Alternate career choices for pre-medical students

Here we will present you all the disciplines you can opt for after you don’t score up to the mark. But before anything else, you need a clear judgment of yourself and your circumstances. Do not make any decision haphazardly or under the influence of your emotions. If you are not taking a gap year or do not know, learn to move on. Indeed there are many choices out there for you where you can flourish.

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We will categorize this article into a few tiers as
1. LUMS
2. Allied health sciences
3. DPT/D.Pharmacy
4. Veterinary (DVM)
5. Pure Sciences (B.Sc)
6. Interdisciplinary sciences
7. Arts
8. CSS/PCS
9. ACCA/CA
10. Law\ Business

1. LUMS (Lahore University of Management Sciences): 

A lot of you must have a dream of becoming a doctor. But now that dream feels far fetched. Now if you are ready to move on, it should not mean you get into Medical/biology-related field merely because "maine tou bachpan se bio hy parhi hai aur kuch mjhe nhy samajh aata". Perhaps this is the time you consider this phase a blessing in life and explore different fields in life that can give you the exposure you deserve and take you to the new heights. LUMS is the best place to explore your inner self and chose your future accordingly. We recommend that you must apply in LUMS. Now, what is LUMS?

About LUMS: LUMS is one of the best universities of Pakistan. It is located in Lahore and has no other campus. It offers various programs across business, humanities, social sciences, law, and engineering at Bachelors level - meaning a lot of interesting stuff to choose from. In your 1st year, you chose whatever course you want to study and in 2nd year, you decide what majors you want to opt for. It is very tough to get into LUMS due to its high merit each year. If you have above 80% in matric and FSc, only then go for it. Or else, skip to point 2. LUMS only accepts bright students with a strong academic background. 

When and How to Apply: The ideal time to apply in LUMS is when you are in your 2nd/A'Level year. The last date to apply is somewhere in February so you must apply before that. It takes usually a month to fill their application program. You get acceptance/rejection based on your Matric/O'level and FSc part 1/AS Level and Entry Test result. You do not have to wait for FSc/Alevel to complete for applying. But if you are done with FSc, you can still apply. The entry test for LUMS is called SAT. SAT is not conducted by LUMS. It is conducted by Collegeboard - it's like UHS that conducts test on behalf of all medical colleges in Pakistan. This test happens in November and December. Nearpeer helps you prepare for it. When you join our course, we guide you throughout about how and when to apply to LUMS. We will also guide you on how to get up to 100% scholarship/financial Aid in LUMS. 

Check out our SAT program: www.nearpeer.org/sat
Know more about LUMS and SAT: https://www.nearpeer.org/college-board/sat/the-new-sat-english-(for-lums-preparation-2018)/1
What is SAT - A complete guide (YouTube video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7ilB_oM7Dk
Nearpeer Facebook Public group (students must be encouraged to join this even if they have not enrolled with us): https://www.facebook.com/groups/nearpeerforSAT/
  
However, if you have decided finally that exploring things in life is not a thing for you and playing safe is something you want, here is the further thing you might want to explore under Allied Sciences. But make sure you do not regret it a few years down the road. Don't say then Nearpeer didn't recommend you. :D

2. ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES:
Medicinal fields not only include MBBS but also many different disciplines that are categorized as Allied health sciences. In Pakistan, you can have the following fields
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Medical Imaging Technology
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Medical Laboratory Technology
-B. Sc. Optometry and orthoptics
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Emergency & Intensive Care Science
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Orthotics & Prosthetic
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Audiology
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Operation Theatre Technology
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Dental Technology
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Dental Hygiene
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Cardiac Perfusion
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Occupational Therapy
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Speech & Language Pathology
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Respiratory Therapy
-B. Sc. (Hons.) Nutrition
All these are programs of 4 years and you can excel in any of these fields that are related to medical sciences. These fields require F.Sc. score instead of MDCAT score so that can be a plus point for you. Here we have a link to UHS official website where you can find different universities in different cities of Punjab, offering these lines along with their numbers so you can contact them for further information. The best universities for these fields are KEMU, PU, and AIMC.
http://www.uhs.edu.pk/downloads/ahscourses.pdf

2. DPT/ D.PHARMACY:
The scope of Doctor of Physiotherapy and Doctor of Pharmacy is very wide in Pakistan. Almost every bright student opts for it as a second choice after MBBS so it’s merit is quite high as compared to other lines of medicinal studies. Almost every hospital has many vacancies for this department so it surely is a very good choice for those who don’t want to deviate from medicine.

