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I know I won't get into medicine... what to do? :(

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Reply 20

Helloworld_95

Honestly your parents expecting you to get into medicine will have a worse impact.

Reply 21

BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Original post by Helloworld_95

Honestly your parents expecting you to get into medicine will have a worse impact.

What do you mean, a "worse impact"? Impact on what? Me getting into medical school?

Reply 22

mel608

Original post by BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Yes but if I apply at the beginning of year 13, I'll have to give them the "bad" grades I got at AS... before the re-sit... so what would be the point of resitting anyway? And how do my teachers know what predicted grades to give me?

No you don't have to put down your AS grades on your UCAS application, they'll never know what AS grades you got! Some universities will have minimum entry requirements at AS, i think Birmingham or Bristol might do, and so they'll request your AS grades if necessary, but otherwise you don't have to declare what you got. I got a B in chemistry at AS, but as I didn't put my AS grades on, they just saw my predicted A at A2, so i still received interviews. I'm well on my way to getting an A now, so no worries there either.

Teachers will look at your AS grade to predict your A2 grade. Most will allow a predicted grade 1 grade higher than your achieved AS grade i.e. if you got a B at AS, they would predict an A at A2.

Reply 23

TenOfThem

Original post by Groat

Of course, but it's unlikely that they've managed to get 0/60. Even with 20/60 in coursework, 220/240 in an exam is still manageable if you put your mind do it, and should definitely not be seen as an impossibility.

yes

I am surprised the OP is so sure they cannot get an A

Reply 24

Elwyn

Original post by BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

So you got all Bs at AS but got predicted As at A2? How is that possible?

Also, was it hard to get in? How much work experience did you have?

:smile:

Most people perform better at A2 than AS for a number of reasons, such as the fact that many people drop a subject.

As with you I messed up my practicals so that left me with Bs at AS but I had turned them into high As at the January resits.

It may be worth speaking to your teachers and persuading them to predict you As if you do achieve a B. If you explain to them you can't even apply to medicine without an A prediction then I'm sure they'll give you it.

I had a week of hospital experience and a good few months of long term volunteering. It's hard to judge how 'hard' it was to get in, you either get in or you don't. There isn't really any room for a scale.

Reply 25

TenOfThem

Original post by mel608

No you don't have to put down your AS grades on your UCAS application, they'll never know what AS grades you got!

Are you sure

Reply 26

doctor92

Hii! I was the same as you maybe even worse because except my mum and 1 single teacher no one thought that I could do it (my english wasn't as good as it is right now and I'm doing the IB...) so every single person I have talked to told me to give up... instead I have repeated a year :smile:

and this year I got 1 medicine offer luckily :smile:

Now I have got to pass my IB exams.

Just do whatever you can if you really want to do it :smile:

(Assuming that you have one more year) Private lessons help a lot! (I had french and english tutor) You can do the same with chemistry (my sister has had problems with chemistry too but tutoring definitely helps!)

For the work experience I had none till my last year and during the last year I went to the same hospital for 2 different departments for 2 weeks and I shadowed a physiotherapist for 2 weeks as well (during christmas vacation etc.) I was involved in many different charity groups and sports as well, I love kids so I went to preschool to teach and play with them it was really fun. That's all you need I think :smile:

Good luck! don't give up just do your best :smile:

Reply 27

BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Original post by TenOfThem

yes

I am surprised the OP is so sure they cannot get an A

Well, the exam is in a week and a half.

I have only started revision a few days ago.

And that is why I don't think I can get an A.

:biggrin:

Reply 28

PinkEye

Don't even get me started on ISAs.

It surprises me that even today, when restrictions regarding exams are so tight, that ISAs are still allowed to take place and more importantly, that they contribute a significant amount to your overall grade.

Like many people above have said, a B isn't the end of the road!
I know people with Bs at AS who have received offers for Medicine. Also for Dentistry!

So just focus on getting some Work Experience and hopefully you'll be fine. :smile:

Reply 29

Raiden10

Original post by lukas1051

It's not impossible obviously, but you'll be facing tough competition - people with straight A's and shedloads of work experience, and this is for a very competitive subject. Judging by your original post, let's be honest here, this isn't your dream it's your parents. People who are truly committed would at least make an effort to find work experience. Perhaps you should consider another path. If you choose not to, then good luck.

Well read but perhaps it's his dream too, I mean we just don't know.

Reply 30

mel608

Original post by TenOfThem

Are you sure

Yep 100% sure, 4 of us applied for medicine in my year and only 1 put her AS grades on the UCAS application. I got offers as did a guy who didn't put down his AS grades, although, I think Birmingham, requested them from him via email as they were part of the minimum requirements.

