dropping out of medicine

hi,

sorry for another bone-headed thread but I just want to run this past you - at the moment I don't feel I really want to do medicine next year; so I have two options

1. Don't start the course full stop and reapply for something else on the gap year

2. Start the course, apply for something else whilst at med school and drop out if I still feel it isn't for me (giving me the advantage of actually giving med school a shot)

Is there anything wrong with 2 (which seems the better option really) - I would assume it would bar me from being a medical student ever again (because I dropped out)?

thanks in advance

Reply 1

cleverlew

Yeah go with 2, you may enjoy it and then you won't have regrets.

Reply 2

r_n_b_crazi

Why waste government money, your time and have a year's less student finance just so you can avoid having to think up of something to do for a year?

Reply 3

indecisivemedic

OP

3

Original post by r_n_b_crazi

Why waste government money, your time and have a year's less student finance just so you can avoid having to think up of something to do for a year?

I didn't down arrow you.

It's not really a case of having nothing to do - I could find plently of things to do (for a start my girlfriend is taking a year out!) travelling, working and so on.

Reply 4

lekky

19

Why don't you want to do medicine anymore? Do you think that's something that will change if you start a course? What would you instead?

I would bare in mind the fees rising. Could always try clearing/extra.

Reply 5

indecisivemedic

OP

3

Original post by lekky

Why don't you want to do medicine anymore? Do you think that's something that will change if you start a course? What would you instead?

I would bare in mind the fees rising. Could always try clearing/extra.

A variety of reasons really, I sort of want different things out of a university/ university course, plus I'm not really sure I'm ready to commit to a vocation at 18.

I have a few courses that I would be interested in applying to but the fee rise is a massive bugger.

Reply 6

elmoro47

wow im sure theres alot of people out there that would bite your hand off for the chance to take your place at medical school

but at the end of the day i think its all about doing something ur interested in so u dont sound commited enough to me to study medicine so i would say do some thing u really want to do and would enjoy

good luck with whatever you decide to do :smile:

Reply 7

junior.doctor

18

From what I have understood there are a lot of universities that won't accept applicants who have ever studied medicine before (whether that's due to dropping out or failing). If you think there are reasons why you might drop out next year but then want to come back to it later on then do think this through carefully / get a few definite replies from unis on this. I know of people I did first year medicine with who decided at the end of first that medicine wasn't for them and did internal transfers to other courses within the uni (starting again at year 1).

Reply 8

indecisivemedic

OP

3

Original post by elmoro47

wow im sure theres alot of people out there that would bite your hand off for the chance to take your place at medical school

but at the end of the day i think its all about doing something ur interested in so u dont sound commited enough to me to study medicine so i would say do some thing u really want to do and would enjoy

good luck with whatever you decide to do :smile:

thanks, I appreciate that I am in a privileged position - hence why I am probably going to give medical school a shot.

Reply 9

No Future

17

Original post by indecisivemedic

A variety of reasons really, I sort of want different things out of a university/ university course, plus I'm not really sure I'm ready to commit to a vocation at 18.

I have a few courses that I would be interested in applying to but the fee rise is a massive bugger.

Sure, but does that actually mean you don't want to be a doctor?

I'm sure many medics here had (or even still have) a variety of courses they'd be interested in applying to.

Your time and money are not unlimited.

You may have other interests, but at the end of the day do you want to be a doctor or not?

If you didn't do medicine, what would you study and would you regret not having studied medicine?

Having occasional doubts is normal throughout medical school and beyond.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 10

Limitless

Just out of curiosity what made you suddenly think that medical school isn't for you?

Reply 11

Warrior King

17

Original post by indecisivemedic

hi,

sorry for another bone-headed thread but I just want to run this past you - at the moment I don't feel I really want to do medicine next year; so I have two options

1. Don't start the course full stop and reapply for something else on the gap year

2. Start the course, apply for something else whilst at med school and drop out if I still feel it isn't for me (giving me the advantage of actually giving med school a shot)

Is there anything wrong with 2 (which seems the better option really) - I would assume it would bar me from being a medical student ever again (because I dropped out)?

thanks in advance

Have you already done your A-levels yet? If not then really you should be focussing your thoughts and energy into getting the grade because if you don't get the grades (or a good set of grades) you may hinder your chances of getting a place on another good course or at a good university etc.

