Career options within and outside of medicine with a medicine degree

**ben_** · 23-12-2008, 12:12 AM

Don't you know you are applying for .... UCAS A100!?

**Gizmo says -** · 23-12-2008, 12:15 AM

lol
but lets just reverse what you are saying there ben.
lets say you were applying for a job that sent you away abroad to iran for 6 years wif no chance of getting out, but then qualified you after 6 years to go back to iran and get paid dubble as manager.

you wouldnt apply for that job if you knew you didnt know for sure you wanted to spend 6 years in iran, would you? or work there beyond it?
if you did, your family would look at you, shake there 'eads and say ' didnt you even know what u applied for.... ' wif dubble the lvl of sarcasm you are layin on.
and they'd probably fink you were a fcuking idiot too, in line wif everyone you knew.

obv there plenty you can do wif a medical degree.

med journalism strikes me as pretty far removed from the job itself,but you could do anyfing, literally that you would do wif any other general degree too (or wiffout).
personally if you wanted to do journalism, medical journalism would be the least attractive area of journo i can possible fink of.

**ben_** · 23-12-2008, 12:18 AM

I completely agree that it's a stupid choice to apply for medicine if you believe that you won't want to actually be a doctor. On the other hand, I think it does no harm at all to simply ask around about what your options are if you decide at some point in your life medicine isn't for you. I'm sure we can all agree on these points at least!

**Kinkerz** · 23-12-2008, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by ben_

Don't you know you are applying for .... UCAS A100!?

Of course I do, but that's not the point I made and you know it.

Originally Posted by ben_

Well I think that your incredulity that someone would ever even consider what else they might do with a medical degree merited a bit of patronizing...

Bravo. And I thought the patronising comment merited a sarcastic comment. Can we please end this now.

**ben_** · 23-12-2008, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by Kinkerz

Of course I do, but that's not the point I made and you know it.

I think that maybe you didn't get the joke.

Bravo. And I thought the patronising comment merited a sarcastic comment. Can we please end this now.

Pleasure.

**Gizmo says -** · 23-12-2008, 12:24 AM

you'd ask around about the job in iran too, though wouldnt you?

well before applying.

my personal view is that peeple asking AT THIS STAGE arent applying to med skool out of there own choice.
after all its a pretty shite job if you dont enjoy it. most normal peeple fink of medicine as a nightmare they would never consider...and wif good reason.

**ben_** · 23-12-2008, 12:28 AM

Sure, but for all we know the OP IS asking well before applying.

**Gizmo says -** · 23-12-2008, 12:32 AM

really?

lol i didnt.

sorri, macca.

**terpineol** · 23-12-2008, 01:57 AM

Originally Posted by Gizmo says -

then if you were a real friend, you'd surely advise them dont start medicine till they are sure everyfing fits its bill better than it fits anyfing else.
medicine is a ludicrously stupid job to do if its not pulling you wild horses. you need the passion to get it right, or you'll just end up as one of the uncaring docs running the ropes and not giving a monkeys that we all saw on our work experience. all the needless deffs and problems they cause.

working out the bill is another matter altogether, macca. i'd not start on anyfing lasting twenty years which didnt grab me and which fitted my circumstances well. any advice otherwise means you are advising that person to kiss their life away, and certainly the bets years of their life.
they are never given back to you, so they are worth even a good year to fink about.

Fair point Giz, though if i'm honest this really doesn't bother me as a possibility. At the end of the day I'm studying medicine because at present its what i'd like to do most. I can't see the point in leaving it till I'm 50 and too old, but certain its what i want to do. Sadly though its not a given that studying medicine will get you the career, hence the wish to see what else you can do with the degree.

I for one think the OP is taking the correct stance in asking, either its just lucky, or they have actually read around and seen how a medical degree really isn't any real foundation for a medical career. They get far more respect from me for taking such a pragmatic line rather than the hundreds of people that appear here posting 'i really really want to be a A&E consultant with a special interest in rheumatology and dogging how can i guarantee i can do this'.

**Gizmo says -** · 23-12-2008, 02:51 AM

Originally Posted by terpineol

Fair point Giz, though if i'm honest this really doesn't bother me as a possibility. At the end of the day I'm studying medicine because at present its what i'd like to do most. I can't see the point in leaving it till I'm 50 and too old, but certain its what i want to do.

why wait till 50, thats even more dumb. if you need that long to work stuff out then you arent gonna be married till you are 70.

Sadly though its not a given that studying medicine will get you the career, hence the wish to see what else you can do with the degree.

I for one think the OP is taking the correct stance in asking, either its just lucky, or they have actually read around and seen how a medical degree really isn't any real foundation for a medical career. They get far more respect from me for taking such a pragmatic line rather than the hundreds of people that appear here posting 'i really really want to be a A&E consultant with a special interest in rheumatology and dogging how can i guarantee i can do this'.

yah to get to the point, they've not applied so they are correct to ask.