Medicine or Economics ?

[TiluIB]

Hi!

I'm just starting IB, but I want to make desition on my future career.

Why this?

I want to make my subject desition based on my future career.

My options are Medicine, Economics and Technology.

I'm really good in school generally, if I just try wich I will.

I'm also interested in everything really, in school.

Medicine is really cool when studying it, but as a career it might be bit boring.

Economics is really interesting when studying and as a career too.

Technology interesting as well but could it be kind of ... too nerd .

As I said I'm interested in everything, so what you think.

By the way my English... I know it isn't the best;)

[bigbangfan]

Hey! You have plenty of time to decide your studies. Here´s a rough plan of subject combinations according to your selected carreers. Make sure your school offers those subjects before picking them.

Medicine:

Language A1 HL or SL

Language A2/B HL or SL

Any group 3 subject SL

Biology HL

Chemistry HL or SL (preferably HL)

Mathematics SL

Economics

Language A1 HL

Language A2/B HL or SL

Economics HL

Any science SL

Mathematics HL or SL

Bus.& Man./History HL

Technology

Language A1 HL or SL

Language A2/B HL or SL

ITGS HL

Maybe Physics or Chemistry?

Mathematics HL

Computer Science HL

All-achiever

Language A1 HL or SL

Language A2/B HL or SL

Economics HL

ITGS HL or Comp.Science HL

Biology HL

Mathematics HL or SL

BEST OF LUCK ON YOUR FUTURE PLANS!!

[Sammie Backman]

If you choose your subjects wisely, you will be eligible for both medicine and economics.

At least in the UK, the only real requirement for Economics is Mathematics HL, and the requirements for medicine are Chemistry HL and often also Biology HL.

This subject combination would not restrict your choices that much:

* Mathematics HL

* Chemistry HL

* Biology HL

* Economics SL/HL

* Language A1.1 SL/HL

* Language A1.2/B SL

Edited July 8, 2011 by Sammie Backman

[dessskris]

because you admitted that your English is not good, I'd like to point out that it's "decision" not "desition" it's fine, my English was really bad too, but as the time goes by you'll improve

I guess it would be difficult. you should make up your mind from now. what's your favourite subject? what's the class that you always enjoy? what are your interests and hobbies?

I also have friends who are like you, they don't know what they like because they think they like all subjects and everything is just okay... but I never believe them. there must be something that really interests you!!

for example, me myself, I admit that I like all of my classes. that's why I chose those subjects. but I enjoy my math classes the most because it's my best subject, because it's interesting, because it's just...my favourite!

come on, I'm sure you have one that is like your very BEST subject!

so tell us which one it is.

from what you wrote, Economics seems to suit you best, as being a doctor seems boring to you and working in the IT world seems nerdy to you. but is that really what you like? do you want to spend your whole life dealing with Econs?

I know it's not easy to decide. one of the things you could do right now is to look at a uni's website (preferably the one that you want to go to!) and try to read some courses descriptions. if provided, read the structure/modules so you know exactly what you will study. this is what I recently did, which made me change my major choice as I realise my former choice is not my favourite and I don't want to spend my whole life doing that!

but if you still can't decide (sigh... ) I suggest you to go with Sammie Backman's suggestion. it's fine for both Medicine and Economics, although if you want to go something related to IT like Engineering or Computer Science, you might need Physics HL too.

---

as far as I can generalise, I think these are the requirements for each major that you mentioned:

Medicine

Must: Biology HL, Chemistry HL

Recommended: Mathematics HL

Economics

Must: Mathematics HL

Highly recommended: Economics HL

Engineering

Must: Mathematics HL, Physics HL

Highly recommended: Chemistry HL

Recommended: Further Mathematics SL

Computer Science

Must: Mathematics HL

Recommended: Computer Science HL, Further Mathematics SL, Physics/Chemistry HL

---

however, seeing your English is not so good here, I suggest you to take English B HL too. or if you think you are capable, you may opt for English A Language&Literature SL, although I'm afraid it would be too difficult.

you should decide what you want to study asap. that would be awesome if you can decide now and make the right choices rather than taking just any subjects that look good but later decide you don't wanna do them.

good luck!

Edited July 9, 2011 by Desy Glau

[Guest Soiboist]

Medicine

Must: Biology HL

Highly recommended: Chemistry HL

Recommended: Mathematics HL

The advises in this thread have generally been of good quality, yet I would like to point out this misconception out as it is so common and as it could prove fatal due to the competitiveness of Medicine.

Especially for the UK, but presumably the rest of the world included, it is Chemistry HL which is the vital subject for Medicine. Mathematics HL is neither recommended nor an advantage for the UK, but could be the latter for the US as they look at the rigorousness of your subject combination. Along with Chemistry HL, if still talking about the UK, you could pick any additional science subject or Mathematics to HL frankly. However, Chemistry and Biology seems to be the most popular one.

[TiluIB]

My options are here, so wich of these

1.Language A1

2.Language B

3.

history

philosophy

psychology

4.Science

biology

chemistry

physics

5.Math

HL

SL

6.

Another subject from groups 1,2,3 tai 4

Ps: I don't have economics in my options, so what you think? Can get to study economics University withou studying it in IB..?

Thank you who gave me those answers, very helpfull though.

[Guest Soiboist]

Ps: I don't have economics in my options, so what you think? Can get to study economics University withou studying it in IB..?

