Intercalation

**Eponine_hugo** · 08-09-2007, 04:45 PM

Will intrcalating in neuroscience help with getting a job in neurology later on?

**alex MD** · 08-09-2007, 04:54 PM

thats something i wondered! i mean im not in med school but in the current job climate for doctors, a BSc in neuroscience wont harm an application to a competitive speciality like neurology will it? btw eponine_hugo, did u do 8 A levels or are there some AS's ones there? cos either way thats some achievement!!

alex

**Captain_Carrot** · 08-09-2007, 09:55 PM

I believe most neurologists have a PhD to be competitive.

The way the system ran this year, it was actually disadvantageous to have a PhD, a 1st class degree etc (just because of how the system ran). I suspect that in future it will help. In fact, I imagine any other intercalation. Do something that you really love and want to do for interest, not just for the job at the end of the day.

CC

DOI: intercalated in Pharmacology (and loved it).

**shawn_ellisuk** · 08-09-2007, 10:49 PM

sorry if this sounds ignorant, but I am intrigued. How was it disadvantafeous to have a 1st class degree or a PhD for this year's cohort?

**Captain_Carrot** · 09-09-2007, 02:05 AM

Just cause of how the system worked out.
see:
http://www.fidelio.org.uk/index.php?...d=22&Itemid=43

Not a comprehensive survey, but you could roughly extrapolate from it. In the future, will hopefully not be an issue...

**Eponine_hugo** · 10-09-2007, 06:54 PM

How do u get a PhD as an intercalation??? Oooh sounds v interesting....
No I'm not doing it for the job - I like neuro hence why I'm looking at it as a specialty (either that or anaesthetics), but obviously its competative and I want my intercalation to help me later on...

**yeliab_cram** · 10-09-2007, 07:00 PM

you cannot do a PhD as an intercalated degree normally. it can occasionally be possible if you already have a honours degree, but even then, this would usually be an MSc not a PhD.

MDs and PhDs usually come in during registrar years. However, since the introduction of ST run-through training, it has been very difficult to leave your training to do a postgrad degree as they do not hold your place in the training programme.

it is a complete nightmare.

a BSc is never going to harm your appication (unless you get a 2:2) but the degree to which it will actually help you is every changing. a few years ago they were essential if you were going into a competitive field, now they are basically irrelevant (however publications etc you get during the BSc remain useful) who knows what tomorrow will bring.

**Eponine_hugo** · 10-09-2007, 07:08 PM

Its all so confusing - I think I will intercalate, but now I'm worried in case I get a 2:2 (or less!!). What did u get Marc, and how much harder than the MBChB was it?

**yeliab_cram** · 10-09-2007, 07:14 PM

dont worry about it now. see how you get on with medicine first and what mood you are in next year. it is not worth intercalating until after 3rd year (when you have the additonal experience of being on the wards to bing to the table) but it does break up your clinical experience, and is a really really really ****ing hard year. i mean really hard.

medicine is hard work because it is a long drawn out process. ultimately its emotionally and mentally draining. all those early mornings being nice to patients etc. BScs are all about in depth hard core clinical work. doing medicine you are not prepared and are suddenly thrown in the deep end.

it is not a year off medicine. it is the third year of a BSc, only do it if it is what you really want to do. Remember, much, if not all of what you learn will be about molecules and cell signalling (particularly in neuro - i did 2 neuro modules) with very little, if any clinical relevance.

i did anatomy for 1 reason and 1 reason only. i want to do surgery and having anatomy BSc on my CV is going to look good to a potential employer, despite the fact i learnt a limited ammount of gross anatomy, it paints the right picture.

as it turned out i got a 1st and lots of useful things out of it (publication, presentation etc) so there are positives. but im hungry, so i am going to leave now and have dinner, cuz i dont think im making much sense!

**Eponine_hugo** · 10-09-2007, 07:25 PM

Yeah u see it will look impressive if I have iBSc neuroscience for a future in either neuro or anaesthetics...... I'd want a first. In what way does medicine not prepare u? Cos we do research, labs and essays etc.....