Dropping out of med degree what now?

[Proscuitto]

Just that really. I have had some really severe circumstances (victim of serious crime) and am just completely devastated.

Tried to come back to my medical degree but just can't engage and am not going to pass me exams, next month, so will probably get kicked out for academic failure. Everything about the course and the uni reminds me of the horrible thing that happened, so I just can't engage. I can attend the lectures and take the notes, but there just seems to be a block in my brain and I just don't want to be there anymore.

Anyone been in the position of dropping out of medical school before? What are my options?

I have the usual GCSEs and A levels at a standard that got me into medical school, and I would more than happily do a different degree somewhere else, but just don't know what's possible

Can to take some time out to recover from what happened to you before dropping out completely? Or transfer to another university? It would be a shame to loose a qualification you’ve worked hard for due to a trauma.

Intercalate now whilst you recover and decide what you would like to do next.

Could you try a different uni? They may allow transfers into their programmes.

I've known of students to go to study medicine but come back to us (sixth form) in the next year or two for references for things like physio, physiology, midwifery etc.

Can you interrupt for a year rather than drop out? But some time in case you feel in a better place next year?

Talk to the university.

you can intermit (take a year out), other possibilities are leaving with lower level qualifications eg they may be able to award you a ordinary degree in biology or something.

go talk to them.

especially as you have been the victim or serious crime.

your tutor may not know all the options to if they don’t get her (or him) to refer upwards.

Talk to the university. My best friend dropped out of her medical degree, went and did a different degree and then went back to medicine. She’s now a brilliant doctor. You do need to talk to the university, they are there to help you.

You need to take a leave of absence. It sounds like you have PTSD and probably depression. You're not in a fit state to be making decisions that will affect your whole life. Get a leave of absence, heal and see how you feel.

I can't interrupt unfortunately, I interrupted when the trauma happened and came back, so that option is unfortunately gone. Medicine doesn't allow transfers to other universities, which is a bit of a shame.

As I am only in 2nd year, intercalating isn't an option.

Tbh I would like to do a different degree somewhere else. I am academically able under normal conditions, but there's just a mental block when it comes to this university and this course that I just can't get past no matter how hard I try

Please talk to your uni. You haven’t done your exams yet so you’re in a good position, they don’t want to fail you they will want you to succeed.

You might be able to repeat the year from September, you might be able to leave now with a Bsc, you might be able to going into another year in a different course.

Please talk to them and see what your options are.

I'm so sorry to read this.
You are without doubt a very able young person - nobody gets into medical school otherwise - and you will have many transferable skills and personal attributes. There will be lots of other things you could do.
But you shouldn't have to. You are ill, and you need the approriate medical care to recover, plus support from your University to enable you to continue if you wish when you are well enough to make that decision.
Unfortunately the medical profession can be very bad at taking care of its own when they are ill (I have personal experience!) and you are probably not in the best position to advocate for yourself right now. I would suggest you seek support from somewhere like the welfare office in your students union or if you are a student member of the BMA they may be able to help you.
Deciding medicine is not for you is one thing if you are well and it's still not working out. I'd never try to dissuade a young person who has genuinely made the wrong choice from changing course as it only gets harder to escape the further down the line you get and it's miserable to be stuck in a profession you can't stand. But that doesn't sound like you. There's a clear and terrible precipitating factor that has lead to how you are feeling now. Get that dealt with and if you still feel that way once you're well then look elsewhere, but I agree with PPs that you're not in the right frame of mind to make that decision now. Don't throw away something you have worked so hard for unless you are certain, and you can't be certain whilst you are still suffering like this. Get the help you need to recover from your trauma and some support to fight your corner.

Can you apply for medicine elsewhere? You must have good grades if you were accepted to medical school so there will be other options available to you if you don’t continue, Pharmacy, Psychology or Dentistry could be a good alternative for example

@Proscuitto is it the environment related to your trauma which surrounds your current uni which is what you're struggling with?

Or is it medicine which you no longer want to pursue?

It sounds as though you have extenuating circumstances which may favour your acceptance/transfer into a different uni.

