Post graduate medicine accelerated course.

I want to become a doctor. So my current plan is, so a foundation year in Law at Essex University. Then study a three year degree in psychology at a prospective university. After that I want to apply to study post grad medicine. What is the best university to go to for this. It needs to have a course which allows for a non science degree for entrance.

Reply 1

Duncan2012

Is there a particular reason you intend spending four years of time, money and effort on something that seems totally unnecessary? What qualifications do you have?

Reply 2

geniusiq139

I want to become a doctor, and to specialise in psychiatry. I don’t see why a 4 year degree is unnecessary. If that is what I want to be doing until I retire, then it seems sensible to invest the time to studying.

Reply 3

Duncan2012

Original post by geniusiq139

How exactly do you think a foundation year of law and an undergrad degree in psychology will help you become a psychiatrist?

Reply 4

geniusiq139

Because you can get onto a graduate medicine program without a background in science. The medicine degree will prepare me for psychiatry. As will the psychology in fact.

Reply 5

Ryan_Clarke

I question the Foundation year in Law too? Makes no sense. Just go straight for the psyc

Reply 6

geniusiq139

When I applied I wanted to do Law so I could become a mental health solicitor, so that I could work within psychiatry, because I thought it would take too long to become a doctor, since I would have to do it post grad.

But since then I have decided that I would rather spend an extra few years in study and actually train to become a doctor, then to save a little time, and work a job that I don’t want to do as much.

So I figure, as I’m already accepted onto law. I will just do that for a year since I interested in it (and to widen my horizons). Then I will will switch to psychology, and then medicine.

Simple. No?

Reply 7

Duncan2012

Original post by geniusiq139

Because you can get onto a graduate medicine program without a background in science. The medicine degree will prepare me for psychiatry. As will the psychology in fact.

Have you actually researched how to become a psychiatrist?

Reply 8

geniusiq139

Yes I have researched how to become a psychiatrist. And so have a lot of experience in psychiatry already, which is now come I’m so sure that I wish to become one.

And I don’t have science A-Levels, so I can’t apply for the standard 5 year course in medicine.

Reply 9

geniusiq139

Foundation courses for medicine are for students who took science A-levels but didn’t get the required grades to do medicine straight off. So a student for example getting BBC in Maths, chemistry and biology.

I however didn’t take science A levels. Well, I took History, Spanish and Maths.

Reply 10

geniusiq139

I think I’ve seen these courses actually, and I reasoned that it would only save me a year. And by studying psychology for three years, I would be able to only study medicine for 4. I am mostly interested in the mental health side of things, so psychology and psychiatry. So I reasoned that I would be more relevant to my interests if I did the way that I mentioned. Thank you for posting that though. I had actually forgotten about these courses; I may be interested in doing it this route when I come to apply. Not 100% sure yet.

Reply 11

geniusiq139

I don’t see how I’m all over the place. Yes many different subjects, but it all makes sense lol.

Reply 12

Dr Otter

Original post by geniusiq139

The A104 courses @Itsmith posted about sound to be your best option. They're for people with good A Levels but not enough science subjects. Plus from their stats it seems there's 6-10 applications per place, for graduate medicine this figure is 30-50 per place. Also an undergraduate in psychology isnt a massive boost to becoming a psychiatrist and may hinder your chances in applying for graduate medicine. Most people are applying with bioscience-like degrees with a strong foundation of biology and chemistry (Something you really need as a psychiatrist as the big difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist is the ability to prescribe drugs). This biology and chemistry background is required for a lot of grad med courses so with psychology your options would be quite limited.