Sufficient Doctor Jobs?

Prospective medics shouldn't forget though that there are plenty of other job opportunities for people with a medical degree. I know that you don't do 6 years of medical school only to end up in banking but if the only thing stopping you is fear of unemployment then just remember that a degree in medicine commits you to being a doctor no more than a degree in English commits you to being English.

Yes well, It costs students 5/6 years of fees and other associated expenses, even living as a miser, thats a fairly hefty committment! The soul of medicine is practice, you don't just learn all that stuff and sit there, you go out and use it; to do the utmost for your patiant.

Have you considered that any UK medical undergraduate that completes his education and subsequently defects to banking is costing the UK taxpayer some 250K?. If I wanted to be a banker, by the time 20 something medics were getting a toehold on ST1 posts, I'd be making significant headway into the high double figures...Had I wanted that, I wouldn't be applying for medicine. Why? Because i'd like to think that appreciating the elegance of the body, finding out why people are ill and helping them to help themselves is worth all the hoops. Because when you see someone in your family slowly wasting away, you'll realise that in an ideal world, just keeping them alive, maintaining a crippling quality of life, or indeed banking are whilst laudable in their own way, are not good enough; I don't want to do banking, because I want to do something useful, practical and that ultimatly makes a difference. Yes most of the time it all goes tits up and whatever you do, the condition is terminal; then again, if I've learnt anything on work experience, its that you don't give up until the patiant does, and quite often; its a heroic battle with the fat lady; more often then you'd like to see, they go off into the undiscovered country, or don't recover, or something buggers up - but the once or twice you see the smile and the relife, it makes the whole ride worth it.

Yes well, It costs students 5/6 years of fees and other associated expenses, even living as a miser, thats a fairly hefty committment! The soul of medicine is practice, you don't just learn all that stuff and sit there, you go out and use it; to do the utmost for your patiant.

Have you considered that any UK medical undergraduate that completes his education and subsequently defects to banking is costing the UK taxpayer some 250K?. If I wanted to be a banker, by the time 20 something medics were getting a toehold on ST1 posts, I'd be making significant headway into the high double figures...Had I wanted that, I wouldn't be applying for medicine. Why? Because i'd like to think that appreciating the elegance of the body, finding out why people are ill and helping them to help themselves is worth all the hoops. Because when you see someone in your family slowly wasting away, you'll realise that in an ideal world, just keeping them alive, maintaining a crippling quality of life, or indeed banking are whilst laudable in their own way, are not good enough; I don't want to do banking, because I want to do something useful, practical and that ultimatly makes a difference. Yes most of the time it all goes tits up and whatever you do, the condition is terminal; then again, if I've learnt anything on work experience, its that you don't give up until the patiant does, and quite often; its a heroic battle with the fat lady; more often then you'd like to see, they go off into the undiscovered country, or don't recover, or something buggers up - but the once or twice you see the smile and the relife, it makes the whole ride worth it.

can someone explain the meaning of F1, F2 ST1 etc?

I think your theory only fails, KwungSun, because most people do take medicine to become a doctor. I see what you mean- that it's still a really god degree to have.

I guess I'm just scared after devoting everything to becoming a doctor, I wouldn't be able to do it because of the system, and not my own fault.

I understand that people do not do medicine to work as anything other than a doctor. All I'm saying is that 3 applicants to 1 registrar job sounds a little less terrifying if you know you can find a good job elsewhere if push comes to shove. I suppose the basic gist is: Be aware that there is tough competition for medical jobs but don't spend too much time fretting about unemployment per se. If fear of being out of ANY decent job is holding you back from applying to medical school, it shouldn't.

EDIT: Most of the things you mentioned you can actually achieve without ever working as a doctor. Appreciating the body, learning what causes disease etc. are all things you will do while at medical school. So all I'm saying is you can do all those wonderful things AND not have to worry about begging on the streets just because hospital jobs are hard to come by..

Also I might just add that banking was just an example. There are plenty of people with medical backgrounds who work outside of primary care in fields other than banking, such as international organisations and government in jobs that require medical degrees. All I'm saying is that not getting onto registrar training does not mean you have to join the "dole line" as plenty of people seem to think here.

If I wanted to do that, I'd have applied for Physiology, or indeed any one of the many biomedical degrees possible, however it isn't the same.



Had I wanted a financial degree, I hope I'm not being too arrogant when I say I would have got in somewhere respectable first time round - or indeed almost definatly this time round, it is commonly accepted that most medical students have the raw ability to take up a career in finance; then again 10 years down the line, you may well have made money, but how many people and families have you helped with your City bonuses? (I'm not against them at all, folks in the City work damn hard and deserve just reward for labour). However even though on the surface, medical practice may not attract comensurate rewards financially, it does carry satisfaction.

If I wanted to do that, I'd have applied for Physiology, or indeed any one of the many biomedical degrees possible, however it isn't the same.

..

Had I wanted a financial degree, I hope I'm not being too arrogant when I say I would have got in somewhere respectable first time round - or indeed almost definatly this time round, it is commonly accepted that most medical students have the raw ability to take up a career in finance; then again 10 years down the line, you may well have made money, but how many people and families have you helped with your City bonuses? (I'm not against them at all, folks in the City work damn hard and deserve just reward for labour). However even though on the surface, medical practice may not attract comensurate rewards financially, it does carry satisfaction.

Awww come on. He's not saying that at all. Everyone (well, nearly everyone) goes into medicine for all the above reasons and all the above intentions. But there is always the circumstance that you just can't get a job anywhere at the end of it all...he's just saying if that did happen, you wouldn't be completely screwed.