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Should I go into law or medicine?
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Original post by Etomidate
Kind of, but yes. So quoting £22k is a little misleading.
All I was doing was quoting the basic salary (and also adding circa) from the website. Sorry for any confusion
Original post by Howard
Surgeons and lawyers that senior partners in major law firms are exceptions. It's granted that anybody at the top of either the medical or legal profession can make millions.
But, if we compare an average family doctor with an average high street solicitor I'd think that the quack comes out ahead.
But, if we compare an average family doctor with an average high street solicitor I'd think that the quack comes out ahead.
But like the person said above what you just wrote about junior doctors etc. Exactly what I am thinking. It's gonna take ages for you to be earning that much and the news does over exaggerate the amount of money doctors get mostly because they are respected a lot.
I am not saying doctors wont get bad pay I am saying they'll only be comfortable and probs won't be that well off.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Jeena_hunt5476
But like the person said above what you just wrote about junior doctors etc. Exactly what I am thinking. It's gonna take ages for you to be earning that much and the news does over exaggerate the amount of money doctors get mostly because they are respected a lot.
I am not saying doctors wont get bad pay I am saying they'll only be comfortable and probs won't be that well off.
Posted from TSR Mobile
I am not saying doctors wont get bad pay I am saying they'll only be comfortable and probs won't be that well off.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Just read this and wtf am I even trying to say! It doesn't even make sense lookl
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Jeena_hunt5476
Just read this and wtf am I even trying to say! It doesn't even make sense lookl
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Lool*
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by surina16
I feel like lots of people only take into account money and prestige :/
agreed.
Law has more opportunities to progress and reach the top, whereas medicine tends to plateau.
Original post by Jeena_hunt5476
But like the person said above what you just wrote about junior doctors etc. Exactly what I am thinking. It's gonna take ages for you to be earning that much and the news does over exaggerate the amount of money doctors get mostly because they are respected a lot.
I am not saying doctors wont get bad pay I am saying they'll only be comfortable and probs won't be that well off.
Posted from TSR Mobile
I am not saying doctors wont get bad pay I am saying they'll only be comfortable and probs won't be that well off.
Posted from TSR Mobile
I think that's a middle class problem tbh. Nobody is that well off these days. The local doctor, dentist, and solicitor used to live in rambling old houses on the edge of town; now they live in a terrace like everybody else.
Law. If you are smart then you can do much better than a Doctor.
If you do Medicine then you are looking at least 2 years extra studying Plus paying thousands for your own training.
My advice would be stay away.
If you do Medicine then you are looking at least 2 years extra studying Plus paying thousands for your own training.
My advice would be stay away.
(edited 8 years ago)
You can listen to all the doo-dah and disagreement between people here with clearly strong-minded views, but ultimately it's your decision @bubitom. You need to do more work exp and general reading around both subjects to get an idea of what they are about. You are clearly not going to dive into a degree because someone on TSR told you so, so I would consult your careers advisor/form tutor at your school and do the things I mentioned previously. Although it does seem like you are enjoying your subjects linked to law a little more - so I would tend to suggest that you should look down that avenue first.
I don't know if anyone has suggested this, but best thing is to do work experience in both and see which you prefer. With IB, you have to take a mixture of subjects right?
So either way you'd be able to apply to either law or medicine when the time comes for you to decide. With Law you don't need specific subjects for uni (unlike medicine), but either way with IB due to the fact you have to take what is it 6 or 7? you'll be covered anyways.
And then decide on which you genuinely enjoy, I know people who are doctors who say the pay isn't that great for the job they do BUT they love it and wouldn't change it for the world. I also know some who have actually dropped out and switched to law! I also know of some lawyers who after 8 years at a magic circle firm are getting bored and others who love it!
So really depends on if you like the work or not. So really, just do some experience, even if you can't get work exp in a hops, do it in a healthcare environment and see if you like the feel etc. With both fields, there is a chance to switch the line of work you're in if you really wanted to and so there will always be work (for example going from a commercial lawyer to a family lawyer, or from a A+E dr to a cardiologist etc).
Either way, good luck!
So either way you'd be able to apply to either law or medicine when the time comes for you to decide. With Law you don't need specific subjects for uni (unlike medicine), but either way with IB due to the fact you have to take what is it 6 or 7? you'll be covered anyways.
And then decide on which you genuinely enjoy, I know people who are doctors who say the pay isn't that great for the job they do BUT they love it and wouldn't change it for the world. I also know some who have actually dropped out and switched to law! I also know of some lawyers who after 8 years at a magic circle firm are getting bored and others who love it!
So really depends on if you like the work or not. So really, just do some experience, even if you can't get work exp in a hops, do it in a healthcare environment and see if you like the feel etc. With both fields, there is a chance to switch the line of work you're in if you really wanted to and so there will always be work (for example going from a commercial lawyer to a family lawyer, or from a A+E dr to a cardiologist etc).
