surgical careers

Hey im 16 years old and im looking for a career in surgery. Im doing maths, chemistry, biology and further maths for a level (im in year 12 now). What degrees or courses would best benefit me to secure this career choice? i am legit dead focused on getting this no matter what. what unis are best for this career choice?

Reply 1

thegodofgod

19

Original post by Infamous2

Hey im 16 years old and im looking for a career in surgery. Im doing maths, chemistry, biology and further maths for a level (im in year 12 now). What degrees or courses would best benefit me to secure this career choice? i am legit dead focused on getting this no matter what. what unis are best for this career choice?

In order to become a surgeon, you must study medicine, a 5 (or 6) year undergraduate university degree.

Here's the link to the medicine forum.

Reply 2

The Angry Stoic

18

A medical degree! Hoorah! At least without breaking the law.

Reply 3

Asklepios

19

Original post by Infamous2

Hey im 16 years old and im looking for a career in surgery. Im doing maths, chemistry, biology and further maths for a level (im in year 12 now). What degrees or courses would best benefit me to secure this career choice? i am legit dead focused on getting this no matter what. what unis are best for this career choice?

You will have to do a medical degree, which is a 5/6 year degree then go in to postgraduate specialist training where you specialise in surgery.

You could also become a Podiatric surgeon or dental surgeon, where instead of medicine, you do a degree in podiatry or dentistry.

Reply 4

Becca-Sarah

19

Original post by Infamous2

Hey im 16 years old and im looking for a career in surgery. Im doing maths, chemistry, biology and further maths for a level (im in year 12 now). What degrees or courses would best benefit me to secure this career choice? i am legit dead focused on getting this no matter what. what unis are best for this career choice?

You'd need to carry on at least Chem and Bio to A2 plus another (most unis won't consider Further Maths to be a separate qualification to Maths). Five or six years at medical school, then two years as a foundation doctor, and then seven or eight years surgical training.

The medicine wiki pages will give you lots of advice on how to get into medical school.

Reply 5

nexttime

22

You could be a scrub nurse too, which requires a degree in nursing. Or a porter which doesn't require any degree.

I suspect you meant surgeon though. You will need at least AAA plus i'd start looking at work experience now.

Reply 6

Brachioradialis

18

1) Get work experience
2) Sit the UKCAT/BMAT entrance exam and pray you do well
3) Prepare a personal statement
4) Prepare an application for UCAS (you'll need to apply by October 15th this year)
5) Get into medical school
6) Complete medical school
7) Apply to very competitive specialist training for a surgical speciality.

Regardless of what you 'think' you want to do, get through medical school first and decide after you have some hands-on experience of different specialities.

Reply 7

Infamous2

OP

Thanks everyone and to MattKneale, there are courses such as surgical science at UCL, if i took that course what difference would it make>

Reply 8

TheGuy117

14

Have fun going to school for atleast a dosen more years...

Reply 9

la95

16

Original post by Infamous2

Thanks everyone and to MattKneale, there are courses such as surgical science at UCL, if i took that course what difference would it make>

The entry requirements stipulated on the UCL website for Surgical Science are:
"A medical qualification from a UK university or an overseas qualification of equivalent standard. Applicants will preferably have a minimum of two years' clinical experience, or have completed basic surgical training, holding MRCS Part 1."

From what I can tell, you must study medicine prior to applying for this course. As far as I'm aware, in order to be a surgeon, you must study medicine (or dentistry, though I assume this is not the type of surgery you want to perform).

Edit: See Asklepios's post above and Helloworld_95's post below as well.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 10

Helloworld_95

19

You can also become a surgical care practitioner, although there aren't many of them, they can do minor ops and they are also surgeons assistants so you still get in on the bigger operations.

Reply 11

River85

17

Original post by Infamous2

Thanks everyone and to MattKneale, there are courses such as surgical science at UCL, if i took that course what difference would it make>

To be a surgeon you NEED a medical degree. Surgeons are doctors, after all. I assume you mean the MSc degree at UCL. All MSc degrees are post-graduate degrees. This means you must have an undergraduate degree first. You won't be able to gain entry to it without an undergraduate degree and, even if you were, it still wouldn't qualify you as a surgeon.

There is also the iBSc degree, an undergrad degree, but this is an intercalated degree (hence the i at the start). Intercalated degrees are degrees that a medical student can study while doing their medical degree. Usually you take a year out after the second year of a medical degree to study the intercalated degree. So although you can still do the iBSc in Surgical Science without having a medical degree, you still need to gain entry to the medical degree and successfully complete the first two years of it.

Do you want to be a surgeon (in which case you need to concentrate on getting that into medical school), or are you considering other careers including scrub nurse?

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 12

Brachioradialis

18

Alternatively, if you do well on your course (i.e. in the top of your cohort) then many schools will let you intercalate and do another degree in your 3rd year. This can include things like surgical sciences. See here:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/A_Brief_Guide_to_Intercalated_Degrees

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