(sorry in advance for the long mssg)
I am 19 and on my second gap year (taken deferred entry) to start med school in 2024/9. But it’s a bit complicated so here is some context:
The first time round (when I was in year 13) I applied to med school and didn’t get in.
I then took a gap year and reapplied. I got in the second time round and was supposed to start this September, however I had just recently found out that interest was forbidden in my religion, and as you know, student finance payments involve interest when you pay back. Therefore, my only option was to self fund med school, and since it would involve me moving out, the cost would come out to:
(9250£ x 5) (tuition fee costs) = 45k ish
(5000£ x 5) (living costs) = 30k ish
Total= 75£k ish
I am currently working 2 jobs part time, working over 50 hours/week, and if I continue at this rate I would probably save 25k ish, which is a long was from 75k
Therefore, I deferred my admission at uni to 2024 entry, to buy myself some time to think about my next step and figure out what to do.
My hope right now is that the medicine doctor degree apprenticeship gets launched and I get into it (obviously, that is going to be super hard too, but it’s more doable than saving 75k in a year as a 19 year old). By the looks of it however, the apprenticeship isn’t rlly starting anytime soon, and there are no details on entry requirements etc…
I am not allowing myself to take a third gap year, therefore I need to make a decision now. If there is no fourth er news from the med apprenticeship, I think it would be best to completely switch career path and go into another industry. Perhaps through an apprenticeship, because that’s the only method I can think of other than uni.
However, I totally wouldn’t mind learning a skill by volunteering at a company and working for free for a few months while learning, and then slowly working my way up that job, since in the long term I am still 19 and that is relatively young.
Aside from medicine, I don’t really have a true passion for anything, however I am the type of person who can build an interest in a field I was previously not interested in, as long as it is worth it.
The only factor I care about, is to have a career which pays well enough and has good enough working conditions and work-life balance to live a comfortable life.
Therefore, I have abstained from thinking about nursing, midwifery, etc… as careers. Or any other healthcare careers.
If I really was to make a career switch from medicine to something else, I would rather do it in something that gives me more financial stability.
A few career ideas I have thought of are: tech/software engineering/consulting/corporate jobs etc… but again… I have 0 experience in any of these in the past.
My qualifications GCSEs 11 grades 6-9
A-levels: Biology Chemistry Spanish A*AA respectively.
Any advice is appreciated so much!! Thanks in advance.