med offer holder with doubts.. advice needed

hi, im y13 and hold a medicine offer but given state of NHS and PA takeover, poor pay and everything else I just cant see it being a viable career in the long run. in my work exp almost every doctor i spoke to told me if they were in my shoes to pick another career, that med isnt that great and i just ignored that, thinking id love it as a career, but do i really want to be studying for exams until im 40, by then will i even make a livable wage?? and by the time i get a decent earning consultant job all my mates will have married with kids.

i love medicine, i really do. All my work exp and all the reading up ive done - i just cannot imagine doing anything else. a very close relative of mine told me to pursue medicine and be a doctor before he passed, but do i really want to? i just dont know anymore. and even if i rejected my offer and did something else my family would be so disappointed. im at such a conflict with myself. who am i living for?

ive worked so hard for this, but now it just seems so... done with.

Reply 1

cnidarianlover

Physician associates are the least of your worries. I cannot believe it has been stirred up the way it has. Physician Associates have existed in the American system for a while, and are mostly to provide extra hands due to the large deficits in doctors - not to really replace them (as most are very supervised still - especially as they cannot prescribe). The development and pay are also capped. They do a different job.

Best thing you can do is vote this election if you’re old enough for a party that will properly fund the NHS.

Becoming a doctor is 1000% an absolute task (to become a consultant or surgeon). It always has been.

(edited 6 months ago)

Reply 2

HoldThisL

well, there's no doubt being a doctor in the UK is not as sexy or well paid as in other countries/as it should be

on the other hand you can study medicine and decide not to be a doctor in the NHS afterwards. obviously that might be a slog for no particular reason