Fed up medic :(

[sunshineroll]

Name change!

I applied for medicine aged 17 and now feel like I had no idea what I was signing up for. I am about to go into my 6th (and final) year and feel so disheartened by the whole thing. I feel like I've been working a full time job for the last 3 years at least but with no pay, no respect and no control over my own life and I'm already having sleepless nights about the prospect of working as a doctor before I've even qualified! In short:

-I'm quite an anxious person and don't handle stress well
-I'm quite sensitive and end up going home upset several times a week about things I've seen in the hospital
-I dislike the stress of the hospital environment and would have to work there for at least 5 years before moving into community
-I'm very concerned about working night shifts
-I feel like I have little say in where I will live and work - at this rate I will not be able to move in with my boyfriend for at least another 3 years
-I do not want to be taking exams for the rest of my life!

But most worryingly, the majority of doctors I meet are very disheartened and tell me to leave! I have friends who are already qualified who are all looking to get out ... they tell me they have no say in when they are working and regularly have to cancel plans (including holidays) due to last minute rota changes - one was not even allowed leave for her best friend's funeral.

Despite doing well in my exams, I just feel like medicine is a lifestyle I am not cut out for - ultimately I could handle the hours and stress if it was a job I truly enjoyed, but I just do not think this will be the case and am getting more and more worried about the future

so my questions are

• has anyone qualified in medicine and chosen not to practice? has anyone become a dr and then left?

-what job options are there for someone graduating in medicine who does not wish to work as a doctor?!

I'd be grateful for any advice (and even more grateful for anyone with some positive stories about how it isn't that bad!!)

*you're

do you think you can finish your degree ? I would if you can , what about becoming a Gp? or do you not want to be a doctor at all? Would you consider dentistry ? Or some kind of research in science based subjects

My brothers friend went into beauty, so Botox, body sculpting/lipolysis, fillers etc ...

Or

Something as pp have said in pharma or banking (that may be stressful tho)

I was a senior nurse for 30 years now moved into another non stressful medical field. Me and the other nurses used to think being a doctor was probably the worse job in the world and no way we would be be able to do that and sleep at night.
You have to be a special type of person with a very thick skin to cope with that kind of life.
You will either develop a very thick skin over the years and cope or just go on hating every minute.
Only you can decide whether you want to go on.

Finish your degree but if you feel as you do, don’t start the training treadmill. Think laterally, get some careers advice and treat it as a degree- get on an alternative career pathway.
Don’t do Dentistry!

If you already know you don’t handle stress welll, then I just can’t see it working out for you as a career.

Find something you love. Don’t think of it as a wasted 7 years. It’s still education, and a very valuable one.

I’m a doctor (psychiatrist). I love it, but I HATED my hospital years.

Finish the degree anyway.

Someone mentioned finance. I know of an acquaintance who qualified as a doctor, went into finance, and is richer than all the doctors I know.

As a qualified doctor you are also a scientist - you could get a PhD in one of the life sciences and go into a scientific career?

Or maybe work for an insurance company?

Medicine is an attractive degree, even if you never work as a doctor. From the sounds of it, you probably wouldn’t cope well with working as a doc - the difficulties you describe only exacerbate when you hit the wards.

My advice for what’s it’s worth: seek career advice on alternative paths. And finish the course anyway.

@Sleephead1

Becoming a GP would involve YEARS of hospital work. And after that, you’re a frigging GP! I know loads of GPs- that’s a really hard, stressful job. I know you mean well, but your suggestion is unlikely to be practical.

Don't be a dentist.

Stick at it.
There will be so many avenues open to you once you've completed it.
Working abroad, aesthetics, big pharma etc.

You're so close. You should be so proud of yourself.

This thread is really helpful to me.
I qualified, worked for two years and quit.
I still feel a sense of failure about it but the stress was making me ill.

what about becoming a Gp? or do you not want to be a doctor at all? Would you consider dentistry ?

I’m guessing you’re not a medic, past or present.

Definitely finish your degree!

I’m a scientist (ex academic) working in a CRO. We have loads of medics. Pharma and CROs love medics.

I would definitely finish your degree if you can. But if you're already very stressed and anxious I would think very hard about whether a different career would suit you better rather than doing the junior doctor years. They were the most stressful and difficult years of my life. And I'm generally a resilient non-anxious person.

I did find it got easier and less anxiety-provoking (but still stressful and with ridiculous hours) as I got further on and became more confident in my ability to handle situations.

Ultimately I worked in a hospital in a high stress area for 15 years before leaving to be a SAHP. Husband still works ludicrous hours in the same area.

It's a hard decision for you but well done for thinking about it so early on - I wish I had!

Yy to insurance or medical devices (sales or development, depending on your aptitudes and inclinations). Or a role such as company (in big companies)/prison doctor where you're working in a specific environment and hours are likely to be reasonably stable?

Definitely finish your degree! Medicine makes you very employable pretty much across the board.

Stick out the degree, and investigate the options - there are loads!

Assuming you’re young, I wouldn’t prioritise your bf at this stage.

