This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Chemistry or medicine?

I love chemistry but I've never done and medical training and so don't know how good it is to do. Could someone help me please!

Reply 1

Create

2

lucaz

I love chemistry but I've never done and medical training and so don't know how good it is to do. Could someone help me please!

From what I've been told by other people, if you're going to go in for a medical degree, then you need to know that's exactly what you want to do. It's a hard and long course, and then there's the long hours etc when you finish. I would suggest that if it's something that you're interested in, you should definitely get some sort of work experience, be it work shadowing etc or going on a MedLink course. Get a feel for what would be involved etc.

If you decide however, that you don't like the hours (or whatever) about studying medicine, you could always do Chemistry and then go and work for a pharms company, if you're still interested in that side of things.

Another point to consider is how much you like working with people. Going into medicine, you're very likely to be dealing with lots of different people every day, whereas if you graduate and get a job as a Chemist you'll be working largely with the same group of people.

Try and get some experience in both areas, and then make a decision on what you feel you would most enjoy and get the best job satisfaction from. Hope that's been of some help - good luck!

Reply 2

Unregistered

You could do a Chemistry degree then go into medicine after as a post grad. :smile:

Reply 3

Muse

13

AFAIK, with the graduate-entry medical courses they need a degree which has biomedical content to be allowed access onto the scheme. if the situation is the same with other med schools than bristol, chemistry is not a degree which will get you on the 4-year fast track course - unlike something like biochem or physiology.

of course, you can always join the 5 year course with a chemistry degree, although it wouldn't be good use of 3 years IMO.

Reply 4

badboy killa

Chemistry can get you onto the fast track course, but if your still an alevel student why consider that route anyway. If you want to know if medicine is for you, do some volunteer work, and get some work experience, if you feel your right for the work then apply. Dont bother with graduate entry courses, its a lottery at 40 applicants per place!

Reply 5

Muse

13

badboy killa

Chemistry can get you onto the fast track course, but if your still an alevel student why consider that route anyway. If you want to know if medicine is for you, do some volunteer work, and get some work experience, if you feel your right for the work then apply. Dont bother with graduate entry courses, its a lottery at 40 applicants per place!

i was just going by the fact that bristol doesn't accept chemistry as a degree to get on the fast-track course. i agree about the lottery part!

Reply 6

badboy killa

timeofyourlife

i was just going by the fact that bristol doesn't accept chemistry as a degree to get on the fast-track course. i agree about the lottery part!

Yeh, it depends on the med schools really, some dont accept it, some make you sit an exam and others have no qualms, quite silly really!

Reply 7

sashh

If you have any doubts DO NOT DO MEDICINE - all of what Create said is true. Plus a degree in medicine isn't much good for anything else.

It's one of the longest courses so more student debt, you don't qualify when you get your degree, you still have to work in a hospital for a couple of years and the money isn't that good (about 19K). It doesn't get good until you are a consultant and start taking private patients.

Think about having to stick your finger up a tramp's bum.

Or what about being puked on?

Then there is the 4 am call to a ward to prescribe asprin that the nurses knew you hadn't written up but thought you deserved an early call.

Being told by your consultant a patient has to have a certain test that day, being told by the department the test can't be done for 3 days and being told by management the patient has to be discharged because they need the bed.

Doing everything you can for someone and them still dying.

Imagine christmas dinner - which could be a 3 day old sandwich from a machine.

Imagine telling someone their child is dead.

People who want to be doctors accept all this, and bloody hell do i admire them.

If you've read this and think mmmmmmm I like the sound of that then consider medicine.

Reply 8

Muse

13

sashh

If you have any doubts DO NOT DO MEDICINE - all of what Create said is true. Plus a degree in medicine isn't much good for anything else.

It's one of the longest courses so more student debt, you don't qualify when you get your degree, you still have to work in a hospital for a couple of years and the money isn't that good (about 19K). It doesn't get good until you are a consultant and start taking private patients.

Think about having to stick your finger up a tramp's bum.

Or what about being puked on?

Then there is the 4 am call to a ward to prescribe asprin that the nurses knew you hadn't written up but thought you deserved an early call.

Being told by your consultant a patient has to have a certain test that day, being told by the department the test can't be done for 3 days and being told by management the patient has to be discharged because they need the bed.

Doing everything you can for someone and them still dying.

Imagine christmas dinner - which could be a 3 day old sandwich from a machine.

Imagine telling someone their child is dead.

People who want to be doctors accept all this, and bloody hell do i admire them.

