Natural Science or Medicine? HELP!

I am looking to apply for the University of Cambridge...... but I can't decide whether to apply for Natural Science Tripos or Medicine!

I have interest in both courses but I just need some help in making up my mind!

Note to any Cambridge Natural sciences or Medicine undergrads....
Would it be possible for me to transfer from Natural Sciences to Medicine after the first year if i don't enjoy the subject????

Please HELP ME DECIDE!

Reply 1

Intriguing Alias

16

Original post by mufasa

I am looking to apply for the University of Cambridge...... but I can't decide whether to apply for Natural Science Tripos or Medicine!

I have interest in both courses but I just need some help in making up my mind!

Note to any Cambridge Natural sciences or Medicine undergrads....
Would it be possible for me to transfer from Natural Sciences to Medicine after the first year if i don't enjoy the subject????

Please HELP ME DECIDE!

What kind of Natural Sciences?

Do you want to be a doctor? Or a scientist?

Reply 2

mufasa

OP

Original post by hassi94

What kind of Natural Sciences?

Do you want to be a doctor? Or a scientist?

Biological/Chemical

Thats what I can't decide... I like the sound of both jobs, they are both suited towards me and the salary of medicine is an added bonus.

If I did a degree in Natural Sciences<--1/4 chance I will get in....and then a degree in Medicine<--1/6 chance I will get in... would that be wasting my time? should I go straight to Medicine?

Reply 3

Jack.O

Original post by mufasa

Biological/Chemical

Thats what I can't decide... I like the sound of both jobs, they are both suited towards me and the salary of medicine is an added bonus.

If I did a degree in Natural Sciences<--1/4 chance I will get in....and then a degree in Medicine<--1/6 chance I will get in... would that be wasting my time? should I go straight to Medicine?

I don't think you're really appreciating how different these two subjects are.

Do you like working with people?

Reply 4

mufasa

OP

Original post by Jack.O

I don't think you're really appreciating how different these two subjects are.

Do you like working with people?

You have to understand that i'm a tad inexperienced, thats why I need help :frown:

Yes I do, do you think I should try working in a care home for the elderly as work experience?

Reply 5

Jack.O

Original post by mufasa

You have to understand that i'm a tad inexperienced, thats why I need help :frown:

Yes I do, do you think I should try working in a care home for the elderly as work experience?

Yes, that will help quite a bit - you'll be needing it in any case for a personal statement for medicine.

I suppose what I'm getting at is that medicine is very specifically a 'people' profession and a vocation, so it's worth making sure you'd enjoy that type of work. Maybe have a look at the medicine section of this website, and try New Media Medicine too.

Reply 6

Manos

Hi,

I have exactly the same problem as you and am in a dilemma, I don't know whether to do medicine or Natural Science and am also planning to apply to Cambridge. I have heard that the Natural Science course is very hard at Cambridge and as a matter of fact anywhere really because they expect you to learn each science in depth as if you were taking a separate science degree in each of them! On the other hand medicine is a lot of 'memory learning' and is extremely competitive and terrifyingly hard to get in to!
Do you have any advice?
I have done work experience for medicine but am finding it hard to get some for Nat Sci because all the places I have asked want post grads....any advice?

Thanks

Reply 7

No Future

17

Original post by mufasa

transfer to Medicine after the first year if i don't enjoy the subject????

Pretty much unheard of

Reply 8

porkstein

11

As far as I'm aware it's very unlikely that you'll be able to transfer to medicine from natural sciences. Potentially you could apply for graduate entry medicine after completing a degree in another subject, though that's an awfully large investment of time and money. My only advice would be put a lot of effort into researching your courses and thinking about your options. Other than that, just make sure you don't let percentage acceptance affect your decision. Yes, you're less likely to receive an offer from Cambridge if you apply for medicine, but the course always comes before the university.

Reply 9

Intriguing Alias

16

Original post by Manos

Hi,

I have exactly the same problem as you and am in a dilemma, I don't know whether to do medicine or Natural Science and am also planning to apply to Cambridge. I have heard that the Natural Science course is very hard at Cambridge and as a matter of fact anywhere really because they expect you to learn each science in depth as if you were taking a separate science degree in each of them! On the other hand medicine is a lot of 'memory learning' and is extremely competitive and terrifyingly hard to get in to!
Do you have any advice?
I have done work experience for medicine but am finding it hard to get some for Nat Sci because all the places I have asked want post grads....any advice?

