The Student Room Group

5th Choice as Natural Science in Cambridge?

--
(edited 7 years ago)
Don't do medicine if you don't want to do it. Its so different to what you want to do, taking you down an entirely different career route. You have to deal with so much **** ... any body fluid you can imagine, patients who haven't washed for weeks, a government that thinks very little of you, is incrementally cutting pay and wants to replace you with a bunch of protocols anyway... that doing it when you don't even want to be there in the first place? Its not going to end well. For your patients, who will be relying on you, or for yourself.

They're your parents but they're also ruining your entire future. For what, because they think you'll be happier with some kind of 'status', so that you can feel somehow 'better' than others (remember that when you're sticking your finger up an 85 year old man's anus at 4am)? Or... is it so they can feel good about themselves?
Reply 2
--
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by axccl389
Thanks for the reply... but my parents are really strict and if I don't wanna have the burden of tens of thousand of pound of student loans and having no activity in uni I really have to 'obey' them.


You categorically do not have to 'obey' anyone. Student loans are worth the rest of your life.

Main point though, is it possible for me to put NatSci in Cambridge as my 5th choice and is there anything in particular I should do to increase my chance of getting accepted so I won't need to do medicine and still not piss off my parents?


The only thing I would say is to make it clear in your 'alternative' personal statement that NatSci would be your 1st choice ahead of medicine. They'll be used to a few jokers using it as a 'backup' - I think that despite the importance the personal statement lacks at oxbridge, making that clear would give them a far more favourable impression of you.

To be fair, if you get into medicine there are ways out of being a doctor. Focusing on the research side of things and trying to get onto a PhD would lead you into a career that's more in line with your current expressed desires.
Don't listen to your parents, go for what you want to do

Honestly, get a student loan and study what you want. You won't have to pay it back until you earn a certain amount anyway.

In terms of the application to NatSci as a fifth option, well, if your personal statement is centred around medicine, then that'll probably put you in a bad position. Put less focus on the medicine side of things

I considered this at the start of the year because my parents were being like yours.
Then I thought **** it, I love the idea of Biochemistry, I'm going to apply for that in all five of my options (one being NatSci).

I wasn't going to waste 5/6 years of my life doing something I never wanted to do.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by nexttime
You categorically do not have to 'obey' anyone. Student loans are worth the rest of your life.

The only thing I would say is to make it clear in your 'alternative' personal statement that NatSci would be your 1st choice ahead of medicine. They'll be used to a few jokers using it as a 'backup' - I think that despite the importance the personal statement lacks at oxbridge, making that clear would give them a far more favourable impression of you.

To be fair, if you get into medicine there are ways out of being a doctor. Focusing on the research side of things and trying to get onto a PhD would lead you into a career that's more in line with your current expressed desires.


Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely keep that in mind :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by enaayrah
Don't listen to your parents, go for what you want to do

Honestly, get a student loan and study what you want. You won't have to pay it back until you earn a certain amount anyway.

In terms of the application to NatSci as a fifth option, well, if your personal statement is centred around medicine, then that'll probably put you in a bad position. Put less focus on the medicine side of things

I considered this at the start of the year because my parents were being like yours.
Then I thought **** it, I love the idea of Biochemistry, I'm going to apply for that in all five of my options (one being NatSci).

I wasn't going to waste 5/6 years of my life doing something I never wanted to do.


Wow its great to hear that someone else was in my exact same position! Did you manage to persuade your parents or just applied for biochem anyways? Just ignoring their stuff seems so freeing but then I also worked my ass off through the whole summer for a nice UKCAT score and giving that up pains me too hahaha

I'll try to have another talk with them to see if they'll change their mind, because as an international student the fees really are sky-high and it'll probably take me more than 10 years to pay it off...

Also, did you manage to get in NatSci in Cambridge or biochem in other uni? How is life over there? :smile:
Original post by axccl389
Wow its great to hear that someone else was in my exact same position! Did you manage to persuade your parents or just applied for biochem anyways? Just ignoring their stuff seems so freeing but then I also worked my ass off through the whole summer for a nice UKCAT score and giving that up pains me too hahaha

I'll try to have another talk with them to see if they'll change their mind, because as an international student the fees really are sky-high and it'll probably take me more than 10 years to pay it off...

