Why am I putting myself through this?

[giella]

Lyndsey, don't ever regret your first degree. You made that decision for a reason and you can surely see that some good has come out of it. We make decisions that are right for us at the time. Back when you were doing your A levels, you clearly didn't think medicine was right for you then. Just because it's right for you now doesn't change the fact that you weren't ready for it before.
Follow your own advice. Remember why you wanted to do History in the first place. Education is never a waste of time, and neither is experience.
You're rejecting something about yourself with every word. I was silly, I convinced myself, I'm wasting my time, I did it on a whim. You weren't silly, and you didn't convince yourself against better judgment and you certainly didn't do it on a whim if you had to go through any kind of decision making process. You did something which felt right at the time. You - the person you now are - weren't present in the past for your younger self to ignore. You're the same person. So don't reject yourself.
No one else would put you down for the choices you've made. Anyone encountering you would say, "You're a History graduate, how interesting. What kind of history did you do?" It's part of who you are, so why be ashamed of it?

[Arch_Angel]

Lyndsey, don't ever regret your first degree.

Unless it's dance....

[Lynsey Rachel]

Lyndsey, don't ever regret your first degree. You made that decision for a reason and you can surely see that some good has come out of it. We make decisions that are right for us at the time. Back when you were doing your A levels, you clearly didn't think medicine was right for you then. Just because it's right for you now doesn't change the fact that you weren't ready for it before.
Follow your own advice. Remember why you wanted to do History in the first place. Education is never a waste of time, and neither is experience.
You're rejecting something about yourself with every word. I was silly, I convinced myself, I'm wasting my time, I did it on a whim. You weren't silly, and you didn't convince yourself against better judgment and you certainly didn't do it on a whim if you had to go through any kind of decision making process. You did something which felt right at the time. You - the person you now are - weren't present in the past for your younger self to ignore. You're the same person. So don't reject yourself.
No one else would put you down for the choices you've made. Anyone encountering you would say, "You're a History graduate, how interesting. What kind of history did you do?" It's part of who you are, so why be ashamed of it?

Thanks giella. I guess I just see people around me who graduate with science degrees and go off to study medicine no problem. I suppose I beat myself up because in a way I've made it harder for myself. But yes I see your point!

[Lynsey Rachel]

Unless it's dance....

Ha, well aren't I glad that it isn't?

[dotvicky]

Dance is a perfectly good degree... I almost went to stage school at age 11 rather than to a standard school. Wonder how my life would be now?!?!

Cheers
Vicky

[Arch_Angel]

Dance is a perfectly good degree... I almost went to stage school at age 11 rather than to a standard school. Wonder how my life would be now?!?!

Cheers
Vicky

"Dance" is the waving about of body parts, and thus cannot be considered an academic subject even by the most deluded hippy....

I bet being in stage school is like living in high school musical.....(shudder).

It's a waste of time and it should be illegal to send a child to a school that specialises in and promotes something so useless. When I'm Dictator Rei Publicae Constituendae, stage schools will be up for Proscription along with Church schools.

[TinyTyn]

Hey all!

Its been a dreadfully long time since i was last on here, i had given up with the dream of going to medical school again, as i am in the same boat as you Lynsey, well almost the same boat..

I am currently doing a degree in Deaf Studies at UCLAN, and from finishing my first year, when i finally had the curage to admit i wanted to do medicine i have been kicking myself repeatedly. I am a bit older than you are (Just turned 24) and have still got another year to go until i finish this degree, and i know exactly what you mean by feeling like your waisting time, i feel the same way, and when i tell people they usually laugh and give me the 'your only 23(not had the conversation since i turned 24 lol) you have ages left yet!' i just wish it felt like that lol.

I still don't think i am good/clever enough to get into medical school, let alone get through it, and so i resigned myself to becoming a teacher or teacher of the deaf (Go sign langauge!) but when i sit down at night and think about what i actually wanna be when i grow up (hah) the only thing i can see myself as is a Doctor, which is slightly annoying sometimes, i wish i could be happy with something like teaching or some amazingly paid IT job, but alas no.

