Bit of a dilemma

[khaa9666]

Ignore Gizmo, the guy is a tool. But i have to meet him halfway, you shouldn't even be asking this question, you have an offer of med school, you take it, its as simple as that, just think of all the people out there that are curently in possession of 4 rejections, they would probably kill to be in your position. Go.

[Chwirkytheappleboy]

Guys,

thank you all very much for the really useful and constructive comments. It's certainly given me a lot to think about. In the meantime, here are some responses to some of the questions and issues that have been raised, which I hope will clarify my position and explain why I don't feel the situation is quite as simple as "just take it" without any consideration to anything else

The question you need to assess - if this is the only place you were to be offered ever, do you want to reject it?

No, hence the dilemma... it's a bit of a "calculated risk"

Or do you want to give the 4 year another go? I think you are young and you don't appear to hate your job...

Yeah, this is playing into the problem. I'm 24 and in a very promising career at the moment with great salary and benefits, and a very comfortable life. I was headhunted last week so my prospects look very good if I don't make the switch. At the end of the day, I definitely want to do Medicine, so in that respect I don't really care about my current career, but at the same time it does mean that it wouldn't be disastrous for me to keep working for another year

But if the latter, where did ot go wrong this year? Interview? App? How are you going to change it? Can you change it substantially?

Primarily work experience - I hardly had any at the time of application, I was pretty shocked to get 3 interviews to be honest. Cambridge said my academic history was excellent but I didn't have the work experience to warrant an interview. The interviews themselves didn't go great but King's was definitely my best one as it was my last, and I felt like I learnt a lot from the first 2, so I think I'd be more performant next year. Additionally I'd have 2 hospital work experience placements under my belt (University College London Hospital and King's College London Hospital) and a higher level of qualification with St. John Ambulance (Patient Transport Attendant), so the work experience situation would be much improved.

i wouldnt take it, since you arent likely to thrive at university when you are chasing the dollar incessantly.

It's not about chasing the dollar - if I was doing that I'd stay in my current career. But there's a difference between not being motivated by money, and just committing financial suicide

List out the main differences between the course you've got and the hypothetical one you might get next year. For you, as you've pointed out, the cost difference is the biggest but can that be offset by other things? E.g. getting work in the holidays/evenings as the pace is so much easier?

Yeah I've done all the calculations to great detail, and the cost difference (3 extra years of tuition fees plus an extra year of living in London without income, and minus the extra 3 years of NHS bursary) vastly outweighs any potential income that I could reasonably assume I'd be able to earn

as someone has already pointed out, you'll graduate at the same time.

Exactly, so two options, both ending at the same time. One option results in my being worse-than-destitute, and the other doesn't.

In completely unrelated questionning - what's Canada Water like? I'm thinking that's where I and my family will end up by the end of the year.

It's absolutely lovely. It's so different to so many other areas of London! There's parks, docks, trees, grass, water, a nice shopping centre and leisure park, and it's a very peaceful and serene place. I love it here I'd definitely recommend it

At the King's interview I went to, a guy asked about the possibility of taking a year out to earn some money before starting on the five year course.

I suspect that was me. Were you at the 10:30 interview on the 20th of January? If so, then I indeed asked that question. Thinking it through further though, I figured that if I were to take another year working, then I may as well re-apply for 4 year courses, rather than stick with the 5 year

[dotvicky]

Thanks for the info on Canada Water - it sounds promising.

If you're really serious about dropping your 5-year offer, is it worth ringing Kings, explaining your situation and seeing if there's anything they can do for you regarding getting on the 4 year next year? Seems a long shot but gotta be worth a phone call before you drop your offer.

(And I'm pretty sure you can't defer and also apply for courses next year but I could be wrong about that.)

I do get what you mean about the loss of earnings and the extra debt. Can you find a way to reduce your outgoings? For example, we're going to move into a smaller place so we have no/minimal mortgage.

Finally, I don't know what plans are afoot with the election this year but I imagine it's not out of the realms of possibility that fees or the fee structure in general may be significantly different for 2011 entry. It'd be sick if you turned down an offer this year, got your dream 4-year course next year but discovered the government now wanted to charge you £10k fees and the NHS bursary had disappeared...

Just a thought! I can see that you're really struggling to make the best decision and from the outside it's easy to say what *we'd* do but we're not living your life. Just be really careful not to make your decision based on incorrect assumptions (e.g. you'll get another offer in a future year or the fee structure will remain the same).

