The Student Room Group

Becoming a Surgeon

I am 30 years old & have had a drastic change of heart. I was always a smart child who got good grades but slipped up in secondary school due to a preference for having 'fun'. I lost all confidence in studying as I left school with only 3 A-C's in English, Mathematics & English Literature.

I have recently returned to study & completed a Foundation Degree in Business with Law. This has given me confidence to push myself.

I want to do medicine now & I'm wondering what I need to do to get onto the relevant course & how long will it take.

I'm looking for information relating to both plastic surgery or neurosurgery.

Thank you
It will take a long time, I don't really think this is suited for you i'm sorry.

First it will take you several years to just apply and then its a 5-6 year course unless you get into a GEM course. After that 2 years of foundation, 8-10 years of training which is bound to include a PhD in the meantime. You will easily be mid late 40s before you are a neurosurgeon and at that time you will be preparing for retirement.

The better question is what do you know about neurosurgery or plastic surgeon and what it entails?
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 2
Original post by Okorange
It will take a long time, I don't really think this is suited for you i'm sorry.

First it will take you several years to just apply and then its a 5-6 year course unless you get into a GEM course. After that 2 years of foundation, 8-10 years of training which is bound to include a PhD in the meantime. You will easily be mid late 40s before you are a neurosurgeon and at that time you will be preparing for retirement.

The better question is what do you know about neurosurgery or plastic surgeon and what it entails?


I do not know exactly what it entails but I am very serious about this enquiry.

Please elaborate on what it entails.

At what point would an individual start earning any sort of money or will it take 18 years to generate any income?
Original post by Ethan D-C
I do not know exactly what it entails but I am very serious about this enquiry.

Please elaborate on what it entails.

At what point would an individual start earning any sort of money or will it take 18 years to generate any income?


You wouldn't be earning any money until foundation years and during medical school you will be paying tuition. What qualifications do you have at the moment, do you have a university degree?
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by Okorange
It will take a long time, I don't really think this is suited for you i'm sorry.

First it will take you several years to just apply and then its a 5-6 year course unless you get into a GEM course. After that 2 years of foundation, 8-10 years of training which is bound to include a PhD in the meantime. You will easily be mid late 40s before you are a neurosurgeon and at that time you will be preparing for retirement.

The better question is what do you know about neurosurgery or plastic surgeon and what it entails?


Bit cruel... Though I'd certainly say it's important to consider these issues, I don't think it's your place to pass judgement on a person's choices.

Planning retirement at mid 40s? Bit premature. Even those retiring early usually wait until they're way past 50!

There have been individuals who began medical school at 50, so it's not impossible. It's simply a case of whether the OP is informed enough to make that decision.

OP:

Realistically it would mean a fair number of years studying before you hit foundation year posts. Probably best to sit your GCSEs and then look in to a levels/access courses.
But none of that guarantees your place at medical school so it may be a few years wasted.

Even if you got through to foundation years you are looking at around 10 years further training on the job before you become a consultant/surgeon, however you will be a practicing doctor so you can take that how you will.

The real question is why neurosurgery or plastics? What have you done to experience these specialties?
When I hear foundation in business and law and now interested in medicine i'm fine, but say you are interested in neurosurgery and plastics.... i'm just smh. It is harsh to say but it just seems like OP is going for the money rather than the medicine not to mention how long these training programs are, how difficult it is and how improbable it is to even get there.
Reply 6
Original post by Ethan D-C
I do not know exactly what it entails but I am very serious about this enquiry.

Please elaborate on what it entails.

At what point would an individual start earning any sort of money or will it take 18 years to generate any income?



I might be completely wrong but I will assume you are somewhat in an early midlife crisis. Your feelings about things will be all over the place and changing constantly. A career in medicine or surgery requires consistent motivation which can only be achieved through passion and interest to the subject which is constantly tested at medical school. Most students that fail and get de-registered don't lack the academic ability but the desire to keep studying.They will often question their career choice and the sacrifices they have to make on an everyday basis. Because medicine consumes someones life there is no time for socializing like you have experienced in the past. Its not a 9-5job, no one works the contracted hours, the EWTD is ineffective. Most will do 1-2 hours overtime (unpaid) every day, do nightshifts, research in their spare times, do audits in their spare time, work on weekends. Sometimes you find yourself doing 24 hours shifts. especially true for the specialties you have named. Even we often doubt ourselves.
There are good things about medicine too but the other side is often ignored.

My advice for you is to stay away from it. To go back to A levels and redo them (I dont even know if that is acceptable, it might be disqualifying you as you done more than 2 years A-level), is pushing you back so much in time even when you had a strong desire for the subject, I would advise you not to.

You say it has given you confidence to have done that foundation, I sense that academic success is giving you a satisfaction and so you believe that getting into medical school is a success, and that becoming a doctor is as well. You probably associate neuro,plastic with status and hence are drawn to it. The money that you think you will earn boosts your desire although its not as you imagine. Figures you see are often false and misleading and you will be demotivated when you find out. All these are wrong reasons to study medicine and will ultimately make you dissatisfied with your life.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Knugs
I might be completely wrong but I will assume you are somewhat in an early midlife crisis. Your feelings about things will be all over the place and changing constantly. A career in medicine or surgery requires consistent motivation which can only be achieved through passion and interest to the subject which is constantly tested at medical school. Most students that fail and get de-registered don't lack the academic ability but the desire to keep studying.They will often question their career choice and the sacrifices they have to make on an everyday basis. Because medicine consumes someones life there is no time for socializing like you have experienced in the past. Its not a 9-5job, no one works the contracted hours, the EWTD is ineffective. Most will do 1-2 hours overtime (unpaid) every day, do nightshifts, research in their spare times, do audits in their spare time, work on weekends. Sometimes you find yourself doing 24 hours shifts. especially true for the specialties you have named. Even we often doubt ourselves.
There are good things about medicine too but the other side is often ignored.

My advice for you is to stay away from it. To go back to A levels and redo them (I dont even know if that is acceptable, it might be disqualifying you as you done more than 2 years A-level), is pushing you back so much in time even when you had a strong desire for the subject, I would advise you not to.

You say it has given you confidence to have done that foundation, I sense that academic success is giving you a satisfaction and so you believe that getting into medical school is a success, and that becoming a doctor is as well. You probably associate neuro,plastic with status and hence are drawn to it. The money that you think you will earn boosts your desire although its not as you imagine. Figures you see are often false and misleading and you will be demotivated when you find out. All these are wrong reasons to study medicine and will ultimately make you dissatisfied with your life.


This is a more eloquent way of putting what I said earlier.
Original post by Ethan D-C

I'm looking for information relating to both plastic surgery or neurosurgery.


Just reiterating that those are pretty much the two most competitive fields you could have picked. Not only will you need to battle your way through med school (and you will be a very atypical applicant even for that), you will need to also get multiple publications, boost the CV with lots of other work in your own time, most likely take time out for a PhD... competition for those posts is brutal.

Entry into med school is theoretically possible though. Make sure you can finance it all and then nothing to lose by applying!
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by Okorange
This is a more eloquent way of putting what I said earlier.


I'm revising for exams.















I will do everything to avoid revising for exams
Original post by Knugs
I'm revising for exams.















I will do everything to avoid revising for exams

:rofl: I was a bit confused at first...... until i read the bottom line :laugh:

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