Career advice - medicine or law?

wrinkly67, you make an excellent point about medicine or law being perceived the professional fields to "make it". To my mind, that is because there is a long-enduring stereotype that professional legal and medical types are on big money, and that is the popular yardstick.

Which, perhaps through lack of information (after all, that's what makes stereotypes endure), does not factor in the amount of fairly fundamental changes to professional practice and the associated job market in the past couple of decades, nor the level of personal responsibility, liability, investment, workload and -cumulatively- stress that goes hand-in-hand with it.

Do something wrong as a non-professional, maybe get a disciplinary and a warning.

Do something wrong as a professional, and it can be the end of the career, full stop. And that's before considering what's been at stake for the patient (dead/permanently disabled)/client (costs, damages, prison <etc.>).

Funny that you should mention engineering. If I had to do it all again, I wouldn't do law. I'd work harder at school in STEM subjects and push for engineering (no, not medicine either). Somehow it looks more rewarding to conceive something, than correctly fitting a new hip or obtaining judgement for one's client: it's just as intellectually stimulating, but more "creatively constructive", than twisting the rubik cube of legal principles to try and get what a client wants.

All a personal judgement/perspective of course

PS - and one does not exclude the other. A commercial field currently in full expansion, and likely to remain so for many years to come, is bioengineering indeed.

If the average salary is £23,000 (or whatever), that doesn't necessarily mean 49.9% of people are below that level

Are you talking about the mean, the mode or the median?

---------- Post added 30-06-2016 at 17:22 ----------

wrinkly67, you make an excellent point about medicine or law being perceived the professional fields to "make it". To my mind, that is because there is a long-enduring stereotype that professional legal and medical types are on big money, and that is the popular yardstick.

 

Which, perhaps through lack of information (after all, that's what makes stereotypes endure), does not factor in the amount of fairly fundamental changes to professional practice and the associated job market in the past couple of decades, nor the level of personal responsibility, liability, investment, workload and -cumulatively- stress that goes hand-in-hand with it.

 

Do something wrong as a non-professional, maybe get a disciplinary and a warning.

 

Do something wrong as a professional, and it can be the end of the career, full stop. And that's before considering what's been at stake for the patient (dead/permanently disabled)/client (costs, damages, prison <etc.>).

 

Funny that you should mention engineering. If I had to do it all again, I wouldn't do law. I'd work harder at school in STEM subjects and push for engineering (no, not medicine either). Somehow it looks more rewarding to conceive something, than correctly fitting a new hip or obtaining judgement for one's client: it's just as intellectually stimulating, but more "creatively constructive", than twisting the rubik cube of legal principles to try and get what a client wants.

 

All a personal judgement/perspective of course

 

PS - and one does not exclude the other. A commercial field currently in full expansion, and likely to remain so for many years to come, is bioengineering indeed.

Engineering of course is extremely broad, it isn't all designing and/or building something.

My SO is a chartered engineer and spends most of her time proving that modifications to trains have met the safety requirements and/or that the testing performed has adequately demonstrated that they have met the safety requirements (amongst other safety related things).

They don't teach you much stats on a law degree then? Or did you think that sample size n=1 was a good size to use?

 

Are you a recent graduate btw? Presumably if you are then you have a lot of peers who are struggling to find training contracts? Probably quite a few working as paralegals perhaps in the hope of converting that work into a training contract at some point, and probably at considerably less than the average graduate salary.

 

Do you know many software developers? Is that sample size greater than 1?

 

I guess we can look up some real numbers though, neither my experience or yours is likely to be really representative.

LOL.

One quality I possess as a lawyer is the ability to read written English.

Try again, and let me know why you think my sample size was one?

EDIT: Just to add - OP, I hope you found the views of some on here useful before your thread was sabotaged with utter tripe.

Good trolling effort, Owethemnowt. B+

 

I'd certainly welcome the opportunity of a frank and objective debate with you on the topic, but the sheer scale of the broad-brushed stereotyping of the legal profession in your posts is such, that little short of the full duration of a training contract would be required

 

My posts are grounded in practical experience. Yours in biased ignorance.

 

World of difference indeed

Lol I cant be bothered, so keep fighting the good fight. Some bonkers people on this forum.

LOL.

 

One quality I possess as a lawyer is the ability to read written English.

 

Try again, and let me know why you think my sample size was one?

 

EDIT: Just to add - OP, I hope you found the views of some on here useful before your thread was sabotaged with utter tripe.

The inability to answer questions though...

You'll note that I provided the evidence already, so we no longer need to rely on your anecdote or mine.

---------- Post added 01-07-2016 at 07:53 ----------

Oh, and sample size n=1 from

I also get paid more than most software developers that I know.

Unless "I" refers to a group larger than 1 person somehow?

Without wanting to waste my time turning the urine into wine I will make the point that no Consultant has contributed to this garbage.

Obviously, better judgement as well as things to do.

Unlike the lawyers.

There is no personal attack. Shrinking violets though are easily offended but like all violets are happy under a pile of manure. Why not? They talk it.

I'm actually a bit miffed that the humour by-pass is alive and well and taking itself as seriously as ever.

If I were in a balloon with you clowns and it were in danger of dropping don't worry I'd jump first. Rather that than listen to you and endure the slow death.

You're all wonderful and marvellous and correct and I'm completely wrong and even more sorry for the audacity or having an opinion.

I know my place.