Cheers
Vicky

[mhc123]

I suspect that was me. Were you at the 10:30 interview on the 20th of January? If so, then I indeed asked that question. Thinking it through further though, I figured that if I were to take another year working, then I may as well re-apply for 4 year courses, rather than stick with the 5 year

Yep, I was there then. I was also at Newcastle!

Hmm, yes, whilst you would graduate at the same time, my concern would be the possibility of turning down the offer only to not succeed next time. As a biomed undergrad, I know a lot of people applying and have been surprised by just how many people have got straight rejections. Though as you say, it does sound like your application would be even stronger next time round. Additionally, if you're happy in your current job, or whatever you move onto if you take up the position you've been headhunted for (congrats on that by the way!) then delaying it by a year wouldn't really be too much of a big deal.

[fortysixandtwo]

It's not about chasing the dollar - if I was doing that I'd stay in my current career. But there's a difference between not being motivated by money, and just committing financial suicide

Yeah I've done all the calculations to great detail, and the cost difference (3 extra years of tuition fees plus an extra year of living in London without income, and minus the extra 3 years of NHS bursary) vastly outweighs any potential income that I could reasonably assume I'd be able to earn

How much debt are you actually looking at with the 5 year?

Is this the only issue stopping you from taking the offer?

[nicnac84]

I just wanted to give you the other side of the arguement here, seeing as all the responses have been very pro - take the offer.

I applied for four GEP places because I knew I couldn't afford the 5 year, luckily I got one. I'm nearly half way through now and sometimes I wonder if I've done the right thing. I know money isn't everything but I'm currently living the reality - I've had no money ever and it looks like I won't have any until I'm about 35 now (with loan repayments etc). Its pretty depressing at 25! There is constant worry at the back of my mind and I'm absolutely dying for a holiday. If I'd done a 5 year I can't even bear to think about the amount of debt I'd have now, and I wouldn't even have started clinical years. Whatever you estimate it is going to cost you - times that by 1.5 and you're mearly there.

I reckon it probably will be worth it in the end, I love medicine, but I also reckon there are other things I could have loved too without having given up nearly all of my twenties.

But then I always think to myself, if I hadn't done it I'd have never felt quite content, its one of those grass is always greener things I think!

Good luck whatever you choose x

[goldhawkgonk]

Hey there,

Interesting thread! I have to come onto the other side and say I wouldn't take it.

It's clear you've been doing some serious self reflection and you know what it would take to get a place on the four years- more work experience. So it's not like you're doing the same thing and expecting different results, you've a strategy to get there next year.

In the short term you are massively worse off doing 5 to 4 years and, speaking for myself, I wouldn't have the cash to do it, and racking up such massive debt would stress me out properly for the five years. I couldn't be happy ever going out etc worrying about the pounds clock up so much.

The one consideration is maybe culture- is a place at Kings more prestigious than at the other GEP universities? would you fit in better with the sort of students that go there? That would be a persuasive arguement for some, I guess (not me tho!)

And I don't agree with the sentiments 'you have to do it because so many have been rejected'- much worse to do something you're not comfortable with and drop out in year 2- because you're ACTUALLY denying another candidate a place that way, not just notionally.

Just my feelings- sure you'll make the decision best for you.

[Jolt]

Don't overestimate your level of control over this situation. Just because you've had a bit of feedback and you think it's something you can fix doesn't mean you are a shoe-in for GEP entry next year. Delaying a year because you believe that you'll fare better next year is a serious error in judgement when you take into consideration the painfully high level of competition on GEP courses.

The reality of your current situation is that you've been lucky to clutch a 5 year place out of what could have been straight rejections. If you're serious about the career then you take your chance and run with it, you might not get another.

[khaa9666]

Don't overestimate your level of control over this situation. Just because you've had a bit of feedback and you think it's something you can fix doesn't mean you are a shoe-in for GEP entry next year. Delaying a year because you believe that you'll fare better next year is a serious error in judgement when you take into consideration the painfully high level of competition on GEP courses.

The reality of your current situation is that you've been lucky to clutch a 5 year place out of what could have been straight rejections. If you're serious about the career then you take your chance and run with it, you might not get another.

Seconded!! Couldn't agree with more with Jolt, you've already got 4 straight rejections for GEP, isn't that telling you something!! You have an offer this year, it may never come round again, now THAT will eat you up, just get there, its only an extra 12 months, and you will have more free time to work and earn money, offsetting any extra expense, it really is a no brainer this thread.

[dotvicky]

One thought - if you choose not to take it up this year and then got offered a 5-year again next year, what would you do?