helps, I had an english teacher in secondary school who left to go to med school, so these things do happen. I've thought about it too, but, you know, you have to be prepared to dedicate 7 years of your life to studying medicine and then going through the process of specialising. It's a huge commitment and you have to be SURE it's what you want or you end up spending a fortune on an education you don't use.

Reply 32

ben_l

effyeffyeffy

It is technically possible, but if you want to become a psychiatrist I would not recommend studying English. I myself have a BA in English and have been admitted to a graduate medicine course, but I consider myself very lucky to have done so. The hurdles to leap are significantly higher than for someone with a science degree or for a direct entrant to medicine from sixth form. So in summary yes, but don't count on it.

Reply 33

ben_l

In general I don't think anybody should do a degree in the expectation that they will later study medicine. Graduate medical courses are too competitive for that. If you want to do it, do it first time round if at all possible.

Reply 34

chinedu40

crazyspacemonkey

I would have thought you can do a Masters or equivalent that converts you over; may well be longer than a year though, because you'll have to do some sort of foundation. Psychiatry isn't like being a surgeon you don't need to know how people's insides work. Try contacting a few uni's, you'll mixed answers here.