This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Lawyer or Doctor?

Hello everyone!

I know what you're thinking...two VERY common jobs. But here's my situation:

I'm REALLY good at English and I love History and I also happen to be good at that too so naturally through my first few years at secondary school the ideal career option was a lawyer or something along those Englishy lines? BUT my school doesn't do Law at AS or A2 and I really don't want to change schools for 6th form.

Now I'm getting new ideas about being a GP. I absolutely love Biology and find Chemistry fairly tolerable too so that should really help with studying medicine right?

However I've done my research and a medicine course actually takes 5 years :eek:

3 more than a law one. Now, I'm more than willing to put in the work but at school I'm marginally better at essay work than the Science topics.

So now I'm seriously stuck on what to do...and being the selfish person that I am, money and working hours etc all come into it. :redface:

If anyone is studyding medicine or law at the moment or just has some advice, I'd love to hear from them :biggrin:

Reply 1

Purple

18

You dont need A level Law to do Law at degree level.

Reply 2

Howard

5

Silvertongue

Hello everyone!

I know what you're thinking...two VERY common jobs. But here's my situation:

I'm REALLY good at English and I love History and I also happen to be good at that too so naturally through my first few years at secondary school the ideal career option was a lawyer or something along those Englishy lines? BUT my school doesn't do Law at AS or A2 and I really don't want to change schools for 6th form.

Now I'm getting new ideas about being a GP. I absolutely love Biology and find Chemistry fairly tolerable too so that should really help with studying medicine right?

However I've done my research and a medicine course actually takes 5 years :eek:

3 more than a law one. Now, I'm more than willing to put in the work but at school I'm marginally better at essay work than the Science topics.

So now I'm seriously stuck on what to do...and being the selfish person that I am, money and working hours etc all come into it. :redface:

If anyone is studyding medicine or law at the moment or just has some advice, I'd love to hear from them :biggrin:

If you are nothing else in life be ambitious! Do both! Become a doctor (5 years) and then go to work while studying for an OU degree in law (4 years) followed by taking a year out to do a BVC and then another year for your pupillage (2 years)

11 years from now you could be a qualified doctor and barrister specializing in medical litigation cases. You could achieve all this before you reach 30 if you pushed yourself!

Reply 3

Excalibur

15

Silvertongue

Hello everyone!

I know what you're thinking...two VERY common jobs. But here's my situation:

I'm REALLY good at English and I love History and I also happen to be good at that too so naturally through my first few years at secondary school the ideal career option was a lawyer or something along those Englishy lines? BUT my school doesn't do Law at AS or A2 and I really don't want to change schools for 6th form.

Now I'm getting new ideas about being a GP. I absolutely love Biology and find Chemistry fairly tolerable too so that should really help with studying medicine right?

However I've done my research and a medicine course actually takes 5 years :eek:

3 more than a law one. Now, I'm more than willing to put in the work but at school I'm marginally better at essay work than the Science topics.

So now I'm seriously stuck on what to do...and being the selfish person that I am, money and working hours etc all come into it. :redface:

If anyone is studyding medicine or law at the moment or just has some advice, I'd love to hear from them :biggrin:

Firstly, your school not offering Law A level is not a problem at all. It is not needed for law degrees and some unis even frown upon it. For law you can take any subject combination you want, although a lot of people tend to have at least one essay subject.

Law training probably is shorter than medicine training initially, but if you're aiming for the very best I think it will take quite long too. To go into law you don't necessarily need to have done Law at uni, either - you can do a 1 year (I think) conversion course after you finish your first degree, before you embark on vocational training. So maybe that's one option you could consider. I haven't really researched much about law so can't really speak, though.

Medicine is a long road and very stressful; it's not really something you can enter lightly. You have 5/6 years at medical school, after which you have to do 2 years of foundation training; from there you are looking at ~7 years or so until you become a consultant (depends on speciality & probably shorter for a GP, but everything's changing after the MMC). You have a relatively stable job after you graduate and the pay isn't that bad - but if you consider the stress, the long hours etc the pay isn't fantastic. If you want to do something that pays well, I don't think medicine is an ideal career for you.