Also, did you manage to get in NatSci in Cambridge or biochem in other uni? How is life over there? :smile:


I stood adamant in my decision to apply for biochemistry and they eventually came round :smile:
I also said that, apart from research, there's so many things I can do with that degree, including fast-track graduate medicine, teaching, law, finance, journalism... While a medical degree would take too long and narrow my options

Oh don't worry, I'll be racking up near Β£50k after uni but I'm not worried. I'll pay it back when I'm earning :tongue:

I haven't got into uni yet :colondollar: I'm applying this year, just like yourself
Original post by axccl389
My dream has always been to study pharmacology/biochem and become a researcher but my rather traditional parents are forcing me to do medicine which I'm not too sure is really what I want to do. I've been trying to explain medicine doesn't necessary mean a better and more secure future but they are very insistent since my sister just went off to study physics which already made them feel doubtful...

I'm very sad to give up NatSci but they came to a compromise saying only if I get in Cambridge will be be okay for them and the other 4 choices must be medicine. I can't just ignore them and only apply for sciences since I'm still reliant on their financial support and they are my parents...

Can anyone explain if it's realistic or not? Cambridge says that I can submit another PS and my referee is ok with writing a medicine reference that works for NatSci too. Also I managed to get 95 SUMS.


The Christ's admissions tutor was asked recently about exactly this on a TSR thread. He was very negative about making an offer for Nat Sci to someone with a medicine PS.

OTOH he has previously mentioned that Cambridge's medicine degree is good grounding for a career in research as well as becoming a doctor.
Reply 9
Original post by ageshallnot
The Christ's admissions tutor was asked recently about exactly this on a TSR thread. He was very negative about making an offer for Nat Sci to someone with a medicine PS.

OTOH he has previously mentioned that Cambridge's medicine degree is good grounding for a career in research as well as becoming a doctor.


Thanks for bring the attention to that, I just found that reply and indeed it does seem unlikely I'll get an offer. Hoping I could apply to Edinburgh/Imperial instead then with a change of heart from my stubborn parents, otherwise I'll just apply anyways and hope they understand my sincerity. :redface:
Original post by axccl389
Thanks for bring the attention to that, I just found that reply and indeed it does seem unlikely I'll get an offer. Hoping I could apply to Edinburgh/Imperial instead then with a change of heart from my stubborn parents, otherwise I'll just apply anyways and hope they understand my sincerity. :redface:


One possibility, and this was a long time ago but maybe worth considering, is that when I applied to Nottingham in 2008 I was rejected for medicine but instead they get me 11 alternative offers, including chemistry, biochemistry and biology all +/- years abroad. Maybe its worth checking whether this is still done and, erm, make a deliberate hash of the interview??

Also I agree with the person who suggested using graduate medicine as a negotiating tool - point out its still an option and that having publications experience in research would help with a medical career (which isn't a lie).
Reply 11
Original post by nexttime
One possibility, and this was a long time ago but maybe worth considering, is that when I applied to Nottingham in 2008 I was rejected for medicine but instead they get me 11 alternative offers, including chemistry, biochemistry and biology all +/- years abroad. Maybe its worth checking whether this is still done and, erm, make a deliberate hash of the interview??

Also I agree with the person who suggested using graduate medicine as a negotiating tool - point out its still an option and that having publications experience in research would help with a medical career (which isn't a lie).


Ahh okay that sounds quite useful!

Anyways, I came across an applicant who got in Cambridge NatSci as fifth choice, so I might still have chance for it. I'm most likely taking a gap year anyways because I'm just 17 at the start of the course. But still thank you very much:smile:
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 12
Btw, does anyone know if Cambridge med accepts students under 18? It might be a reason for me to not apply to Cambridge med then hahah
Original post by axccl389
Anyways, I came across an applicant who got in Cambridge NatSci as fifth choice, so I might still have chance for it. I'm most likely taking a gap year anyways because I'm just 17 at the start of the course. But still thank you very much:smile:


I'm surprised such status-driven parents are ok with a gap-year! They do realise that an undergrad science degree then graduate medicine is the same amount of time as a gap year + 6 year med degree right?
Original post by axccl389
Btw, does anyone know if Cambridge med accepts students under 18? It might be a reason for me to not apply to Cambridge med then hahah


It will say on the website
Reply 15
Original post by nexttime
I'm surprised such status-driven parents are ok with a gap-year! They do realise that an undergrad science degree then graduate medicine is the same amount of time as a gap year + 6 year med degree right?


My sister used 7 years for high-school and I only used 6 years so +1 for gap year is an understandable concept haha

Well they never really got the graduate entry medicine thing but personally I'm trying to avoid going onto that path since it's so competitive especially for us international students.
Original post by axccl389
Btw, does anyone know if Cambridge med accepts students under 18? It might be a reason for me to not apply to Cambridge med then hahah


Taken from this website: https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/admissions/handbook/section2/2_6.html

"The legal constraints associated with the Preparing for Patients component of MVST Part 1A mean that Medicine students must, at the very latest, attain the age of 18 by the start of the Lent term of their first year."

Quick Reply

Latest