Doing medicine? ... can any medical students advise?

QueenOfLeon

Really busy for the next few days but I'll get to it after the weekend Or just PM me with any specific questions you have.

gaeilgegrinds1

I know this is probably not something I should post but I will. I'm marrying a surgeon, we've been together years but had to take a break in the middle as he was fit to crack. In college I often saw him at breaking point. He topped his class four of the six years but gave up everything for it. He has missed his brother's graduation, cousin's wedding, bestfriend's stag. He says if not for me he'd have had to quit, the hours are ridiculous in the end and he had to work part-time towards the end as was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the equipment and books alone are very expensive. I did arts and used bring him his lunch/dinner and sit and talk about just normal things, his class would drive him crazy picking his brains all day and that was what nearly finished him off.
On the plus side, he was guaranteed a job, I was not. I got the points for medicine but never wanted to do it so was always easily top of my class, he had to work to be there. The money...it's not great to be honest. I earned almost as much before I gave up the grinds work and had loads of evenings off. Working weekends has to be the hardest, he misses our son a lot. Also, mentally he deals with things that are very tough and claims inadequate preparation for situations he is in.
However, if it is what you want I think you have to do it. Just don't go in it for power or money, as neither will come your way until you're thirty. You'll miss out on Summers away and you'll be lonely a lot but he does not regret it. It's a satisfying job but has changed a lot and job opportunities are not what they were. Ask doctors you know about it, don't go into it blind please. But if you do, go n-éirí leat.
(And yes I regularly get up at half 5 so I've his shirt ironed and pancakes on the table, ward rounds early and he'll be arising any minute, sacrifices but he's worth it!)

Chuchoter

Well that was a bit of a downer

I did a weeks work experience in TY in an A&E, the hours the junior doctors worked were hellish, but tbh, compared to any of my cousins working in any high powered job (law, business, etc) its about the same amount of work. Everyone was up til 4 in the morning working. My dad works in computers (which you'd think was a fairly life friendly job) and its boring and the hours are insane (sometimes he isn't back until 11 o'clock and then works at home until 1 and 2 in the morning). Basically what I'm saying is all work is hard, you might as well do something you like.

I want to do medicine because I love science, I'm a very creative and logical person, I'm not happy if I don't have loads of work to do and I like being helpful. I really hope that will be enough to make it worth all the crap you go through to make it happen. Maybe I'm very naive, but what else can I do? They ask you to make a decision at 18 what you want to do for the rest of your life, after not being able to make many decisions before that. We are all going in blind.

Jaafa

What I'd like to hear is first hand experience from anyone out there about the state of the Irish health system. I mean I know its fairly bad...but is it as bad they say?

QueenOfLeon

It can be disheartening to read some peoples experiences of the health system but I think you can't go into medicine blindsighted. As much as I'd hope the health system will improve, I'd prefer to know the worst case scenario in the future! This thread is really informative, some negatives, some positives.

Jaafa

Well from that thread it seems pretty rock bottom atm. So theres only one way it can go...I hope.

Chuchoter

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

It can be disheartening to read some peoples experiences of the health system but I think you can't go into medicine blindsighted. As much as I'd hope the health system will improve, I'd prefer to know the worst case scenario in the future! This thread is really informative, some negatives, some positives.

Mostly negatives though, very,very negative

QueenOfLeon

crayolastereo wrote: »

Mostly negatives though, very,very negative

I know It does make you question some things, but I'd still like to know all this now before finding myself in the middle of a disaster I didn't see coming. Hopefully things will improve in the next few years, cos while we're still in a recession the health service won't have many changes for the better imo.

Ally7

I'm in fifth year at the monent and contemplating doing medicine. However I think i'd prefer to go into medical research rather than becoming a doctor. Would medicine be the right course for me or would i be better off going into another science course?

sparagon

Human Health and Diseases in TCD maybe?