Medicine, and travelling.

theowen

Helloo. I'm in first year Med in TCD at the moment and I'm wondering about travelling opportunities for Doctors (Basically taking a year out to travel). Is this possible after completing internship; I read somewhere that the big wigs don't look kindly on those that ditch their careers, albeit briefly, to travel etc. Would it be better to take a year out during Med school e.g. after 2nd year, and before starting the clinical years. I'd rather be young travelling, rather than wait until I've free time, whenever that would be. Cheers for the opinions!

..............

this may be better off in Health Sciences Education now that I think of it, could a Mod organise a switch please?

dissed doc

theowen wrote: »

Helloo. I'm in first year Med in TCD at the moment and I'm wondering about travelling opportunities for Doctors (Basically taking a year out to travel). Is this possible after completing internship; I read somewhere that the big wigs don't look kindly on those that ditch their careers, albeit briefly, to travel etc. Would it be better to take a year out during Med school e.g. after 2nd year, and before starting the clinical years. I'd rather be young travelling, rather than wait until I've free time, whenever that would be. Cheers for the opinions!

..............

"Don't leave until you do your intern year"
"Don't leave until you've done the BST"
"Don't leave until after your memberships"
"Don't leave until you'v done research"
"Don't leave until you've done your SpR"

....leave eventually because you want to.

Go travelling. No one cares, least of all any "big wigs". Listening to others make the above comments is part of the NCHD experience. They want you to validate their decision to stay. You will never have free time, unless you make it free.

busymum1

I'd say wait until after your intern year anyway. It'd be really hard to go back to college after the freedom of traveling, plus you'll have more money after you've been working for a bit. I went after a two year SHO scheme for six months, before starting work overseas and didn't do me any harm. Most Irish graduates have to head overseas for a bit anyway and you can fit it in around this. You could always do some work with a voluntary organisation while you're away. I think it would be much more frowned upon if you left before intern year.. HTH.

theowen

Cheers everybody. Suppose I'll wait until after Intern year. Didn't think it'd make a difference taking a year out in College mind :rolleyes:

opinion guy

theowen wrote: »

Cheers everybody. Suppose I'll wait until after Intern year. Didn't think it'd make a difference taking a year out in College mind :rolleyes:

It won't make a difference taking a year out during college - no one will ask after intern year. But the problem is getting a year out of college - the college most likely won't let you do that unless you have some good reason. They are unlikely to accept 'I want to travel' as a good reason!

PhysiologyRocks

As far as I know, UCC have allowed people to take time out in the absence of any unusual circumstances.

However, I was a bit surprised to hear this (not unpleasantly, just surprised) and did wonder if there was more to it than I was aware. Based on how the people in question are spending the year, I don't think there is anything more complicated going on.

I don't know about TCD, though.

theowen

Ah...

I thought you could just take a year out I'll ask my tutor sure and see what the craic is, thanks :rolleyes:

bythewoods

A friend of mine had a very genuine reason to take a year out of college, and it still took an awful lot of negotiating and so forth. She doesn't do Medicine, mind, but I still don't think it's that easy.

If you want to travel during college, your best bet would be to travel during your holidays (HUGE Summer break between 1st and 2nd year, which gets gradually shorter every year...), or perhaps go on Erasmus for 3rd year, if your French is up to it. Also, take part in MOVE in 3rd year and you'll get to travel during your 3rd-4th year holidays.

Personally, I plan to travel after my internship, maybe, and so do loads of my friends. It seems like the best option.

ergo

go after intern year, that's what I did

in terms of work/travel/play it probably was the best year of my life (so far...!)

a couple of people I knew did take a year out and went travelling after 3rd year I think without too much hassle (that was UCD) - it didn't seem to stop either of them getting on the SpR scheme (many years later)

Vorsprung

Yep, after intern year is best. There's a reason why most people do it then - easy to get a job, easy to fund further travels, easy to slot into a scheme at home if you want to come back.

theowen

Cheers everyone, helpful all round

Traumadoc

Combine the two, after intern year go to Australia, do 6 months work travel 6 months,
Dont worry about career, that will come.
My one regret in my training is that I did not leave Ireland earlier.

Bella mamma

theowen wrote: »

Ah...

I thought you could just take a year out I'll ask my tutor sure and see what the craic is, thanks :rolleyes:

You're correct, you'll have no problem taking a year out. You can take a year out during the course and after your intern year no problem at all. Any time you want in fact, it is YOUR time after all. The college has plenty of students chopping and changing these days - no big deal, they really do try to accomodate, I'm positive. In the grand scheme of things you'll be dead and buried long enough. Sorry!! Enjoy yourself! (PS I did as you're considering and am not remotely bothered that most of my original classmates are ahead of me in career progression. I had a fab time.)