How did you choose between law and medicine?

1

I'm struggling to decide between law and medicine—law appeals for the progression and influence, but medicine is so stable. Did anyone else feel torn? What helped you decide?

Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post

Reply 1

Scotland Yard

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

20

Original post

by sapphireKoala60

I'm struggling to decide between law and medicine—law appeals for the progression and influence, but medicine is so stable. Did anyone else feel torn? What helped you decide?

Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post

Well I mean, you're wrong about Medicine being a stable career, because it's not anymore - plenty of training bottlenecks outside of university and the number of unemployed doctors in the UK has been steadily and chillingly rising in recent years. They're trying to fix it now, but no guarantees that they will, or that the solution will work...

To make it short, medicine is a very intensive career and profession. It involves an awful lot of sacrifices and bad working conditions that I think only make sense if you don't see yourself as anything else. So do take your time to think about it, because it's not an easy decision, but if in doubt, don't choose medicine.

Reply 2

SomehowAMedic

Universities Forum Helper

15

Original post

by sapphireKoala60

I'm struggling to decide between law and medicine—law appeals for the progression and influence, but medicine is so stable. Did anyone else feel torn? What helped you decide?
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post

Yes, as others have said, medicine is unfortunately no longer a stable career. They have opened 5 new med schools yet they dont have the funding to increase specialty places. However, it does also have a lot of progression, you can go far beyond just the student, resident (junior) doctor, specialty, then consultant route.
It is just kind of understanding whether you are wanting to learn more about the human body and how it functions with the applications of this or understanding the law and the applications that come with that
I was choosing between law and med a few years ago and ultimately decided on med as law seemed just boring to me and med gave me more opportunities to work abroad, all about personal preference

Reply 3

Teesside University

Official Rep

17

Original post

by sapphireKoala60

I'm struggling to decide between law and medicine—law appeals for the progression and influence, but medicine is so stable. Did anyone else feel torn? What helped you decide?
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post

Hi there 👋

It’s great to hear that you’re considering studying law or medicine at university. Ot’s completely normal feel torn between the two — they’re both respected, impactful careers, but they offer very different day-to-day experiences and long-term paths.

There are questions for you to consider:

Do you see yourself thriving more in a courtroom or clinical setting?
Students who pick law to study enjoy the negotiation, policy and leadership aspects, whilst medicine appeals to those who are motivated by science, and direct patient care.

What do you want to specialise in?
For law, there are numerous areas you can specialise in. For example, our LLB (hons) Law courses explore topics such as family law, criminal law, employment law, medical law, welfare and immigration law and more. You can find out more information on our website here: https://teessi.de/ug-law

For medicine, there are also many different routes you can explore. At Teesside, we offer a range of courses in that area, such as nursing, biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical science, and more. You can find out the courses we offer here: https://teessi.de/ug-courses

What employability opportunities does the university offer me?
It is important to do your research and compare the support universities offer you to enhance your employability. At Teesside, we offer you real-world experience and opportunities, including volunteering, internships and study abroad. You can find out more info here: https://teessi.de/student-opportunities

Ultimately, the decision is yours and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

-J

Reply 4

Swansea Students

Official Rep

13

Original post

by sapphireKoala60

I'm struggling to decide between law and medicine—law appeals for the progression and influence, but medicine is so stable. Did anyone else feel torn? What helped you decide?
Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post

Hi, I'm Lucy a first year law student at Swansea!

I completely understand feeling torn, I think a lot of people do when deciding between Law and Medicine.

For me, what helped was realising that both careers offer stability and progression, just in different ways. Law appealed to me because of the potential for influence, varied career paths, and the ability to specialise in areas I’m passionate about. Medicine, on the other hand, offers a very clear structure and long-term stability, which is really reassuring whilst also giving you the ability to specialise.

Something else that helped, was understanding that neither path is as rigid as it used to be. There are now more flexible routes into both careers, which takes some of the pressure off feeling like you have to get it “perfect” straight away. For example: To become a lawyer your degree doesn't necessarily have to be in Law because to become qualified you have to do the SQEs or secure a pupillage. And as for medicine, graduate entry medicine is becoming much more common. Which would give you the option to study a different undergraduate and then study medicine post grad.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to what kind of work you see yourself doing every day. Both careers carry responsibility and impact - but the day-to-day reality is very different! Choosing the one that aligns most with your interests and strengths makes the journey much more enjoyable.

All the best for the future!

Lucy 🙂

How did you choose between law and medicine?

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