Can we talk about something that no one wants to admit?
That gnawing feeling when everyone around you is getting offers, and your inbox stays painfully quiet.
I remember results day as if it were yesterday. Not the celebratory kind you see all over social media, but the kind where you’re staring at a screen, wondering what went wrong. I’d missed an A by two marks. Two marks.
But here’s the thing that took me way too long to learn: having a Plan B isn’t giving up on your dreams, it’s giving yourself permission to be human.
The Toxic “Medicine or Nothing” Trap
Let’s be honest about the pressure we face. From the moment you mention wanting to be a doctor, it becomes your entire identity. Family gatherings become interrogation sessions. Friends expect you to have your life figured out at 17. And somewhere along the way, we internalise the idea that considering anything else is essentially admitting defeat.
I fell into this trap completely. Initially, I believed I’d get in the first time because that was what “smart” people did.
As time went on and my friends started getting offers while I had zero interviews, reality hit differently.
Here’s a stat that might shock you: roughly two-thirds of applicants won’t get a single medical offer each year. That’s not because they’re not smart enough or don’t want it badly enough. The numbers just aren’t in our favour.
So why do we act like having a backup plan is some kind of betrayal to our future selves?
Why Backup Plans Are Actually Signs of Maturity
When I finally started thinking about Plan B, it wasn’t because I’d given up it was because I’d grown up.
After getting no offers, I had this moment where I thought: “Everything went wrong anyway, so what the heck?” And you know what I did? I applied to everything that remotely interested me. Law. Aerospace engineering. Human physiology. International relations. I even looked at pilot cadet programs.
My friends thought I was being “unserious.” But looking back, this was the most serious thing I could have done for myself. It taught me that life doesn’t have to be set in stone, and more importantly, that there are multiple paths to fulfilment.
Having a Plan B means: You’re being strategic, not pessimistic. You’re taking control instead of leaving everything to chance. You’re mature enough to know that dreams can take different shapes. You understand that your worth isn’t determined by one application outcome
Your Plan B Options (Because Yes, There Are Many)
When I was scrambling on results day, I discovered allied health through a TikTok influencer (shoutout to @btoel on TikTok), which I am so glad I did. But there are so many paths people don’t even know exist:
Allied Health Routes: Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, Biomedical science (but research which courses are actually accredited!) Nursing with potential bridging programs, Paramedic science
Alternative Timelines: Gap years (but with purpose work, volunteering, research), Graduate Entry Medicine (though yes, it’s significantly harder), International medical schools, Foundation years or access courses
Completely Different Directions: Psychology, counselling, social work, Public health, health policy, Medical research, pharmaceutical sciences Healthcare management and administration
The key isn’t picking the “closest” thing to medicine, it’s picking something that genuinely interests you whilst keeping doors open.
My Story: From “Medicine or Nothing” to “Medicine AND Everything Else”
I’ll be brutally honest: the rejection was heartbreaking. There were tears. That deep, gut-wrenching feeling that I’d disappointed everyone, especially the younger version of myself who truly believed this would work out.
My original plan was a gap year, but on results day, something inside me said, “Keep moving.” I didn’t care what direction, even if it meant going backwards. It sounds cliché, but I genuinely believe rejection is redirection.
So I finally settled on an allied health course literally one week before moving. Did I know anything about it? Absolutely not. But that leap of faith taught me something crucial: you don’t have to have everything figured out to take the next step.
During that year, I learnt valuable lessons about navigating life as a young adult. Was I happy? Not initially, not because things were bad, but because I couldn’t accept not following “my” path. I was frustrated that I’d given hours of studying and sleepless nights just to miss my goal.
But you know what? That frustration reshaped my perspective.
Why Plan B Actually Made Me Stronger
Having a backup plan didn’t make me less committed to medicine; it made me more confident in my choice. When I reapplied, I wasn’t applying from a place of desperation. I was applying from a place of “I know there are other paths, but this is the one I choose.”
That confidence shift was everything. During my first attempt, I’d convinced myself I “wasn’t cut out for this.” That mindset crept into my revision, my mock exams, and even mid-question during actual papers. I’d stop halfway through questions, not because I couldn’t do them, but because I didn’t believe I could.
When I resat my A levels, I shifted everything. I didn’t just study harder, I studied smarter. But more importantly, I studied with the confidence of someone who knew they had options.
The result? I got my medical school offer.
For the Parents Reading This (And the Students Worrying About Disappointing Them)
I am incredibly lucky that my parents will support whatever path I choose, no matter how “crazy” it seems, as long as I have a plan. But I know this isn’t everyone’s reality.
Even with supportive parents, I still felt like I’d disappointed them internally. That guilt is real, and it’s valid. But here’s what I wish I’d understood sooner: your parents want you to be happy and successful, and there are multiple ways to achieve both.
If you’re worried about family pressure, try having an honest conversation about your backup plans. Show them you’ve thought it through, researched your options, and have concrete next steps. Most parents’ fear isn’t that you’ll choose something different it’s that you won’t choose anything at all.
The Real Talk: You’re Not Off Track, You’re Being Strategic
If you’re reading this while waiting for offers, or after getting rejections, or while everyone around you seems to have their life figured out, listen to me:
You are not behind. You are not a failure. You are not “less than” because you’re considering other options.
You’re being mature enough to acknowledge that life rarely goes according to plan, and smart enough to have multiple routes to your goals.
Some of the most successful, fulfilled people I know took the scenic route. They bring experiences, perspectives, and resilience that their straight-path peers simply don’t have.
Your Next Steps (Because Action Beats Anxiety)
Give yourself permission to explore. Spend a weekend researching careers that genuinely interest you, not just ones that look good on a medical school application.
Talk to people in different fields. LinkedIn message, attend virtual talks, ask family friends. You’d be surprised how willing people are to share their experiences.
Make your Plan B as exciting as your Plan A. Don’t pick something just because it’s “safe” or “close to medicine.” Pick something that lights you up.
Remember that plans can change. Your Plan B today doesn’t have to be your forever. It just has to be your next step.
Document your journey. Whether medicine works out first try or takes a few attempts, your story of resilience will inspire others.
The Truth About “Medicine or Nothing”
Here’s what I know now that I wish I’d known then: There is no such thing as “medicine or nothing” unless you make it so.
There are medicine routes. There are healthcare routes. There are helping people routes. There are completely different but equally fulfilling routes.
Your worth isn’t determined by getting into medical school on the first try. Your intelligence isn’t measured by how linear your path is. Your success isn’t defined by other people’s timelines.
Having a Plan B doesn’t mean you’ve failed it means you’re mature enough to know that dreams can take different shapes, and confident enough to trust that you’ll find your way.
Whether you get that offer this cycle or take a different path first, you’re not off track. You’re exactly where you need to be, building the resilience and perspective that will serve you for life.
Your journey is unique, and that’s your superpower. Own it.
What’s your Plan B looking like? Drop a comment below, I’d love to hear about the paths you’re considering. Remember, exploring options isn’t giving up; it’s growing up. ✨