Sorry... another one!

Hooly22

Hi

Well I came across this forum, and really thought it could help me.

I've thought about this for a long time, and as I know how smart and determined you have to be, I kept quiet while I thought about it but I really want to be a doctor.
I might aswell give you my junior cert results, so you have an idea about my academic level.

Maths (H)- A
English (H)- A
Irish (O)-A
CSPE (C)- A
History (H)-B
Geography(H)-B
Home Economics(H)-B
Spanish(H)-B
Religion(H)-B
Science(H)-B
French(H)-C

I know in some of those subjects, such as home ec, religion, french, spanish, geography and science I could have done better in. With some stuff I was lazy, but I've learnt my lesson.

I've been to career guidance, and medicine did come up quite high on suited careers, along with dietetics, physiotherapy, nursing (many types), speech and language therapy etc.

I'm not stupid, I know how many years it's going to take. I'm even willing to do the extra four years, if I don't get the points.

Determination is one thing, but I don't know how to be any different from all the people who say they want to be doctors and fail at it. I don't want to be one of those people.
I did my work experience recently in temple street, and honestly I absolutely loved it. I love the atmosphere, i just loved it.
I was there with nurses, and the one thing i learnt is i want more than nursing.
I know that sounds bad, but i'm just being plain and honest.

So my real questions are,
Do you think I have what it takes?
How do I know I have what it takes?
How can I make sure I don't fail?
And if I don't get the points, what other option do I have?

I'm really sorry this is so long, i just wanted to write all this down!

spurious

Don't judge anything on Junior Cert results. It is an exam where papers are designed for as many people as possible to pass and thus they result in large numbers of As in most subjects. Very few translate to As at Higher level in the Leaving.

Ask yourself what it is about being a doctor that makes you think you want to do it. Prioritise these things. Have a think about other careers that fulfil the same needs.

Personally it's not a job I would wish on my worst enemy.

Most of what passes for 'career guidance' in schools here is crap.
I was at school with a girl a million years ago, who only ever wanted to be involved in Marketing and Advertising. She was headed for a number of As in her Leaving and the Marketing course she wanted to do needed 'only' two Ds so the CG nun went mental, more or less forcing her towards the high point courses, just because she 'could' get the points needed.

My friend stuck to her guns, went into her preferred course, absolutely flew along in it, was head hunted by a number of very high profile firms and ended up lecturing in it at a very early age.

Just because you can get into a course doesn't mean you have to do it.

Hooly22

I went to a guy who was a professor in Trinity for career guidance, because the one in our school is really, really bad.
He did intelligence tests, suitability test, and then sort of what job you'd like. I have all the stuff somewhere, can't find it right now.

I know how hard it's going to be, but even my parents are shocked about how determined I am for a fourth year. I'm taking biology outside of school, now just so I'll be ready for 5th year.

I've talked to my sisters friend, who is her 3rd year through med school. She loves it, but says it's really as hard as everyone says.

OK, I'm going to try write down the reasons I want to be a doctor but it's really hard.
I really want to help people, and I mean properly help them.
I don't want to just care for them like a nurse, I want to cure them.
I want to learn all about recognising diseases, or illlnesses. And Know how to treat it.
I don't want to be a doctor for the money. To be perfectly honest, I don't have a clue how much a doctor even earns. I want people to trust me, and know that they're in capable hands when they come to me.
I don't even know what to say to be honest.
I want to reassure them, and have the knowledge to do the best i can for them

Hooly22

spurious wrote:

Just because you can get into a course doesn't mean you have to do it.

I'm not sure if you misunderstood me, or if that was an unrelated comment, but I'm not saying I deffinately can get the points.
Thats why i want to know, if i don't, how else can i get into med school.

And if i can't get the points, does it mean I'm not smart enough to be a doctor.

eth0_

You should speak to a doctor about the profession before making your mind up. iirc over 50% leave the profession within a couple of years of getting on the medical register. You have to ask yourself why.

It's unbelievably competitive. An 80 hour week will be average. The money is sh*t. It's very hard to get high up the ladder because for some reason, the government doesn't seem to think we need many consultants, so registrar jobs aren't freed up too often.

I did I.T. in college and i'm studying part time for a psychology degree while working full time, I had the intention of applying to med school next year but from what i've been told, i've changed my mind and want to do clinical or neuro psychology.

I don't think it will be as fulfilling as you think, at least not if you're going to practise in Ireland.

eth0_

Hooly22 wrote:

I'm not sure if you misunderstood me, or if that was an unrelated comment, but I'm not saying I deffinately can get the points.
Thats why i want to know, if i don't, how else can i get into med school.

And if i can't get the points, does it mean I'm not smart enough to be a doctor.

No, of course not. The leaving cert is just a memory exercise, it doesn't really have a bearing on how good a doctor you will make, or how intelligent you are.

You might get 6 A's, get into med school, be able to regurgitate all the necessary information in the exams, but then be unable to deal with the reality of dealing with patients.

Unless you want to work in paediatrics, you should try and get work experience in a general hospital.

Hooly22

I would much rather work in paediatrics. I love children, and the doctor on the ward told me I was good with them.
And to be honest, I do want to move out of Ireland, but that's not really going to be a deciding point about whether I go for medicine or not.

It's just a hard decision to make. And for some reason, I feel that if i don't go for it, I'm going to regret it.

It's just in Ireland, it's so hard to get into med school, and I know that. I know I'll have to absolutely work my ass off, for even a chance to get in, but i feel like if i don't try, I'm going to regret it.

But then again, I don't know if I'm wasting my time and should wake up and realise that it's out of reach.

