Information on medicine

Moses99p said:
Where to start?! Firstly, any forum where people put all their academic achievements in their signature (as long as they have straight A grades ;)) is never going to be full of ordinary people.

Secondly, the level of arrogance, and number of people with crazy superiority complexes, outshines the little help it could offer. It really can be nerd central.

Thirdly, much of what I've read has been plain wrong; people talk about what they don't really understand, as though they're experts... inaccurate advice is bad, mmkay? For example, I tried out their "personal statement helper" bit by submitting a few (quite successful) personal statements, and the "helper" said they were completely wrong... but hey-ho.

Ps. The only time I've found it useful is when I looked at pictures of the accommodation offered by my university... it has that saving grace...? ;s
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Thank you for explaining that far better than I did :p

If you are seeking education for prestige alone, you are certainly doing it wrong.
 
Moses99p said:
Where to start?! Firstly, any forum where people put all their academic achievements in their signature (as long as they have straight A grades ;)) is never going to be full of ordinary people
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Seriously? Haha, that's hilarious. Glad I've never bothered with The Student Room.
 
Just started my F2 year in histopathology. No weekends or nights, it's brilliant! I never thought dead people could be so interesting. It's thrown a bit of a spanner in the works of my surgical aspirations as frankly I could choose life and still have a job in a continually advancing medical field. Plenty of time to study for MRCS part A too... urgh.

My advice for applying for medicine: do it. Don't put it off, if you're committed then go for it. I think I must have slipped through the net while the grades were less tough, but the unfortunate truth is that everyone applying for a place at med school will have A grades coming out of their arses.

Be a bit different, concentrate on extra curricular activities. Get work experience. As long as you have some experience of the way a doctor works, you probably don't have to spend every weekend shadowing someone. A community project, or helping the elderly (I helped out a nice old dear with her shopping every week and they absolutely loved that) would do fine.

Read around the subject and look at articles in the broad sheet news and the more casual scientific journals. I wouldn't expect someone just about to take their A levels to be quoting the BMJ, although the student BMJ often has some interesting issues on the state of junior doctors and their university training.

Good luck!

Glad the new F1's are still alive and not quitting just yet. Locums, pah! You're all just pawns in medical staffing's game :p I've learned to always say no first.
 
In terms of experience, in the next couple of years, I will be asking at the local hospital and at the gp surgery to make sure I've done something.

In terms of care, I often have to look after my grandmother, if her usual carer wants to go out. The hospital (:rolleyes:) claims she doesn't have Alzheimer's, but often she forgets my name, calling me the name of a donkey who used to live in her village 50 years ago. Also, she can barely walk, and so is confined to always staying in the house and moving about in a wheelchair. Anyway, it involves keeping her company, cooking for her, and taking her to the toilet, would this be the king of thing they're looking for?
 
That would be a reasonable thing to show your caring side, but I found it was more the wider issues that they liked to discuss. For example, they might discuss a bit of the condition itself and also care needs which would need to be addressed in a wider population. If you're aware of these then it would definitely be worth bringing up.
 
It is hard work, a mate of mine did medicine and he tells me you have to work crazy hours sometimes. Unless you are really committed not really the type of thing you want to get into but I suppose over time you get used to it.
 
Paras said:
I just off the phone with the girlfriend, she is working 98 hours over 7 days!
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apparently thats against the law now in this country? (according to my gf)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Time_Directive
'Key features are the limiting of the maximum length of a working week to 48 hours in 7 days, and a minimum rest period of 11 hours in each 24 hours.'

or is that just for junior docs?
 
Unless you opt out, then its 56 hours.

I work more than that regularly, but thats because the hospitals are trying to get everyone to 48hr weeks and that leaves massive gaps of unfilled time.
 
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