Either way, good luck!
Serious answer:
You need to get experience of both, especially medicine. Plus ideally some other stuff too as you are clearly just opting for things that other people have told you are "prestigious". You'll spend half your waking life doing the job that you pick - you need to do what you want to do not what other people tell you you should.
My insight from medicine: Firstly, the location. You are required to rotate around different hospitals, which can very far apart, hundreds of miles in some cases, up to every 6 months. You either have to have brutal commutes* or move across the country yearly or more right up until your mid thirties or later.
Secondly: the shifts. Working random shifts is tough. NHS rotas don't give a **** about you - you'll work shifts completely out of sync with the rest of the world and weekends and nights with no kind of regularity. In many cases your only even told your shift a month or less in advance. That might not sound bad now, but try getting your child to school for 0800 when you have to be at work for 0730. Try getting a babysitter to cover Saturday and Sunday night 1500-0300. And annual leave? Often that's scheduled with no negotiation so forget about ever planning to do anything ever. Combined with the first point, keeping friends is a struggle. Having relationships even more so. Having a family under the new contract? I'm not sure how anyone is going to do it.
I'm not saying don't do medicine - the day to day job is very varied and it is well paid no matter what people say. But it comes at a huge cost - be sure its all deeply considered before making any decisions. And don't brush aside things like how having a family will work - it will be important to you some day.
*Doctors have substantially higher car insurance costs because we crash and die on long drives after night shifts so often.
You need to get experience of both, especially medicine. Plus ideally some other stuff too as you are clearly just opting for things that other people have told you are "prestigious". You'll spend half your waking life doing the job that you pick - you need to do what you want to do not what other people tell you you should.
My insight from medicine: Firstly, the location. You are required to rotate around different hospitals, which can very far apart, hundreds of miles in some cases, up to every 6 months. You either have to have brutal commutes* or move across the country yearly or more right up until your mid thirties or later.
Secondly: the shifts. Working random shifts is tough. NHS rotas don't give a **** about you - you'll work shifts completely out of sync with the rest of the world and weekends and nights with no kind of regularity. In many cases your only even told your shift a month or less in advance. That might not sound bad now, but try getting your child to school for 0800 when you have to be at work for 0730. Try getting a babysitter to cover Saturday and Sunday night 1500-0300. And annual leave? Often that's scheduled with no negotiation so forget about ever planning to do anything ever. Combined with the first point, keeping friends is a struggle. Having relationships even more so. Having a family under the new contract? I'm not sure how anyone is going to do it.
I'm not saying don't do medicine - the day to day job is very varied and it is well paid no matter what people say. But it comes at a huge cost - be sure its all deeply considered before making any decisions. And don't brush aside things like how having a family will work - it will be important to you some day.
*Doctors have substantially higher car insurance costs because we crash and die on long drives after night shifts so often.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by nexttime
Serious answer:
You need to get experience of both, especially medicine. Plus ideally some other stuff too as you are clearly just opting for things that other people have told you are "prestigious". You'll spend half your waking life doing the job that you pick - you need to do what you want to do not what other people tell you you should.
My insight from medicine: Firstly, the location. You are required to rotate around different hospitals, which can very far apart, hundreds of miles in some cases, up to every 6 months. You either have to have brutal commutes* or move across the country yearly or more right up until your mid thirties or later.
Secondly: the shifts. Working random shifts is tough. NHS rotas don't give a **** about you - you'll work shifts completely out of sync with the rest of the world and weekends and nights with no kind of regularity. In many cases your only even told your shift a month or less in advance. That might not sound bad now, but try getting your child to school for 0800 when you have to be at work for 0730. Try getting a babysitter to cover Saturday and Sunday night 1500-0300. And annual leave? Often that's scheduled with no negotiation so forget about ever planning to do anything ever. Combined with the first point, keeping friends is a struggle. Having relationships even more so. Having a family under the new contract? I'm not sure how anyone is going to do it.
I'm not saying don't do medicine - the day to day job is very varied and it is well paid no matter what people say. But it comes at a huge cost - be sure its all deeply considered before making any decisions. And don't brush aside things like how having a family will work - it will be important to you some day.
*Doctors have substantially higher car insurance costs because we crash and die on long drives after night shifts so often.
You need to get experience of both, especially medicine. Plus ideally some other stuff too as you are clearly just opting for things that other people have told you are "prestigious". You'll spend half your waking life doing the job that you pick - you need to do what you want to do not what other people tell you you should.
My insight from medicine: Firstly, the location. You are required to rotate around different hospitals, which can very far apart, hundreds of miles in some cases, up to every 6 months. You either have to have brutal commutes* or move across the country yearly or more right up until your mid thirties or later.
