I'm a 2011 medical applicant that no longer wants to do medicine. Help?!
Basically, I have no idea what to do anymore. From a young age all I wanted to go into was medicine etc etc so I did all the work experience and the other requirements to do that. Halfway through year 12 and the start of year 13 I started to feel like it's not actually what I want to do but I put it down to just being a phase etc. Also, i looked at other courses but there was nothing that I could think of to do that I would like more so I just applied to medicine anyway. Now though it's got to a point where I don't even enjoy science any more and I really wish I had taken different A levels except from Economics and Maths. (My A levels are bio, chem, econ, math)
I applied to Oxford, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Birmingham and have an offer for Birmingham and was rejected today by Oxford.
Being rejected made me think about what it would be like at Birmingham next year (as I loved it here on the open day and it is my 2nd choice) and realised I am not in any way looking forward to studying medicine for 5 years, in fact its more like i'm just resigned to do it, like I'm on autopilot. I really do want to go to uni as I actually do like learning, but I genuinely don't think there's a course out there for me.
I was thinking about not accepting my birmingham offer and reapplying next year to a different course but I dont have any clue (still) what course I would like to do and there's the issue of the fees increasing and I really don't want to have to pay the higher fees and have even more student debt.
Should I just accept the choices I've made and carry on or reapply next year, and how do I figure out to what course? I'm really confused about what to do.
I haven't posted this for the 'sympathy' vote, I really could just use some advice. Thanks.
I applied to Oxford, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Birmingham and have an offer for Birmingham and was rejected today by Oxford.
Being rejected made me think about what it would be like at Birmingham next year (as I loved it here on the open day and it is my 2nd choice) and realised I am not in any way looking forward to studying medicine for 5 years, in fact its more like i'm just resigned to do it, like I'm on autopilot. I really do want to go to uni as I actually do like learning, but I genuinely don't think there's a course out there for me.
I was thinking about not accepting my birmingham offer and reapplying next year to a different course but I dont have any clue (still) what course I would like to do and there's the issue of the fees increasing and I really don't want to have to pay the higher fees and have even more student debt.
Should I just accept the choices I've made and carry on or reapply next year, and how do I figure out to what course? I'm really confused about what to do.
I haven't posted this for the 'sympathy' vote, I really could just use some advice. Thanks.
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Maybe it just a temporary feeling. 
I mean you got rejected by Oxford today which was your first choice, you're bound to have some doubts.
There is no need to make a decision in haste, think about it carefully before withdrawing your application. You might regret it later.
Oh and well done for getting the offer from Birmingham.
I mean you got rejected by Oxford today which was your first choice, you're bound to have some doubts.
There is no need to make a decision in haste, think about it carefully before withdrawing your application. You might regret it later.
Oh and well done for getting the offer from Birmingham.
Firstly, its natural to feel like this at some stage during the application cycle and potentially during the degree too. However, given you've said you've been feeling like this for some months now you really need to try and work out if it is just a temporary feeling, such as fear of the unknown and of change, or if this is an indication that medicine isn't for you after all. Either of these options is okay.
Over Christmas give yourself some time to reassess the situation and work out what it is you'd really like to do - you mention wishing you'd picked different A levels, which ones would you have liked to have done? Are maths and economics subjects you'd consider carrying on with at university or are you really more of an arts orientated person? Try and have a proper think about exactly what it is that you'd like to be doing at the moment, whether its A levels or a different course entirely, then where you'd go from there - would it lead to a university degree? if so, which ones? As you may find that these options are still open to you now even though you don't have arts A levels. For most degrees you do not need specific subjects at A level. One way of trying to work out what you'd like to do is looking at medicine and your current subjects to find out what you do and don't like about them - why did you apply for medicine in the first place? was there anything you liked about it, such as the working with people element, or is this something that is a turn off to you? Look for the aspects you're interested in with this degree and subjects, then work out where you can get this aspect from something else as say, teaching, will give you a lot of the same "people" aspects as medicine, just in a different setting. I'm a teacher but I could never be a doctor!