Without wanting to waste my time turning the urine into wine I will make the point that no Consultant has contributed to this garbage.

 

Obviously, better judgement as well as things to do.

 

Unlike the lawyers.

 

There is no personal attack. Shrinking violets though are easily offended but like all violets are happy under a pile of manure. Why not? They talk it.

 

I'm actually a bit miffed that the humour by-pass is alive and well and taking itself as seriously as ever.

 

If I were in a balloon with you clowns and it were in danger of dropping don't worry I'd jump first. Rather that than listen to you and endure the slow death.

 

You're all wonderful and marvellous and correct and I'm completely wrong and even more sorry for the audacity or having an opinion.

 

I know my place.

People are mystifed about your advice and knowledge about the legal profession. It seems bizarre and not based on any sort of fact of how it actually works.

What experience is it based on? You seem to be telling lawyers about their own profession, when you arent one yourself.

People are mystifed about your advice and knowledge about the legal profession. It seems bizarre and not based on any sort of fact of how it actually works.

What experience is it based on? You seem to be telling lawyers about their own profession, when you arent one yourself.

Broad assumptions are never wise. Narrow ones also. Things aren't what they seem and experience comes from life unless you believe in ghosts, fairies and what lawyers tell you. Also, what they write on here. If they are lawyers. You tell me me I'm not one. You're right. I'm an astronaut. Any happier? Does it qualify me to have an opinion? Is it allowed to have a different opinion? You may be one of the 49% for whom democracy now means only if it's what you want. But the reality is I express a view and I've read nothing but froth to disuade me from it.

Oh, and these people who are mystified .......... I've seen no poll results. I know there's you and I offer some assistance a few lines further on. Do be patient. But the 'lawyer', the patent one, aka the ego gone wild understands because it's got so far under his skin Porton Down want him for testing.

No one likes lawyers. We all like Consultants.

I'm so concerned you have difficulty in understanding the argument. Try reading it again. It can also help if someone reads it to you a paragraph at a time.

Make notes on what you don't understand. Turn the notes into questions. Try and answer them yourself or discuss with friends. Avoid asking lawyers. They'll give you a distorted view. You could ask any medical consultant but I doubt they'd waste their time on such drivel. Have a dictionary handy for any 'big words' that you may not be sure of.

Hope that helps.

And now if you'll excuse me I have to put some lard on the cat's boil. Better things to do.

My daughter has just completed her GCSE's and is considering her future plans/choices for A Levels.

 

She has always expressed an interest in medicine but has recently been considering law.

 

Is there anyone working or studying in medicine or law who could give her an insight into either of these careers?

 

if so, please get in touch

It seemed a pretty straight forward question at the time but, by now, I guess you wish you'd never asked!!

As a Mum who has been there, done that - in a failed sort of way - I stick by

• your daughter taking on board "professional" advice but not being "persuaded" into any career just because it sounds good. It has to be her decision.
   
  

awaiting her GCSE results - these could well dictate whether either option is still a reality - as in which subjects she most excels in.

• in the meantime, seek work experience in both fields - not only as a means of helping confirm choice but necessary preparation for the application to Uni which in many good degree courses gets the first toe -through the door, for interview. This isn't always easy - it's the start of the "real world" where things aren't put on a plate - it takes determination and resourcefulness to open some doors - but it can be done. Don't give up.
   
  

consider the many variables in either career - many of which could still give career satisfaction but not always as difficult to attain, together with the work pattern and if this is an acceptable life style.

• by all means take into account the pay-scales but not the most important factor to career satisfaction.
  

a little considered factor often - but where in this country/abroad could the chosen career take her? Is she always going to be a home-bird or would she wish to have the opportunity to spread her wings. My son started near the idyllic New Forest, but to further his career, spent time negotiating oil prices with Ministers in the Congo. Many miles, quite literally, away from anything we could ever have imagined at the outset, so maybe worth bearing in mind.

• if all continues well, choose the right A levels which may not be the easiest options.

• have a back-up plan so that, if final results aren't as good as you hoped, those A levels can be used in other acceptable degree courses.

Hope that helps a bit, Good luck.

Broad assumptions are never wise. Narrow ones also. Things aren't what they seem and experience comes from life unless you believe in ghosts, fairies and what lawyers tell you. Also, what they write on here. If they are lawyers. You tell me me I'm not one. You're right. I'm an astronaut. Any happier? Does it qualify me to have an opinion? Is it allowed to have a different opinion? You may be one of the 49% for whom democracy now means only if it's what you want. But the reality is I express a view and I've read nothing but froth to disuade me from it.

You're entitled to your own opinion, you aren't entitled to your own facts.

What you were expressing wasn't opinion, it was factually incorrect nonsense.

No one likes lawyers. We all like Consultants.

Perhaps you should state things in a factual way only if you know they're true. You certainly don't speak for everyone, so that statement should be "I don't like lawyers, I like consultants".

 

I'm so concerned you have difficulty in understanding the argument. Try reading it again. It can also help if someone reads it to you a paragraph at a time.

You haven't made an argument.

I told you to use a dictionary. Three syllables has you baffled. Daren't mention figurative speech .......... not sure I can explain it but here goes: Drs. deal with pain - lawyers are a pain.

I think you're a lawyer in the backside.

As for me, I've just been called to the bar, which is where I'll be for the next few days.

C'mon Wales!

Who are you even replying to?

I don't think you can explain either because you know nothing about the legal profession.