Hooly22

Another thing is, I saw so much in the hospital

Such as a 14month baby, with a tracheotomy. Instead of being scared, i held her for 15 minutes while we waited for the physio.

I saw a child being ressusitated, I helped put a cast on, I met kids with cancer, I saw 2 babies go into care.

And none of this knocked me, I just wanted to stay longer.

LundiMardi

Don't limit yourself to Ireland. You can study medicine anywhere in the world if you want to, so look everywhere.

eth0_

Hooly22 wrote:

But then again, I don't know if I'm wasting my time and should wake up and realise that it's out of reach.

Don't be silly, it's not unattainable. Just be aware that getting into med school is the easy bit
You do know you have to do time in every medical discipline (obs/gynae, psychiatry, surgery etc) before you can specialise in paediatrics?

Hooly22

eth0_ wrote:

Don't be silly, it's not unattainable. Just be aware that getting into med school is the easy bit
You do know you have to do time in every medical discipline (obs/gynae, psychiatry, surgery etc) before you can specialise in paediatrics?

Oh I do!! That's just where I'd like to end up.

I have talked to my parents about studying medicine in the UK (mainly because its the closest to Ireland I could get), and they said that if it's really what I want, and they mean as in the only thing I want to do, they would help me fund some of it, along with student loans, and me actually working aswell.

I'm honestly just terrified of quiting.

LundiMardi

So don't quit.

Simple;)

Hooly22

I'll do my best.

I know none of you know me personally, but do you think I could possibly have what it takes?

Hooly22

And also last question, I can't find on the internet the exact length of time spent in college and then internship.

I thought it was sort of 4 years in college, than internetship, but some sites say short and some say longer, and now I am utterly confused.

LundiMardi

Read the course description for each individual college, it should say there. I would imagine that it could differ slightly per college.

Hooly22

I went on the UCD website, the Trinity Wesbite and the Royal College of Surgeons website, but i'm still confused!
ill figure it out!

Thanks everyone xxx

Moonbeam

Relax,study hard,put it on your cao form and wait and see what happens:)

Good luck!

eth0_

Hooly22 wrote:

And also last question, I can't find on the internet the exact length of time spent in college and then internship.

I thought it was sort of 4 years in college, than internetship, but some sites say short and some say longer, and now I am utterly confused.

It's 5 or 6 years in med school followed by one year 'internship' and then you're a junior house officer.

But the study and the exams never stops. In fact it probably gets worse, because you have to study for exams while working full time as a qualified doctor.

Hooly22

Oh god, I thought it was like 4 or 5 years college, then 4 years internship!
Where the hell did i get that idea?

Thanks.
Is a junior house officer, a junior doctor?

eth0_

Yeah, after your one years internship, you are a junior house officer, i.e. a licenced junior doctor. Then you do exams to progress onto Senior house officer after a few years.

JackieChan

Hooly22 wrote:

Oh god, I thought it was like 4 or 5 years college, then 4 years internship!
Where the hell did i get that idea?

Thanks.
Is a junior house officer, a junior doctor?

Hooly, I can't give you any good advice on this but I wish you all the best of luck with it.

Hooly22

Thanks a million. That means alot, it's a change from people saying not to bother.... you'll have to work very hard.

Obviously i will!!

Thanks a million xx

Sleepy

If it's your calling, it's your calling and we need more people like you getting into medecine. Far too many doctors are getting into it because of the glamour of ER and similar shows, the high Leaving Cert points, parental pressure etc.

One piece of advice is to remember that a lot of the time a doctor's job is to have to break the news that there's nothing further he can do / that there is no cure / that someone's loved one has died etc. If you're the sort of person who this would tear apart (as I would be myself tbh), you might be better to look at something else.

MonkeyWrench

Its pointless asking readers whether or not they think you are suitable enough to become a doctor or not based on what you have written. I would advise you to get more information first hand over the next couple of years before submitting your cao form. This could be in the form of making acquaintances with Junior House officers in a hospital or getting to know people who are currently studying medicine via online forums or wherever. I know a couple of doctors who are friends of mine and in their late twenties and have progressed to Senior House Officers. They had much the same sort of dream for the future that you have i.e helping people, curing them, not just caring for them, but for both of them i get the impression that they are now just working to pay the bills rather than actually satisfied in their job. For the amount of hours that a doctor has to put in and the amount of stress they have to deal with, the money is not good. The key here for you over the next couple of years is to keep getting good grades but also try to get a broader (more realistic) view of what a doctor really does before you make the decision to study medicine or not.

Hooly22

Sleepy wrote:

If it's your calling, it's your calling and we need more people like you getting into medecine. Far too many doctors are getting into it because of the glamour of ER and similar shows, the high Leaving Cert points, parental pressure etc.

One piece of advice is to remember that a lot of the time a doctor's job is to have to break the news that there's nothing further he can do / that there is no cure / that someone's loved one has died etc. If you're the sort of person who this would tear apart (as I would be myself tbh), you might be better to look at something else.

I know that, and also that there are bad aspects about being a doctor.
But the good aspects always seem to outway the bad aspects, and I can't see myself doing anything else.
Every job has bad points, a doctors are just more extreme.

eth0_

Hooly, you might find this blog interesting, it's written by an NHS GP, but i'm sure there are some similarities with our health system.

http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/

hopeful

Hooly22 wrote:

I really want to help people, and I mean properly help them.

I'd be seriously worried about this being your primary (1st on your list anyway) reason for wanting to be a doctor.
As a doctor there will be many people you cannot help/cure...how are you going to feel?

I'm not trying to 'rain on your parade' just talking from 20 years experience in the medical profession.