I wish I'd been brave enough to leave 15 yrs ago when I looked into it as a final year student. I'm a (very) part time hp now which suits me and pays the bills but the toll on my physical and mental health has been massive and has had an impact on my family too.
Things to bear in mind : clinical school is unlikely to be supportive of you leaving and there will be minimal career advice. However the university you are attached too should have a careers department which may help.
Money. I looked into changing to midwifery. But would need to start a nursing degree from the start.... With the fees that involves as well as time. I imagine you already have a lot of debt? Look for something that won't add to this too much.

Get out whilst you can

What about switching to public health as a specialism? Fascinating area with lots of career potential.

www.fph.org.uk/training-careers/specialty-training/

I got out after 20 years. To be honest your list of concerns is the least of your problems. If that’s the worst people would not be leaving in droves.

You will be working in a system that has had the guts ripped out of it and is completely on its knees. You will be expected to work in a system where necessary resources have been removed, everything is cut to the bone and administrative processes rule everything overriding patient care. To top it off every patient these days is a specialist courtesy of Dr Google and is more than happy to tell you how to do your job even though in reality they are in general (with the odd exception) completely clueless. I found over 20yrs that the average patient also moved from being fairly grateful for the assistance to a belligerent arsehole but I worked in emergency so it’s rough.

If qualified work is no issue, lots of jobs and opportunities. I have worked in insurance (soul crushing imo), quite a bit of work available in government - I worked in policy and that was good, there’s work in medical associations you could do - I assisted with development of revised treatment guidelines but had the clinical experience, there’s work in places like EMA or now the local agency post Brexit which is good stuff, work in industry such as pharmacy companies etc.

HCP here but not a medic. I think you are being very sensible thinking of your options now. Being a doctor (especially the beginning years) is such an awful job and the lack of stability and constant moves are so cruel. I think it is the lack of public understanding of this that is one of the worst parts.

If at all possible I would echo others saying to finish your qualification as then it can be framed as much more of change of direction than not finishing.

FWIW, I was in a fairly high pressure area and moved sideways and went very part time. I’m not saying this is the same at all, but while I often think I wasted my potential, I far more often think that goodness I got out when I could .

Junior doctors are treated appallingly, it’s true. GP training isn’t as long as you are believing. My daughter and partner are GP trainees having done a two year foundation programme they have 1.5 years in hospitals (now on final placement) and then another eighteen months on GP placement. So five years post qualifying but not all in hospitals.

She’s thought about retraining as a teacher many times but decided to stick with it as there have been good times that outweigh the bad. Dropping down salary would be hard too. She’ll be a trained GP at 26 on a very reasonable salary and in a better position to make choices then but I suspect once off the dreadful rotas she’ll be more inclined to stay.

I’d say if you choose to start training then opt for a deanery where you can enjoy non work life - even if it’s not London.my daughter wanted somewhere she could sail and swim in the sea off duty. She knew she didn’t want cardiothoracic surgery so prestigious hospitals were less important despite being in upper decile. Choose a pathway that offers non hospital placements as well - they did GP, psychiatry, hospice care and public health between them. It helped them decide where to go next.

Do finish your degree. Always better to move from a position of strength. Then think long and hard about why your thinking of moving - plenty do but remember you can’t practice medicine until after foundation programme is complete. Maybe take a year out whilst you decide?

It’s great that you’ve got this far, achieved a lot, realised you probably don’t want a career in medicine and are thinking through your options - your own health and wellbeing are really important.

Oh wow I was not expecting so many kind, thoughtful responses - I’m so grateful not to be told that I’m over dramatic and should get on with it (thank you family )

Those of you who suggest GP / psychiatry - these are placements I have enjoyed but at the moment I can’t imagine getting through the hospital years I need to get there ... I certainly need to do more research though, I’ve pretty much had my head in the sand with regards to careers in medicine and could definitely do with reminding myself how many choices there are!

As for those who have suggested non-medical careers, thank you so much - medicine is such a bubble that I feel completely out of touch with the job market but, again, I will certainly do my research! Sadly my confidence has been a bit dented and I currently feel like I’d be no good in any job but some proper careers advice will hopefully help...

Finally for those who left, how did your family / friends respond? I’ve had the discussion with a few people around me but am definitely getting vibes of “all jobs are hard” - in fact lots of people seem keen to tell me that being a doctor is not that difficult at all, despite me seeing the contrary every day!

Hi, I was a nurse and I think going from medic to nurse would probably be frustrating for you and nursing has its own stresses too. Imagine being told to treat a patient in a way that you don't agree with.
I would finish the final year though. Life is too short and your working life too long to do something that your unhappy in.

Not sure if this will help as I’m a HCP but not a doctor and didn’t completely leave. To answer your questions...

Family: DH is also a HCP and completely understands that both of us doing the hours and stress were incompatible with family life (no other family support close by) although money is tight now. My parents sort of understand but (IME) nobody who hasn’t done those kind of jobs will get it. Lots of people will think it is not difficult so I ignore those people . I know quite a few doctors who left and are now SAHPs.