If you do find something of interest to you there is always UCAS Extra. This doesn't start until the end of February so you still have plenty of time to think about things and decide what you'd like to do. You also have the option of contacting your current choices and asking if they will reconsider you for another course, although some might ask that you contact them prior to 15th Jan. I believe this is Edinburgh's policy. In all of these eventualities you will be able to submit a new PS and the universities will understand, people make lots of application changes for a variety of reasons.
Then finally, you have the option of a year out which understandably, you may not wish to get into for financial reasons. However, with a medicine degree you're looking at 5 years (or 6 if you intercalate) of study costing just short of £20,000 with the current fee structure plus say, 5 years of rent and living costs at £5000 a year as a very very minimum cost so you're onto £45,000. If you do a 3 year degree in a different subject with the new fees, you'll be at £27,000 for tuition but only have 3 years of living costs so in actual fact it will work out roughly the same, if not cheaper when you take into account the fact you'll be a graduate and earning a year or two earlier than you would have been with medicine even with a gap year.
If you don't want to do medicine from the outset you will not survive a medicine degree or a career as a doctor, so what will be the point in putting yourself through it all? I have a lot of 5th year medic friends and they're putting themselves through hell at the moment, you have to really really want the final result to get that far in medicine so if you're having doubts at this stage I'd think very seriously about the consequences of just going along with it because you don't have anything else to do. This could leave you with a lot more debt and problems than taking a year out will so you can find out what you'd like to do instead of medicine.
Also remember that saying no to medicine now doesn't close the door completely. Graduate entry medicine is always a route for you regardless of your degree subject because you have the relevant A level subjects at the right grades. It is always something you can come back to later in life if you do decide it is the path you'd like to follow.
Good luck
Over Christmas give yourself some time to reassess the situation and work out what it is you'd really like to do - you mention wishing you'd picked different A levels, which ones would you have liked to have done? Are maths and economics subjects you'd consider carrying on with at university or are you really more of an arts orientated person? Try and have a proper think about exactly what it is that you'd like to be doing at the moment, whether its A levels or a different course entirely, then where you'd go from there - would it lead to a university degree? if so, which ones? As you may find that these options are still open to you now even though you don't have arts A levels. For most degrees you do not need specific subjects at A level. One way of trying to work out what you'd like to do is looking at medicine and your current subjects to find out what you do and don't like about them - why did you apply for medicine in the first place? was there anything you liked about it, such as the working with people element, or is this something that is a turn off to you? Look for the aspects you're interested in with this degree and subjects, then work out where you can get this aspect from something else as say, teaching, will give you a lot of the same "people" aspects as medicine, just in a different setting. I'm a teacher but I could never be a doctor!
If you do find something of interest to you there is always UCAS Extra. This doesn't start until the end of February so you still have plenty of time to think about things and decide what you'd like to do. You also have the option of contacting your current choices and asking if they will reconsider you for another course, although some might ask that you contact them prior to 15th Jan. I believe this is Edinburgh's policy. In all of these eventualities you will be able to submit a new PS and the universities will understand, people make lots of application changes for a variety of reasons.
Then finally, you have the option of a year out which understandably, you may not wish to get into for financial reasons. However, with a medicine degree you're looking at 5 years (or 6 if you intercalate) of study costing just short of £20,000 with the current fee structure plus say, 5 years of rent and living costs at £5000 a year as a very very minimum cost so you're onto £45,000. If you do a 3 year degree in a different subject with the new fees, you'll be at £27,000 for tuition but only have 3 years of living costs so in actual fact it will work out roughly the same, if not cheaper when you take into account the fact you'll be a graduate and earning a year or two earlier than you would have been with medicine even with a gap year.
If you don't want to do medicine from the outset you will not survive a medicine degree or a career as a doctor, so what will be the point in putting yourself through it all? I have a lot of 5th year medic friends and they're putting themselves through hell at the moment, you have to really really want the final result to get that far in medicine so if you're having doubts at this stage I'd think very seriously about the consequences of just going along with it because you don't have anything else to do. This could leave you with a lot more debt and problems than taking a year out will so you can find out what you'd like to do instead of medicine.
Also remember that saying no to medicine now doesn't close the door completely. Graduate entry medicine is always a route for you regardless of your degree subject because you have the relevant A level subjects at the right grades. It is always something you can come back to later in life if you do decide it is the path you'd like to follow.
