Its finally been a year at Barts (well, not quite the 365.25 days, but its been an academic year) and it seems a fitting time to review my ucas decision. I also get asked this question now and then, so a post would probably be good.
I suppose until i complete my MBBS, i'm not really going to know if i regret it or not, as it is with this post, my mind sort of flickers now and then between yes and no. BUT at this moment in time, and indeed throughout the entire year so far (apart from funmed... that even had me thinking of quitting... crazy, i know!) i have no major regrets..but i do have a few.
It would be a lie for me to say i have no regrets at all, being able to graduate a year earlier and start earning a salary would have been nice, but i suppose some things are worth more than money, and if i try to look into the future, the experiences i've had at Barts more than makes up for a year of lost earnings.. though i really could do with a regular income right now!
With a 5 year course there's simply more time to absorb the material, more time to take part in sports and societies, and just generally more time to myself to get on with other important things in my life. I didn't really cherish any of these opportunities during my Biochemistry degree, but it's never too late to get involved... and especially at barts, which is very mature friendly (~40% of my year are grads!!)
However, being in London, my home town, really did sway the decision for me, if the 5 year offer wasn't in London, i think i would have chosen the GEP, i'm 90% certain.
Yes, London is expensive, but as a Student it's the cheapest time to live here, my family and friends are here, and i simply had some issues which meant i had to be in London often, so going to Barts really did tick more boxes than a GEP outside of London. Indeed, i would have probably gone for a GEP in London, but i didn't want to wait a year for my deferred GEP offer at Barts, and at the time of making my ucas decision, the fear of failing medical school meant i chose the easier option. So that's how i ended up where i am now.
Although i sometimes do have a "what if" moment, it's probably out of curiosity, rather than regret and wishful thinking.
