Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Confusion

Ok, with all the problems of exams and just trying to make the grades( which I didnt), I have turned myself off medicine. Is not that Im afraid of hard work, but I started to think what exactly am I working for.

I really enjoyed my work experience, meeting patients, findind out the diseases and how Doctors diagnose and everything. But then I disliked my voluntary work, of working in a GP practice and Hospital, esp teh feeling of being a waste of space and not being able to do anything or minimal support.

Throughout my life I have always enjoyed researching diseases etc, and finding things out, and the effect of medication and surgery. But I dont want to be stuck in a hospital or GP surgery for the rest of my life, I want to teach and travel around various places. Plus continue with my other hobbies. But with medicine you cannot do this ?

I want to help people and have the knowledge to make a positive impact on their lives, but at 20/21 I havent been uni, Im getting old and have done 4 years of A-level, having to put up with funny comments from friends and family and Ive realised that even though Med interests me; perharps I should do something else with my life.

All comments and Opnions are welcome, sorry for rant

Reply 1

michaela_banana

academic research could easily offer you all of those things, most medical researchers aren't doctors, they're scientists. You could work in pathology, ("researching diseases"), pharmaceuticals, ("the effect of medication"), or aid in clinical trials, or a whole range of other areas. It would give you the opportunity to teach and not only would conferences provide many trips around the world, if your language skills are up to it you could easily work wherever you wanted. I've spent this summer working in a lab and it's not at all the grim, dull or nerdy, it's exciting, the people are just if not more passionate than the doctors i've worked with and there's the potential to make massive differences to your field (eventually....) I'd recommend it - I'm thinking academic medicine is the way forward for me though, so may be a bit biased!

Reply 2

Nasher and Basher

But I feel that as Ive been geared to just med, i may not have realised other passions of mine.

How long is it to get into academic medicine?

Reply 3

FizzyOrange

Hmm tricky tricky. Sorry to hear about the predicament you are in, I'm in a similar-ish situation myself at the moment...but first things first:

I really think you need to establish exactly what is it in your life that excites you the most? When you've thought about this you will hopefully have your answer! Also, have you considered any allied-medicine type careers such as audiology/radiology? These fields are incredibly respectable, rewarding, and should take less time to qualify than medicine for sure. You more than likely won't be confined to a GP surgery your whole life!

Getting into medical research is also an excellent option, with tonnes of scope for things like travelling. You could also become a clinical scientist and have some patient contact too, so won't be entirely confined to the labs!

Please don't be put off of medicine based on some bad work experiences, I have been in the situation where I feel out of my depth in the work place hundreds of times, but am still feeling undeterred! So please don't let that be the reason for not pursuing medicine, as pre-meds, we have limits to what we can do clinically, so to feel out of place is all too natural.

All the best, I hope things work out for you.

xxx