Considering career change - doctor to pilot
Hi all,
I am currently a medical student in year 4 out of 6 years of study. Basically I always wanted to be an airline pilot, right from my first ever time flying, took a few flying lessons around the age of 16 before I realised that me and my family simply couldn't afford pilot training, modular or integrated.
Anyway, I went into medicine at University because of the above reasons, I also enjoyed work experience in the field and basically around when I started (2011) the chances of getting an airline job were slim and I wanted to go to university anyway. But the thought of becoming a pilot always niggled.
I fully expect to get told where to go when I say I am coming from a guaranteed job in medicine but I'll tell you this: whilst I enjoy the subject matter, medical careers have had a fall from grace much like flying jobs recently: my starting base salary will be around £22k (less than a FlyBe Q400 FO I believe), with around £60k in student debt and endless competition for jobs that will have me moving around every 6 months and maybe not ever getting a job in my chosen field and location. Basically while your job is secure in medicine in your early years (when you're getting married and raising a family) stability is basically zero and it's entirely possible you can end up in a job you hate in a place you don't like. On top of that the government is making a right mess of the NHS in general, morale is low and the future is uncertain. If I walked away from the job right after graduating it would be difficult to get back into it.
A little bit of me died inside when I realised I had missed opportunities like EI's recent cadetship and BA's FPP. EI covered 75% costs I believe; BA offered to act as a guarantor for the £100k loan and then pay it back (or am I missing something?). Basically what I am saying is that whilst I have no intention of doing ab inito training without a job at the end of it, if a scheme similar to these opened up again I would have a hard time turning it down.
My questions therefore are as follows:
1. what are the chances of similar schemes coming along again and is it worth applying? It seems to me that both are good deals at stable, "career" airlines. Also if I was to start with someone like BA, what would be the chances of commuting from EDI or GLA as a junior FO? For people like EI and Flybe, am I right in saying that Scotland/NI bases are easier to get into? (I'm basing that on very very old info)
2. is the industry as bad as PPRuNE makes it sound? Granted paying to fly at Ryanair sounds horrendous and I see a lot are moving out east (many doctors do too by the way), but when the cockpit door closes are you happy or is there a lot of moaning at 35000ft?
3. what are the timescales of schemes like the above? If I was to apply would it be worth sticking out my uni studies in case it all went awry? And is there anything I'm missing that makes them less rosy?
Thanks for reading this long post. I'd really appreciate some honest answers because to be honest I'm sick of turning it over in my head for the last 6 months! Does anyone have any advice for me on where to start? Getting a Class 1 medical before I do anything stupid for instance?