Are Medicine, Dentistry and Vet Med the only courses that matter?

Original post by alevelzzz

Im not offended, Im applying for dentistry.
But Im telling you, right now, categorically - GP is NOT a desired specialism for the majority of medicine graduates.
As I said, there is a shortage of people going for GP training right now in medicine.

What you said pissed me off a little, as though you think this is your little world and I have no right to even speak. Apologise and redeem yourself. I expected more from you. It just goes to show, maturity comes with age.

Shortage of GPs has always been the case. 15 years back there was a national shortage of 1000 GPs in the UK. That is why medical school places were increased. I don't believe there is a shortage of graduates coming through wanting to be GPs, unless you can provide a clear source to prove it. The GP training takes time and the exams are mega hard, so it is only natural that there is a shortage of GPs.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 103

Okorange

17

Original post by Peaches and Cream

Every train, plane, car or bus you've ever used was designed by an engineer.

If you every encounter legal issues, you''l rquire the services of a lawyer.

Cures to cancer are not found by people with medical degrees.

Veterinarians may not have the political knowledge require to run the country.

CEOs of top firms probably did not study medicine, dentistry of vet med.

To put it simply, not medicine, dentistry and vet med are NOT the only courses that matter.

Actually a lot of cures are found by medical doctors. Clinical research is predominately done by medical doctors. It is really basic scientists and clinical researchers working together how diseases are cured.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Edinburgh_Medical_School

It only takes one look at the alumni list to see what I mean.

And if you need examples, SARS, Polio, Smallpox and countless other diseases were cured through the work of MDs.

Antiseptic procedure was discovered by a doctor and so are nearly all the surgical procedures today. They are constantly developed and modified on by surgeons. Now engineers are helping with the development especially in robotical surgery.

My point is that it is a team effort but doctors definitely have an important role.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 104

em.d_4

17

Original post by Mansun

What you said pissed me off a little, as though you think this is your little world and I have no right to even speak. Apologise and redeem yourself. I expected more from you. It just goes to show, maturity comes with age.

Shortage of GPs has always been the case. 15 years back there was a national shortage of 1000 GPs in the UK. That is why medical school places were increased. I don't believe there is a shortage of graduates coming through wanting to be GPs, unless you can provide a clear source to prove it. The GP training takes time and the exams are mega hard, so it is only natural that there is a shortage of GPs.

I'd ignore him he likes to stir and jump down peoples throats!
But with regard to GP's yes plenty want to do it for the reasons you've mentioned but in the grand scheme of specialties it's not popular at all because most people don't envisage that when they apply to medicine. Being a GP often comes later in careers.
A major reason for GP shortages are we need more GP's than anything else but it's one of the least popular career paths for doctors.

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Reply 105

Original post by Mansun

What you said pissed me off a little, as though you think this is your little world and I have no right to even speak. Apologise and redeem yourself. I expected more from you. It just goes to show, maturity comes with age.

Shortage of GPs has always been the case. 15 years back there was a national shortage of 1000 GPs in the UK. That is why medical school places were increased. I don't believe there is a shortage of graduates coming through wanting to be GPs, unless you can provide a clear source to prove it. The GP training takes time and the exams are mega hard, so it is only natural that there is a shortage of GPs.

Its because your comment was completely ill informed.

GP training takes the least amount of time out of any medical speciality.

If you watched the documentary a few days ago about GPs, it was on there too about a lack of trainee GPs.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gp+recruitment+problems&oq=gp+recruitment+problems&aqs=chrome..69i57.5174j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8

I agree, a big reason most people end up becoming GPs is because they prefer it to the long hours etc of a hospital, but even still, most dont want to be a GP.

Reply 106

Original post by alevelzzz

Its because your comment was completely ill informed.

GP training takes the least amount of time out of any medical speciality.

If you watched the documentary a few days ago about GPs, it was on there too about a lack of trainee GPs.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gp+recruitment+problems&oq=gp+recruitment+problems&aqs=chrome..69i57.5174j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8

I agree, a big reason most people end up becoming GPs is because they prefer it to the long hours etc of a hospital, but even still, most dont want to be a GP.

It might be the case in recent years trends have changed, as working hours in hospitals have shrunk considerably, that hospital medicine has become much more attractive an option that in the 90s and early 00s. Back in those days doctors, including my own relatives, by far preferred to get the easy money and become a GP over the silly 72 -90 hour working weeks they were subjected to. In the early 90s working hours were often 100 hours and more. When I say ''easy'' I mean the conditions a GP faces is a lot easier than the bear pit of hospital medicine and the aggressive hours and long study schedules to get to higher grades.

Don't send arrogant posts like that again. You sound too much like my medic friend who I liked but at times wanted to slap as he would offend just like you with blunt statements of arrogance. You haven't even started your degree yet. I've at least done BSc Biochemistry at Nottingham, and now an MSc at UCL in Musculoskeletal Science. I didn't do Medicine as I didn't think I would be a good doctor in life threatening situations.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 107

Original post by Mansun

It might be the case in recent years trends have changed, as working hours in hospitals have shrunk considerably, that hospital medicine has become much more attractive an option that in the 90s and early 00s. Back in those days doctors, including my own relatives, by far preferred to get the easy money and become a GP over the silly 72 -90 hour working weeks they were subjected to. In the early 90s working hours were often 100 hours and more. When I say ''easy'' I mean the conditions a GP faces is a lot easier than the bear pit of hospital medicine and the aggressive hours and long study schedules to get to higher grades.

Don't send arrogant posts like that again. You sound too much my my medic friend who I liked but at times wanted to slap as he would offend just like you with blunt statements of arrogance. You haven't even started your degree yet. I've at least done Biochemistry at Nottingham, and now an MSc at UCL in Musculoskeletal Science.

