DS wants to ditches Medicine for Computer Science - should he?

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DS17 is currently doing his A-levels in Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. He is predicted four A*s. He also spent the whole of summer revising for UCAT (medical entrance exam) and achieved an amazing score. For a long time the plan was Medicine. He has done extensive medical volunteering and would almost certainly secure a place.

He now says his passion has always been technology. He is believer in its potential and constantly gives long monologues about the ways it will transform our lives and the way it is the future of humanity (ai, neural technology, all that jargon). He talks about wanting to be part of the race where biology and technology merge and where tech will undergo extreme advancements especially in AI.

I am advising him to stay with Medicine because of the time and effort already invested and because Computer Science is WAY less secure with AI changing the job market and replacing almost all programmers.

I am seeking advice. Should he continue on the Medicine path for stability, or follow what he feels is his true interest in Computer Science? AIBU to discourage him from changing his mind or at least seriously reconsidering?

He's planning on sending off his application for med (deadline is coming up very soon) but intends on taking a gap year to study a level further maths and apply next year for computer science. I've told him he can apply without FM to many unis but he says he wants to have a shot at Imperial and Oxbridge which essentially require it. I don't know if a gap year is a good idea. It's a huge risk.

Honestly, I think he should follow his heart. From what you said he sounds like a clever lad with his head screwed on.
If he follows medicine it could just to please you and not let you down and that's not good long term.

Medicine is a tough career. Not only the degree, but the many years of being a resident doctor and the working hours, shifts, moving around for jobs and exams that go with that. I wouldn't advise anyone who isn't 100 percent committed to pursue it.

Just noticed a typo on the title, apologies

Your concerns are valid. At that age, kids are dealing with a lot of uncertainty and will leap into things to try and deal with it.

The kind of frontier medicine he’s describing (assuming that remains his interest) will still need people who began with a medical foundation.

Another option: if you can convince him to apply for and start medicine, tell him you’ll support a move to Computer Science after 6 months if he really doesn’t like it.

I was your son. I realised at interview my heart really wasnt in it, but I had spent so long working for it I hadnt had the guts to do stop.

I did engineering at university. No regrets.

Ultimately, it has to be his choice. Medicine is a long, difficult path to follow and if it’s not his vocation it’s going to be even harder. I’m not sure it’s that stable a career these days anyway is it - I thought lots of doctors were struggling to get training positions? He sounds incredibly bright and well researched, I share your concerns about the stability of CS too, but maybe a gap year wouldn’t be a bad idea to give him time to think about what he really wants to do?

None of us can predict the future. In many ways medicine is not the prestige career it seemed 30 years ago . It may evolve differently in another 10. And who knows about computing either.
But you have a very bright proactive amd thoughtful child. These are qualities that will help him succeed whatever the future holds. But also he doesn't have to rush he can always take a year out to think where his next steps are. He might end up designing am ai doctor!

Maybe help both of you by reminding that this isn't a huge decision. Its significant but life takes us in surprising directions and that's ok. I spent ages thinking I wanted to be one thing. When I had doubts everyone around me said its just nerves. But I quit my uni course after a month and went next year to a completely different sort of uni for a different sort of career. It felt like such a big deal at the time but it was much helpful to view it all as smaller manageable steps.

You need to really really want to do medicine (from a dr of 30 years). I would agree he should follow his heart.

There’s always the option for post grad medicine if he changes his mind.
He will likely have better earning potential and work life balance with computer science.

Let him decide his own life.

Working in healthcare, particularly the nhs is a shit show.
You should honestly be glad that he wants to do something else.

Where did the early focus on medicine come from? Was it his passion or did you point him in that direction from a young age? If it was always your passion, you have to let it go. It's his life.

If he no longer wants to go into medicine then he shouldn't.

With those A levels and a technology interest there's a whole range of careers open to him and many will still need knowledgeable humans to keep AI in check.

Perhaps he should look at something like bioengineering where there's elements of medicine and computer science?

He should do computer science, and he should apply now.

It's a 3 year degree, 4 if he does a masters.

If he's that bright and gets to a decent university, there will be a well paid, stimulating job for him at the end. And he is right about it being the future. There has never been a more exciting time to be in tech.

He might even pivot towards health tech- easier to do from a CS background than a medical background.

Medicine may understimulate him, odd as it sounds. It is a subject that is broad but not always deep, and highly mathematical brains may not thrive among the chaos of humanity.

Graduate entry medicine is still possible after a medical degree (edit : I mean after a CS degree)

But very few people will take a CS degree after qualifying as a doctor. They are too deep in the system.

Let him follow his nose. Don't consign him to a life of mild regret.

Edit 2 to say, if he is predicted 4 A*s he should be able to pick up further maths too, starting this evening, and pass in in the summer with a high grade. There is a lot of overlap with what he is studying already.

Computer Science is a huge subject and look how technology dominates our lives. Big financial institutions rely on IT and pay well. But cyber security is all important so that's another area. Can still be a Dr. with a Ph.D in Computer Science

He always wanted to do something STEM related as he's arse at humanities and enjoys science n maths. He's been using computers since he 8 and he's always been captivated by them: coding, creating games, learning different linux os and reading about AI, algorithms and biotech. He wanted to go into CS but ultimately decided against it after he spoke to some people I know who made him aware of the very poor job security. As a result he settled for a very stable science related path.

I think CS used to be amazing but its long past its golden era and now its an unemployment machine. I know a LOT of people working in IT and everyone seemes to regret it.

He's right about further maths. It's not just Oxford and Imperial that ask for it for computer science - the top 20 courses require it.

This.
From my own 37 years of experience, I couldn't honestly recommend an NHS medical/ clinician role to anyone. I have 5 young relatives (including my own DS) in the NHS all looking to leave through sheer stress and exhaustion.
I have 2 other DC in AI/software, both very well paid and loving life, although it is getting harder for new grads to break into the field.

IME degrees like; Engineering/law/management/finance/ renewables and agriculture are still sought after, along with trades like building and plumbing.

Medicine isn’t a secure career. Not anymore

NHSE have completely fucked up training places, and there are huge numbers that graduate and simply can’t progress

There is no reason why he couldn’t do computer science and train as a Dr later should he so choose. But it’s not the career it used to be

Thanks so much for the advice. Ultimately, I will tell him to follow his heart, though I do have concerns about job stability.

He is a bit put off by memorisation in medicine and prefers truly understanding concepts.

However, many IT professionals I've spoken with actively advise against entering the field right now.

would almost certainly secure a place.
LOL. Everyone thinks that.

I did a quick Google search on Oxford. The number of applicants for medicine and Computing are about the same. Medicine offers to only 15% of applicants. Computing is even worse at 7.4%. Similar sorts of percentages for Camb.

I know people who went into medicine because their parents wanted them to.

they aren’t grateful.

it’s a hard job and you aren’t even guaranteed employment any more.

Suggest post your question on r/doctorsuk, r/cscareersquestionsuk and r/HENRYUK too.

Medicine opens doors to medicine

Computer Science opens doors to hundreds of careers

If he's considering taking a gap year anyway, that seems like a good chance to explore computer science a bit further and decide where his heart really lies. It's a big decision to make at 17, and some teenagers really benefit from an extra year to prepare.

Thank you for all the valuable insights