Good luck
What a shame you're feeling like that. I'm not sure what I would do but medicine is nowhere to be if your not 100%sure you want to do it. Get expert advice asap
You're kind of like me. In fact, almost the same. I didn't apply to do Medicine at Oxford, I applied for Human Sciences which is what I really want to do but it's hardly offered anywhere annnnd I got rejected. I'll probably try Extra ans I know this sounds trivial but, are there any top unis in extra? I worked really hard last year to get the grades and I feel it would be a waste if I didn't use them 
I think I might look into this UCAS Extra thing and see if I can find something I might like to do this year, that sounds like a really good idea. If not, I really want to take a gap year and figure out what I want and even though I can see the logic behind the overall money thing I'm not sure if my parents will see it that way, hopefully though
I'm thinking something either along the economics route, or law. I know they're both completely different but I do really like economics at school, and I debate and stuff and think I could stand my own ground in corporate law or something. Something my friends have said is to just stick out the 5 years, look at it as any other degree, not a vocational course and then when I'm done just to do a conversion course and work in whatever job I would like to then, but I'm not sure if thats a really good idea or a really silly one? Like surely its just adding extra years of studying a degree for a job I don't want to have to then have a complete career change to somewhere I could have ended up with a three year course not five. :/ but on the other hand, even though I don't like it I know I'm good at science etc and it would be less of a risk to do it that way because I would honestly have no idea where to start if I reapplied next year and I can imagine it to be quite daunting without the help of my school.
Hmmm, looks like I have a lot to think about, and quickly! Haha.
I'm thinking something either along the economics route, or law. I know they're both completely different but I do really like economics at school, and I debate and stuff and think I could stand my own ground in corporate law or something. Something my friends have said is to just stick out the 5 years, look at it as any other degree, not a vocational course and then when I'm done just to do a conversion course and work in whatever job I would like to then, but I'm not sure if thats a really good idea or a really silly one? Like surely its just adding extra years of studying a degree for a job I don't want to have to then have a complete career change to somewhere I could have ended up with a three year course not five. :/ but on the other hand, even though I don't like it I know I'm good at science etc and it would be less of a risk to do it that way because I would honestly have no idea where to start if I reapplied next year and I can imagine it to be quite daunting without the help of my school.
Hmmm, looks like I have a lot to think about, and quickly! Haha.
This sounds like how my brother felt about studying medicine. He was at St Andrews for a year, but then he left. If there's any way to change your course, do it. You really shouldn't start your course if you don't want to do it, you'll just make yourself miserable.
Original post by kanikaaa
Original post by kanikaaa
I think I might look into this UCAS Extra thing and see if I can find something I might like to do this year, that sounds like a really good idea. If not, I really want to take a gap year and figure out what I want and even though I can see the logic behind the overall money thing I'm not sure if my parents will see it that way, hopefully though
Well it'll be a case of explaining it all to them and surely they won't want to see you signing up to spend 5 or 6 years doing something you don't want to do just because it might save you literally a couple of thousands of pounds in the long run? Which as I said it won't as you'd have been earning in the extra years you have left from not doing medicine.
I'm thinking something either along the economics route, or law. I know they're both completely different but I do really like economics at school, and I debate and stuff and think I could stand my own ground in corporate law or something.
If you move quickly you may be able to convince your choices to reconsider you for economics or law this year, providing you apply to non LNAT universities for the law side of things. This is particularly true if you haven't recieved replies back for all of your choices, if you have had a reply it will be hard/impossible to get them to reconsider you but if you have had a reply this is something you can try. When you contact them you'd need to provide a new personal statement that focused totally on the new subject and like I said, you'd probably need to do it before the 15th Jan.
Otherwise, like we've said, extra is an option available to you when again, you can write a new PS. There were a number of very good law universities available last year I seem to recall but you need to get in contact with the universities as soon as the places come available so if you do decide to take a look there it'd be advisable to get a PS written before hand that you can then alter slightly to reflect the course.
