Hi everyone, I'm in a difficult situation at the moment. All throughout high school, I wanted to do medicine. I got the straight As, a decent UKCAT, a pile of work experience and volunteering, a great personal statement and, eventually, four offers for medicine - with which I was really delighted. However, I'm having doubts now I'm due to start in September. I know I'll meet my grades, but I question whether I want to do medicine right here, right now. I've always liked it as a career, and at least thought I was committed when I applied, but now that Freshers dawns upon me, I feel uneasy. I feel upset at the prospect of doing science for the rest of my life, with not even a touch of the humanities. I have been a prolific writer throughout high school, and feel like I'm letting my talent go to waste to go into science, at which I'm only of average ability. I do like medicine as a career, especially the specialties of psychiatry, general practice and sexual health. However, I'm unsure if I want to dive in right now, without studying the arts first. I feel like I have so much still left to explore in subjects such as history, psychology and anthropology. Sometimes, though, I feel like medicine in our culture is so cold and clinical that I'm unsure if it's something in which I want to become involved. I did like some parts of my work experience, but actually found a lot of medical staff to be cynical and unfriendly - again, not an environment I would enjoy.
My question is: what do I do now?
I could just attend university in September, see how I like it, and if I'm enjoying the course just draw a line and say goodbye to the humanities for the rest of my life. Or, I could attend and find I want to change, and change courses. But I'd be worried that if I later decided to become a doctor, that medicine wouldn't want me because I was a previous drop-out. Also, I'd likely have to change universities (the uni I'm going to is prestigious and wouldn't just allow me to jump onto a history course, for example) which would mean leaving behind friends and social circles I had made. All things to consider.
I could ask the university to defer my entry for a year, have a think, and then either attend the medical course or decide to do something else. But I don't think they'd let me defer at this stage.
Thirdly, I could think **** it, and not attend university this September and apply for something else. But I'd want to study in America (flexible degree options for an academically broad individual like me) and don't know if I'd get in, or be able to afford to go.
What should I do? This is really getting me down. My whole family is so proud that I'm doing medicine and keep going on about it because we've never had a doctor in the family and come from humble beginnings, and I realise the value of the medical offers that I've received. I feel like I'm stuck in such a tricky situation.
Help appreciated