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.

It has to be his choice.

I agree AI coding capability will continue to evolve, and the need for humans to do programming will diminish.

I think a number of PP may be mistaking computer programming and software engineering for the whole of Computer Science. It is the tip of the iceberg.

AI capability in the areas you mention will evolve, also. But we probably want to think very carefully about how best to use AI within the field of cybersecurity. Tight control is by definition necessary - we don’t want the lunatics in charge of the asylum!

I believe it does have to be his choice. I have an extremely bright 16 year old who has wanted to do CS since a young child. He taught himself all the programming languages and coding is as natural to him as breathing. Of course I worry about ai but I honestly believe ai will cause issues in many other areas too, especially medicine. Entry level programming jobs are vulnerable but as AI is scraped from what is already out there, innovators will always be needed and those will be the natural CS kids.

Further maths is definitely needed, my son has to teach himself as there are no schools in the area that offer it, which is a pain but necessary for the top unis. Also the entry tests eg. TMUA need to be done to a high standard for the top courses so a gap year could be pertinent. In his gap year he should also develop a medicine adjacent project, if he doesn't do CS A Level to make sure that is what he wants to do and to make the gap year explain the change of mind.

Do not shoe horn him into medicine if it is not a vocation for him, I have friends in the profession, one of them a talented surgeon who is on the edge of quitting.

A great post.

Computer science is not just programming code. Never liked coding and glad to say it’s no longer needed.

CS is dying. Jobs in AI will last for a while but eventually fade. Nobody needs coders anymore - AI can do it all. Listen to Daniel Susskind’s new book. We’ll need doctors for some time, he should pursue that.

Aside from Oxbridge further maths isn’t needed in order not to penalise the kids from the many schools that don’t offer it.

Also can we not do the MN scaremongering thing of saying “elite” uni or die. My very able son is doing computer science at at a pretty mid to top tier uni( depending on which league table you read) no TMUA, and he has a packed CV of projects and experience which has got him on a top year in industry alongside those from more MN typical unis.

Experience, natural ability in the field (that I’m not sure a degree necessarily accurately indicates), determination and interest alongside a very good CV is what will get you on in the field.

Would he consider engineering rather computer sciences? There’s a huge array of options he could consider. More opportunities?

https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk

I’m posting Smallpiece because they offer taster courses in various aspects ( not up yet). . I never knew engineering was so broad. It may suit his mind.

It’s not dying, far from it. It’s shifting( like everything).Demand has moved away from writing routine code toward system architecture, high-level design, and directing AI tools

Total computer and mathematical jobs continue to expand across finance, healthcare, and government sectors as every industry relies on software.

Until AI can do it all.

It will always need humans in the computer science field to set goals, design complex systems, and ensure safety and ethical oversight.

Ive got two irons in this fire - one is that doing a course you dislike is the surest route to misery, particularly because you will be surrounded by people who love it and you’re likely to get a worse degree, and that ds having done CS at Cambridge and being employed immediately it doesn’t seem to be dying as a field quite yet.

My own job (speech therapy) is imo highly vulnerable to AI. But I’d still say that people who are keen to study at that level should do it. I’m not keen that we just sit back and expect the robots to take over.

Let him decide and just support him. Sounds like he will do well whatever.

This.

better to decide now not to pursue it that after starting uni.

I just want to say I never said elite uni or die, the OP said her child wanted to aim for Oxbridge CS and I gave advice for that. If a child has the academic profile for that, why shouldn't they aim for it? I do believe that if a YP is cut out for a job, which Uni they attend or whether they go to Uni at all in some cases is not the biggest factor in their success.
I can only speak for our situation but there are other reasons for why Oxbridge or other similar institutions would suit my child and it's not all about the opportunity for employment afterwards. I pass no judgement on other people's choices.

At present AI cost effectively codes only adequately, for the most part. Better coding is demanding, which for AI means energy intensive and expensive.

AI won’t be doing it all any time soon. This is not to deny remarkable progress.

He should definitely go with tech. Its his passion. It is the future. Medicine is something you should only go into if you are 100% passionate and committed. If I had my life again Id never want to see the inside of another hospital.
He should go with his passion.

And it will still need humans. Those in the IT sector have always had to keep moving with change.

Our DS has decided to do this. He was torn between CS (with cyber security) and Physics with Astrophysics but after touring the universities and looking at courses (he’s not Oxbridge but is looking at places like Warwick and York) realised his CS A’Level isn’t needed and a lot of the first year (and some second year) programming he can already do. Hes passionate about both but after seeking advice decided Physics will keep more doors open, he’ll look for placements in CS (the government ones only require a STEM degree) and then consider a masters if he needs it

DH works in tech and for people like them (and your DS it sounds like) the technology is easy to pick up.

I agree he should ultimately do what’s right for him but will CS be challenging enough and actually focused in the area he’s interested in? Sounds like medicine def not the right choice though

You are wrong in my view. A lot more earning potential in IT. Junior doctors earn peanuts. My brother is in IT and was on six figures (investment bank) almost straight out of uni. It sounds like your son is extremely clever and passionate about technology and will do extremely well.

Also agree FM is not needed - at the institutions we looked at not even Maths is necessary (though advised) and again we’re looking at top tier russel group

Best advice there ever was.

Step back OP. You had your turn. Leave your DC to have theirs now.

CS is changing rapidly but the degree program should prepare him for the jobs/opportunities of the future, not the ones that are disappearing now.

He sounds bright and hard working so no doubt he will be successful whatever he does. He could potentially do graduate entry medicine in the future if he changes his mind again.

The long monologues are a bit of a worry, there’s some “transhuman” internet wormholes that he could fall down - weirdos thinking that we’ll all have computer chips in our brains in the future. Ask him to show you his sources the next time he monologues.

Don't make him take a course he's not passionate about. He'll end up dropping out in the first year like so many others and resenting you for it.

He shouldn't apply for medicine if his heart isn't in it.

Tech & Medicine don't conflict, understanding tech is a way of delivering medical care in exciting new ways. Anyway, I'd encourage materials or mechanical engineering over CompSci at this point, then, if he wants to see tech improve the world. CompSci was traditionally mostly about coding & some hardware; nowadays it's becoming AI prompt design and getting one AI to check the products of another AI. Does he want to specialise in AI prompt design?