Graduates affording to study medicine as a2nd degree?!

[superdoc1]

Yeah, the note taking looks good

[KKerr]

Whilst I agree with Archangel, here goes.

I don't know where you are/what NHS jobs there are in your neck of the woods/what qualifications you have, but here are some thoughts.

1. Jobs like putting patient notes onto computer in GP surgeries/A&E departments - typically pay £7-8 per hour. Up here, the A&E job pays time and a half if done at night. I have a grad medic friend up here who does 2 nights a week doing this. Good income. Certainly the A&E one can be done on top of medical school, no matter how busy clinical weeks are.

2. The figure of £3k - let's look at this in a bit more detail. Just say you will work 4 weeks a year in this job over uni holidays. 4 weeks of 5 days of 8 hours at £7 per hour=£1120. To hit the target of £3K, there's another £1880 to find in 48 weeks = on average 268 hours in 48 weeks=roughly 5 hours a week. That is manageable to fit in with clinical.

3. Volunteer for medical trials. I've done a lot of this, it's easy money. I regularly fall asleep at £10 per hour doing this.

4. Qualifications: I know a grad medic up here who tutors school children at £25 per hour.

5. Qualifications: I have a basic outdoor certificate and work at outdoor events earning £100 per day.

6. Write: essay competitions etc. It doesn't have to be medical - I've earnt £240 this year for writing an article for a non-medical magazine.

7. Tax free bonuses for jobs: organisations like UOTC/UAS/TA pay these in addition to weeknd work and flexible midweek work.

As for the internet one, well, sorry, but that's not something I wsih to go into here. it just takes a bit of imagination.

I'm not in any way trying to blow my trumpet - I'm trying to show you that by doing what I said in the post that you took so much offence to, and reacted offensively to, it can be done.

Yes, they all take time, but I manage to earn well above £3K with my degree and being dad.

As I did say above, we are only limited by our imagination, and enthusiasm and commitment will go a long way. There are masses of options out there, found by thinking a little bit outside the box of standard student work.

Just wanted to back up what Nick was saying here....
I am also a GradMedic on a 5 yr course, I have a mortgage (not sure if it is "huge", not sure what that is, but its sizeable), I am single, so I have no parent income. I do have PhD, but am NOT using my previous qualifications to do any more part-time research, as I wanted/needed a break from that. I am the A&E typist - that Nick referred to. I am contracted to only 12.5 hrs/week. I have taken the place of 1 other typist that worked ALL 5 YEARS there, while in medical school. Now, on average, I try and pick up an extra shift here and there - as Nick mentioned, there is 1.5x time and 2x time for evenings and weekends. On average - I work 15 hrs/week and bring home, after taxes 650 pounds - and that is only during term-time. This summer, I am working full-time and will be making from 1000-1200 pounds/month!

It is completely do-able with respect to hours needed in med school, etc. I still have a social life (although most of my socialising is with other grad medics) and I am learning LOADS on the job.

That said, you wont get anywhere moaning and being pessimistic about it. I got the job by searching the NHS jobs listings for about 2 wks - I applied for about 15 jobs before getting an interview for this one. You have got to put in the effort, put away your pride, and get on with it. I am, by no means, undermining the financial hardship that alot of grad students suffer - and no, the money from my job doesnt pall ALL my bills, but it goes quite a ways, and I have managed to fill in the gaps with loans from other places (by the way - Sallie Mae is no longer doing loans in the UK). But it can be done. I will be in debt when I finish, but frankly, I dont care.

If things ever got really tough, I would sell my flat. At the moment, I am trying to hold onto it, as it is a good source of equity, but it is just bricks and mortar - I can always buy another house/flat when I am finished.

If you are one of the people who is struggling - keep asking for advice on these boards, there are alot of imaginative and relatively easy ways to make good money - but, personally I would recommend trying to find something in the NHS. In addition to the money - they are VERY understanding when it comes to exam time, clinical attachments, etc. I can swap shifts, pick up extra shifts when I have time and best of all - I am meeting other doctors and learning on the job!

Hang in there!!

[Pammy]

I vote for teaching...You can make a fortune with tutoring. I'm currently in Australia where I presume the going rates are similar to UK, and I get up to £40 per hour for uni level students, a bit less for high-school. If you advertise in a really posh school, you can basically set your rate as high as you want...not that I would try to rip anyone off :-)
I hope to keep up a few hours a week when I start the GEP in October - best thing is I can prepare most of it in advance now, so I just have to show up for the few lessons a week! Gets way easier with experience too...

[mussed]

I'd like to tutor - I'm a maths grad and that's enormously lucrative - but I'm a bit nervous without much experience and not exactly sure how to pitch it. Any good tips?

