What are alternatives for medicine

I am currently a year 12 student taking biology, chemistry and maths but I'm not sure if I want to do medicine (mostly because I'm not confident that I will be able to get into medical school) what other degree options do I have? I've been told that people who took biomedical sciences or pharmacy have greatly struggled at being employed because so many people are doing it.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1

lilysilly_5454

14

Original post by tishhha

I am currently a year 12 student taking biology, chemistry and maths but I'm not sure if I want to do medicine (mostly because I'm not confident that I will be able to get into medical school) what other degree options do I have? I've been told that people who took biomedical sciences or pharmacy have greatly struggled at being employed because so many people are doing it.

There's biotechnology and even some engineering degrees like bioengineering i want to say but you can still get into medicine dont give up because your scared of not getting in you just need to apply strategically sounds dumb to say but a lot of people don't.

Reply 2

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

22

Original post by tishhha

I am currently a year 12 student taking biology, chemistry and maths but I'm not sure if I want to do medicine (mostly because I'm not confident that I will be able to get into medical school) what other degree options do I have? I've been told that people who took biomedical sciences or pharmacy have greatly struggled at being employed because so many people are doing it.

I second with @lilysilly_5454; if you're adamant with getting into medicine, apply for medicine.

To answer your question though, you're going to be open to a variety of other degrees because all of the A Levels you chose are required subjects.
In particular, you are able to go into pretty much any area of life sciences e.g. biological sciences, biomed, biochem, vetinary science, zoology, sports science, psychology, etc. You can also go into various areas of healthcare e.g. optometry, dentistry, nursing, paramedic science, pharmacy, etc.
As all the subjects are considered sciences, you can go for degrees that ask for any 2 sciences e.g. geology, environmental sciences.
Then you can do the subjects you studied at A Levels for i.e. biology, chemistry, maths (at mid tier unis or lower)

With maths + 2 random A Levels alone, you can go into:

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CS and software engineering

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Maths (as mentioned above)

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Data science and analysis

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Financial mathematics, actuarial science, financial engineering, finance

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Economics

As you did a science + maths, you can generally go into specific disciplines in engineering i.e. bioengineering and chemical engineering. Other streams of engineering would require physics.

Then you can apply for degrees that accept any subjects so long you have the grades e.g. business, law, philosophy, property, architecture, anthropology, etc.

The specific subjects you won't likely be able to do include:

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some history degrees

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physics and most areas of engineering - you need physics

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some English degrees

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some geography degrees

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degrees with languages

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classics

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maths at top end unis - you need FM

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music

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some art and design degrees

The general rule of thumb is that if you have 3 sciences + maths, you can more or less get into most degree courses out there. Those you can't get into will generally require the single A Level in their own subject as listed above e.g. history for history degrees, English lit for some literature degrees, etc. In other words, your options will allow you to be safe for a number of subjects.

If you're adamant about medicine, stick with medicine and don't think about the above. You need to think that it's the only thing you want to ever do in order to get through the application. It's a competitive degree, so you will need to strive to be the near perfect candidate.

Reply 3

reubenn05

Universities Forum Helper

15

Original post by tishhha

I am currently a year 12 student taking biology, chemistry and maths but I'm not sure if I want to do medicine (mostly because I'm not confident that I will be able to get into medical school) what other degree options do I have? I've been told that people who took biomedical sciences or pharmacy have greatly struggled at being employed because so many people are doing it.

there's nursing and the allied health professions (paramedic, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, dietician etc.) which have a lot of the patient interaction which is similar to medicine. but if you're set on medicine, you should try and apply

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 4

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by tishhha

I am currently a year 12 student taking biology, chemistry and maths but I'm not sure if I want to do medicine (mostly because I'm not confident that I will be able to get into medical school) what other degree options do I have? I've been told that people who took biomedical sciences or pharmacy have greatly struggled at being employed because so many people are doing it.

I mean, within the clinical sphere, dentistry may also be an option. Although it's not less competitive (in fact, it's more competitive to get into the degree), it debatably has a number of benefits relative to medicine in terms of career after you graduate. Optometry may also not be less competitive than medicine (or not significantly less) but also requires good grades in those kinds of subjects and is clinical work.

Outside of clinical stuff within the STEM fields you have basically any bioscience course, any chemistry degree, quite a few other physical science degrees (in the vein of earth/environmental sciences, or materials science), some engineering courses (mostly via foundation year except chemical or biorelated engineering courses). Some maths or CS courses are also options, although lack of FM may limit you on that front. You also have basically every other engineering or physical science course (including physics) if you consider courses with a foundation year)

Otherwise beyond STEM areas (which are worth considering since as research shows, STEM and non-STEM graduates have similar employment outcomes in the long run - basically things converge for both groups within 10 years of graduating - see more here: https://figshare.le.ac.uk/articles/report/The_employment_trajectories_of_Science_Technology_Engineering_and_Mathematics_graduates/10234421), you have the vast majority of courses as options which include many things not available at A-level.

Really it's easier to list off things you might not realistically always have as an option; mainly language degrees (usually require a language, albeit not necessarily the target language; this can be more flexible for non-European languages and ancient language based courses), visual arts degrees (usually require either a visual arts A-level/equivalent subject or art foundation year plus portfolio; you may be able to get onto an art foundation course without having done an A-level in those areas though - you can read more about FAD courses here: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5017684), performing arts courses (often require a related A-level and/or audition), English/comparative literature (usually requires A-level English literature), history (often requires A-level History), or geography (sometimes requires A-level Geography). Most other courses are fair game though, which is quite a range!

