Life as a doctor after A levels and uni

[BeanOfJelly]

Well if we get in we can both be perpetual students. I've upgraded it to one of my principal reasons for wanting to medicine.

[f_debelder]

The thing is doesn't the time period in which you must study medicine bother you? After A levels it is either a 5 or 6 year course which means you will be 24 years old (if you didn't take a gap year) and then i have heard it is another 4 years before you become a fully fledged GP. My uncle who is a GP told me he spent 9 years in total studying to become a GP and he did the graduate entry course meaning his total studies = 12 years!

My point is that I'll be close to 30 years old by the time i start proper work - you have one life and spending 10 years nearly studying to have a dream job, you won't be able to live a normal life whilst you study. And so all this time you will be thinking about other things like starting a family etc.

Well you do realise that after you finish your degree you do start "proper" work as a doctor-doing your house jobs etc, getting a paycheck, prescribing, etc etc etc. Did you just think you swanned around for 5 years?! The structure to be a GP at the moment is F1 and F2 after your degree, then three years specialty training (ST1, ST2 and ST3) where you will be working as a GP. Bear in mind, this is short compared to most hospital based specialties:- Most take 8 years post qualification to reach consultant grade, surgical specialties longer.

Try and think of it by comparing yourself to law or any other profession. Once you qualify as say a solicitor, you ARE actually a practicing solicitor, but it will take you a good few years to make partner. You are still earning, working, climbing the career ladder etc, but a few years of reaching top dog.

Also note that relicensing (just to hold your medical registration with the GMC) and recertification (checking your competency if you are on the specialist register) every five years is a FACT: that is definitely coming in in the next seven years.

If all this sounds shit/scary, time to start looking for something else to do!

[Robb]

Originally Posted by f_debelder

Well you do realise that after you finish your degree you do start "proper" work as a doctor-doing your house jobs etc, getting a paycheck, prescribing, etc etc etc. Did you just think you swanned around for 5 years?! The structure to be a GP at the moment is F1 and F2 after your degree, then three years specialty training (ST1, ST2 and ST3) where you will be working as a GP. Bear in mind, this is short compared to most hospital based specialties:- Most take 8 years post qualification to reach consultant grade, surgical specialties longer.

Try and think of it by comparing yourself to law or any other profession. Once you qualify as say a solicitor, you ARE actually a practicing solicitor, but it will take you a good few years to make partner. You are still earning, working, climbing the career ladder etc, but a few years of reaching top dog.

Also note that relicensing (just to hold your medical registration with the GMC) and recertification (checking your competency if you are on the specialist register) every five years is a FACT: that is definitely coming in in the next seven years.

If all this sounds shit/scary, time to start looking for something else to do!

Lol i did realize it will take 5 years for degree and then specializing an extra 3. And my true dream is to become a pediatrician - although it will be a long hard slog as some of you have said at the end you will have a secure job for the rest of your life.

And comparing it to a law degree or something is a good idea. I suppose most degress are 3 years anyway, and if you want to specialize or get better it takes more time. Medicine is just such a broad subject and so much to learn...

And having to take a test every five years once fully qualified doesnt sound like such a bad idea.

Thanks for everyone's opinions/ advice/ help.

[Gizmo says -]

Originally Posted by Robb

Yeah. makes more sense now,

I suppose I'm worrying about unnecesary things at the moment. Ineed to make sure becoming a doctor is for me first...

thanks.

no, you are finking fings thru in the right order. its the others who are wrong, and who avent done what you are doing.

[Robb]

Yeah sometimes i think i fret over the stupidest things. But have been told to start thinking ahead from now - so that is what i am doing. But all the subjects to take at college have confused me a bit. Will need to look into UKCAT next year and make sure i do well in that hopefully - get my work experience sorted and my voluntary work, as well as keep up with sports and from what people have said i should be fine. Just need those grades and we'll see about becoming a doctor one day:P

[f_debelder]

And my true dream is to become a pediatrician

Far too early to be even thinking about a specialty. You may find that doing child growth charts and a new baby check for the 1000th time tedious ...having said that, who knows! I'm sure some people must follow their dreams into careers..

Your right about the lot to learn stuff, in medical school they teach you a lot about a little. You will do 6 weeks of paeds or therabouts in 4th year, but the systems they spend the most time on are cardiorespiratory and GI. As these are the areas that affect most people on a day to day basis. Med schools shifted away from teaching the obscure to a more practical based approach. Before, it was common to have to learn about obscure genetic diseases that affect 1 in 500,000 etc. but now, the core competancies list is mainly based up of things most people present with, i.e.

• CVA
• MI
• Diabetes
• Hypertension

etc etc

[Bananagirl]

Originally Posted by Robb

Yeah sometimes i think i fret over the stupidest things. But have been told to start thinking ahead from now - so that is what i am doing. But all the subjects to take at college have confused me a bit. Will need to look into UKCAT next year and make sure i do well in that hopefully - get my work experience sorted and my voluntary work, as well as keep up with sports and from what people have said i should be fine. Just need those grades and we'll see about becoming a doctor one day:P

Don't worry robbie my dear, the long years of studying don't put off those thousands of people who still apply to and graduate from medicine.. And after the first 5 years, you're gonna be working and studying at the same time.. so it isn't all study I guess!
You seem so determined, which is so good, I'm sure you'll get in to medicine!

[James]

and don't forget the postgrad exams which are now compulsory and make med school finals look like a joke (and you will be revising for them in the evenings after working a 12hr shift). Also GP ST training is due to increase from 2 to 5 years in the near future.

[Robb]

Originally Posted by Bananagirl

Don't worry robbie my dear, the long years of studying don't put off those thousands of people who still apply to and graduate from medicine.. And after the first 5 years, you're gonna be working and studying at the same time.. so it isn't all study I guess!
You seem so determined, which is so good, I'm sure you'll get in to medicine!

Thanks everyone on here have been so helpful... the road to medicine seems long but i am determined and hope i do make it.

thanks bananagirl

[Robb]

Originally Posted by James

and don't forget the postgrad exams which are now compulsory and make med school finals look like a joke (and you will be revising for them in the evenings after working a 12hr shift). Also GP ST training is due to increase from 2 to 5 years in the near future.

dang, 12 hour shift and more study! :P

What is GP ST training? is that for GP's to be tested to make sure they are up to scratch? or is that something else...