Become a dermatologist

[imapenguinlover]

I have been out of education for some time and now at 35 I've finally realised I would love to be a dermatologist.

I realise this is a massive undertaking but I've decided I need to try and make something of my life, i would rather try and fail (or succeed!) than not try at all.

Anyway, I'm looking at an Access to STEM course to start with but I need advice on what comes next. I think I need a science degree of some sorts but I would like to hear from people who have done this recently and what route they took.

Thank you!!!!

Gosh! You have to be a qualified medical doctor to be a dermatologist. So that is 5 years med school, then at least another 5 to 8 years after that. Do you really mean dermatologist or are you thinking of something else?

That is not to say don't do it, but it would be long and tough.

Delayed entry to medical school is much commoner now than it used to be.

You will need strong A levels or similar qualifications that show you have the brainpower for the course. Chemistry is the most required subject, and maths also highly desirable

You also need to demonstrate why you want to be a doctor, and an understanding of what you’re letting yourself in for. Those who come in more or less straight from school will all have done relevant volunteering, shadowing, work experience, enrichment activities etc.

As a mature student, you don’t have to fit the ‘sausage machine’ so much, but you will need to show commitment and interest and have a CV (not just work, but also volunteering, adult learning, wider activities) which supports that

@imapenguinlover - You need to complete:
(a) a medicine degree (5-6 years)
(b) foundation training (2 years)
(c) core medicine training (2-3 years)
(d) speciality training in dermatology (minimum 4 years)
i.e. a total of at least 9 years before beginning to specialize in dermatology.

www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/roles-doctors/medicine/dermatology/training-and-development

Most medicine degree courses include very little dermatology, so you might find it frustrating if you set out committed to that speciality.

I'm not aware of any medical schools that will accept an Access to STEM diploma for entry. Look for specific Access to Medicine diplomas, which some (but not all) medical schools will accept for direct entry to a medicine degree programme.

I am old enough to remember the Doctors to Be programme. One was a married mother of four by the time she started medical school. It's never too late.
You can do A Levels in one year. Speak to medical schools you are interested in before you enrol for that Access course because it might not be worth doing as @SirTobyBelch says. Applying to medical school, you'll need to write a personal statement. That statement must show how you are suitable for medicine and what you will do once you've got the degree. You'll have to show that your whole life has been moving towards this moment that is, you must link what you've done thus far to what you're aiming to achieve. You've got to show you can cope with the demands of studying medicine. You must show resilience in that statement and in the interview.
And @SirTobyBelch has already plotted the career path for you. Specialising in an area is not a given because there is competition for spaces for the different specialties and training places are limited. And you may learn something else that interests you, by the time you get to the point of choosing. Oh and you don't earn a decent salary for nearly 10 years.

Look at the statistics for entering dermatology once you have completed core medical training. If you don’t do that, are there other specialities you wouldn’t mind as a back up?