My parents are ashamed of my career choice (Engineering Vs Medicine)

Ever since i was a little it's been i've been told that i have to become either a doctor, nurse or dentist, basically anything to do with medicine or biology. When i started my A-levels i realised that i absolutely HATE biology with a passion. I find it incredibly boring, revising is even worse, its painful even look at the textbook, i don't find it difficult but i just hate it. So i decided i want to apply for Engineering instead of biological sciences. When i told my parents they went on a flipping rampage about how i'm a failure and medicine is so much better etc. You get the picture. I am so sick of this because i want to make them proud but i won't be forced into a career i will regret. I'm so stressed out and i'm starting to feel guilty because i'm their only child. Have any of you ever gone through this and do you have any advice? :confused:

OMG this is crazy, I was literally in the same position as you. My mother really wanted me to do medicine but I changed my mind last second and applied for aerospace engineering and the reason is because I absolutely hated Biology so we are literally in the same boat. You just need to sit down with your parents and have a chat with them. Show them the pros and cons of medicine and the pros and cons of engineering. I have to say that after some research I did I found that engineering is definitely a better degree. In an engineering degree you learn all skills that you need to do any job. That's why engineering grads work at several fields and you will be surprised that 11% of aerospace engineering grads work as health care professionals and a big chunk of them work in banking and finance sector. Just sit down with them and let your parents know that you will succeed if you do the thing you love.
My cousin has just graduated from Cambridge with a medicine degree and my other cousin is still doing medicine at Edinburgh uni and they have always been saying to me that if I wanna do medicine, I must love it otherwise I wouldn't be able to handle it. So I would definitely encourage you to stick with what you love and the career you want to pursue :smile:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 41

username846609

1

Original post by Kat187

Ever since i was a little it's been i've been told that i have to become either a doctor, nurse or dentist, basically anything to do with medicine or biology. When i started my A-levels i realised that i absolutely HATE biology with a passion. I find it incredibly boring, revising is even worse, its painful even look at the textbook, i don't find it difficult but i just hate it. So i decided i want to apply for Engineering instead of biological sciences. When i told my parents they went on a flipping rampage about how i'm a failure and medicine is so much better etc. You get the picture. I am so sick of this because i want to make them proud but i won't be forced into a career i will regret. I'm so stressed out and i'm starting to feel guilty because i'm their only child. Have any of you ever gone through this and do you have any advice? :confused:

Just out of curiosity are you Asian (Indian/Pakistani)? I am, and it just seems to be a thing that parents from these cultures sometimes tend to want their children to go into the medicine side of things. I'm pretty much the same, didn't really like biology at GCSE(didn't really mind the human biology, actually find it quite interesting, but couldn't stand the rest of it). However I absolutely loved maths and physics etc. I was originally planning on doing straight up Physics, mother wasn't too happy mainly because job prospects weren't too high. So I ended up doing chemical engineering (currently a 1st year). Tbh its not been too bad, I'm still insanely intrigued by anything physics related (especially cosmology/astronomy and part of me wishes I could still study that), but I'm still happy doing chemical engineering, although I do get asked why I didn't do medicine because i got really high grades at A Level.

Basically, do whatever you feel you'd enjoy the most. Theres no point in doing a job that makes a butt tonne of money, but you absolutely hate. I'd rather just be happy :smile:

Sorry for the long post :smile:

Reply 42

DSG7799

4

Go for engineering since you prefer it, there's a shortage so easier to get a well paid job, when you go uni you probably won't be living with your parents and you don't want them controlling your life or you'll hate it forever

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Reply 43

Smileygal

14

I think they want bragging rights haha! You just be who you want. I know an engineer and he earns A LOT! But it's not about money, just do what makes you happy. After all, you're the one who is gonna do that job until retirement.

Original post by Adipoptosis

Most engineers just end up in "financial services" transferring large amounts of money in a supposedly intelligent way and making a hefty margin for their effort.

No they don't. Most engineering graduates end up in engineering, funnily enough.

Reply 45

Awesome Genius

2

Original post by Smack

No they don't. Most engineering graduates end up in engineering, funnily enough.

Well thats news to me... From my limited sample size of 4 engineers at my college in my year, they all went into the city. Two went straight in, two did a PhD / Masters and then went in.

