medicine or no?

Im going into yr 12 and idk if i want pursue medicine. I ended up picking bio chem maths for a levels and im debating between doing finance/accounting in uni or medicine. Being a dr was my dream as a kid but growing up i realised there are so many more career paths out there. I like the idea of being able to help people as a dr but idk if i can commit to the long process. Also my gcse grades weren't absolutely perfect. Any advice?

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 1

TSR Hippocrates

Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

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The "Which Medical School Should I Apply To?" Uberthread
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Medicine A-Level subjects queries
Work Experience and Voluntary Work

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Official Undergraduate Medicine 2023 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2023 Entry
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A100 Medicine for International Students 2023 Entry
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2023 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Index of Individual Medical School Applicants' threads 2023 Entry

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Official Undergraduate Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry
GAMSAT 2024 / 2025 entry discussions megathread
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Graduate Entry Medicine 2025 Entry
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GCSE Requirements for Medicine
Everything you need to know about the BMAT
Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
Medicine Personal Statement Advice
Medicine Personal Statement Advice (Graduate Entry)
Interview Frequently Asked Questions
MMI Medicine Interview Tips
What to do after an unsuccessful first application

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Reply 2

Scotland Yard

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Ecolier, a former user of TSR, would often say something among the lines of that if it's Medicine and something else, choose something else. Medicine is a hard, intense career, 5/6 years of university, plus lots of exams and training afterwards, and being a doctor is a tough job, with lots of unsociable hours, hard work and will take an emotional toll on you. It's madness. You need to be mad to pursue Medicine, and you need to be absolutely sure that there is nothing else you'd rather do.

That being said, if you want to help people, there are always other ways to do that that don't involve Medicine, so you might consider a different career that will allow you to still help people or you might consider pursuing finance, as you currently are, and kindly dedicate some of your time to volunteering!