[Imhotep]

Im a little scared about what someone said earlier about grads not able to apply for the tuition fee loan, as that is all I have applied for and not the maintenance loan. But I did check with my local LEA who told me I was entitled to all the funding available to people who are new students even though this is my second degree.

I'm afraid the LEA have got it wrong (assuming you're in England - I'm not sure about anywhere else). According to "The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2008", which sets out the legal framework of all student support in England (some of it applies to Wales and Northern Ireland too).

Regulation 17 says:

17.—(1) A current system student does not qualify for a fee loan in respect of a designated course if—

(a) he has an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom and the exemption in regulation 34(1) or (2) does not apply; or
(b) the designated course is an old flexible postgraduate course for the initial training of teachers.

The exemption being:

34.—(1) An eligible student is not prevented from qualifying for fee support under this Part by virtue of having an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom if—

(a) the current course is a course for the initial training of teachers;
(b) the duration of the current course does not exceed two years (the duration of a part-time course being expressed as its full-time equivalent); and
(c) the student is not a qualified teacher.
(2) Where the current course is considered to be a single course because of regulation 5(6) and (7) and it leads to an honours degree from an institution in the United Kingdom being conferred on the eligible student before the final degree or equivalent qualification, the eligible student is not prevented from qualifying for fee support under this Part in respect of any part of the single course by virtue of having that honours degree.

Paragraph 5 (6) & (7) says:

5.
(6) A course to which this paragraph applies is considered to be a single course for a first degree or for an equivalent qualification even if—

(a) the course leads to another degree or qualification being conferred before the degree or equivalent qualification; and
(b) part of the course is optional.
(7) Paragraph (6) applies to a course the standard of which is not higher than a first degree which leads to a qualification as a medical doctor, dentist, veterinary surgeon, architect, landscape architect, landscape designer, landscape manager, town planner or town and country planner.

However doing medicine after having completed another degree does not fall under this exemption - it is meant to cover something like an intercalated degree during medicine, for example, where the intercalated degree and medical degree are considered a 'single course'.

You can have a look at the entire regulations at:

The Education (Student Support) Regulations 2008 No. 529

Have you had the award of the tuition fee loan confirmed yet? I know that not everyone in LAs are 100% clued-up on the rules (although it's usually the other way round in that they erroneously believe you aren't entitled to any support).

Have you considered taking the maintenance loan to cover tuition fees (if you don't need it for living expenses it will serve much the same function as the fees loan except you will receive it and pay the university with it instead of it being paid directly to the university)?


Stephen

[Imhotep]

A very reasonable conclusion to make based on the information you were given! Don't worry about the application - you can change it at any time. As for the maintenance grant, unfortunately one of the criteria for that is that you must qualify for the tuition fee loan.

As far as I know the only student support graduates can get is the maintenance loan, disabled students' allowance, dependent grants (children or an adult dependent) and the travel grant (i.e. for clinical attachments).

I know finances can be a very worrying thing, but can be worked out. I remember only a week and a half ago when my LA came out with an assessment of £0 for my maintenance loan I got into a bit of a panic (this is why I read the regulations I've quoted above so I could argue my case). Although that's now been sorted out for me, I do understand the stress involved and did manage to come up with a back-up plan if everything went awry (although it did involve higher interest debt).

It does make me wonder how many graduates receive misinformation from their local authority...

Best of Luck,

Stephen

[Meg01]

Another option for part time work:

University departments require people for admin-type work; I work in another branch of the medical school, and although my work is based on previous qualifications, I regularly ask for people to help on projects, mostly things like inputting data, filing data questionnaires etc etc This would pay between £8 and £10 per hour. Most university's have job web pages, that are well worth a look, and even a short term contract can turn into something regular.

University libraries also employ students, re-shelving books etc. Convenient and I believe would pay around £6-£7 per hour.

And as to the £3k in clinical years, that certainly would be possible including holidays, even in working in a standard bar type job. Just looking at my p60 now, admittedly not clinical year, i earned just over 12k before tax. Ok, I'm very lucky to have a well paid job, but it does amaze me that some people say they don't have time to work, yet allocate a good few hours a week to shopping, partying and tv watching!

[aspirant doc]

And as to the £3k in clinical years, that certainly would be possible including holidays, even in working in a standard bar type job. Just looking at my p60 now, admittedly not clinical year, i earned just over 12k before tax. Ok, I'm very lucky to have a well paid job, but it does amaze me that some people say they don't have time to work, yet allocate a good few hours a week to shopping, partying and tv watching!

As ever, Megettymeg, I couldn't agree more!!