Graduate entry medicine or gap year to study chem

I am a y12 student studying physics maths and psychology. Am predicted all A’s and I initially chose these A-levels purely bc I liked physics and math at gcse and was interested in psychology. I massively regret not thinking more about my career or what options these subjects would lead me to.
Around December of y12 I started thinking about university degrees and what I wanted to do with my life and that was when I realised how unhappy I am with my choices. I wish to work in healthcare. Be a doctor and treat patients. I see my friends talking about their applications to be doctors and I cannot help but envy them.
I do love the A-levels i take now. I like essay writing and it was a big reason why I chose psych. And there are elements of physics and math I love. So for a while I was confused on what to do.
I researched degrees and came across biomedical engineering. It seemed like a jackpot really, especially after I found that I had the opportunity to apply to graduate entry medicine afterwards if I wished to. This was amazing because I loved the application of engineering to healthcare and I felt like it was a perfect degree that combined both my interest in math and passion to work in healthcare. I was still a little upset, whenever people discussed medical routes and degrees because it could have been me in another life if I had thoigjt about what I wanted to do earlier. But I was pretty content on the Biomed degree. I did try and persuade myself that it would be all okay and that it would be a good route for me. But recently as I have been attending open evenings for Biomed and really see what it would be like to study a biomedical engineering degree, I wonder if it’s really for me. It’s way more engineering based than I imagined. And I can’t help but get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

A while back i did pitch the idea of redoing y12 to my mum. Where I would do Biology chem and math. But I am currently attending a good school and did not want to leave it to redo y12. I came to the conclusion of finishing my current A-levels first.

Now, I am considering maybe doing a gap year where I would teach myself chem? The entire A-level and then apply for medicine the next year.
Every time I think about my future I just panic and feel sick. I feel like I’ve made careless choices and do not want to mess this one up too.

Although the graduate entry medicine degree seems like a good idea as I’ll be able to get a Biomed engineering degree and see if I still want to pursue medicine, I feel like I’ll waste so many years of my life, esp if I end up not wanting to do anything in Biomed engineering. Medicine degrees are 5 years long and then another 2 as junior doctors. This added to a 4 year course of engineering is way too long.
I’ll be extremely in debt because the government don’t fund a second degree. And extremely burnt out.

I feel like I should decide by the end of this year, if I want to continue in my pursuit for Biomed engineering or take a gap year after my A-levels to teach myself Chem/Bio A-level, get any hospital experience and apply via ucas the next year.

I feel like my parents would be super supportive, as they have always wanted me to become a doctor. I just wish I had listened to them sooner. Because I always have loved helping with people and I know I can do this with Biomed engineering, the clinical side of being a doctor is what I want.

If anyone has gone through similar process as me, or done the graduate entry medical degree, could you please advise me on what would be best.
I also know if someone who apparently got into a medical degree without doing biochem but with physics and math. And they didn’t do a fast track entry? I do not know if that’s possible, but anything would be helpful!!

Thank you,
A stressing sixthform student

Reply 1

xoliaaa

Thank you so much for replying!
If i were to do a gap year though, I could probably only manage to teach myself either one of chem or bio.
Should I try for chem over bio? Because thats most universities require.
But I feel it pointless to do medicine without biology?
I’ve heard that there’s barely any chemistry used in medicine, so am i Better off doing biology and applying to the select few schools that only require bio?

Reply 2

Vercos1

I’m in a similar situation as you and considering my options right now (year 12 student). What did you end up doing out of interest?

Reply 3

milo_shavick

im in a pretty similar situation, I'm currently doing a level biology and i want to do med or biochem and i need chemistry a level for that so im doing a course where i do a level chem in one year and have a tutor once a week

let me know what you end up doing