This site may give more information on which to ponder your options.

eta, word change

@beetr00 I don't want either anymore unfortunately. The crime was done by another student when I was at the uni, and when he gets out of prison he will probably come back to that city. Doing medicine and being back in that city just feel like they are prolonging the trauma of the bad thing that happened. I just want to move on, but for me doing medicine and being in that city just make me feel worse

If you are you want to give up medicine, other related degrees to consider could be biochemistry, chemistry, biology or any allied health course/degree like radiography, OT etc. The main science degrees are offered at most uni’s and some have a year in industry.

You'd need to check the position re; student fee’s if you are funded by student finance England.

Would it be all medical related that you want to move from so pharmaceutical or dentistry as well?

Other options - biochemistry, biological sciences, microbiology? If any of these take your fancy? Thinking the lab and development side of things, research etc.

*sure

So sorry that you've had what sounds like a very traumatic experience OP.
My DD dropped out of her medical degree- she loved medicine but really didn't like the way that the NHS is going. It was a huge decision for her and she really struggled with leaving her dream -Not helped by the general attitude that if you get the opportunity to study medicine you should.-She'd studied law at A level and made the switch to law at the same university and hasn't looked back. What do you enjoy OP? I'm so glad and proud of my DD for changing her mind and having the courage to leave med when so many keep going only to hate it when they qualify. Good luck to you.

Do you still want to do medicine and if it were possible to transfer would you do that?

Can you talk to the university?

Can you see if they could try to organise a transfer or at least waive some of your fees on compassionate grounds? Would it be worth asking a solicitor to assist you with this? Especially if the crime happened on campus or university accommodation.

Can you transfer to medicine in an Irish University? Would that work for you?

I'm sorry this happened to you.

I'm sorry to read this. You could probably transfer to do medical or biological sciences elsewhere and maybe pursue a career in medical communications. Scientific directors and medical writers are highly sort after and very well paid. Google medical writing careers if you are interested.

@Conniebygaslight thank you for your kind message. I think I would like to study something completely different. Law or teaching maybe and to study somewhere closer to my family and as far away from my current uni as possible. I think I was daft to come back. Realistically I wanted to do everyone proud and succeed at the degree despite what happened, but in reality all it has done is lower my mental health further and make me reflexively dislike any and everything to do with medicine

I would contact other unis and ask.

st Andrew’s for example, long time ago but they used to take transfers into second year. Many used to take those with a first degree straight into second year.

it’s worth asking? You have very valid reasons for wanting to leave your university and city. You may have to repeat a year- at worst two if they make you start from the beginning.

i’d also be talking to your uni about your situation and why they need to help you transfer.

If medicine is no longer for you, I’d be getting a job for a few years, work on moving away from your university city, get help, and rethink in a couple of years when everything is more stable.

As a survivor of a serious incident resulting in imprisonment for the accused and future impact on you and your studies upon their release, I wonder if you have grounds to apply to restart at another university, funded by the Victim Compensation Fund? If leaving medicine would feel later as a further impact of the crime.

Best wishes to you op.

I am so sorry this has happened to you. I hope you are getting the help you need. It made me feel very annoyed on your behalf that apparently you can't take a break because you have already had one immediately after the crime - this crime was committed by another student I would think the very least the university owe you in their duty of care is to let you have the time you need to recover from such an experience.

I totally get that you want to move on, but it really seems you have been let down by the uni here.

I'm really sorry this happened, and can completely understand why you want to move elsewhere. Given the circumstances I am sure you'd be allowed to interrupt for longer in case you want to see how you feel a little while down the road.
Alternatively there's lots of scientific courses that would count the first year of a medical degree and allow year 2 entry or of course you could try to apply somewhere else for a completely different subject through clearing this year.

Hi my daughter left medicine to do biochemistry. she is coming to the end of yr 1, and remains completely happy with the switch. Now is the time to do it, before other students fail exams and start looking for alternate degrees.
Your uni may assist you, given the circumstances, talk to your tutor, they may have some contacts that are of use.
Work out what uni(s) you want to go to, look at the degrees that will make you happy and contact admissions directly to explain your reason for wanting to change, as they may snap you up, given that you are likely to be much more able than the other students applying for that spot.