3. VETERINARY/ DVM:
The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine is a very high-paid field in the outer world, but in Pakistan, it’s not considered a good option for no reason. While ignored by many students, it still manages to secure quite a merit. So if you are interested in this field, don’t pay heed to the stereotypes regarding it and go for it if you’re interested in this field.

4. PURE SCIENCES (B.Sc):
While the private sector continues to flourish in Pakistan, the status of lecturers and professors in Pakistan esp. in Lahore has increased immensely. So one of the best choices as far, we highly recommend you to go for B.Sc. in any subject of your choice such as Zoology, Botany, Microbiology, Organic Chemistry, Nuclear Physics, etc. and then you can further study till M.Phil. or even Ph.D. and there you are, a subject specialist and doctor in one! In govt as well as the private sector, these are one of the best-paid jobs and the ones that will surely pay you off your diligence. Moreover, you can serve the nation by teaching the future of Pakistan.

5. INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES:
It involves the studies in which two fields and lines of studies are merged into one such
-Biotechnology
-Biochemistry
-Biophysics
-Biogeography and many more
All those universities offering pure sciences also offer a number of fields of interdisciplinary sciences for the students. In this field, you can study until M.Phil. and Ph.D. too.

7. ARTS:
If you have a creative side and have been trying to mask it out, then it is the time to let it flourish. In Pakistan, with the changing trends, you now have a wide range of choices in the line of arts. They can be:
-Fashion designing
-Videography
-Photography
-Influencer 
-Mass communication
-Painting
-BS Hons English (literature/linguistics)
-Bachelors in Urdu (literature/linguistics)
-Textile
-Architecture
And for these, you have the prestigious institutions like NCA, PIFDC, BNU and some other. As they say, do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life!

7. CSS/PCS:
Central Superior Service and Provincial Civil Services are the highly respected fields in Pakistan. CSS is cleared by approx. 2% of people who appear in the exam annually so one can judge the importance of this field. The best strategy to clear these coveted exams is to opt for political science or IR because these two domains cover most of the information you need to pass these two exams! 

8. CA/ACCA:
Before anything else, let me clarify a misconception created among students regarding these two fields. YOU CAN OPT FOR THESE EVEN AFTER FSC PRE MEDICAL. No, you don’t necessarily need to have studied mathematics in F.Sc. to go for it. It’s not related purely to mathematics, as per the misinformation circulated among pupil, rather its 20-30% of basic mathematics and the rest is business and accounting. The single most important difference between them is that CA is a local qualification, granted in Pakistan by ICAP, a professional body of Chartered Accountants, whereas ACCA is an international qualification or a global professional degree.
Professional Accountancy is one of the highest-paid jobs in Pakistan. While it requires 8 years to complete in most cases, the students get jobs in big companies in the 4th year of their CA/ACCA studies. Many people dump this choice because they think that 8 years is too long of time duration to study but actually contrary to this idea, it’s the same time duration you need for MBBS as 5 years’ studies, one-year house job and two years of FCPS make 8 years of studies. Moreover, you can’t get a job in your 4rth year of MBBS, a job paying you a lot more than you can think!

9. LAW/BUSINESS:
Law and business is also a very good option if you are interested in them. Several universities such as LUMS, PU, Gomal University, GC, Kinnaird College for women, LC and some other offer these disciplines. These are fruitful lines you can go for according to your aptitude. Do remember, Jinnah and Iqbal were Lawyers as well. 

Whatever field you chose, please make sure you have the correct philosophy behind it. Make sure you know what do you want for your future and then act accordingly. If you are taking a gap year and considering taking MDCAT again, do that while applying to other colleges as well so that you have your options open. 

No need to join any academy for MDCAT again. Join Nearpeer's online MDCAT Course to study from in your gap year. Find out more about it by visiting www.nearpeer.org or WhatsApp us on 03470171480.