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March 28, 2024, 07:37:05 pm

Author Topic: Working while doing medicine??  (Read 5211 times)  Share 

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angrybiscuit

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Working while doing medicine??
« on: October 10, 2019, 08:55:37 pm »
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Hey AN!
I'm an aspiring doctor and would absolutely love it if I am able to do undergrad medicine at Monash (Melbourne or any other universities are unfortunately too far away). The only problem is I want to work during uni because I have to help out my family (we aren't in a good situation as of late). I'm willing to give up my dream career if only to help out my parents but is it possible to work while studying medicine? I know after 5 years you do internships and residency and you do get paid (minimally) but I don't think I can wait for that long...  :-\

Thanks in advance!
somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
carl sagan

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Re: Working while doing medicine??
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2019, 09:55:06 pm »
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Hey AN!
I'm an aspiring doctor and would absolutely love it if I am able to do undergrad medicine at Monash (Melbourne or any other universities are unfortunately too far away). The only problem is I want to work during uni because I have to help out my family (we aren't in a good situation as of late). I'm willing to give up my dream career if only to help out my parents but is it possible to work while studying medicine? I know after 5 years you do internships and residency and you do get paid (minimally) but I don't think I can wait for that long...  :-\

Thanks in advance!
I'm doing physio so a reasonably similar workload and also currently work with a med student in retail!

It's definitely do-able but it can be draining at times. I've worked 2 jobs this year while doing my 3rd year of physio and it's not been super easy but it's also been mostly manageable. What helps is working at a job that has hours that are uni student friendly. So having a job that has hours that are either early or late is ideal, given you probably have classes during the day (aka normal working hours). I've worked throughout my degree (as have most of the other students in my degree, and I know there are people who work a lot more than me too and score very well) and have maintained good grades so don't feel like if you're working a job you're sacrificing marks. IMO I probably would have gone crazy not working while studying - it has definitely had a lot more positives than negatives and has given me a lot of skills.

During the semester you'll have to adjust your roster so you maybe have less shifts when you have assignments due and exams are happening, but most workplaces should be pretty understanding (and if you're a casual you can set your availability and don't have to do a certain amount of hours per week). And obviously you can work basically full-time on uni holidays which is good!

Aside from things like retail, hospitality, supermarkets, etc. you could consider something like being a lifeguard or swimming teacher - it's really great pay and has the benefit of variable hours. I have family members who have done med and arts/law who have been life guards/swim teachers and they've found it a really great way to make money without having to work endless hours.

So yeah, TL;DR - working is definitely do-able and honestly I recommend working during uni.

As an aside, you can also apply for/receive scholarships for financial hardship and such which can be a massive help.

angrybiscuit

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Re: Working while doing medicine??
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2019, 06:16:50 pm »
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Thank you for this insightful response! You've definitely given me hope in terms of pursuing medicine 🙏🏻
somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
carl sagan