Should I apply to medicine or not?

Original post by Noorzia

Hello,

I'm just posting a question to ask for some adivice regarding my situation:

These are my GCSEs:
5As (core science, additional science, Spanish, English literature and catering)
2Bs (English language and goegpraphy)
2Cs (maths and triple science)

These are my a levels:
Biology, chemistry and geography
I did an AS in geography this year and got a B but my college may predict me a grade higher for A2. For biology and chemistry, we will find out our predicted grades next week. (I'm more worried about my grades as I don't know if i'll be able to get them but I am willing to work hard to get the best I can)

I got these scores in my UKCAT:
590 in QR
530 In VR
540 in AR
Situational judgment- Band 2
Average of 553 (is that good enough?)

I am thinking of doing the BMAT but don't want to take the risk of applying to too many BMAT unis.

I am thinking of applying to:

Nottingham (medicine)
Leicester (medicine)
BSMS (medicine)
St George's (medicine)
Portsmouth (dental hygiene and dental therapy)

I have these work experiences/volunteering:

2 weeks in a nursery with educational needs children
6 months and ongoing in a care home
Thinking of getting dental work experience just in case.

My back up plan is:

Dental hygiene and dental therapy in Birmingham
Medical sciences/biomedical sciences in de Montfort leciester
Pharmacy in leciester university
Pharmacy in Brighton
Biomedical sciences in Sussex uni.

I am part of widening participation as I am the first to go to uni in my family.
With the portifolio I have, do you suggest I apply for medicine and see what happens or not apply as I'll be wasting time and apply to something else healthcare related like pharmacy/dental hygiene and dental therapy or biomedical sciences. I know I have the route of a gap year but I don't think it's the right decision for me. Would love to hear what advice I could get.

Thanks :smile:

Evidentially, you're from a disadvantaged background and so you should meet the standard offer for gateway medicine courses. Problem is though, it seems that you're still tentative about doing it, as you're contemplating whether you should do it or not. Only apply if you're passionate enough, and willing to see out the six years to a high degree. Also, your UKCAT is very low, I'm not sure how gateway programmes consider this, but I do definitely think it's worth doing the BMAT (and FYI, BSMS use the BMAT, so be aware of that).

Excluding gateway programmes, I don't think you have much of a chance in applying to standard courses.

Reply 2

OP

Original post by GradeA*UnderA

Evidentially, you're from a disadvantaged background and so you should meet the standard offer for gateway medicine courses. Problem is though, it seems that you're still tentative about doing it, as you're contemplating whether you should do it or not. Only apply if you're passionate enough, and willing to see out the six years to a high degree. Also, your UKCAT is very low, I'm not sure how gateway programmes consider this, but I do definitely think it's worth doing the BMAT (and FYI, BSMS use the BMAT, so be aware of that).

Excluding gateway programmes, I don't think you have much of a chance in applying to standard courses.

Firstly thanks for getting back to me regarding this.
I've checked the foundation year programmes and I don't qualify for many of them. I don't think the passion is a problem, I am someone who worries a lot so I think the application process is the worry not the course itself. So do you advice, I go by the back up plan and try to do graduate entry medicine?

Reply 3

Original post by Noorzia

Firstly thanks for getting back to me regarding this.
I've checked the foundation year programmes and I don't qualify for many of them. I don't think the passion is a problem, I am someone who worries a lot so I think the application process is the worry not the course itself. So do you advice, I go by the back up plan and try to do graduate entry medicine?

The main issue is your C grade in GCSE maths that excludes you from many places. If it was a B, there'd be a few unis you'd have a good chance at. The only plausible choice is Imperial College, but their BMAT cutoff disposes of 50% of applicants anyway, so only those with above average scores make it past that stage. Not to mention that having a non-medicine personal statement will go against you if you decide to apply to one medical school on your form and tailor your personal statement to suit, say, four medical science options.

I think graduate entry is probably the best route.

Reply 4

redhelen

10

A gap year would be wisest. If you apply for medicine with your As at A level and an improved UKCAT score you would stand a much better chance of an interview. It would also give you chance to decide on a possible 5th choice if you don't get in that you actually would want to do.

Reply 5

Lostperson

9

Original post by Noorzia

Hello,

I'm just posting a question to ask for some adivice regarding my situation:

These are my GCSEs:
5As (core science, additional science, Spanish, English literature and catering)
2Bs (English language and goegpraphy)
2Cs (maths and triple science)

These are my a levels:
Biology, chemistry and geography
I did an AS in geography this year and got a B but my college may predict me a grade higher for A2. For biology and chemistry, we will find out our predicted grades next week. (I'm more worried about my grades as I don't know if i'll be able to get them but I am willing to work hard to get the best I can)

I got these scores in my UKCAT:
590 in QR
530 In VR
540 in AR
Situational judgment- Band 2
Average of 553 (is that good enough?)

