Considering studying medicine - Advice, please!

_elfie

I'm currently studying software development and I love it but I have recently been regretting not going for medicine; I didn't have much confidence in terms of my capabilities despite getting As in pretty much all of my exams when I actually applied myself. I think a lot of factors are the reasons behind such feelings.
I feel like I really held myself back and didn't aim high like I should have and I'm seriously regretting that now.
Anyway, I was wondering what my best bet is. Can I study medicine after completing this degree, despite no real links/subject overlaps or should I repeat my Leaving Certificate and aim to get all As in it in order to apply to universities to study medicine?

j.mcdrmd

To the best of my knowledge:-
If EU students get at least a 2.1 in ANY level 8 degree + sit an exam called the Gamsat they can apply for GEM (graduate entry medicine).

To apply for undergrad medicine resit the Leaving Cert + sit the Hpat.

If over 23 mature entry is possible.

If EU students already have a level 8 degree they will have to pay fees to sit another degree at the same level. If they drop out they will have to pay fees for the years they completed in another degree. Medicine is a level 8 degree whether sat as an undergrad or graduate entry.

Returning to college is a very expensive option. The undergrad route is longer but is less intensive, and less expensive for graduates than GEM, per year, probably allowing for some work to help fund it.

You state that you are enjoying software development. It seems to me, career wise, that is a great option and you could aim high in that area.

Can you figure out where the (I should have aimed for medicine) idea is coming from? For example, think about what area of medicine interests you? What subjects did you choose for leaving cert and why? If there was no graduate entry route would you have moved on by now? How do you see life for yourself, in the future, working as a Doctor, not as a med student?

If you want to get a flavour of life for current Doctors in Ireland there is a lot of info on here and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/566600706700681/?ref=br_tf.

Research options for your future very carefully.

Hope that helps and the best of luck to you.

_elfie

Thank you for your response and for giving so much information, I appreciate that!

I know software development is a great career choice for many reasons: high demand for programmers, good wages, can work in almost any country etc.

As much as I really do love programming, I'm finding it more and more difficult to imagine myself going down that career path and working as programmer for a very long period of time. I am very young (19), so one could see my indecisiveness as immaturity or fear of feeling like getting a degree in a certain area means that I'll be stuck in a particular job forever or for several years but really, I just don't think that I gave everything enough thought. I feel as though I'll end up going back to college again if I complete this degree, more than likely after working for some time as I don't reaaally wanna spend all my time studying and forking out thousands of euros hahaha.

I think I held myself back a lot and should have worked away as though I wanted to get 600 points in the Leaving Cert as I do think that I could have achieved over 500 points. I'm not blowing my own trumpet and suggesting I'm really intelligent, I'm just good at memorising things and well, that's a very big part of the Leaving Cert hahaha. I would have the option to just apply to the CAO as an undergrad student this year if I had done that.
One option I have, is to leave my course after second year with a higher certificate and then start working towards becoming a med student from there so that my time in software wasn't wasted but yeah, that's just an option that I have, I guess.
I feel like I'm all over the place trying to make a decision and I think that this is just because I do like software development and fear that if I were to leave and then not get into medicine, I would have wasted a lot of my time for nothing. Software is practical, a safe option in terms of job stability.. but I don't feel like I'm super passionate about it, as airy fairy as that may sound. I feel like I convinced myself with my general love of games and computers that this was the course for me.

Medicine is an area that really intrigues me. I can see myself being a doctor. I would love to work in A&E. I enjoy working with people and I think that I would love the busy, fast-paced environment.

I think I'm just finding it a little daunting and it's pretty clear that I have a lot to consider haha.

Thank you very much for the information as I was convinced that my degree had to be more relevant to medicine. At least I now know that I have one more option than I first thought.

Anita Blow

Hey Elfie,
I'm currently in Graduate Medicine if you've any questions about getting there, what it's like etc!

Anita Blow

Hey Elfie,
I'm currently in Graduate Medicine if you've any questions about getting there, what it's like etc!

_elfie

Update: I'm going for it! I've dropped out of software and am going to spend the next year working super hard and shall hopefully be in med school in 2017