If you've read this and think mmmmmmm I like the sound of that then consider medicine.

hmmm..slightly over-dramatic there but you've got the jist of it. except, firstly a degree in medicine is good for lots of things - quite a few disillusioned doctors become lawyers, work in the city etc. and find their degree is very attractive.

secondly, you do qualify as a doctor when you get your degree. you get to call yourself doctor and carry out all the same duties as a qualified doctor (prescribe etc), but you are "provisionally" registered with the GMC as opposed to fully registered after the two year foundation programme.

thirdly, i wouldn't exactly say the money gets "good" until you reach consultant-hood £35K as a registrar is quite a comfortable wage! but people shouldn't do it for the money as they'd probably be disappointed.
as far as the nurses go, if you treat them like s*** then you should except to be bleeped at all times through the night so it's not totally random.

oh and management can't recommend to discharge patients.
christmas dinner and the child thing sound about right though :smile:

Reply 9

hihihihi

timeofyourlife

but you are "provisionally" registered with the GMC as opposed to fully registered after the two year foundation programme.

I think full reg is still after F1, but completion of the foundation programme is after F2.

Reply 10

InterCity125

1

I would do chemistry. I may only have been doing med for a few weeks, but I really do wish I did a propper science degree. It seems for like a memory excerise than something that requires deep though. The work load is silly as well.

Reply 11

Muse

13

hihihihi

I think full reg is still after F1, but completion of the foundation programme is after F2.

oh ok, my full knowledge of the foundation programme consists of the fact that it's 2 years long :smile:

Reply 12

Fluffy

15

timeofyourlife

AFAIK, with the graduate-entry medical courses they need a degree which has biomedical content to be allowed access onto the scheme. if the situation is the same with other med schools than bristol, chemistry is not a degree which will get you on the 4-year fast track course - unlike something like biochem or physiology.

Not true - half of the GEP programmes admit people from any degree discipline - even arts degrees.

Reply 13

Fluffy

15

badboy killa

Chemistry can get you onto the fast track course, but if your still an alevel student why consider that route anyway. If you want to know if medicine is for you, do some volunteer work, and get some work experience, if you feel your right for the work then apply. Dont bother with graduate entry courses, its a lottery at 40 applicants per place!

Well said!

Reply 14

Muse

13

Fluffy

Not true - half of the GEP programmes admit people from any degree discipline - even arts degrees.

ah well, i did attach a disclaimer :smile:

i still think that graduate-entry is not the way to go if you're set on the world of medicine before UCAS applications though.

Reply 15

Fluffy

15

timeofyourlife

ah well, i did attach a disclaimer :smile:

i still think that graduate-entry is not the way to go if you're set on the world of medicine before UCAS applications though.

Again! Couldn't agree more! :smile:

Reply 16

ChemistBoy

16

sashh

If you have any doubts DO NOT DO

Chemistry!

I don't envy your choice here - these are two of the highest workload courses at University. During my time at St Andrews I managed to get upto 32 hours of scheduled classes in a week and was working between 60 - 70 hours a week (in my third year). Don't go into chemistry because you believe it will be the easy option compared to medicine because you'll be in for a shock.

Reply 17

Biomed2005

I am a 1st year med student at Uni of Aberdeen, and personally I think that if its just a thought at this stage then I dont think you should do it. You have to be 100% dedicated to your decision and be able to back it up when asked. Universities have a great talent for picking out the half hearted applicants. What I would suggest,anyway, is to apply for 2 or maybe 3 Medicine courses, and leave your other 3 or 4 options open for Chemistry. Its worth a shot! Good luck with your decision though, and if you need any advice then feel free to PM me, or any of the other medical students.
However I would back up others and agree that graduate entry courses are tough. 40:1 chance of getting in? Thats just crazy. If its what you want to do, do it now!!
All The Best :smile:

Reply 18

Llama86

Chemistry, leaves you with a lot of options and can specialise in BioMedical or Medicinal chem at some Unis. Its a lot of work compared to many degrees, I'm only a first yr and have about 18 yrs a week in the first term, 1 full day of labs - 2 full days next term. Your chances of getting into Chemistry are also a lot higher than that for medicine.

Reply 19

granddad_bob

well, chemistry isn't the most competitive course in the world and you can only apply to four med schools, why not do both? both require similar subjects (well, chemistry and another science, whether that be biology or maths), and medical knowledge could be used in a chemistry interview, at a strech.

Chemistry or medicine?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you