I haven't questioned your academic knowledge lol.
Hospital hours are still very high and infact GP hours are much higher than people actually realise.
Again, I never questioned people going into GP for it being 'easier'. You said that most medics want to be GPs, when this is simply not the case.

Reply 108

ailsajane

Original post by Ruxy

No they really don't ! Not all of us are cut off for medicine dentistry or vet it's just overrated. This is why the competition is so big .... There are people that get good grades in science and their first instinct is to go to medicine dentistry or vet and take the places for the people that have lower grades but they are really willing to do medicine dentistry or vet but they can't because other people came and took the places just because it's a good job and it pays very well... This is why you won't find all the time good doctors dentists or vets because they didn't wish this they were either made to do it by parents or just didn't know what they wanted to do with their life and had good grades ...

All courses matter when it's truly what you want to do. Life and world would be so much easier if people would actually follow their dream and stop looking for money more than their wishes ....

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It may be true that some people do apply to medicine, dentistry or vet medicine because they are well paid but to be honest there are other well paid jobs which are not as difficult so I doubt this is the case for the majority of applicants. The point of interviews for these subjects is to check that the applicants are doing it for the right reasons. There are probably more current older doctors/dentists who did it for the wrong reasons because it used to be far easier to get in and it was more common for people who did well just to automatically decide to do medicine. My dad started studying medicine because his dad wants him to but dropped out after two years because he wasn't suited to it. I highly doubt he'd have managed to get in with the current applications processes and interviews. Most people I know now who have applied or are planning to apply to one of those courses, including myself, genuinely want to help people or animals, and aren't just doing it for money or their parents expectations. I know a few people who used to want to for either of those reasons but they've all seen that it wasn't right for them. I am applying to medicine and I don't care about how well paid I am and I have genuinely thought a lot about it and decided it's what I want to do because I want to help other people and I'm really interested in it. I do however agree that not everyone is cut out for those degrees or is interested in them and people should do what they want to. I think it's wrong for people to say any degree doesn't matter because people gain things out of all degrees and people have different skills and interests. Also, society wouldn't function if everyone was either a doctor, dentist or vet.

Reply 109

Original post by alevelzzz

I haven't questioned your academic knowledge lol.
Hospital hours are still very high and infact GP hours are much higher than people actually realise.
Again, I never questioned people going into GP for it being 'easier'. You said that most medics want to be GPs, when this is simply not the case.

As I said, trends change with time. Back in the day in the 90s, when you couldn't even walk, things were very different. Doctors couldn't handle hospital medicine and left in droves to train to be a GP.

Reply 110

BTW, I completely disagree that medicine,dentistry and vet med are the only courses that matter.
Maths/physics students at oxbridge etc are 100000x smarter than the average medic/dentist, never mind mathematics/physics researchers. It just so happens that medics/dentists are much higher paid and their professions are seen as more 'prestigious' by the general public.
I assure you though, I have met many medical/dental applicants/students that I wouldn't let ANYWHERE near me.

I say this as a dentistry applicant.

Reply 111

Original post by alevelzzz

BTW, I completely disagree that medicine,dentistry and vet med are the only courses that matter.
Maths/physics students at oxbridge etc are 100000x smarter than the average medic/dentist, never mind mathematics/physics researchers. It just so happens that medics/dentists are much higher paid and their professions are seen as more 'prestigious' by the general public.
I assure you though, I have met many medical/dental applicants/students that I wouldn't let ANYWHERE near me.

I say this as a dentistry applicant.

The above is not that true. If you were to compare the average A level grades achieved for Medicine/Dentistry (where you have to offer the difficult Sciences &/or Maths A levels) with those of Oxbridge hopefuls (a fair amount who have done softer A level subjects), then they would match up quite well. It would only be the lesser medical schools who may not have many candidates above just the standard AAB, and AAB will get you into Oxbridge for less popular courses.

Reply 112

Original post by Mansun

The above is not that true. If you were to compare the average A level grades achieved for Medicine/Dentistry (where you have to offer the difficult Sciences &/or Maths A levels) with those of Oxbridge hopefuls (a fair amount who have done softer A level subjects), then they would match up quite well. It would only be the lesser medical schools who may not have many candidates above just the standard AAB, and AAB will get you into Oxbridge for less popular courses.

I said maths/physics oxbridge students vs average medical/dental students, Im pretty sure they're much more capable academically on the whole...
Entry requirements have changed since you applied I assume, every medical/dental school is now AAA and all oxbridge courses ask for A*AA now.

Reply 113

Original post by alevelzzz

I said maths/physics oxbridge students vs average medical/dental students, Im pretty sure they're much more capable academically on the whole...
Entry requirements have changed since you applied I assume, every medical/dental school is now AAA and all oxbridge courses ask for A*AA now.

Well, in my day only 23% of students got a grade A overall. Now it is 26%. At least the gap is going down inch by inch each year now. Dumbing down of A levels over the years.

I bet you wouldn't even get a B back in the 90s when only 20-21% got the top grade, nevermind A*.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 114

AnyRandomName

9

Original post by Mansun

AAB will get you into Oxbridge for less popular courses.

Example please?

Reply 115

Original post by AnyRandomName

Example please?

Try Arabic studies or something obscure like it. The kids from poorer schools might get some help.

Edit: They ask AAA for Arabic.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 116

AnyRandomName

9

Original post by Mansun

Try Arabic studies or something obscure like it. The kids from poorer schools might get some help.

Edit: They ask AAA for Arabic.

Yeah, they both ask for at least AAA for every course. Think you may have to admit defeat on that point.

Reply 117