Something my friends have said is to just stick out the 5 years, look at it as any other degree, not a vocational course and then when I'm done just to do a conversion course and work in whatever job I would like to then, but I'm not sure if thats a really good idea or a really silly one? Like surely its just adding extra years of studying a degree for a job I don't want to have to then have a complete career change to somewhere I could have ended up with a three year course not five. :/ but on the other hand, even though I don't like it I know I'm good at science etc and it would be less of a risk to do it that way because I would honestly have no idea where to start if I reapplied next year and I can imagine it to be quite daunting without the help of my school.
I would not advise this, at all. Like I said before, I am not a medic myself but some of my best friends are final year Edinburgh medics at the moment. It is not the type of course where you can go into it not wanting to do it and have the final result, particularly in the later years. From 3rd year onwards, you lose all of your summer holiday bar a couple of weeks and can be placed hours away from where your university actually is based and they may expect you to commute there each day. One of my friends was commuting two hours each way to her GP placement this year. I fail to see how or even why you'd put yourself through it if you didn't want to be a doctor. Medics work a lot harder than other students in their first year particularly meaning I think you'd struggle if you really wished you were studying something else. Like I said, I'm a teacher and on my graduate course there are a couple of people who don't want to be teachers and are just doing it because they can't think of anything else to do. These people are failing their placements and probably will be kicked off the course if they don't drop out soon. I don't mean to scare you, but if you're going into it with the attitude of "well I'll just treat it like a normal degree" then you shouldn't do it because you can't treat it like a normal degree as it is not one, its vocational and it will be hard.
In terms of your application next year, your school will probably let you apply via them in the same way as you did this year or you can apply as an independent candidate. We offer more than enough help, support and guidance on TSR for you to complete and be successful in an application without the help of your school
Hmmm, looks like I have a lot to think about, and quickly! Haha.
Original post by Vazzyb
Did u feel that medicine was your best route to Oxbridge?
no no not at all, it was never about oxbridge, i only decided to apply there last minute, and it was more to see if I could get in and because school had advised me to, then anything else. silly reasons really.
I applied to medicine because it was what I had always wanted to do and when I started to feel like I didn't want to do it anymore I applied anyway just thinking it was a phase.
I only mentioned it in the first post because it was what made me think about studying medicine full stop, whether it was at Oxford or not because when I was rejected I was slightly relieved that I wouldn't be studying medicine for 6 years, and that if anything it would be 5.
Original post by drdre
show off gtfo ppl r killing themselves to get a place
not really though, it was more then that, i'm just trying to keep my posts short. don't get me wrong once i had decided to apply and when i did go to interview i really liked the place and the format of the interviews, i kind of enjoyed it, but when i got my rejection thats the first time it really hit me that medicine is not what I want to do, i don't mean that i was relieved in a showy offy way.
Original post by drdre
show off gtfo ppl r killing themselves to get a place
Don't be stupid.
Original post by lonely14
Don't be stupid.
no its like saying ive just won the
lottery
but dont want it because i
didnt
win a billion gtfo
Original post by drdre
show off gtfo ppl r killing themselves to get a place
there's no need to be so negative
Go to Birmingham then change course, (think of what to change to over the summer)?
Original post by kanikaaa
no no not at all, it was never about oxbridge, i only decided to apply there last minute, and it was more to see if I could get in and because school had advised me to, then anything else. silly reasons really.
I applied to medicine because it was what I had always wanted to do and when I started to feel like I didn't want to do it anymore I applied anyway just thinking it was a phase.
I only mentioned it in the first post because it was what made me think about studying medicine full stop, whether it was at Oxford or not because when I was rejected I was slightly relieved that I wouldn't be studying medicine for 6 years, and that if anything it would be 5.
I applied to medicine because it was what I had always wanted to do and when I started to feel like I didn't want to do it anymore I applied anyway just thinking it was a phase.
I only mentioned it in the first post because it was what made me think about studying medicine full stop, whether it was at Oxford or not because when I was rejected I was slightly relieved that I wouldn't be studying medicine for 6 years, and that if anything it would be 5.
You might feel that you're wasting someone else's space and that you'll never enjoy it but if you did really want to do all your life, this is just a phase. Once you start on the course, especially where you've got early clinical contact, there's a possibility you might like it again. I wouldn't give up the offer and I wouldn't mess up a bright future for what might be a phase.
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