Medical but not doctor. Degree routes. Looking for ideas.

[OrchidRosetta]

Hi,

my daughter has always wanted to be a dentist, always said this from year 7. Shes mentioned trying for medicine or a doctor more recently, but as she’s 15 it changes understandably. Someone mentioned Pharmacolgy and another friend said try for aesthetics. These are just ideas. As we are now looking at A-levels we are thinking of Bio, Chem, and something else. The last two weeks have made her doubt herself about the competitiveness of these courses. What careers could she look at that aren’t Doctor or Dentist but science. Just want to add not research type. She lives biology in every sense. Chem is really to get into that route of medicine. She’s really great with people and talking so something along those lines, and she says she wants to help people.

Not an osteopath but regular user of their services for 40 years. It is a very manual occupation and you need to be fit and strong. They all tend to struggle with joint and back problems as they get older. All the ones I’ve encountered in last 30 years have either diversified in some way (baby osteopathy, cranial, needling, counselling etc) or had a plan to.

This is only my experience. Maybe there are lots of fit pain free 60 year old osteopaths and I’ve just never met one :-)

pharmacy seems like a good call. Any advice on that one? Are there specific uni courses?

Most definitely not.

If she’s interested in pharmacy she’ll do a pharmacy undergraduate course. Then a year training as a foundation trainee in either a hospital, community or GP surgery. All pharmacists now graduate with a prescribing qualification.

Dietetics , podiatry , speech therapist ?

Check out Health Sciences University

Audiology

The big money is in Big Pharma - clinical trials, formulation, product development, sales and marketing, etc. The people I know from uni who went into the pharmaceutical industry did degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical sciences, and the like.

This

Is there a job website or is it the NHS where one could look at what jobs are available now? Pharmacy jobs. Somebody posted earlier about looking at jobs to see how many there are or something like that. ???

If you google nhs jobs or nhs trac jobs it will come up.

Not a jobs website but this may be useful

coursetojob.co.uk/courses/pharmacy/

If she can manage maths then do that. Otherwise psycology or anything else she likes.

Degree ideas - physiotherapy, pharmacology, biomedical science, speech therapy

Yes. It’s called Trac. It’s where the nhs jobs are advertised. But I would say what’s available now (or not available) is not representative of 5 or 6 years time. I e worked for the nhs for 20 years, there’s currently big job freezes but these things go in cycles ime

https://apps.trac.jobs

also

https://www.nhsjobs.com

Id have thought biochemistry degree or possibly pharmacy. I do hear that as a profession pharmacists are quite stressed, no idea how true that is. She really needs to research the actual roles and think could she envisage herself doing that day after day. For example I’ve always thought (possibly incorrectly that being a pharmacist would be dull, I’m sure it isn’t really but I also don’t think it’s for me personally).

Friend of mine did biochemistry and now runs the hospital lab and loves his job.

Your nearest hospital may have some form of Talent Academy for students considering healthcare careers and do talks and work experience.

https://nhstalentacademy.org.uk

Years ago I got offered a place on a therapeutic radiography degree and went and did some work experience and decided it wasn’t for me after a few days.

Another thing to consider is maybe do a degree where there are alternative options other than the nhs for employment, quite possibly being self employed. She will likely earn more working for herself than the nhs.

Physio? I know a couple who have set their own companies up and are doing very well.

I do think there’s a lot of money to be made being a self employed podiatrist, seems a real shortage of them and ime they charge a fortune! Round here it’s a three month wait list to be seen.

Pharmacist could go and work for a pharmaceutical company rather than being in a chemists which could be interesting.

You can’t do a degree in aesthetics. You can be a registered health care professional, then do a non medical prescribing post grad qualification and then set up. I know nurses who have done this and again good money. Stuff is getting tightened up on regulations in this area but I think a health care professional with a prescribing qualification would be ok.

Yes good call. Have to do MPharm course (not pharmacology or biomed science) then trainee year. Decent money loads of options on qualifying. Has been a strong female profession for years. Plus you can easily talk to someone in the profession for advice even on a Saturday

Biomedical engineering. She should take applied maths with bio and Chem.

Radiology tech. Take physics.
Dietician.
Midwife.
Occupational therapist.
Physiotherapist.
Epidemiology as part of a degree in public health. This is a very versatile specialization with a huge focus on stats and analysis. She should take maths/statistics as her third A level, and consider a mfl too, as global health organisations require more than just English.
Biostatistics, either at postgraduate level or as a concentration in a public health undergrad degree.

all great advice and she’s now read your posts and says thank you!

whats the difference between Mpharm or pharmacolgy?

which unis would be good for these?

Have a look at keels uni. They have loads of courses in their med school on related things

MPharm is part of the training to become a registered pharmacist. Can practice in NHS, private, community/retail, industry once qualified.
Pharmacology is just a degree like English or physics and doesn't lead to a specific career.

Several universities but has to be the MPharm (undergraduate masters in Pharmacy) where you are taught chemistry, pharmacology, formulation, law and clinical studies including prescribing

Try looking up league tables for pharmacology

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings/pharmacology-and-pharmacy?tabletype=full-table