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

[OneAlertPearlExpert]

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.

The types of jobs your friends are in may be disappearing, but new areas are always opening up. I think your friends are not looking at the bigger picture.

A friend's kid is doing biomechanical engineering which sounds like it may suit him as it uses technology for medical advancements, like prosthetics. There's so much within the field, he doesn't need to do just medicine or computer science.

Surely it is up to him so YABU.

University is an expensive mistake if you pick the wrong course. It's ok to have split passions and with the grades I'm sure he will find something that is right for him but maybe a year out would help

I would suggest that he looks into different work experience positions and what else is our there and to also look at other courses. There are quite a few courses where computing/physics overlap with medicine. I used to work with a very talented medical physicist. She now works for a company programming diagnostic machines for hospitals all over the world.

My partner works is medical research and works with a prof in psychology who came via natural science and is a computer specialist. He works with bioinformaticians and physicists too. I am a medicinal chemist, I love the human body and did consider medicine at 18 but wasn't sure about the patient side. I ended up working in the pharmaceutical industry and loved been on the research side of it but have become a bit dejected following the divestment of UK science. I'd like my next role to be more patient focused.

STEMM is such a broad world and there is so much cross over between the subjects and that 2nd M (medicine) absolutely deserves it's place in the group!

He should study whatever he enjoys and loves...

My DD did med work experience and almost all of the doctors she was with and spoke to advised her NOT to go into medicine 🤷‍♀️ as it's not the career it once was.

He should not, with the way AI is going, most software engineering jobs/general IT jobs will
not need that many people. Medical personnel will always be necessary

CS is a great degree to have. There's so many jobs in AI, Cyber security, data architect, AI & data governance etc.

I manage Ucat and Ucas at my college. Tell him to discuss with head of careers this week. Early application for oxbridge is in 2 weeks time.
With UAGs like that he could apply for US too. Great student.
Lucky you to have him. Let him choose.

Not all medical students become doctors. I’d imagine it’s a fantastic degree for going into a career in medical technology. But they are both good options and he needs to want to do the subject he is studying every day.

Get that boy off the internet haha

if his hearts not in it this will come up at med school interview.

you haven't mentioned the work experience he's being doing at various hospitals etc. how did he find that?

You should only do medicine if you cannot imagine doing anything else. If your heart is elsewhere, then it is soul destroying.

Don't do medicine. Let him do what he wants, honestly.

No it absolutely won't come up in interview in my experience. But his life will be wrecked.

Also, work experience? Really? Not a marker of anything at all in my experience. I see juniors and medical students every day.

I work in the field your son wants to work in, and naturally work with a lot of doctors. Most in this field regret doing medicine, it is very very expensive and time consuming and if you are not interested in clinical practice just not useful enough in the end.

Computer science, however, is also not that useful. The degrees will necessarily be largely outdated by the time he's done them, as the field is moving so fast.

I would go for something like biochemistry if he really wants to work in biotech.

A computing career will be particularly vulnerable to AI, and before long it will be designing itself.

Sounds like medicine is not for him, however.

Some sort of skilled heritage craft could be a very good bet for anyone starting out now.

Once they've left primary, they really have to make their own decisions. Someone in my family pressured their kid about GCSE choices and it didn't end well-I know she cared about him and it came from a good place, probably like with you.
Many people say nurses and doctors are struggling to find work, so why would you think it's more secure? And surely he'd be earning quicker not spending all these years doing medical training? Not that I'm saying it should all be about money, but if you're talking security.

Medicine is really tough. I really don't think he should do it if his heart isn't in it.

Someone said to my dd when she was applying that the only people who should do medicine are the people who genuinely can't imagine themselves doing anything else. For dd, that was absolutely the case, but if your ds wants to do something else, then encourage him to pursue his other interests instead.

Medicine is brutal, and not particularly well-paid as a career. If his heart isn't in it, he won't finish the course/make it a successful career. He needs to do something that interests and motivates him - it could be Ancient Greek, it just happens to be Computer Science.

I teach AI. I wouldn't recommend getting intonthe field right now but perhaps think about a stem subject that opens the doors to any degree. I.e. maths and then a masters in computer science.

If he isn’t 100% committed to Medicine and can’t imagine ever doing anything else he should absolutely not do it. It is too hard and demanding and heartbreaking and painful to pursue otherwise According to my Dr Sister.

It sounds like Biomedical Engineering or Medical Technology would be more his vibe though. Computer Science is very general.

Also I never understand why so many people push kids who are bad at the humanities into medicine. A huge amount of the work is about people; bedside manner, expressing empathy, communication, communicating with people who have comms difficulties or learning needs or processing issues, understanding social and cultural differences and expectations, reflecting on emotions and decision making. It’s not a pure STEM subject it has a lot of humanities related skills required.

All the teachers say don't be a teacher.

All the solicitors say don't be a solicitor.

All the medics say don't be a doctor.

And so on.

I'm not sure what young people should do except what they are interested in and what seems like it could have flexible options in the future. What is more important than just the subject is doing internships, trying for prizes, travelling if he gets the opportunity, volunteer teaching at uni, all of these are the kinds of extras that the better students do. CS can get easily outdated but the best students find a way to get on the career ladder somewhere, or pivot to different industries or go abroad. There aren't guaranteed jobs anywhere any more.

I would not push anyone to do medicine, it's still a vocation IMO and many find it incredibly stressful.