Doctors - advice please - has anyone retrained as a doctor mid-career?

[itsallaboutyou]

I’d be careful about letting blind enthusiasm (noble as it is) take you down a long career path filled with uncertainty.

Have you got children? I’d be surprised if your current rota is worse than most acute medical rotas.

What do you dislike about your current job? If you’re a police officer then you’re likely to find many similar irritations working in the NHS, it’s a mess at the moment.

Yes - we have a 7 month old and a nearly 3 year old. My wife is a GP - and I remember her shifts on the old contract - yes they were long - but nowhere near as antisocial as our current shifts!

I don't really see it as an uncertainty in the broader sense.

I'm fed up of spending the majority of my time dealing with petty squabbles that even 5 years ago wouldn't have even been entertained. My ability to actually do a bit of good normally comes from the jobs involving vulnerable people, safeguarding, child concerns, mental health, alcohol and drug abuse. I know the NHS is far from perfect and there are real problems from the top down. We've lots of close friends who are doctors - and they all share the same view.

I just don't know. Financially, we would be ok - so that doesn't phase me in the slightest. I also fancy pushing myself - cheesy but true. I don't see the age as being a problem - one of our close friends graduated after 40.

it is wrong as highers are not the same as A levels. Glasgow wouldn't accept anyone without a higher biology from a Scottish school. These qualifications won't be much different if any from the UK medical schools. Also if you do have biology you are more likely to be accepted than if you don't.


And at Glasgow you can only use your degree as part of an entry to medicine if you graduated in the last 7 years. This may be different at other medical schools

As I'm applying to the University of Liverpool, the above is irrelevant. I can categorically state that you can do a Foundation Year, administered through the University with the applications and interview being through UCAS. You apply for either Allied Health Disciplines (including radiography etc), Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Studies. Successful completion of the foundation year guarantees you a place on the relevant undergraduate course.

A lot of unis won't accept A levels that are older than 3 years and you'll have to do an access course to get up to the equivalent standard to be considered for entry.

My A-Levels are pretty useless anyway! The foundation year is targeted learning, from my understanding - so the biology will be focussed on human anatomy and likewise the chemistry.

Interesting views - keep 'em coming!

 

[Ross Thomson]

Good luck to you.

 

[Delvis]

Didn't see this the first time around but yes, expect 6+years of stuff, probably more like 8 before actually being able to do anything.

Saying that you'll actually be doing seminars or whatever and autopsies during your studies

 

[tres]

I just qualified a few months ago at 33, came from a very different working background