Hi everyone!

So I'm not going to lie, I am young and naive (barely a teen actually). I have been diagnosed with OCD and depression and since then nothing has interested me. However I do have a burning passion for science and medicine in particular :wink:

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This isn't a 'am I good enough for medicine' thread. It's a what sacrifices did you make to get into medical school thread. All serious answers appreciated :biggrin:

I also want to know about some mistakes you made whilst tudying your gcses which might have copromised your grades at the end. Thanks again!

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1

Zoya Khan

You sound enthusiastic and passionate! Keep it up but remember to keep broaden your horizons and be open to all possibilities. I also had a burning passion for medicine almost throughout my teens but then changed my mind last minute! Doesn't mean you will, but just be sure and charge towards your goals like a raging bull :biggrin:

Reply 2

ShiverFromAsong

Original post by Zoya Khan

Thanks so much for your answer, some other people on here can be so disheartening :frown:

. My passion started when I was six years old and I tried to memorise the respitory system lol. I will deffinetely stay open to possibilities my gcse choices are really varied in case I change my mind :redface:

Reply 3

-Simon-

Original post by ShiverFromAsong

.
This isn't a 'am I good enough for medicine' thread. It's a what sacrifices did you make to get into medical school thread. All serious answers appreciated :biggrin:

I also want to know about some mistakes you made whilst tudying your gcses which might have copromised your grades at the end. Thanks again!

I sacrificed my ambition to watch all 250 of IMDB's top films...i'm only on 78 because I applied for medicine. :frown:

Tbh, normal applicants will only sacrifice a bit more time for revision, for the UKCAT and for their voluntary work. Apart from that you don't have to sacrifice that much, you can still be a normal person...well what passes for a normal person.

Best of luck.

Reply 4

TheDannyManCan

A year of my life and the cheaper tuition fees :P Had to stay on a year at college to do the right subjects, because I decided medicine was all I really wanted to do. Means I have to pay 9 grand a year for 5/6 years instead of 3 grand, but hey, it was worth it. Stick with it if you really want it :smile:

Reply 5

Elwyn

If you're barely a teen atm there is nothing extra you should be doing or any sacrifices you should be making.
When it comes to GCSEs though I was a little more laid back than perhaps I should have been, luckily I had enough A*s to get into Cardiff which was my first choice since I was a kid. But, I only achieved a B in GCSE english which did effect where I could apply for my other choices.
So just remember that GCSEs are very important to medicine admissions, more so in fact than AS grades and A2 predictions to many places, so don't take them lightly.

Now, print that off and stick it to your fridge so you don't forget in a couple of years time! :tongue:

Reply 6

Alyss05

Original post by ShiverFromAsong

what sacrifices did you make to get into medical school QUOTE]

I'd say that the main sacrifice i made in applying to med school (im a current year 13) is just that I didn't go out with my friends as much as I could have. I had to say no to some parties and instead of watching lots of tv id be working.

Reply 7

.eXe

If you're barely a teen you shouldn't be on this forum/ nor thinking about medicine. Sacrifices for medicine are very subjective and there is no guarantee that you will have to make the same sacrifices as others. This thread is useless and a waste of space.

However Ill humor you. The sacrifice I'll have to make is money. As an intl student, it will cost me around 250,000 CAD to complete my degree. Quite a hefty amount.

Reply 8

Girl.

For GCSEs I'd advise working hard and taking them seriously. The majority of people don't treat GCSEs as important, try and ignore those classmates and get the highest grades you can. If you have a subject you struggle with, work at it - don't just accept that your bad at it. Try to avoid B grades or less.
For A level, I found the teachers put more pressure on us. Try not to let this get you down. By now you should know how much work you need to do to get the grades you want. But still work hard.
In terms of sacrifices, you need to spend a lot of time on your application. Work experience and volunteering can take up a lot of time, but so does confirming these places.
My biggest piece of advice though would be, since your still young, is to keep an open mind. At 18 I'm still not sure medicine is 100% for me, I don't think anybody can be that sure. Always research other careers, be aware of all the options available to you. It would be awful for you to realise medicine is not for you and not have a clue what else is out there.
Whatever you go on to do, good luck!

Reply 9

ShiverFromAsong

Original post by Elwyn

I happen to be a very smart barely a teen (and tthats not boasting I work hard and am proud of it) who is doing her gcses early. I am making a few sacrifices and wondered if anybody else did for their ambition. On the other hand thanks for the information you gave me.

Reply 10

modini

Original post by .eXe

On the contrary, I wish I'd have taken medicine more seriously earlier on so that I wouldn't have messed up my GCSEs and had to do an undergraduate degree first. The OP is being very mature and realistic in taking an interest early on.