If you do have the grades then well done, that's one hurdle down. It's completely natural to have second thoughts. I've been at this for four years and every morning I still have second thoughts but I'd say I've become increasingly cynical as time goes by. Although when it came to getting ready to go to uni I suddenly decided I didn't want to go (and all hell broke lose at home especially with my dad i.e. what a waste of private school fees etc lol).

Even during the first year I had my doubts mainly because of the location and people said various things. Some said leave now, others said stick it out for at least a year. I decided that if I had left early (i.e. during first term) that would have not been long enough to make an informed decision. So I said to myself if I were to fail the first year that would mean this was not for me and I would leave. Thankfully I passed year one and I then realised over that year whilst the location and course style didn't exactly suit me, this was the career/degree I wanted to do and if that was the case this was the only place where that was going to happen.

Don't forget not everyone who does Medicine starts off with a career path firmly set in their mind. Some will chop and change whilst others may well decide at the end of it that they want to go and do soemthing completely different; Medicine opens up so many career paths it really is amazing.

So I would say give it at least 6 months - 1 full academic year and if you still hate it and/or perhaps results may not be going so well then take a step back and decide there and then if it is for you. If you were to walk away now without at least giving it a try you may well be kicking yourself.

Do the right thing (i.e. what makes you happy). :wink:

kill them all

Original post by neonlights

well medicine is a very full-on course. if your not 100% sure and passionate about it, its likely that youll drop out sooner or later anyway.
But i would kill to be in your position so at least give it a shot - not TOO much to lose

I wouldn't say you had to be 100% passionate about it. I mean if you're dead set on becoming a plastic surgeon then you may well find radiology or paeds about as entertaining as being attacked by a cactus. Believe me there have plenty of times where I have been bored senseless because the particular placement/pathway is definately one I do not want to pursue as a career. However, it is a part of the course and therefore a compulsory element so you just have to grit your teeth and enjoy it or pretend/attempt to enjoy it and complete the assignments on time.

But it is certainly full-on and nobody should be expecting this to be a knitting close or feeding ducks down by the river (although that is a nice activity on a pleasant spring day).

Reply 14

indecisivemedic

OP

3

Original post by neonlights

well medicine is a very full-on course. if your not 100% sure and passionate about it, its likely that youll drop out sooner or later anyway.
But i would kill to be in your position so at least give it a shot - not TOO much to lose

I'm not sure anybody remotely realistic about medicine can be "100% sure and passionate".

Original post by Warrior King

x

thanks that was a really great post - I am doing A2 exams at the moment - so 100% my first priority is those, and mull all this over in the long summer inbetween the last exam and medical school.

Original post by Limitless

Just out of curiosity what made you suddenly think that medical school isn't for you?

Medical School studying seems more of a means to an end rather than studying for actual academic interest - I'm not sure I want my degree to simply be memorising reems of facts, simply to be a doctor. Which leads me onto the point of actual doctoring - I'm not sure I actually want to be a doctor - which would make the whole venture of memorising lists and reems of dry facts even more disheartening.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 15

hslt

12

Original post by indecisivemedic

hi,

sorry for another bone-headed thread but I just want to run this past you - at the moment I don't feel I really want to do medicine next year; so I have two options

1. Don't start the course full stop and reapply for something else on the gap year

2. Start the course, apply for something else whilst at med school and drop out if I still feel it isn't for me (giving me the advantage of actually giving med school a shot)

Is there anything wrong with 2 (which seems the better option really) - I would assume it would bar me from being a medical student ever again (because I dropped out)?

thanks in advance

Start the course, see if you like it, change to something else if you don't!

Most unis will let you change courses while you're there...

Reply 16

Fission_Mailed

15

Original post by neonlights

well medicine is a very full-on course. if your not 100% sure and passionate about it, its likely that youll drop out sooner or later anyway.

Really? Damn. :frown:

Reply 17

Beska

21

Original post by Fission_Mailed

Really? Damn. :frown:

Time to sign onto the dole, old chap.

Reply 18

resortini

11

Original post by Fission_Mailed

Really? Damn. :frown:

That's bull how you need to be passionate about it, loads of doctors I know couldn't care less, and honestly said they are doing it because they didn't know what else to do :cool: