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Medicine or Law?

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    #32
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    Stirling wrote: »
    Sense of entitlement or what! Competence will also get you work

    Fact of life I'm afraid


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    #33
    JC 2K3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,794 ✭✭✭JC 2K3


    Methinks you're slightly deluded on that one.


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    #34
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    I don't think so. The ammount of mutual back-scratching at past-pupil's union get-togethers is....significant.


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    #35
    Sangre
    Registered Users Posts: 12,169 ✭✭✭✭Sangre


    I don't think so. The ammount of mutual back-scratching at past-pupil's union get-togethers is....significant.

    No it isn't, you're full of ****. I'd love to know what you're basing this on.
    The solicitor I know is completely fed up with her work, it's all conveyancing, and as you would expect, that's beginning to dry up.

    Well the simple solution to that would be not to practice conveyancing, like a huge amount of solicitors do. Anyway, who says you even have to be a solicitor? You could be a judge or paralegal or academic.


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    #36
    Fibonacci23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭Fibonacci23


    Just while everyone's having there rant there... anyone actually got med on their cao?? if so let me no 'cause i do! (not 'prestige seeking' either.... i've always wanted it....!)


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    #37
    Piste
    Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    Dont forget that you can do graduate entry Law and Medicine. Basically go to college, get any degree you want and either go to Kings Inns for Law or do the GAMSAT and go to one of the colleges offering graduate medicine and do it there for four years. It means more time in college, and paying a lot of money, but it's worth it if it means you're not going into something you're unsure about.

    If you're swinging more towards Law than medicine you could always go anywehre and do a law degree and then do graduate entry medicine if you decide it's not for you.


    Good luck :)


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    #38
    eoinalmighty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40 ✭eoinalmighty


    Fibonacci23 wrote: »
    Just while everyone's having there rant there... anyone actually got med on their cao?? if so let me no 'cause i do! (not 'prestige seeking' either.... i've always wanted it....!)

    Hehe you have a short memory! You wanted veterinary for 16 years of your life!


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    #39
    Fibonacci23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭Fibonacci23


    eoinalmighty wrote: »
    Hehe you have a short memory! You wanted veterinary for 16 years of your life!




    Ahhh, people, animals, whats the difference?? :D


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    #40
    JC 2K3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,794 ✭✭✭JC 2K3


    The points are higher for people? ;)


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    #41
    eoinalmighty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40 ✭eoinalmighty


    Which doesn't quite make sense! There is a greater variety of ailments for all the possible animals than there is for us bipeds. Shouldn't the points be higher for a course teaching you to cure many different animals, not just one?!


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    #42
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    eoinalmighty wrote: »
    Which doesn't quite make sense! There is a greater variety of ailments for all the possible animals than there is for us bipeds. Shouldn't the points be higher for a course teaching you to cure many different animals, not just one?!

    Points are based on demand for courses.


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    #43
    Fibonacci23
    Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭Fibonacci23


    Sean_K wrote: »
    Points are based on demand for courses.



    Not necessarily, granted they'll go up and down because of demand, but look at the statistics for the courses last year, 13499 for Arts as first preference, and its what, like 300?? Compared to 2539 (a good 10960 less applicants...) for medicine as first preference and its point range was 570-600.....


    Demand makes a difference, as does places for courses, but it's not entirely based on it....


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    #44
    carlowboy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,152 ✭✭✭carlowboy


    Sean_K wrote: »
    Points are based on demand for courses.

    Along with what Fibonacci said, it's also based on what points the university wants their course to be. For example, computer applications in DCU. There are 300 places on the course but there were only 100 places filled this year as they didn't want the points for the course to dip below 300 points.


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    #45
    Kelso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 123 ✭✭Kelso


    As a final year law student, I have to say some of the comments in this thread about the workload are a massive exageration. Most law students will do very little work outside the 12 hours of lectures during the week and then cram the whole month or so before the end of year exams. It's not really difficult, just as long as you can put the head down for a bit and soak up all the info. You really don't have to read through that many cases, the majority will be adequately summarised in lectures, and the same goes for reading books. Basically if you attend all your lectures and know your notes really well, that is enough for top marks.
    As regards subjects to study for law, there's nothing really specific you need to have studied. Quite a few law students would have an interest in history, but it won't really benefit your study of law (certainly undergraduate) much.
    I also saw somebody commenting that there is no jobs for solicitors at the moment, this is just wrong. Yes there is a massive increase in the amount of people sitting the entrance exams, but if you get a good degree from a well respected college (NUI, Trinity etc) then you will get a job. The vast majority of my year who want to be solicitors have job offers.
    But as everyone is saying here, medicine and law are very different courses and the OP should really consider what they actually would like to do. A good few of my friends in college dropped out in first year due to picking the wrong course so make sure you get that right.


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    #46
    kellykl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭kellykl


    If you have to ask, I'd say neither! Neither are particulary easy career choices and involve long hours of work and study.
    So I wouldn't go into either unless you were really really interested in them, should be something that you really really want to do!


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    #47
    nerd3000
    Closed Accounts Posts: 71 ✭✭nerd3000


    Jay P wrote: »
    I've said this before on boards. Do no go into law. Believe me, it is not enjoyable work. And believe me, you would be very lucky to get work these days. There is an absoute abundance os solicitors in Ireland. Medecine would be good if you love to help people. But don't do law. I have been told by any solicitor I have met not to do it.Seriously boring work.

    I know that is a few posts back but I just want to vent my frustration to this fella! Can I just ask, what experience do you have of the law trade? You have a word of mouth knowledge which clearly doesn't suffice in this instance. Firstly, you totally generalized the whole profession by saying "Don't be a solicitor, there are no jobs" Law is not solely solicitors, that's basically saying that ALL Medicine undergraduate's will be GP's!???

    What I found so disheartening about your post in particular was the way you painted the Law profession to be a dead end quagmire and that nobody should touch it with a barge pole. Anyone viewing your post/all the posts would immediately disregard Law when in actuality they may be perfect for the job. Law is hard-work but very yielding and Lawyers should have a natural drive for success and are willing to work hard to achieve. Law is enjoyable and one can easily reduce the banality. It's like life, it can be as fun as you make it!

    Furthermore, I find it really annoying how the whole country (i.e LC students this year) are so naive when it comes to choosing careers. The way I see it, Students nowadays want to do earn lots of money but are not prepared to work seriously hard for it. Law/Med etc are the highest points (means nothing) yet everyone says it's TOO hard, too boring and not worth it even though the money is potentially through the roof. But because it maybe tedious then one isn't attracted to it anymore? Students don't seem to want to move from their comfort zone's for fear of the "unknown". For example someone said " If you have to ask, I'd say neither! Neither are particularly easy career choices and involve long hours of work and study." Is it really too much to ask to study for 4 -5 hours to earn SERIOUS money?? If it is too much to ask then why are people craving money so badly??

    If you want anything in life then you should be more than prepared to work for it. You can't just breeze through everything and expect to live it up in a life of luxury at the same time. (Win the lotto is the only alternative!)

    This prestigious status came about because Medicine deals with saving people's lives and Law involves the obvious. It goes without saying that these are serious professions and deservedly attach prestige. One would hardly take a Lawyer/doctor seriously if he/she was out every weekend in clubs til 3 in the morn, off one's head on Tequila shots, now would they? Personally, I wouldn't want a surgeon opening me up with a hangover from a hard weekend on the beer!!!


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    #48
    Carsinian Thau
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,054 ✭✭✭Carsinian Thau


    kellykl wrote: »
    If you have to ask, I'd say neither! Neither are particulary easy career choices and involve long hours of work and study.
    So I wouldn't go into either unless you were really really interested in them, should be something that you really really want to do!

    This is completely true.

    While it's possible that the OP has an interest in both, it sounds more like a "I think I'm smart, what high points course will I do to prove this to others?" situation.


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    #49
    aine-maire
    Closed Accounts Posts: 456 ✭✭aine-maire


    I'm just wondering why the only choices are medicine and law? Besides the fact that both these courses demand atmospherical points and a great level of dedication as well the widely perceived high status of the solicitor/barrister and doctor the two careers bear little in common. Seriously,this decision should be based on your own personality and interests as well as the lifestyle you yourself would like to lead, not on money or any supposed reverence which is associated with a certain job. Think about this now, rather than half way through your course, don't make a choice you'll regret!!
    Good luck,let us know how you get on :)


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    #50
    turgon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,762 ✭✭✭turgon


    stainluss wrote: »
    yes, both im just asking what topics (eg. politics etc) should you be interested in to enjoy either of these professions?

    If you like law > choose law

    If you like medicine > choose medicine

    If you like raping dogs > choose veterinary


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    #51
    peachystarr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭peachystarr


    Medicine and Law are extremely different and the very fact that you picked these too career choices says a lot. The points for medicine are up near 600 while for law they are closer to the 510 mark which is a huge difference in itself.

    If your doing medicine because you want a line of letters after your name and the status that goes with the title Dr. , then chances are your extremely intelligent but prob wont make a very good doctor because if you have to ask what you should be interested in to enjoy these careers then I think you should rethink you course choice based on what your ACTUALLY interested in not what people tell you to be interested in.

    Law is a 3 year degree (4 if you do a language) then its a tough competition to get into Blackhall Place/Kings Inns and for those that do get in the failure rate is high so even if you do pass your starting at the bottom and its a struggle uphill from there (unless of course you know someone willing to take you on say a parent aunt of uncle then you've hit the jackpot)

    Either way I dont think your suited to either if your asking such questions.


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    #52
    A-Bit-Dodge
    Registered Users Posts: 152 ✭✭A-Bit-Dodge


    Corruptedmorals wrote: »
    It's a points thing. If you can get the points for medicine, but secretly prefer law, then choose law and don't be a points snob. The amount of people who end up hating their high-points courses who just put it down on the cao because they knew they'd get it. What's the point in that? You're only fooling yourself.



    Here here... I'm sick of this elitist crap... My son the doctor/ my son the lawyer... blah blah feckin blah... Could two courses be anymore unlike each other? This is one of the major flaws with the points system. :mad:


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    #53
    Sangre
    Registered Users Posts: 12,169 ✭✭✭✭Sangre


    This has nothing to do with the points system. They are two professions that have been highly regarded for centuries. Do you think Ireland is the only country with this elitism?


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    #54
    Jay P
    Registered Users Posts: 4,944 ✭✭✭Jay P


    nerd3000 wrote: »
    I know that is a few posts back but I just want to vent my frustration to this fella! Can I just ask, what experience do you have of the law trade? You have a word of mouth knowledge which clearly doesn't suffice in this instance. Firstly, you totally generalized the whole profession by saying "Don't be a solicitor, there are no jobs" Law is not solely solicitors, that's basically saying that ALL Medicine undergraduate's will be GP's!???

    Well aside from the fact I did a work experience in a law office, and the fact my former best friend's family were all solicitors? Also, the fact that as the lady I was working with said her degree (in law) wasn't even worth the paper it's written on.

    nerd3000 wrote: »
    What I found so disheartening about your post in particular was the way you painted the Law profession to be a dead end quagmire and that nobody should touch it with a barge pole. Anyone viewing your post/all the posts would immediately disregard Law when in actuality they may be perfect for the job. Law is hard-work but very yielding and Lawyers should have a natural drive for success and are willing to work hard to achieve. Law is enjoyable and one can easily reduce the banality. It's like life, it can be as fun as you make it!

    Well, it is a dead end. As I said, there is a shortage of jobs as it is. On top of that, there are a lot of new graduates every year looking for jobs. The few weeks that I spent in the office were eye opening. I found everything very interesting, but only for a while. I saw a wide variety of different cases, and each thing was just the same process over and over again.


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    #55
    Piste
    Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    Has no one considered the fact that maybe the OP might just have an interest in both Law and Medicine? Is it so unheard of for someone to have interests in different fields?


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    #56
    *belle*
    Closed Accounts Posts: 51 ✭✭*belle*


    OP, you need to sort your head out! :confused:. Find out more about each of them, do work experience, contact the colleges and speak to those in the know. Do this now! That way you can move on. Being undecided will just put you under extra pressure. Best of luck with whichever path you choose. :D


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    #57
    JC 2K3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,794 ✭✭✭JC 2K3


    Piste wrote: »
    Has no one considered the fact that maybe the OP might just have an interest in both Law and Medicine? Is it so unheard of for someone to have interests in different fields?
    JC 2K3 wrote: »
    Well my point basically was that Medicine, Law is a typical prestige seeker's combination. Now I don't mean to imply that everyone who puts these down as 1 and 2 is a prestige seeker, nor did I mean to imply that having multiple interests was unfathomable, just that there is no obvious link between Medicine and Law and that the amount of people putting down that combination on their CAO is disproportionate, probabilitywise, with the amount of people who would randomly happen to be very interested in both.
    .


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    #58
    Sangre
    Registered Users Posts: 12,169 ✭✭✭✭Sangre


    There was a qualified doctor in my year in law.


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    #59
    Piste
    Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    JC 2K3 wrote: »
    .



    Hehe ok, you pointed it out too, there just seemed to be a lot of people jumping down the OP's throat for wanting to do both.


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    #60
    genovafrancesco
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭genovafrancesco


    Medicine and law without doubt require differnt skills. That said, it is not unforseen that a leaving cert student would not have the abiity to study either. In deciding which course would suit a student better it has, however, to be admitted, that one should have an idea of one's strong points/interests...Medicine- biology, physics, chemistry, and posssibly maths/applied maths...law - english, history, languages etc...I do appreciate that the study of law differs from second level subjects...Medicine and Law however are poles apart...the only factor that could unite the two (possibly!! plus or minus 50!!!!) high points!!!:p


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