Secondly: the shifts. Working random shifts is tough. NHS rotas don't give a **** about you - you'll work shifts completely out of sync with the rest of the world and weekends and nights with no kind of regularity. In many cases your only even told your shift a month or less in advance. That might not sound bad now, but try getting your child to school for 0800 when you have to be at work for 0730. Try getting a babysitter to cover Saturday and Sunday night 1500-0300. And annual leave? Often that's scheduled with no negotiation so forget about ever planning to do anything ever. Combined with the first point, keeping friends is a struggle. Having relationships even more so. Having a family under the new contract? I'm not sure how anyone is going to do it.
I'm not saying don't do medicine - the day to day job is very varied and it is well paid no matter what people say. But it comes at a huge cost - be sure its all deeply considered before making any decisions. And don't brush aside things like how having a family will work - it will be important to you some day.
*Doctors have substantially higher car insurance costs because we crash and die on long drives after night shifts so often.
Are you a medic? This is no encouragement....
Original post by Funky_Giraffe
Are you a medic? This is no encouragement....
I am.
Just being honest.
Original post by nexttime
I am.
Just being honest.
Just being honest.
There's so much that's good about medicine. What you have just said is an incredibly cynical outlook. I mean, people tried to put me off but not to the levels you have. There must be a reason why you decided to do medicine (unless you're regretting it). I would have thought your job as a medical student would be to promote the career to others in a realistic way, not shattering their views. And as a medical student, you are a role model and a teacher for others. It's like you're out there to scar people.
Even if it's being honest, I wouldn't go on to people who were considering dentistry that it has the highest suicide rates. It's just not encouraging at all.
Anyway, rant over.
Original post by Funky_Giraffe
There's so much that's good about medicine. What you have just said is an incredibly cynical outlook. I mean, people tried to put me off but not to the levels you have. There must be a reason why you decided to do medicine (unless you're regretting it). I would have thought your job as a medical student would be to promote the career to others in a realistic way, not shattering their views. And as a medical student, you are a role model and a teacher for others. It's like you're out there to scar people.
Even if it's being honest, I wouldn't go on to people who were considering dentistry that it has the highest suicide rates. It's just not encouraging at all.
Anyway, rant over.
Even if it's being honest, I wouldn't go on to people who were considering dentistry that it has the highest suicide rates. It's just not encouraging at all.
Anyway, rant over.
My friends who are doctos say the exact same thing as he does when I ask them how it's going. After they've said all this, that's when they finally go 'Oh but the job is enjoyable/worthy' etc. I think in uni it's completely different to actually being a doctor and progressing- this is just the impression I got.
It doesn't necessarily mean medicine is bad, but the way it's/NHS is run and how doctors get treated in this country is making them all feel like this.
Original post by Funky_Giraffe
There's so much that's good about medicine. What you have just said is an incredibly cynical outlook.
The good side is all you will hear as a student.
No one is going to tell you that you are forced to pay for your training and get treated like a Donkey running around at 3am on weekends.
Original post by Funky_Giraffe
There's so much that's good about medicine. What you have just said is an incredibly cynical outlook. I mean, people tried to put me off but not to the levels you have. There must be a reason why you decided to do medicine (unless you're regretting it). I would have thought your job as a medical student would be to promote the career to others in a realistic way, not shattering their views. And as a medical student, you are a role model and a teacher for others. It's like you're out there to scar people.
Even if it's being honest, I wouldn't go on to people who were considering dentistry that it has the highest suicide rates. It's just not encouraging at all.
Anyway, rant over.
Even if it's being honest, I wouldn't go on to people who were considering dentistry that it has the highest suicide rates. It's just not encouraging at all.
Anyway, rant over.
It's a **** job. He's just saying how it is.
Original post by Funky_Giraffe
There's so much that's good about medicine. What you have just said is an incredibly cynical outlook. I mean, people tried to put me off but not to the levels you have. There must be a reason why you decided to do medicine (unless you're regretting it). I would have thought your job as a medical student would be to promote the career to others in a realistic way, not shattering their views. And as a medical student, you are a role model and a teacher for others. It's like you're out there to scar people.
Even if it's being honest, I wouldn't go on to people who were considering dentistry that it has the highest suicide rates. It's just not encouraging at all.
Anyway, rant over.
Even if it's being honest, I wouldn't go on to people who were considering dentistry that it has the highest suicide rates. It's just not encouraging at all.
Anyway, rant over.
You're telling me I'm not allowed state my experience because its too negative? That all i'm allowed to share is the sunshine and butterflies?
Look, I was sharing things that I had not considered before I applied. I felt no need to restate the 'you might make a difference, but the hours are long' part because everyone knows that already. I then concluded that the choice is the applicant's. Most of what I stated wasn't even opinion - the silly shift patterns are a fact. The moving your life around the country is a fact. Facts that a lot of applicants don't realise/go into denial about.
And I'm not going to censor facts because it might put someone off.
(edited 8 years ago)
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