I think the best thing you should do is do some work experience in both fields. A lot of people decide against medicine/law after seeing the 'real' side to the job and it will let you take a more informed decision.

Anyway, if I were in your position I'll take something like Biology, Chemistry, English Lit & History/French/Maths/another arts subject. That will keep your options open for both careers.

Reply 4

Melissa85

I'm doing medicine and was once in the same position as you 3 yrs ago - thinking med or law. All I can say is don't do med!!

Reply 5

No Future

17

Melissa85

I'm doing medicine and was once in the same position as you 3 yrs ago - thinking med or law. All I can say is don't do med!!

Why not med? :confused:

Reply 6

ASprinkleOfPixieDust

Actually you do not become a consultant after the 2 years foundation programme after the 5/6 years of med school. From the start of Uni it takes:

At least 12years to reach consultant level

At least 9 years to become a GP

Reply 7

No Future

17

Silvertongue

Hello everyone!

I know what you're thinking...two VERY common jobs. But here's my situation:

I'm REALLY good at English and I love History and I also happen to be good at that too so naturally through my first few years at secondary school the ideal career option was a lawyer or something along those Englishy lines? BUT my school doesn't do Law at AS or A2 and I really don't want to change schools for 6th form.

Now I'm getting new ideas about being a GP. I absolutely love Biology and find Chemistry fairly tolerable too so that should really help with studying medicine right?

However I've done my research and a medicine course actually takes 5 years :eek:

3 more than a law one. Now, I'm more than willing to put in the work but at school I'm marginally better at essay work than the Science topics.

So now I'm seriously stuck on what to do...and being the selfish person that I am, money and working hours etc all come into it. :redface:

If anyone is studyding medicine or law at the moment or just has some advice, I'd love to hear from them :biggrin:

1. You do not need law A Level to get onto a law course
2. Medicine is vast - there's so much more than GP.
3. Well, the med degree is 5/6 yr but law is 3 yr. BUT after an undergrad law degree there is more training/studying to be done, as with med. Both are very long and demanding routes.
4. MONEY: either could be good. Depends what type of doc/lawyer. If you want ££ then corporate law/own firm or set up your own surgery e.g. fertility treatment, plastic surgery... can do well with either dr/lawyer. WORKING HOURS: both are long and stressful, probably more so with dr because people's health and lives are in your hands. AND there's being on call etc.

Surely you don't have to decide NOW? Choose flexible A Levels e.g. chem, bio + English, history and see what you really, really love. Do work experience with drs and lawyers to work out what you'd prefer.

Reply 8

Melissa85

There is no glamour in med atleast there is some in mock glamour in law i.e you'll atleast to still be able to wear heels, people won't spewing their guts over your new suit.

Reply 9

Realist101

13

Med is not exactly easy to get into, i have a friend: best grades, best work exp(uch hospital), great ec's, very good all round. Rejected from all 4 places for medicinge.

Law you just need logical thinking, coupled with the ability to articulate your point clearly and effectively. Stellar grades are necessary as well to get you into the best law school.

With regards to both jobs, the right attitude and personality are factors which can possibly determine how good your career will be.

Reply 10

Phil.Murray

2

I'd say law and medicine are both as difficult to get onto. However, you have less probability in getting on to a Medicine degree due to the fact that you can only select 4 choices.

Reply 11

Abra

14

Medicine and Law are too competitive for my liking. I would do an academic degree, such as Chemistry/Physics/Maths, and then Medicine or Law (or whatever else is in your mind.)

Reply 12

ChemistBoy

16

Remember that as a graduate you will be able to train as a lawyer in two years (only one year more than those with a law degree). Don't do medicine if you have only an academic interest in the subject because they are training you to be a doctor not someone who knows about medical science.

