Resuming Medical Degree after Long Absence (6 Years)

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  grimwagon on 20/04/2020 - 08:12

  Last time i checked for my course, credit for course subjects remained valid/active for 10 years.
  This was Deakin - Engineering though.
  Best you just contact your university sure they can tell you.

  • 

    seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 09:09

    +1

    Thanks for the reply. The MBBS seems to have slightly different rules, e.g. it can't be studied part time. I'm worried it will be hard to enrol again half way through. But of course, will contact them to be sure.

    • 

      ChickenDinner123 on 21/04/2020 - 12:32

      Not sure why they downvoted you but you are correct.

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  screensaver on 20/04/2020 - 08:12

  Sounds like you need to start again from scratch. Some subjects will have changed and I doubt they will give you credit for prior learning

  • 

    seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 09:11

    I don't think the subjects will have changed all that much in the first two years, fundamental medical knowledge is actually pretty static. But still it's a question whether I could pick up where I left off.

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  Donaldhump on 20/04/2020 - 08:13

  Most courses have 8-10 year limits so you may be ok, if not reenroll and get exemptions for what you have done, this just wipes your gpa. The adv of this is you dont need to lie about the date range on your cv.

  As for learning the old stuff again, you can offer cheap tutoring, as this allows you to essentially be paid to refresh the material

  I think you be ok, just don’t put the date ranges on your cv,

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  Duckie2hh on 20/04/2020 - 08:15

  I wouldn't bother, by the time you complete the course and finish your placements and rotation, you will be regarded as an old doctor with little experience.

  • 

    seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 08:58

    +1

    I'm not worried about being an "old" doctor, or being regarded as such. When I was studying there were plenty of mature age students (it is post-grad after all).

  • 

    crentist on 20/04/2020 - 11:30

    +1

    what are you basing this on? have you worked in medicine?

  • 

    lette on 20/04/2020 - 19:14

    +1

    One could argue that it's better to be an old doctor rather than no doctor at all. OP doesn't get a second go at life, this is it. They might as well do it now or never get to. Doesn't sound like they've got much to lose apart from time.

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  toniyellow on 20/04/2020 - 09:47

  Medical degrees often have much stricter rules.

  The university guidelines are a bit vague, saying a student "may" take leave for up to 12 months, 

  Is this for all degrees, or for the medical degree specifically? If you haven't already I'd search your institution's website for the Program Rules specific to medicine. Not uncommon for there to be a rule that you must maintain continuous enrolment.

  I suspect you will have to apply like a new student to gain a spot, and you may or may not get any RPL for previous study.

  • 

    seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 09:57

    Thanks for the reply, yes that is from the med degree program rules. I think you are right about the continuous enrollment requirement.

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  [Deactivated] on 20/04/2020 - 09:51

  +1

  You'll have to start from scratch.

  You may get an exemption for a few foundational subjects, or partial exemption (ie. Attendance to practical sessions and lectures but you must be able to pass the exam.)

  You'll most probably have to go through the selection exams again, ie. Year 12 equivalence, that stupid exam on shapes and shit (damn, it's been that long I can't remember), and interview process.

  • 

    Tech5 on 20/04/2020 - 10:00

    UMAT would be undergrad, GAMSAT is the adult entry version. Less shapes and shit I think

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 20/04/2020 - 10:14

      +1

      The shapes and shit is the easy part. Even the convoluted comprehension shit is easy. They all have a defined correct and incorrect answer.

      It's the arbitrary empathy section. What a loaded steaming pile of shit that exam is/was.

      (It still makes me angry.)

      • 

        Tech5 on 20/04/2020 - 11:54

        +1

        Is bob:
        a- sad
        b- upset
        c- downcast
        d- dejected

        (profanity) off lol

        • 

          [Deactivated] on 20/04/2020 - 13:17

          -1

          @Tech5: Ironically, all my kids had to sit a similar empathy exam to get accepted in prep at a private school.

  • 

    seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 10:24

    To gain entrance I think I would just need to sit the GAMSAT again, if starting from scratch. If I could get credit for past study that would be great, but maybe starting fresh would be best anyway.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 20/04/2020 - 10:26

      -1

      maybe starting fresh would be best anyway.

      It is.

      Enter through the front door. Friendship circles in medschool are very concrete. Jumping in later could be a socially poor decision.

      • 

        seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 10:30

        I was thinking more along the lines of learning the content, I don't want to get the degree and feel I don't know my stuff. Ultimately I'd like to at least be a "good" doctor. But still a good point about social circles, it's not who you know etc…

        • 

          [Deactivated] on 20/04/2020 - 10:33

          +2

          @seabombs:

          I don't want to get the degree and feel I don't know my stuff.

          If you graduated acknowledging you don't know shit, you'll be a better practitioner than most.

          Still, don't sleep through school and don't know what you don't know.

          Also, purely from observation, mature age medical students go on to be significantly better than average physicians (specifically).

          All the best with your studies.

          • 

            seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 10:56

            @[Deactivated]: Appreciate your advice, thanks!

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 20/04/2020 - 13:40

      You may no longer be eligible to re-enrol if the last degree you completed was more than 10 years ago.

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  Blue Suby on 20/04/2020 - 11:15

  My daughter had a nursing degree (3 years) and after a year decided she would still prefer to do medicine. After the third year working shifts as a nurse and studying she just felt her brain was dead. Took a year off then traveled and came back refreshed and finished her course and 2 year internship. Plenty of work out there for doctors and the money's not bad - especially after being a pogo student for years!!
  My daughter asn't sure about starting over the year but I told her and advise you-better to have tried and found it is or not for you-than to get to 50 and no longer have the youth on your side or enthusiasm to study and have regrets.
  Go for it!!

