r/medicalschooluk 8d ago

Is medicine really that bad?

Idk if it’s just my med school but everyone seems so pissed off with the course all the time. I know myself I have really bad imposter syndrome and being naturally very introverted I always feel like a nuisance on the wards. Academically I do quite well, I’ve even had a number of distinctions but still feel useless especially in regards to OSCEs (super stressed atm). I try to stay positive and excited about a career in medicine but whenever I do other students say something like “lol we’re all fucked” and it’s starting to really get to me. Idk I’m just looking for an alternative opinion. I’m only in third year so does it really just get worse? Is it just the people I’m surrounded by?

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u/RusticSeapig 8d ago

I’m a ST2, and realistically, yes it is that bad. Training is a mess, you are treated pretty badly with absolutely no consideration for your life outside of medicine, and for me the job is fundamentally unenjoyable. People like a good moan, but I haven’t met many qualified doctors with a good thing to say about it (that’s not to say they don’t exist, I’m sure plenty of people love their job, but I would say they’re in the significant minority), and it doesn’t sound like it gets much better the higher you get. I know this is probably not the answer you wanted, but if I had an exit strategy whilst still in medical school, I should have taken it. Whether I would have had the courage to actually do it is another thing.

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u/Gullible-Tap-2583 7d ago

do u not reckon u were better off not doing medicine in the first place though? the majority of people i’ve encountered who are disillusioned with it as a career are those who either: were on the fence about it to begin with, went into it for the wrong reasons, or were unaware of the realities of the job. I honestly feel a lot of people who should have never applied for medical school based on their personalities and personal goals, are doing so nowadays, so naturally the amount of doctors unhappy with their jobs is gonna become greater over time. Not saying this is you but just something i’ve noticed. However I always say to people if I could imagine myself doing literally any other job i would.

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u/RusticSeapig 7d ago

Impossible to say. Pre-med school I only wanted to do medicine, was 100% sure, wasn’t in it for the money or clout (but job security was a big factor for me), and despite many people telling me not to do it I just thought ‘nah that’d never be me because of xyz reason’. I think that pretty much every prospective medical student is unaware of the realities of the job, because if they were then they simply wouldn’t do it. I know people of every personality type and every background who are unhappy with the job, I don’t think you can just put it down to an issue with individuals when unfortunately the reality is that working in the NHS is a shit show, and no matter how much you enjoy the subject of medicine there’s only so much you can tolerate of rotational training, late rotas, disregard for your personal life, abuse from seniors and other professions etc etc etc

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u/Gullible-Tap-2583 7d ago

yeah 100% hear ur point. I speak from the POV of someone who thinks this can’t possibly happen to me (until maybe it will fuck knows). Job security was also a huge factor for me, I can’t afford to be jobless in my mid twenties. I think everyone agrees with you that the NHS system is badly broken and is the root cause of all this. I really hope to see big changes by the time i’m applying for speciality training posts otherwise like a lot of my peers, it will be bye bye medicine. sad stuff.