College Course

Hi, I am currently applying to colleges and am in year 11 and am wanting to work in the NHS as either a doctor or nurse. I am more looking towards being a doctor though but like the more close relationship the nurses get with the patients. I am struggling picking a course to take for college I am currently looking between:

Alevels: Psychology, Biology and Chemistry
Health and Social Care BTEC
Or Applied Science BTEC

I think the applied science would be useful as some universities take that on medicine courses especially foundation years but could also work for nursing but would be hard to attain a spot on the course if I was to choose medicine. The reason I am looking at applied science is due to my current physical and mental health struggles so both getting on and managing alevels at the moment may be a struggle.

If you want to do medicine the first option is the only realistic choice. It would also be perfectly fine for applying to nursing. Note that medicine with foundation year courses usually require you to meet specific widening participation/contextual criteria and are not generally for those who did the "wrong" subjects (with a couple of exceptions, although they I believe are more targeted at A-level students doing non-science subjects).

Also there are medical specialties that develop longer term relationships with patients (i.e. those treating chronic conditions where the same patients will come back over time - also in theory GP where you may be serving a local community and get to know the patients there over a lifespan, although I gather due to demands on the NHS it's less typical these days to be the "village GP" type I think?). Not sure how close a relationship nurses can really build with patients these days either - I get the impression nurses are chronically understaffed and hospitals rammed with patients constantly so they are having to juggle a ton of patients and jobs every day in a lot of ward-based roles? While in A&E nursing I gather you don't really end up with any continuity of care with patients.

As to your current health situation and which is best for you, only you can make that decision. However I think realistically either of the BTEC options will rule out medicine at least initially - you would probably need to take a gap year at least to do additional A-levels or similar in most cases, unless you meet widening participation criteria for foundation year courses (which are also still extremely competitive).

Hi, I am currently applying to colleges and am in year 11 and am wanting to work in the NHS as either a doctor or nurse. I am more looking towards being a doctor though but like the more close relationship the nurses get with the patients. I am struggling picking a course to take for college I am currently looking between:

Alevels: Psychology, Biology and Chemistry
Health and Social Care BTEC
Or Applied Science BTEC

I think the applied science would be useful as some universities take that on medicine courses especially foundation years but could also work for nursing but would be hard to attain a spot on the course if I was to choose medicine. The reason I am looking at applied science is due to my current physical and mental health struggles so both getting on and managing alevels at the moment may be a struggle.

Yes I meet the widening criteria for the foundation/gateway year courses.

I’m not currently sure on my speciality but would possibly like oncology, A&E or Inpatient Psychiatrist. But I also know about the development you can go through as a nurse to become an ANP and be able to care for your own patients.

Hi, I am currently applying to colleges and am in year 11 and am wanting to work in the NHS as either a doctor or nurse. I am more looking towards being a doctor though but like the more close relationship the nurses get with the patients. I am struggling picking a course to take for college I am currently looking between:

Alevels: Psychology, Biology and Chemistry
Health and Social Care BTEC
Or Applied Science BTEC

I think the applied science would be useful as some universities take that on medicine courses especially foundation years but could also work for nursing but would be hard to attain a spot on the course if I was to choose medicine. The reason I am looking at applied science is due to my current physical and mental health struggles so both getting on and managing alevels at the moment may be a struggle.