  • 

    seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 11:43

    Thanks, glad your daughter found her way back and is enjoying it!

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  sjtem3 on 20/04/2020 - 11:41

  The answer to your primary question you already know and have correctly stated - you need to speak to the university. This answers whether or not you will be welcome back in the course.

  The secondary question is can you keep up with the study load if returning at the same year you left off (presumably having forgotten all of first year content).
  I took a few years break after 2nd year to do something completely unrelated. No revision, no touching base with content. When I returned to 3rd year medicine (which is the start of clinical training in a hospital) I remembered nothing and found myself at a disadvantage compared to other students. With that said, much of the early theoretical years are so separate from clinical practice that it may not have relevance to your competency as a future doctor. I found this to be true for me.

  I struggled with exam content (due to forgetting 1st-2nd year content) for the remainder of the course, but managed to pull through and am now working safely, happily and well in the field of my interest. I struggled with academic content, as you might if you return into 2nd or 3rd year, but it was manageable and has little to no bearing on your safety as a doctor.

  Feel free to message me if you want any more specific advice, and good luck.

  • 

    seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 11:45

    Thanks heaps for sharing, will DM you some questions.

    Edit: actually OzB says I can't message you, so will just ask here if you're happy to answer them publicly.

    I think my situation is very similar to yours, if I came back where I left off it would also be going in to 3rd year clinical placement.

    Did you self study to catch up before entering 3rd year, or learnt it as you go when it came up in your rotations?
    Did the university push back at all when you returned after those few years break (I'm assuming it was around 2-3 years)?
    Which field/specialty have you decided on?

    Thanks again, really appreciate it!

    • 

      sjtem3 on 20/04/2020 - 13:20

      No problem, sorry about the messaging unavilability. Not sure whats going on there.

      I didn't do any self study. Whether it would have helped or not I'm honestly unsure. A period of minimal self revision is unlikely to fully or sufficiently recall 2 years of full time content in my opinion.

      A good example of the lack of theoretical knowledge vs clinical might be on a cardiology round in hospital. We might be following a consultant who asks me (or hypothetically you) what effect a disease state of one of your patients would have on the histology of their cardiac myocytes. I wouldn't have known this, would have looked like a fool when a colleague could answer it and we would have moved on and I re-learned something on the job. No permanent harm done, because ultimately it's not all that relevent to your clinical practice as a junior doctor.

      In the same setting, your colleagues would have fresh in their mind the tutorials about how to perform a clinical exam of a patient out of the textbook. However it becomes immediately (and threateningly) obvious that real world examination rarely mimics what you'll find in the literature. What is far more useful is to observe your mentors and attempt to understand what they're looking for a mimic. This I think you will have no deficit from taking time off, and is ultimately the skillset of a junior doctor.

      Uni admin discussions was a challenge - we did a lot of work beforehand to ensure they would agree to my return after the period of time off, which is obviously different to your circumstance. What you have going for you is having passed your prior years and having time away from the field that you can tout as real world exposure, to show you've had time to consider where you want to be and are certain it's in medicine. That kind of narrative can suggest to them you'll be a more motivated student.

      Many of the best doctors I've worked with came from other fields beforehand, or took time off. If you can get back in and have a passion for it you will find it rewarding and successful.

      • 

        seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 14:45

        Yeah I've heard that a fair bit in those first two theory years doesn't carry much in to practice. Glad to hear you found a way through after your time off.

        I do feel strongly I want to stick out medicine, probably more so now what when I first got in to the degree. Having some time studying med and then stepping away for a while has solidified that. But first step will be to talk the uni.

        Thanks so much again for relaying your experience.

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  [Deactivated] on 20/04/2020 - 12:40

  I recently look into doing something similar. These were the prerequisites for Melbourne Uni :

  • An undergraduate degree in any discipline, with studies to have been completed within 10 years of 1 January in the year in which the applicant intends to commence the Doctor of Medicine, or

  • For applicants whose most recently completed undergraduate degree was completed 10 or more years before 1 January of the year in which the applicant intends to commence the Doctor of Medicine, a Graduate Diploma, Master or PhD degree or equivalent completed within 10 years before 1 January of the year in which the applicant intends to commence the Doctor of Medicine;

  • Prerequisite studies in anatomy, physiology and biochemistry consisting of at least one subject at second-year level of each, with prerequisite subjects to have been completed within 10 years of commencing the Doctor of Medicine; and

  You might be able to make it if it's been 8 years since you started the degree.You'll have to resit the GAMSAT though, which is only valid for 2 years. I was also asked to go through the MMA interview again.

  • 

    seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 14:46

    Did you pick back up where you left off? How'd you find coming back?

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      [Deactivated] on 20/04/2020 - 15:12

      Short answer : I didn't go back.

      Long answer : my father was terminally ill at the time.I chose to fly overseas to be with him and didn't attend the multi-mini interview. I was given the option of either attending another interview or accepting an offer for DDS. But by then, my father had passed away and my wife and I had started the process of adopting my 5 year old half-sister.
      Add to that that I already have 3 kids of my own , we plan to move overseas in a couple of years and that I applied for the MD course due to some misguided filial guilt that I'm the only man in the family who didn't go into medicine rather than an actual calling … I decided not to go back.

      • 

        seabombs on 20/04/2020 - 17:04

        +1

        Very sorry to hear about your dad, sounds like you made the right decision for you and your family.