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Reply 1
did you have a reason for doing so few GCSES and getting fairly average grades? if so make sure all prospective uni's know!!! if not... im sorry but i think you'd be letting yourself in for upset. universities get so many applications and they're all as good as each other, so they head for GCSEs to distinguish... unless you can make that personal statement fantastic, id go for a biochem course. wonderfully interesting, and not so much stick towards the GCSEs.... sorry if a sound harsh. its what girls at my school have been told and were talking about some of the best candidates in the country, theve been rejected due to a B at GCSE Latin! totally irrelevant to medical courses, but these uni's look at the grades.....
i'm not trying to be mean :frown: im sorry if this is insulting or anything, i mean no offense, its just the situation ive been exposed to, involving candidates with 12 A* GCSE and 2A 2A* Alevels... :s-smilie:
Reply 2
also, having a bio chem degree before going into medicine will help amazingly, so maybe go for that degree for three years and then go for the medicine choices available? :smile:
Reply 3
Original post by Janew9
So basically I didn't do my best in school with my GCSE'S;

A* ICT
B Maths
B English Lit
B Chem
B Biology
C English language
C Geography

U Physics

but i pulled it around with my A levels getting AAA in Chem, Bio, History.

So knowing my GCSE are not up to scratch which route would be the best for me to get into medicien, preff in Cardiff or Swansea?

Thanks!


Cardiff is probably out of the question because they're very heavy on GCSEs. Swansea is a GEP so you would need a degree for them. Have a look at this link http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_GCSE_Requirements
Your best bet would be to resit your Physics and English GCSEs to meet some of the minimum requirements.
Reply 4
Original post by Saint Joker
did you have a reason for doing so few GCSES and getting fairly average grades? if so make sure all prospective uni's know!!! if not... im sorry but i think you'd be letting yourself in for upset. universities get so many applications and they're all as good as each other, so they head for GCSEs to distinguish... unless you can make that personal statement fantastic, id go for a biochem course. wonderfully interesting, and not so much stick towards the GCSEs.... sorry if a sound harsh. its what girls at my school have been told and were talking about some of the best candidates in the country, theve been rejected due to a B at GCSE Latin! totally irrelevant to medical courses, but these uni's look at the grades.....
i'm not trying to be mean :frown: im sorry if this is insulting or anything, i mean no offense, its just the situation ive been exposed to, involving candidates with 12 A* GCSE and 2A 2A* Alevels... :s-smilie:


It depends on the university's admission process, some would favour applicants with higher GCSEs whilst others won't care as long as you meet the minimum requirements. It all comes down to where you choose to apply to. Also a good personal statement does not necessarily make up for less than average GCSEs, the two are usually judged independently from each other.
Reply 5
for less than average no, but those are dead average. not that bad as theres an A* in there and plenty Bs... hey i dont know im in a different environment. an A is barely good enough for anything, never mind meds! XD
Reply 6
Thanks guys I know that I'm going to need more to get into it with my GCSE's, do you think a nursing degree and some experience with that would help my application in future or does anyone know anythinh about the medical science degree offered by Glamorgan university?
Reply 7
nursing degree sounds like a great option - shows real involvement beforehand, and of course is better than any gcse or alevel qualification! :smile:
Original post by Janew9
Thanks guys I know that I'm going to need more to get into it with my GCSE's, do you think a nursing degree and some experience with that would help my application in future or does anyone know anythinh about the medical science degree offered by Glamorgan university?


medical Sciences would be on the same level as biomedical degrees or biocehmistry etc. You wouuldn't be a practising doctor at the end of it.

Look on the TSR article with GCSE requirements so you can cut out any universities that you don't meet in terms of minmum requirements for GCSEs. Then, looking to see if there are any left (which I am sure there are as many don't put as much emphasis on GCSEs) then you can start to make decisions. The fact you have AAA in three respected subjects will help immensley.

Good luck!
Reply 10
An extra on casualty
Is resitting some of your GCSEs not an option? I think having done A levels you should be able to get at least As in them without preparing much (sciences and maths), maybe just with a bit more work for physics. Perhaps try that before you decide to do a whole degree just to be able to get into Medicine at the end of it. How come you did so few as well? Did you attend a bad school or failed the rest?

Some universities offer Medicine degrees with a Foundation year, for example Manchester. You would probably stand a good chance to get in with your good A Level grades, I recomment you look into it :smile:
Dundee
Leicester
newcastle
Peninsula

-are the ones to look at although there may be some more :smile:
Reply 13
Original post by AspiringGenius
Dundee
Leicester
newcastle
Peninsula

-are the ones to look at although there may be some more :smile:


No chance at Leicester because even though they have low minimum requirements, they use a point score system and favour applicants with much higher point scores.
Original post by myyrh
No chance at Leicester because even though they have low minimum requirements, they use a point score system and favour applicants with much higher point scores.


granted. I know for a fact that Peninsula is very lenient with GCSE results. They do sometimes ask for A*AA at A level though.
Reply 15
you need Maths A-level to do medicine don't you?
Reply 16
Original post by AspiringGenius
granted. I know for a fact that Peninsula is very lenient with GCSE results. They do sometimes ask for A*AA at A level though.


Peninsula don't pay any attention to GCSE grades as long as the minimum requirements are met. As of yet, I don't think they have asked for A*AA from anyone but this could change next year.
Reply 17
Original post by Welbeck
you need Maths A-level to do medicine don't you?


Nope.
Original post by myyrh
Peninsula don't pay any attention to GCSE grades as long as the minimum requirements are met. As of yet, I don't think they have asked for A*AA from anyone but this could change next year.


ok, OP, If you are still consiering medicine, make a list of all medical schools, then look through the GCSE requirements, take the ones you don't meet off the list, then do the same for A level requirements. (Although I think you will only not be eligible for Cambridge in terms of A Levels- and maybe a few others who demand a fourth AS).

Peninsula look like they might be of interest to you as you meet their minimum and from what otohers have tld me, and from my own visits, they don't seem to care much about GCSEs after the minimum :smile:
Original post by Welbeck
you need Maths A-level to do medicine don't you?


Only at Magdalene College Cambridge :smile:

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