Thanks

BTW you're not exactly going to get work experience for Nat Sci. Jobs are either going to be research/academia or very general non-specific grad jobs. Think of NatSci as just learning the science. With most degrees - they're just about learning, not preparing you for a specific job like medicine is - so that's why medicine is one of the few ( vet med, dentistry etc.) uni subjects that almost certainly requires some form of work experience.

So in that regard, knowing if you like NatSci is like knowing whether you enjoy actually learning about the subject. Jobs and other things come later with most degrees (inc. NatSci). Knowing if you like medicine is very much about the actual job as well as the course, however - because while you CAN go into different jobs than a doctor after doing medicine - it is very uncommon.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 10

The Mr Z

13

Original post by Manos

Hi,

I have exactly the same problem as you and am in a dilemma, I don't know whether to do medicine or Natural Science and am also planning to apply to Cambridge. I have heard that the Natural Science course is very hard at Cambridge and as a matter of fact anywhere really because they expect you to learn each science in depth as if you were taking a separate science degree in each of them! On the other hand medicine is a lot of 'memory learning' and is extremely competitive and terrifyingly hard to get in to!
Do you have any advice?
I have done work experience for medicine but am finding it hard to get some for Nat Sci because all the places I have asked want post grads....any advice?

Thanks

Work experience is not required for a NatSci application, and it would be very hard to get any. You need to find other ways to demonstrate your enthusiasm in the subject.

I'd recommend further reading, attending public lectures and master-classes at nearby universities, and other things along those lines, rather than trying to find relevant work experience.

Original post by mufasa

I am looking to apply for the University of Cambridge...... but I can't decide whether to apply for Natural Science Tripos or Medicine!

I have interest in both courses but I just need some help in making up my mind!

Note to any Cambridge Natural sciences or Medicine undergrads....
Would it be possible for me to transfer from Natural Sciences to Medicine after the first year if i don't enjoy the subject????

Please HELP ME DECIDE!

You can't transfer directly between the two, but chances are if you were accepted for one and are doing well then you would be allowed to swap courses and re-take the first year.

Unfortunately you can't transfer directly because the medicine course contains very very different material and involves national-level examinations in addition to Cambridge's own.

The main way to decide between the two is to work out, quite clearly, in your own head what it is you enjoy about the sciences you do.

If you could try to express in words (perhaps as if you were drafting a personal statement) what drives your enthusiasm for the subjects you currently take, I could advise you which course you would prefer.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 11

Manos

Hi,

I am still completely stuck.....i really want to do medicine but am unsure of the 7 years of study not to mention the piling uni fees however I am not sure I will enjoy natural science. I have enjoyed the AS Bio course for OCR and that is not completely full of human biology, infact it only really had the heart as a major human bio topic. Therefore I was wondering whether natural science would be like the rest of the syllabus?
I have had a look at the courses online for natural science at various unis but I am just unsure. If someone out there is doing natural science, perhaps you could just give me a basic summary of how things works and what the course is like and the work load?
Also I think another thing that is putting me off medicine is the competition because it is evidently an over subscribe course and is extremely competitive. My dad does not want me to do medicine because I will 'not have a life' or so as he says however to be honest I think I will be happy doing it!

HELPPPPP!

Reply 12

Alliesurrey

7

You have just answered your own question. The answer lies in your last sentence above

Reply 13

Cadherin

14

Original post by mufasa

I am looking to apply for the University of Cambridge...... but I can't decide whether to apply for Natural Science Tripos or Medicine!

I have interest in both courses but I just need some help in making up my mind!

Note to any Cambridge Natural sciences or Medicine undergrads....
Would it be possible for me to transfer from Natural Sciences to Medicine after the first year if i don't enjoy the subject????

Please HELP ME DECIDE!

Hmm, was in exactly the same situation as you!

Went for medicine in the end though - might hopefully go into research at some stage. What do you really want to do?

Natural Science or Medicine? HELP!

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