The fight that was dulled previously for getting into medicine had a bucket of petrol thrown over it this year when my mother died suddenly of cancer, and i got so angry with myself and everyone around me for awhile because i didn't know anything was wrong, well i did, i just didn't know what it was and that it was so bad until it was to late to do anything, and the anger at knowing my mum kept the fact so was so ill from me for so long, and watching the doctors and nurses on the day she got rushed to hospital and died was just what i needed to remind myself that i wanted to be there to help people who felt so powerless and scared like i was back then.

Ok.. so i just totally rambled on didn't i? What was my original point again..? Oh yea, i think the others are right though, we won't just have the experience of medical school if we actually make it, we will have alot of other skills to draw upon when they are needed that not only set us apart from our peers, but also give us the knowledge that we did beat around the bush and take the long (VERY long) way around getting into medicine, but are now sure that is where we want to be.

I am not going to stop talking/typing other wise i will go on forever!

Best wishes all
-Tyn

[Kinkerz]

"Dance" is the waving about of body parts, and thus cannot be considered an academic subject even by the most deluded hippy....

I bet being in stage school is like living in high school musical.....(shudder).

It's a waste of time and it should be illegal to send a child to a school that specialises in and promotes something so useless. When I'm Dictator Rei Publicae Constituendae, stage schools will be up for Proscription along with Church schools.

Hahaha. I so enjoyed reading that.

[Angeldelight246]

1) The starting pay is just above average graduate pay, before banding

2) A year later it jumps up

3) If you're looking to become a GP it'll only be a few more years before you can work very sensible hours

4) In the end, your friends in their current jobs are both less likely to have consistantly high earnings (as older bankers get ousted by young apprentice types &c.) and the weight of your opinion will be second to none.

5) Sure, consultants can be horrible (had one today that continually asked me questions in front of patients until I got one wrong then he'd shake his head and look at the floor tutting...then he told one patient that my diagnosis was terrible - admittedly I did say "smashed up foot") but I don't think i've ever come across one that is truely vindictive....bored, willing to laugh at your expense, sarcastic, question happy and deaf to pleas of "Look, we haven't done this yet" perhaps yes.

Do you actually want to learn all the stuff you'll be expected to? Or are you sick of it now? No point doing it if you don't actually want to

reminds me of something out of scrubs

[yazoo]

1) The starting pay is just above average graduate pay, before banding

2) A year later it jumps up

I've noticed this argument quite a few times on NMM. In reality, most people who study medicine would have an expectation of a much higher salary in the private sector. Just before graduating with a BSc years before studying medicine, I know I tuned down a job with a pharma company starting on todays equivalent of 35K in favour of a PhD grant. I have never been sorry.

I also think banding is irrelevant in terms of discussion about equivalency of salary. You actually earn it by working the highest intenisty periods out of hours and by having your body clock mangled and by not seeing your friends and family at the weekends. It's not a little bonus. It's hard work!

Edit: That was my really long-winded way of saying the basic salary is terrible! And you need to adjust for the fact that the degree is much longer and more costly

3) If you're looking to become a GP it'll only be a few more years before you can work very sensible hours

It will be 5 years soon. (so 7 years including foundation - and then you will proably be on track for a 56-70K slaried GP job. Not quite the 200K partnership take home, but still quite reasonable as you have none of the management responsibility etc. Except when you think what salary some of the PAs get...)

4) weight of your opinion will be second to none.

Not true (but I'm sure you know that!). Sure, maybe some of your patients will think you are great and it's certainly nice to be appreciated, but your opinion is only that!

But medicine as a career is a balance of money, satisfaction, status, challenge and interest. We each have our own ranking of these preferences. Whether or not we choose to study medicine in the first place is also motivated by these factors. It's working out which are most important to you that's key to a rewarding career choice.