The short answer is yes, you can study Economics at university without having studied it before. However, if you want to study it at university I see no reason why you wouldn't choose it now.

I won't go on and choose subjects for you though. And I hope that no one else will do so either. It is something you must choose by yourself after careful consideration and thinking. We have no idea about what you really like or what you're good at.

[Procrastination]

Ps: I don't have economics in my options, so what you think? Can get to study economics University withou studying it in IB..?

The short answer is yes, you can study Economics at university without having studied it before. However, if you want to study it at university I see no reason why you wouldn't choose it now.

I won't go on and choose subjects for you though. And I hope that no one else will do so either. It is something you must choose by yourself after careful consideration and thinking. We have no idea about what you really like or what you're good at.

It seems you didn't eead carefully, he doesn't has economics in his options so even though he'd like to choose it he can. Anyways Soiboist, you're able to study economics in an unviersity without having it inyour options, usually when an university that recognizes IB asks you for economics in HL or SL to study their curse, they're supposing you have it on your options, if you don't just contact the university with help from your uni counselor in your school or via mail. They won't really care because it was something you couldnt change. Now, if you do have economics in your options and you don't choose it even though you want to study it in university level, the university will consider it some kind of a joke and you might not get admitted. It's kinda funny because you are in the same situation as I am, I want to study ECON in unviersity but I don't have it in IB, anyways... I chose history and philosophy because they're someway related. What universities want you to choose, specially in the US, is rigorousness, that you choose the most difficult class or the most demanding to be able to know that you actually stick to things.

I think you should choose math HL, any experimental science, history HL, philosophy SL and then the languages, one of them in HL.

[Gaby]

Well, what is important, at least what I think is important and what I was told is important is that you need to like your HLs! LIke, really like. After all, you'll spend 6h at school + time at home studying them! You say you like pretty much all the subjects but you probably have some preferences. It's like, I really like Chem, that's why I'm taking it, but I don't see myself taking it at HL whereas English is one of my top classes and I can't wait to study it even more. What you need to do, or at least what I did when choosing subjects (I want to study Law, so I only had to ask myself what I wanted to spend my two years doing since Law has no pre-requests in UK and only a prerequest of HL History in Poland) is ask yourself where you wanna be in, say, 15 years. It's hard to tell, of course, but you should try. Would you rather sit at a desk in some bank, or sit at a desk and treat colds. Or if you want to help governments in developing countries make financial decisions or maybe open hospitals as a doctor. Just a few ideas of the top of my head but hey, a degree you choose is only what you make of it. Maybe in a few years, after you get your degree, be it medicine or economics, you'll decide that what you really wanna do is write books about adventurous trips.

My advice as someone who is in the same position as you? Choose subjects you really love, try to keep as many options open as possible. After all, IB is not make it or break it, we're just starting our lives!

[Guest Soiboist]

Ps: I don't have economics in my options, so what you think? Can get to study economics University withou studying it in IB..?

The short answer is yes, you can study Economics at university without having studied it before. However, if you want to study it at university I see no reason why you wouldn't choose it now.

I won't go on and choose subjects for you though. And I hope that no one else will do so either. It is something you must choose by yourself after careful consideration and thinking. We have no idea about what you really like or what you're good at.

It seems you didn't eead carefully, he doesn't has economics in his options so even though he'd like to choose it he can. Anyways Soiboist, you're able to study economics in an unviersity without having it inyour options, usually when an university that recognizes IB asks you for economics in HL or SL to study their curse, they're supposing you have it on your options, if you don't just contact the university with help from your uni counselor in your school or via mail. They won't really care because it was something you couldnt change. Now, if you do have economics in your options and you don't choose it even though you want to study it in university level, the university will consider it some kind of a joke and you might not get admitted. It's kinda funny because you are in the same situation as I am, I want to study ECON in unviersity but I don't have it in IB, anyways... I chose history and philosophy because they're someway related. What universities want you to choose, specially in the US, is rigorousness, that you choose the most difficult class or the most demanding to be able to know that you actually stick to things.

I think you should choose math HL, any experimental science, history HL, philosophy SL and then the languages, one of them in HL.

No, apparently I read to quickly. I still reckon it would make sense to the thread starter though, as he or she surely would understand that I made a mistake. As for your other point (I have no idea if that was directed towards me or not) that was exactly what I said; you are able to study Economics without having studied it before.

TiluIB, it would be a good thing if you shared where you actually want to study at university; right now people will advice you completely different depending on their own region of choice.

[dessskris]

hmmm I know that you can study Econ at uni without having taken it in IB, but common sense people... econ is a popular course and many people want to study it in uni. if there are other students who take econ in high school and are doing well, wouldn't universities prefer them over those who are not taking econ? and if you don't have background information on econ, econ at uni might be tough as you will have to sort of learn from zero because you have not much knowledge on it from IB. it might be difficult. so it's highly recommended to study econ in IB. but it's not even offered at school, so how can OP study it?? sigh.

maybe you should go with Medicine then. but, look. now YOU choose among Medicine, Engineering or Computer Science. luckily, all these three courses might need you to take Math HL, and it's the only prerequisite for Economics, so you can now decide your science and group 6 subjects based on Medicine, Engineering or Computer Science; while keeping math HL so you can still apply for Medicine, Engineering or Computer Science AND Economics.