My advice would be make a choice between law undergrad and the biological sciences. My further advice would be to do biological sciences and then you can retrain as a lawyer and earn lots of money doing intellectual property for biotech firms.

Reply 13

No Future

17

phil_m88

I'd say law and medicine are both as difficult to get onto. However, you have less probability in getting on to a Medicine degree due to the fact that you can only select 4 choices.

Well not necessarily. Just because you can apply for more places at different unis, it doesn't mean you're necessarily more likely to get in.

e.g. if you're a crappy candidate, applying to more places won't make it any more likely you'll get it.

It depends what competition you're up against that year, who is on the panel etc. Numbers don't tell the whole truth. Plus, everyone applying for med can only put 4 down. Law is more widely offered than med anyway.

Also - whilst medical degrees are unclassed and generally accepted as A MEDICAL DEGREE, law degrees vary in grading AND the presitge of your university matters much more than in medicine. With medicine, a medical degree is a medical degree even if from a less prestigious uni. Admittedly having a med degree from say Oxbridge is a plus and employers would probably look favourably on it. However in law, unless you have a law degree from a top uni it is not necessarily as easy to get into the best jobs. Getting any place for law or any place for medicine are not the same.

e.g. Medicine offers are AAA/AAB everywhere, whilst law ranges from AAA to BBB to...lower? There is more variation in law.

Reply 14

No Future

17

Abra

Medicine and Law are too competitive for my liking. I would do an academic degree, such as Chemistry/Physics/Maths, and then Medicine or Law (or whatever else is in your mind.)

How is that a less competitive route? From what I have read, if anything it is even harder to get into medicine as a graduate than as a school leaver. Plus, think of the costs!

Reply 15

No Future

17

ChemistBoy

do biological sciences and then you can retrain as a lawyer and earn lots of money doing intellectual property for biotech firms.

You knew my plan? :biggrin:

Reply 16

blah_blah

People...people....it is much harder to get into medicine than it is to get into law...for starters u don't need interviews for law...in most unis...those medicine interviews are really hard to pass!!...Boils down to how well u can do the sciences me thinks...only do med if you good at bio n chem...honestly.

Reply 17

ChemistBoy

16

blah_blah

People...people....it is much harder to get into medicine than it is to get into law...for starters u don't need interviews for law...in most unis...those medicine interviews are really hard to pass!!...Boils down to how well u can do the sciences me thinks...only do med if you good at bio n chem...honestly.

Well you've got to sit the LNAT in most places, which I can't see as being any easier than the BMAT. As for interviews there are medical schools that do not interview as well. I think it is probably equally as competitive for both courses.

Reply 18

peachylife

I've not thought about law, but I've had work experience with a GP and it was one of the most fascinating, surreal weeks of my life!! From watching a coil being inserted and going to a mortuary to visiting some delightful elderly patients, it really is interesting. I would say it's more interesting than law, but how would I know? You just definitely need to get some work experience. Plus I think, money should not be your main motivation if you want to be a doctor, there are so many other careers where you earn lots more, much quicker. :smile:

Reply 19

Beenybabe

well im applying for law at the moment, it really doesn't matter that you wont be taking law at a-level, i would advise taking a good mix of subjects at a-level if you cant yet decide in either direction take bio and chem then your 2 favourite "englishy" subjects, whichever route you choose you are going to want excellent GCSE and A-level results because as has been said before the uni you go to can have effect on later career options but it isn't the be all and end all - after your 3 year degree you will need to do a years professional training - either the LPC (if you want to be a solicitor) or the BVC (if you want to be a barrister) - then either 1 (barrister) or 2 (solicitor) years training in a firm/set before you qualify.

if you prefer/find essay subjects easier that may be something that helps your decision, i think work experience would probably be the best way to get an idea for which route would suit you better

Lawyer or Doctor?

Related discussions

Articles for you