What do doctors, dentists and vets have in common? They often wear white coats. They train for a long time to learn a lot of complex stuff. The world and its dog would be a sickly, suffering, rotten-toothed mess without them. Oh, and if you think you’ve got what it takes to join them, you need to get your UCAS application in by 15 October. Hurry along now…
About the job
Medicine
Very broadly, doctors can be divided into two categories. General Practitioners (GPs) are the first port of call when we need medical attention. They’re usually based in a surgery (as well as making home visits) and have to deal with all sorts of social and psychological issues as well as a broad range of medical conditions. Specialists, meanwhile, tend to work in hospitals. There are over 60 different medical specialities, dealing with every stage of life from unborn children (obstetrics) to dead bodies(pathology). Medicine is a constantly changing field as our understanding of medical science evolves
and new theories and treatments are developed.
Dentistry
There’s much more to mouths than you might imagine. Although for some, dentists are on a par with torturers, they have a hugely important job. Without healthy teeth, we struggle to eat, talk or smile. General Dental Practitioners in high street practices (NHS or private) check the condition of people’s teeth and gums; they diagnose dental conditions, often using X-Rays; carry out certain treatments, like fillings and crowns; and always tell you to floss more often. For more complex problems, they refer patients to a suitable specialist or consultant, usually based in a hospital.
Veterinary science
Vets, or veterinary surgeons, are the only people legally permitted to diagnose and treat animal illnesses and injuries. It’s quite a challenge, considering their patients are rarely able to communicate their symptoms, and aren’t always keen on treatment. Most vets work right across the animal kingdom, so need to know their cats from their cattle. As well as working in general practice, treating everything from domestic pets to farm animals, vets inspect hygiene and animal welfare standards in places like zoos, kennels, pet shops or cattle markets. Animal health affects human health, too, as we’ve seen in recent scares about bird flu and foot and mouth.
About the training
Demand for places on courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science is always high, hence the early deadline. You’ll need good A levels (AAB is the normal minimum), usually including chemistry and biology, though if you’re not doing science subjects, many courses offer an extra foundation year. Many medical and dental schools also require you to take a UK Clinical Aptitude Test (see www.ukcat.ac.uk), to test skills such as reasoning and decision-making. Work experience will help your application, particularly if you want to be a vet: the school will expect you to have made an effort to gain experience of working with animals, perhaps with a local veterinary practice, on a livestock farm or at a kennels.
Doctors, vets and dentists need to acquire a lot of knowledge and expertise before being let loose on the public, and their training reflects this. In all three cases, you’re looking at a minimum five-year undergraduate course (some universities include an optional extra year to gain an academic BSc degree). This is followed by two years of post-graduate
placements before you become fully qualified. Even then, you’re looking at several years of additional training before you become fully proficient in your chosen field.
The academic side is daunting, and includes lectures, seminars, laboratory work and your own research. You need to develop a broad grounding in your subject (you’ll have the chance to specialise further down the line), as well as consider ethical, legal and humanitarian issues. However, you’ll see theory put into practice from the beginning,
with regular work placements. On average, medical students spend about 80 weeks on clinical placements in hospitals during their degree, and a further ten weeks in general practice.
You and the job
Whether doctor, dentist or vet, you will be in a position of huge responsibility; a wrong diagnosis or a lack of concentration can have serious consequences. You may even be called upon to make life-or-death decisions at very short notice. You need to keep your head through stressful situations and emotional traumas, as well as having the people
skills to relieve and reassure your patients and their loved ones.
As a vet, you obviously need to be good with animals, although not in a sentimental way: putting suffering creatures out of their misery is an everyday part of the job. Doctors, too, come face to face with death and tragedy more than most people, and often have to be bearers of bad news. Think carefully about whether you can handle this before embarking on a medical career.
Add the long, anti-social hours (including on-call and nightshifts) and you can see why these careers are often seen as a vocation, not just something you’d do for the money. That said, the financial rewards do reflect the long training, expertise and responsibility.
Junior doctors in their post-graduate year earn a minimum of £20,000, and this rises with experience.
NHS dentists or GPs who own their own practice can earn around £80,000 or more; top hospital consultants earn even more. Newly-qualified vets can expect a salary of about £30,000, rising to £50,000+.
Essential information
Medicine
Each medical discipline is represented by a Royal College, where you can find out about
specialist training and careers:
Anaesthetics: www.rcoa.ac.uk
General Practice: www.rcgp.org.uk
Medicine: www.rcplondon.ac.uk
Obstetrics and Gynaecology: www.rcog.org.uk
Ophthalmology: www.rcophth.ac.uk
Paediatrics and Child Health: www.rcpch.ac.uk
Pathology: www.rcpath.org
Psychiatry: www.rcpsych.ac.uk
Radiology: www.rcr.ac.uk
Surgery: www.rcseng.ac.uk (also includes information on dental surgery)
Dentistry
The British Dental Association website – www.bda.org – has information on education and training, as well as advice and resources for professional dentists.
Veterinary Science
You’ll find information on being a vet from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (www.rcvs.org.uk) and the British Veterinary Association (www.bva.co.uk).
There are only six approved veterinary schools in the UK, plus a recently opened school at Nottingham (well, at least it helps narrow your options):
Bristol: www.vetschool.bris.ac.uk
Cambridge: www.vet.cam.ac.uk
Edinburgh: www.vet.ed.ac.uk
Glasgow: www.gla.ac.uk/faculties/vet
Liverpool: www.liv.ac.uk/vets
London: www.rvc.ac.uk
Nottingham: www.nottingham.ac.uk/vet
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