Hands-on clinical career, highly portable and far less oversubscribed.
- Competition
- Similar (very high)
- Subjects
- Covered
- Countries kept
- 7 of 7 United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates
Backup options
Pick your first-choice degree to see related fields worth keeping in reserve.
Six-year MBChB plus two years internship and a community service year. SA doctors are wanted everywhere, but almost every country makes them sit licensing exams first. Ireland accepts an SA internship started from 1 July 2006 as equivalent to its own, which exempts the doctor from its PRES exam; in the US and Canada most SA doctors need national licensing exams plus a residency place or, in Canada, a provincial Practice Ready Assessment. Open Medicine
Mathematics requiredPhysical Sciences required at some universitiesLife Sciences required at some universities
Physical Sciences or Life Sciences requiredMaths Literacy not accepted
Competition for places: very high
Related alternatives 5
Compared with Medicine. “Countries kept”: of the 7 countries where Medicine rates good or better, how many also rate this field good or better.
Clinical, patient-facing and in demand abroad.
- Competition
- Less (high)
- Subjects
- Covered
- Countries kept
- 7 of 7 United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates
Health profession with a science base; registration abroad is harder than for therapists.
- Competition
- Less (high)
- Subjects
- Covered
- Countries kept
- 7 of 7 United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates
In shortage almost everywhere, with dedicated visas.
- Competition
- Less (medium)
- Subjects
- Covered
- Countries kept
- 7 of 7 United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates
A BSc in the life sciences keeps graduate-entry medicine possible at some universities, for example the Wits Graduate Entry Medical Programme.
- Competition
- Less (medium)
- Subjects
- Covered
- Countries kept
- 5 of 7 United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand
Other ways back in
- Extended curriculum programmes add a foundation year for applicants just below the requirements.
- Rewrite individual NSC subjects to improve a mark.
- Transfer after a strong first year in a related degree: many faculties accept this.
Ask each faculty which of these it offers: they differ widely.