To Intercalate or Not To Intercalate?

Alice Barber, Intercalating 

Deciding whether to intercalate or not is a decision many medical students face at some point during their medical school journey. It is a decision which, when it comes to it, can be quite daunting and a lot more complicated than when people first start talking about it as a faraway concept at the beginning of medical school. Whilst it is an individual decision, and the right call is different for everyone, it is important to consider both the pros and cons of intercalation to make sure that you make the best decision for you.

What are the Pros of Intercalating?

I think that the pros of intercalating can be split into 3 different categories: time, new experiences, and career development. Looking at time first: intercalation can be extremely valuable in terms of the time it gives you, both within and outside of study. It gives you the time and opportunity to dedicate a whole year to studying something that you are very interested in, without having clinical medicine as your focus. Furthermore, most intercalation courses have a lot less contact time than medicine does. This allows you the time to pursue other interests and hobbies outside of study and gave me the chance to get involved in societies and projects that I had not previously been able to fit in alongside medical school. There is also the fact that you will have more time to be able to have a part-time job alongside studying. For me, this was extremely valuable as it meant I was able to save up funds to get me through my final two years of medical school.

The next set of advantages is the new experiences that intercalation can give you. On the surface, it may seem like the only new experience is learning something new, but I’ve found there is so much more than that. For example, studying a humanities subject, which is based heavily around debate, has given me the chance to learn in a way I never have before, and I have met new people I probably would not have come across had I not intercalated. Also, though it may sound menial, I have loved going into different university buildings other than the medical school! Although I chose to stay in Leeds to intercalate, there is also the option to intercalate at a different medical school, which would give you the chance to see a new city for a year.

Intercalation can also be valuable for your future career. Whilst it does help for specialty applications, I think the most career development comes from the new skills that you are able to learn throughout an intercalated year. It has given me the chance to develop skills in writing, debating and analysing that I think will benefit me immensely in my future career, and help me to be a better doctor in the long run. Intercalation also often leads to opportunities to publish work which, again, can be very useful in specialty applications. 

What are the Cons of Intercalating?

Although there are many pros to intercalating, before deciding it is still key to consider the potential disadvantages. The disadvantages also largely depend on each individual, which can add more complexity to the decision-making process. I think the disadvantages can be split into 2 categories: finances and adjusting back to medicine.

Intercalation can be challenging financially. It not only means that you will have an extra year before qualifying as a doctor and being able to receive a salary, but also that you will have two years at medical school without a student loan, rather than one. There are also differences between bachelors and masters degrees: if you choose to intercalate in a masters degree programme, you will not be able to apply for a maintenance loan. Despite this, I think there are many ways that you can reduce the financial impact of intercalation. Firstly, as I have mentioned previously, intercalation allows for more time to work alongside your studies. There are also grants and scholarships available which can help you to finance your intercalation year, and I have linked some resources below. Some students also choose to move home for a year and intercalate at a university nearby to save money on rent, and whilst I am aware this is not an option for everyone, it can be useful for some. 

One concern that I particularly had was how hard it would be to adjust back to medicine after a year intercalating. I have worried about forgetting ‘medicine’, and not adjusting back to placement quickly enough after a year out. Whilst I think it is important to consider how a year out may affect you academically, I still think that it is possible to adjust quite quickly back into medicine. There are also many ways that you can keep up your medical knowledge whilst intercalating, for example, I volunteer as a community first responder which has helped me to maintain my clinical skills. 

Additionally, there is one point which, although not a specific disadvantage, its loss has led to a lot of medical students deciding not to intercalate. Previously, intercalation has counted for points on foundation programme applications – this is no longer the case. Whilst many have concluded from this that intercalating is no longer valuable, I think I have shown that despite this, intercalation is still valuable both personally and in terms of career development! 

How Have I Found Intercalating So Far?

I chose to intercalate in medical ethics at my current medical school, in between my third and fourth years, and have found it both challenging and extremely rewarding. I have learnt so much already even though I have only completed one term so far! Finally, although choosing to intercalate is a very individual decision, I cannot recommend it enough.

Resources

A Guide to all Intercalated Courses: https://www.intercalate.co.uk

British Medical Association: Advice on Intercalated Degrees. https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/studying-medicine/becoming-a-doctor/intercalated-degrees

Funding for Intercalation: https://rmbf.org/get-help/help-for-medical-students/medical-student-advice-hub/competitions-and-awards/
Royal Medical Benevolent Fund: Intercalated Degrees in Medicine.https://rmbf.org/get-help/help-for-medical-students/medical-student-advice-hub/intercalated-degrees/