SO YOU WANT TO BECOME A DOCTOR?
By Guest Student Editor: Audrey Walela
I thought of being a doctor after watching programmes like Scrubs, ER, Doctors and Casualty … and after my mum told me I should be one! Many students have ambitions to become doctors, I am just one of them. This may be the result of nagging parents, because of the high status and pay or because of the idea of saving lives and helping others. Medicine is a highly competitive sector and unless you are well informed, you may struggle to get there.
The options you choose to study in Years 10 and 11 are relevant but not the be all and end all! It would be worth considering additional or triple science as an option. Regarding other subjects you pick, it is good to choose something you enjoy and think you will do well in (not what your friends are doing!).
What grades do I need?
A-Level choices are very important if you wish to study medicine at university and it is advised that you choose a minimum of A- Levels in: Chemistry, Biology and either Maths or Physics.
As medicine is such a competitive course, you should do your best to achieve the highest grades possible in your A-Levels, aim for A & A*s! Different universities have their own entry requirements so you should check their websites and do your research.
Skills you need
Apart from good grades, there are certain skills that you need to have. These include:
l determination l patience l inquisitiveness
l understanding other peoples’ perspective
l cool under pressure l logical thinking l solution finder l hard worker
l and most importantly, caring about other people!
Is work experience useful? Work experience placements in a health sector setting, such as a hospital or a pharmacy, could well give you an advantage when applying to study medicine. You may also wish to consider doing some volunteering, which could help you develop and demonstrate the skills needed to be a
doctor, such as caring for other people. Perhaps volunteering at a retirement home or a nursery.
How long? And how much? A medical degree usually takes 5 to 6 years to complete with additional placements working in a hospital in order to become fully qualified in your chosen field. This is an extremely long time but worth it if this your dream career! There are many career paths after studying medicine such as general practice (GP), surgical medicine, pathology, paediatrics, radiology and psychiatry.
Course fees can be up to £9000 a year, although student loans are available (see pages 11, 48 and 49 for more on student finance). Make sure you carefully consider studying medicine and understand the time and financial commitment, do your research!
For more information about being a doctor and other careers in the health sector visit:
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Doctor (GP)
n Foundation house officers can earn between £33,300 and £41,300 a year.
n Doctors in vocational general practitioner training can earn between £44,100 and £69,400.
n Full-time GP salaries can be between £53,250 and £80,350 a year.
n Independent GPs (self-employed with NHS contracts) may earn between £80,000 and £120,000 a year.
[*salary figures are sourced from NEXT STEP and are subject to change:
https://nextstep.direct.gov. uk/Pages/
home.aspx]
Working as a General Practitioner (GP)
Foundation Training in a medical environment
MBBS/BSc Hons Degree in Medicine
A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry and either Maths or Physics
GCSE Additional or Triple Science
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