Reply 31

MyJunkIsYou

Original post by BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Hi,

My parents really expect me to get into medicine... and I really want to as well... but I know I can only get a B in my chemistry AS, because I got such a low grade for my ISA :frown:

What can I do? Plus, I have almost no work experience

I'm such a failure...

Sorry for the rant.

Resit some of your AS level modules next year, your universities won't know or care about AS resits. Consider getting a tutor outside of school to teach/reteach those modules. I had a B at AS and pulled it up to an A. The only issue you might face is getting an A prediction from your teachers so work hard to convince them or if not consider a gap year.

As for work experience if you don't have any go get some. Contact your local hospital voluntary department, a hospice, a care home etc. Like get on the phone tomorrow and do it.

Reply 32

Intriguing Alias

Original post by Groat

Is there any opportunity to retake one of the chemistry experiments again?

Have you already taken any other modules in chemistry? By my calculations, you could get 0/60 in the ISA and still get an A, so I wouldn't put yourself down too early.

Ooh Moderator; this is exciting! :tongue:

Reply 33

BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Original post by PinkEye

Thank you for saying how ridiculous ISAs are. I couldn't agree more.

But you don't understand :redface:

, an A in CHEMISTRY (not any subject) is vital for most universities doing medicine. There is a difference...

Reply 34

BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Original post by MyJunkIsYou

Really? Ah, you don't know how much your post has made me happy. I've been told that this summer is my last chance to get straight As, if not then I can't get into medicine.

Are you SURE you saying that, if I apply NEXT year, I still get an equal chance of getting in with my improved, resat grades?

Reply 35

Pride

Original post by BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Hi,

My parents really expect me to get into medicine... and I really want to as well... but I know I can only get a B in my chemistry AS, because I got such a low grade for my ISA :frown:

What can I do? Plus, I have almost no work experience

I'm such a failure...

Sorry for the rant.

enough of all this mollycoddling...

Why do you have no work experience? Or rather, why are you not in the process of finding any? Do you really want to do medicine? How will you beat any of the very tough competition if you don't have any work experience?

It's all well and good wanting to do medicine, but if you don't pull yourself together and get the grades, prepare for the ukcat, learn about what a career in medicine entails by doing work experience, and get yourself some life experience by volunteering and taking part in things, you won't really stand a chance.

Stop panicking, think about it, do you want this? or would it be better to go for something else? Your parents shouldn't be deciding for you, they will understand if you realise medicine isn't for you and you can look at other careers, if you do want to do this, they'll also back you, they're your parents.

But to just sit there and go, I want to do medicine, without actually preparing now and doing any research or work experience? Come on now, you will only get let down if you do that.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 36

TenOfThem

Original post by BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Well, the exam is in a week and a half.

I have only started revision a few days ago.

And that is why I don't think I can get an A.

:biggrin:

Ahhhhhh

Not really to do with the ISA then

Reply 37

BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Original post by Pride

enough of all this mollycoddling...

Why do you have no work experience? Or rather, why are you not in the process of finding any? Do you really want to do medicine? How will you beat any of the very tough competition if you don't have any work experience?

It's all well and good wanting to do medicine, but if you don't pull yourself together and get the grades, prepare for the ukcat, learn about what a career in medicine entails by doing work experience, and get yourself some life experience by volunteering and taking part of things, you won't really stand a chance.

Stop panicking, think about it, do you want this? or would it be better to go for something else? Your parents shouldn't be deciding for you, they will understand if you realise medicine isn't for you and you can look at other careers, if you do want to do this, they'll also back you, they're your parents.

But to just sit there and go, I want to do medicine, without actually preparing now and doing any research or work experience? Come on now, you will only get let down if you do that.

Okay, thank you for your motivation :biggrin:

But yes, I actually DO want to genuinely do medicine (I went to Medlink in December and I realised it was what I wanted to do as a career) but as mentioned before my only problem is the grades. I can't get a B in chemistry!!! Which is the issue here. I have work experience in a charity organisation when I went to Egypt, I hope that counts. Also I've completed my Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award, doing Gold next year.

So, the grades is more of an issue in my post.

Reply 38

BarBaBaBaBarBaBaBa

Original post by TenOfThem

Ahhhhhh

Not really to do with the ISA then

Hehehe. Not really.

But seriously, do you think I could pull it off? If i worked my SOCKS off, in a week could I get it?!

You can say no, I won't get upset. I just want the truth. :colone: