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Bad university, and graduate medicine.

If I do a Biomedical Science course at a university which is lower down on the league table, such as Brunel or Westminster, would a university such as UCL or Imperial accept me to do graduate medicine?

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I've never heard of UCL or Imperial discriminating against lower ranked universities as a matter of policy. There was this in the news a while ago: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/feb/22/highereducation.oxbridgeandelitism
Reply 2
they won't officially discriminate, but the admissions tutors may do if you're up against someone who got their degree at say, UCL. Graduate medicine is meant to be even more competitive, but if you get a first, you're in with a chance.
No, it's not taken into account whatsoever by any medical school that i know of, and i e mailed several of them asking specifically about it. At interview you may be asked why you didn't get good enough A levels to go to a top uni, but i was just honest and said i was immature and demotivated as a 17 year old, and they accepted that quite happily.

The Oxford story above is the only case i've heard of where the uni attended has been picked out as a criteria for applicants.

The courses that want graduates from elite universities can already pick them out by putting high A level requirements on their GEP courses.
(edited 11 years ago)
Agree with the above, I'm studying at a red-brick Uni (Salford, if you must know!) and know someone in the year above me with an offer at Nottingham GEM. Wouldn't worry, if you get a 2:1 then you pass the degree requirements. Graduate entry tests and the subsequent interviews will set you apart from other applicants, not your degree.
Original post by MattKneale
Agree with the above, I'm studying at a red-brick Uni (Salford, if you must know!) and know someone in the year above me with an offer at Nottingham GEM. Wouldn't worry, if you get a 2:1 then you pass the degree requirements. Graduate entry tests and the subsequent interviews will set you apart from other applicants, not your degree.


I went to Lincoln and ended up with 3 out fo 4 offers, with 2 of those being GEPs, it really doesn't make a difference.
Reply 6
Shouldn't make too much of a difference. Also fyi, UCL don't do GEM.
Reply 7
I studied at the Open University, which I think is doing something magnificent and that I feel is very good but is not considered "prestigious" in any way and was accepted by Imperial College for postgraduate studies.
Just work really hard on your bachelor degree and get the highest marks you can get, you'll be fine!
Reply 8
Original post by david_s0
I studied at the Open University, which I think is doing something magnificent and that I feel is very good but is not considered "prestigious" in any way and was accepted by Imperial College for postgraduate studies.
Just work really hard on your bachelor degree and get the highest marks you can get, you'll be fine!


"Which I think is doing something magnificent and that I feel is very good but is not considered..."

What does this even mean? You're not doing the Open University any favours.
Reply 9
Won't make a difference, they're interested in other things.
Reply 10
Original post by M1011
"Which I think is doing something magnificent and that I feel is very good but is not considered..."

What does this even mean? You're not doing the Open University any favours.


I just meant that I believe that the OU is brilliant, but often met with scepticism by people that studied in traditional institutions - could have expressed myself better indeed!
Reply 11
Original post by david_s0
I just meant that I believe that the OU is brilliant, but often met with scepticism by people that studied in traditional institutions - could have expressed myself better indeed!


Bravo! Far better expressed this time around :smile:
Original post by Lloyds
I think that graduate entry courses should take into account the university that the applicant has studied at.

I studied Biomedical Science and achieved a 2.2 from a RG red-brick university. My exams consisted of 1 unseen essay (out of a choice of 2 or 3) which accounted for 100% of the module.

I know someone else studying Biomedical Science at a polytechnic university who actually gets given 3-4 potential questions before the exam which they can prepare for, where 1 of the given questions will come up in the exam.

I'm only saying this because I got a 2.2 and graduate courses seem to be very reluctant to take on people with a 2.2 regardless of other academic and non-academic factors. Ah well ...


All your exams were 1 essay? No MCQ? No short answer questions?

As for this other polytechnic, I find it hard to believe that a registered University institution gives out actual exam questions before the exam EXCEPT PERHAPS in first year as an introduction to the exam system (seeing as first year doesn't count for s**t grade-wise anyway). I doubt very much that such a process was present in second or third year.

At Salford the exam system in first year was dependent on the module: one we did actually have the questions before the exam, but it didn't count for anything, it was just compulsory. I presume it was, as I said, an introduction to their examination system. The vast majority of modules were two-parts: short answer/MCQ questions, and then 1 or 2 essays (like mentioned above) out of 3/4 possible scenarios.

Second/third year were all by that latter system -- there was no seeing questions or getting any hints from examiners as to what would be in the exams.

This is the only way to be registered as a University with the Institute of Biomedical Science. I find it hard to believe that such a system as that polytechnic, if indeed they conducted in that style in the years that counted to the degree, could be registered with the IBMS.

For the most part it seems likely that a University degree that poor would be known to admissions people anyway. The vast majority of IBMS registered BioMedSci degrees are good quality, fairly examined degrees and should therefore be okay for applying to medical school with a 2:1 grade.
Original post by Lloyds
Yes, all my 3rd year exams were 1 essay which accounted for 100% of the module.

The 2nd year exams were 1 SAQ (25%) and 1 essay (75%) of the module.

We only have MCQs in year 1, not during 2nd or 3rd year. My university was NOT IBMS accredited.

The other university I'm on about is Manchester Met, someone I work with is studying Biomedical Science there. She told me she got given questions to prepare for, of which 1 of them will definitely come up. She was in her 3rd year when she was preparing for them and when she told me.


I also know students and Manchester Metropolitan and they seem to give a different picture as to how their examinations work. I'm not doubting you, but I think this could be a feature of perhaps one of the optional modules? I don't know, it just seems a bit shocking that a decent University could do such examinations and get away with them (I think Man Met is IBMS registered like Salford).

If it did happen then it's inexcusable and frankly should be reported. It's essentially cheating, and such degrees should not be permitted to get someone into medical school. The challenge is knowing which degrees conduct themselves like this.
Original post by Lloyds
Ah well, I'm over it now, I didn't get the 2.1 and therefore do not deserve to do graduate entry. I'll spend the rest of my life as a bitter man. :smile:


There's always the GAMSAT you know.

FWIW I think the discrimination against 2:2 grads is stupid, but I think your solution of taking the uni into account when deciding who does or doesn't get a place is neither practical or desirable.
Original post by Democracy
There's always the GAMSAT you know.

FWIW I think the discrimination against 2:2 grads is stupid, but I think your solution of taking the uni into account when deciding who does or doesn't get a place is neither practical or desirable.


And lest we forget if you really do hate doing the GAMSAT and would rather have do plan B which also gives you a backup career, do a masters or PhD! But aye, personally, the GAMSAT is less effort and makes more sense if you're committed to wanting to study medicine.
Original post by MattKneale
And lest we forget if you really do hate doing the GAMSAT and would rather have do plan B which also gives you a backup career, do a masters or PhD! But aye, personally, the GAMSAT is less effort and makes more sense if you're committed to wanting to study medicine.


Doing a masters or a PhD will take a lot longer and for most unis won't make up for a 2:2. For some it will, but getting a merit or distinction at postgraduate level is very hard. Completing a PhD is also no mean feat.

The GAMSAT is really the most straightforward option for people with a 2:2, though that said it's a horrible exam from what I've seen and heard!
A good masters + good UKCAT will put you back on track for a number of universities which is greater than the number who admit by GAMSAT, won't it? It also gives you extra career options down the line if you don't get in and decide to abandon the idea, for which of course, the GAMSAT counts for sweet FA.
Original post by MattKneale
A good masters + good UKCAT will put you back on track for a number of universities which is greater than the number who admit by GAMSAT, won't it? It also gives you extra career options down the line if you don't get in and decide to abandon the idea, for which of course, the GAMSAT counts for sweet FA.


All GEM courses are amazingly over-subscribed and have fairly specific requirements. AFAIK only a few specifically state that a masters will make up for a 2.2 - I'm not sure how many do this. I would think people who don't meet the specific requirements as stated, will get automatically rejected. After all the competition ratios are from about 10:1 to 50:1 at KCL.

Also, why did someone neg me for linking to an article showing Oxford did at some point discriminate based on the applicant's institution?
Reply 19
I think 80% of the Oxford graduate intake this year did their undergrad at Oxford or Cambridge. Its unclear whether this reflects the applicants or something else but... i suspect its the latter.

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