Reply 46

Kat187

OP

9

Original post by nabs96

Just out of curiosity are you Asian (Indian/Pakistani)? I am, and it just seems to be a thing that parents from these cultures sometimes tend to want their children to go into the medicine side of things. I'm pretty much the same, didn't really like biology at GCSE(didn't really mind the human biology, actually find it quite interesting, but couldn't stand the rest of it). However I absolutely loved maths and physics etc. I was originally planning on doing straight up Physics, mother wasn't too happy mainly because job prospects weren't too high. So I ended up doing chemical engineering (currently a 1st year). Tbh its not been too bad, I'm still insanely intrigued by anything physics related (especially cosmology/astronomy and part of me wishes I could still study that), but I'm still happy doing chemical engineering, although I do get asked why I didn't do medicine because i got really high grades at A Level.

Basically, do whatever you feel you'd enjoy the most. Theres no point in doing a job that makes a butt tonne of money, but you absolutely hate. I'd rather just be happy :smile:

Sorry for the long post :smile:

Don't worry about the long post, i appreciate it and no i'm not Asian, i'm actually African (Somali). Everything i study i try my best but biology feels like a chore to be honest. I think everyone on here is awesome and it's very true that people will usually do best in what they have a passion for, otherwise i'd be forcing myself throughout the entire degree, it would be torturous. I know what you mean about astronomy, there are so many amazing physics related degrees that it's difficult choose, but i think chemical engineering best suits my interests.

Original post by Adipoptosis

Well thats news to me... From my limited sample size of 4 engineers at my college in my year, they all went into the city. Two went straight in, two did a PhD / Masters and then went in.

From my experience of studying engineering and working as an engineer, it's very rare for an engineering student to not go into engineering, and the statistics show that this is the overall picture too, although there are some universities where such a move is not so rare, although they're in the extreme minority.

Reply 48

Pomum96

14

Original post by Kat187

Ever since i was a little it's been i've been told that i have to become either a doctor, nurse or dentist, basically anything to do with medicine or biology. When i started my A-levels i realised that i absolutely HATE biology with a passion. I find it incredibly boring, revising is even worse, its painful even look at the textbook, i don't find it difficult but i just hate it. So i decided i want to apply for Engineering instead of biological sciences. When i told my parents they went on a flipping rampage about how i'm a failure and medicine is so much better etc. You get the picture. I am so sick of this because i want to make them proud but i won't be forced into a career i will regret. I'm so stressed out and i'm starting to feel guilty because i'm their only child. Have any of you ever gone through this and do you have any advice? :confused:

I swapped medicine for chemical engineering. After the initial yelling, they seemed to accept. But now and again i get "we've done so much for you and you're not even going to study medicine". At first there was guilt. Now i just can't wait to get away from them. You should not feel guilty. It's your decision about your future.

Reply 49

Pomum96

14

Asian?

Oh sorry, you are african, just noticed

(edited 9 years ago)

Asian Problems???

You should tell them to try and do your work and then come back and say it is easy.

Reply 52

baffledchick

6

This isn't entirely the right thread, but what are job prospects like for Chemical Engineers who don't graduate from (UCL, Imperial, Manchester etc) so for example from Aston? Would you still be able to work in London?

Reply 53

Brubeckian

9

Original post by baffledchick

This isn't entirely the right thread, but what are job prospects like for Chemical Engineers who don't graduate from (UCL, Imperial, Manchester etc) so for example from Aston? Would you still be able to work in London?

As a chemical engineer it's doubtful you'll be working in London no matter which uni you go to lol

Reply 54

baffledchick

6

Original post by Brubeckian

As a chemical engineer it's doubtful you'll be working in London no matter which uni you go to lol

I hadn't really thought about it that far :colondollar:

where are you likely to work?

Reply 55

Brubeckian

9

Original post by baffledchick

I hadn't really thought about it that far :colondollar:

where are you likely to work?

Tar sands in Canada

jk :tongue:

I would say more industrial areas, up north, Scotland etc

Reply 56

JayAlice

Don't listen to them say that medicine is better - yes, it is a commendable profession, but so are a lot of things, including engineering! Parents care and aim to guide but you have to follow a passion, otherwise you might lose sight of it and miss a chance! Go for it, and you'll enjoy it a lot more :smile:

Reply 57

hassyrocks

10

Well, it's totally opposite for me ! The way you hate biology is the same way I hate maths and physics lol just hurt my eyes looking at those subject books and biology is the only thing I am good at !

P.s go for engineering coz I wanna do medicine with passion as you want to do engineering ! It's like a clash of titans " but your parents doesn't deserve a smart child perhaps who is so passionate about engineering which it self a very hard and brainiac and rewarding field ! I can guess your parents might be Asian so it's a cultural thing !

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