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Career: Pilot or Doctor?

Just wondering what you think is the best one - Pilot or Doctor - and what you think the pros and cons are. Would help me a lot :smile:

Thanks, Mike

Reply 1

clad in armour

16

you want lots of money methinks

Reply 2

TommyWannabe

14

Well I can tell you a little about pilots (commercial);

Advantages

- Good pay if you reach Captain/moderate if you're first officer.
- Challenging career
- Get to fly planes

Disadvantages

- Costs anywhere from £40,000 to £90,000 to get your fATPL, depending on whether you go modular or integrated.
- There are NO jobs. And I mean none. That won't change for years. At my flying club the amount of commercial pilots who fly C150's just to keep their hours up is astonishing. None of them can get work. When you're £80,000 in debt that's not good.

Plus there are loads more, but I'm bored now.

Reply 3

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

17

If you want money, go into private dentistry or investment banking

Reply 4

DJkG.1

17

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

If you want money, go into private dentistry or investment banking

True, but I don't think the OP is only set on money, hence his rather specific question.

Reply 5

Moe Lester

15

They are both very different.

Reply 6

mike2niner4

OP

14

DJkG.1

True, but I don't think the OP is only set on money, hence his rather specific question.

I obviously would like a good salary but i want a job which i love most. My child hood dream job like most people is a pilot but it doesnt seem as simple as just getting the right grades and u get trained up easily. It seems to cost a heck of a lot and your not garanteed a perfect job at the end.

Saying that working for a doctor sounds pretty hard and i would have to have good grades.

Eeek

Reply 7

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

17

DJkG.1

True, but I don't think the OP is only set on money, hence his rather specific question.

suppose however they seem to be way too different

Reply 8

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

17

mike2niner4

I obviously would like a good salary but i want a job which i love most. My child hood dream job like most people is a pilot but it doesnt seem as simple as just getting the right grades and u get trained up easily. It seems to cost a heck of a lot and your not garanteed a perfect job at the end.

Saying that working for a doctor sounds pretty hard and i would have to have good grades.

Eeek

are you fit? try the RAF if you are although it takes much more than being fit i know but that's a start

Reply 9

Gr8

Saying you are a doctor is the best chat up line, any girl will go for you.

In all seriousness, do what you find enjoyable, are you interested in avionics, engineering, physics, geography? Or are you interested in biology, medicine, helping others? Look along these lines when choosing, a job is for life, make sure you enjoy it, seriously a job will consume most of your day, do what interests you.

Reply 10

menagerie

12

pilot. because they're awesome.

Reply 11

e-lover

16

Pilot. Stuff of dreams.

Reply 12

mike2niner4

OP

14

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

are you fit? try the RAF if you are although it takes much more than being fit i know but that's a start

I'm not sure if i'd want to go down the RAF route although if i am totally honest i don't know much about it. I imagine to do that you have to sleep in muddy dorms and do assault courses a lot. Am i getting the wrong end of the stick?

Which ever i chose i'd want to make sure i had somewhere good to fall back on too.

Reply 13

mike2niner4

OP

14

To be in the RAF would you just do the one you wanted to do (eg. Pilot or perhaps medic say) or do you have to work your way up from like Aircraft technician or whatever else there is (Im on the RAF website :-) ) and would it involve going to war and killing people? :P

Reply 14

Spanghew

11

DJkG.1

True, but I don't think the OP is only set on money, hence his rather specific question.

Nah - someone who's torn between two vastly different yet highly paid jobs is in it for the money :biggrin:

Reply 15

hamzab

12

To b a pilot in the RAF you start as an officer cadet for pilot school, not ad a technician, and yes if they want u to go towar, they will send you, or you can go AWOL... Which is baaaaad

Girls dig the pilot chatline better methinks

Reply 16

ProStacker

11

mike2niner4

To be in the RAF would you just do the one you wanted to do (eg. Pilot or perhaps medic say) or do you have to work your way up from like Aircraft technician or whatever else there is (Im on the RAF website :-) ) and would it involve going to war and killing people? :P

You are looking quite far head for a 14 year old. Probably best concentrate on getting your GCSEs sorted first.

Reply 17

Schleigg

18

OP if you want info on becoming a pilot in the RAF then read the threads in the armed forces section of the careers forum. It is somewhat different to being an airline pilot so do a bit of research first!

Reply 18

Zedd

12

RAF is the only realistic option for becoming a pilot but even then it's unlikely. I honestly think it would be easier getting into Medicine but tbh, I'd kill to have the chance of training as a helicopter pilot (my personal preference).

With the RAF you would have to apply specifically as a pilot officer and then they'll assess your application based on that. You might not get to fly what you want though. Another option would be the Navy.