In terms of biomedical sciences and employability, you're kind of looking at it the wrong way - graduates usually go into fields unrelated to their degree, and thus employers for those generalist grad schemes usually don't care what subject you are studying. What makes you employable to them is what you do to make yourself employable. Getting work experience, internships, placements, etc, will all make a massive difference and are essential in gaining graduate employment. It's also very desirable to develop relevant transferable skills and experiences through joining and taking on leadership/committee roles in societies etc at uni, as this can help you with graduate employment by giving you ways to showcase your transferable skills in interview, and likewise can help you get the internships and similar you need for that for the same reason. The days of a degree leading to a job are long gone except for medicine and are not going to return - people need to adjust their expectations that a piece of paper saying you sat a bunch of exams is by itself not sufficient and is in fact usually just a checkbox part of the application.

For pharmacy specifically the picture is a little more complex, I gather the issue is more that a lot of the roles are part-time and/or FTC which makes longer term life planning a bit more tricky, there is limited progression in a lot of roles in community pharmacy (which again, might be an issue for longer term life planning), and community pharmacy I gather is going in a direction which is less desirable for most graduating in that field. Basically I understand it becomes a lot more administrative-managerial and dealing with customer-servicey issues in a managerial capacity, rather than dealing with so much the clinical side of things? @quasa can probably give a lot more insight into pharmacy specifically.

All that said though, if you are on track to get AAA or above there's no reason to necessarily rule out medicine if that's what you want to do. Yes, it's competitive, but it's perfectly reasonable to reapply in a gap year if need be. Also you can work things to your advantage by applying tactically and ensuring the unis you are applying to are the ones you have the maximum chance of being interviewed and thus maximising your odds of getting an offer. Far too many medical applicants seem to be choosing medical schools on completely abitrary and indeed irrelevant grounds such as "prestige" or whether it's in the "Russell Group", as if either of those things actually will ever impact their career as a doctor (hint: they won't! And the NHS actually takes steps to ensure it won't!). There are however many valid reasons to decide against medicine, but if you have the grades, have done work experience, and are still interested, you shouldn't let the competition ratio side of it put you off. Someone has to get one of those places, may as well be you!

Reply 5

quasa

Entertainment Forum Helper

20

Original post by tishhha

I am currently a year 12 student taking biology, chemistry and maths but I'm not sure if I want to do medicine (mostly because I'm not confident that I will be able to get into medical school) what other degree options do I have? I've been told that people who took biomedical sciences or pharmacy have greatly struggled at being employed because so many people are doing it.

Cheers for the tag @artful_lounger

Re pharmacy, the picture is a bit complicated atm.

The degree itself is interesting, and is an undergrad masters with a bunch of interesting things popping up, however the landscape is uncertain.
In terms of scope, community is very saturated and tonnes of pharmacies closing. Hospital is struggling to retain pharmacists in non-foundation/ teaching trusts, gp practices are decent if you prescribe and are in a good gp, and industry is very hard to get into without connections.

Personally I'd say if your grades are good, go into Cs if you are more into maths, whereas a degree in medicine, regardless of whether you practice or not will sort you for life as medics nowadays are snapped up by tech and consulting forms.

Reply 6

m.noor1

7

Original post by tishhha

I am currently a year 12 student taking biology, chemistry and maths but I'm not sure if I want to do medicine (mostly because I'm not confident that I will be able to get into medical school) what other degree options do I have? I've been told that people who took biomedical sciences or pharmacy have greatly struggled at being employed because so many people are doing it.

Quite honestly I have heard the exact opposite regards to employment in Pharmacy. Quite frankly, Pharmacy is a growing field right now and you get taught to prescribe which is a very new thing. Pharmacists are helping more with Doctor roles (especially with the shortage) and there is a lot happening essentially. With the Biomed option, I do agree with that as I too know of people who have struggled to get jobs as they have to have a lot of experience for that in which you have to do placements as a sandwich year in your degree or after completing it. I almost considered doing Biomed but anyways it is a good degree background to have if you want to study further e.g. post grad med if you don't get in and still want to pursue it. So there is always a route that you can take so don't let your fear stop you.

If you want to do medicine and have the passion for it as it is a challenging degree and job, you will find a way to do it regardless of you fears. Don't take a step back from Medicine simply because you're scared of getting accepted or not. You do get the option of having a 5th choice when applying for medicine and you could choose another course for that, although it would have to be a similar course as your personal statement would probably largely surround medicine related content. I would encourage though to go for it and do Medicine if that's what you truly want to do. However, it would be best to first maybe get some work experience or do some volunteering where you could observe that Doctor-patient contact. You have time to decide what you want so why not scope out the fields you're considering before committing to one? Even a one-day experience would be good enough if that's all you get. Hope that helps.

Reply 7

m.noor1

7

Go for it and apply. Be strategic but don’t worry you’ve got this!

Original post by tishhha

I am currently a year 12 student taking biology, chemistry and maths but I'm not sure if I want to do medicine (mostly because I'm not confident that I will be able to get into medical school) what other degree options do I have? I've been told that people who took biomedical sciences or pharmacy have greatly struggled at being employed because so many people are doing it.

Hey!
It is great that you're thinking carefully about what to do! With biology, chemistry, and maths, you have such a wide range of options available!

Biochemistry – Focuses on the chemical processes in living organisms. There are plenty of things you can go into after this!

Pharmacology – This is different from pharmacy, pharmacology involves the study of drugs and their effects on the human body, making it more research-oriented.

Health degrees - there are lots of different health degrees you could go into with these subjects, such as nursing, paramedic science.

I hope this helps,
Rebecca, UCLan

What are alternatives for medicine

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