I am thinking of doing the BMAT but don't want to take the risk of applying to too many BMAT unis.

I am thinking of applying to:

Nottingham (medicine)
Leicester (medicine)
BSMS (medicine)
St George's (medicine)
Portsmouth (dental hygiene and dental therapy)

I have these work experiences/volunteering:

2 weeks in a nursery with educational needs children
6 months and ongoing in a care home
Thinking of getting dental work experience just in case.

My back up plan is:

Dental hygiene and dental therapy in Birmingham
Medical sciences/biomedical sciences in de Montfort leciester
Pharmacy in leciester university
Pharmacy in Brighton
Biomedical sciences in Sussex uni.

I am part of widening participation as I am the first to go to uni in my family.
With the portifolio I have, do you suggest I apply for medicine and see what happens or not apply as I'll be wasting time and apply to something else healthcare related like pharmacy/dental hygiene and dental therapy or biomedical sciences. I know I have the route of a gap year but I don't think it's the right decision for me. Would love to hear what advice I could get.

Thanks :smile:

i think do the BMAT, give it your all and apply :smile:

How long did you send prepping for the uKCAT?

Reply 6

username2703735

18

Original post by Noorzia

Firstly thanks for getting back to me regarding this.
I've checked the foundation year programmes and I don't qualify for many of them. I don't think the passion is a problem, I am someone who worries a lot so I think the application process is the worry not the course itself. So do you advice, I go by the back up plan and try to do graduate entry medicine?

Nobody has told you that you aren't good enough for undergraduate medicine, and until you apply and are either accepted or rejected you won't know - stop ruling yourself out before you've tried :wink:

I would watch graduate entry medicine as pending what you do beforehand you may have to pay a % of the graduate fees upfront.

Reply 7

OP

Original post by Lostperson

i think do the BMAT, give it your all and apply :smile:

How long did you send prepping for the uKCAT?

Thanks for your advice. I certainly thought about it and i'll see. I spent 4 weeks about 2 hours a day. I think personally I needed more time but I booked the test mid August.

Reply 8

OP

Original post by VMD100

Nobody has told you that you aren't good enough for undergraduate medicine, and until you apply and are either accepted or rejected you won't know - stop ruling yourself out before you've tried :wink:

I would watch graduate entry medicine as pending what you do beforehand you may have to pay a % of the graduate fees upfront.

Thank you for the motivation but from what my teaches have said they advice me to to take a gap year but I don't think that's the right choice or what I feel comforts lbs with. I'm in a bit of a dilemma tbh. :smile:

Reply 9

OP

Original post by GradeA*UnderA

The main issue is your C grade in GCSE maths that excludes you from many places. If it was a B, there'd be a few unis you'd have a good chance at. The only plausible choice is Imperial College, but their BMAT cutoff disposes of 50% of applicants anyway, so only those with above average scores make it past that stage. Not to mention that having a non-medicine personal statement will go against you if you decide to apply to one medical school on your form and tailor your personal statement to suit, say, four medical science options.

I think graduate entry is probably the best route.

I have thought of that as well but graduate entry is an expensive decision to make. On the other hand I have thought of retksign my maths GCSE but I don't know if that is a wise decision as I know BSMS don't mind retakes in GCSEs as long as you have that B but I don't know about The others?

Reply 10

Original post by Noorzia

I have thought of that as well but graduate entry is an expensive decision to make. On the other hand I have thought of retksign my maths GCSE but I don't know if that is a wise decision as I know BSMS don't mind retakes in GCSEs as long as you have that B but I don't know about The others?

Okay. That makes Imperial and BSMS potential choices with resits(Imperial doesn't consider GCSEs AT ALL, so you're fine there). Newcastle and Durham are very UKCAT heavy and if you can improve your score, you'd be in for a good shout.

Have you considered not applying this year, resitting maths as well as doing A2s, then applying with achieved grades?

Reply 11

OP

Original post by GradeA*UnderA

Okay. That makes Imperial and BSMS potential choices with resits(Imperial doesn't consider GCSEs AT ALL, so you're fine there). Newcastle and Durham are very UKCAT heavy and if you can improve your score, you'd be in for a good shout.

Have you considered not applying this year, resitting maths as well as doing A2s, then applying with achieved grades?

I spoke to BSMS and they said as long as I am predicted a B by someone at my College for GCSE maths, I can still apply and if I get an offer it will be on the basis of getting the B in maths. I have thought of a gap year but I feel that if I take a gap year, firstly I wouldn't know what to do for a whole year and I know a year goes by quick but still. Plus I think i'll find it hard to get back to the a medics after a year off. That's just my personal opinion but I don't know much about gap years.

Reply 12

Original post by Noorzia

I spoke to BSMS and they said as long as I am predicted a B by someone at my College for GCSE maths, I can still apply and if I get an offer it will be on the basis of getting the B in maths. I have thought of a gap year but I feel that if I take a gap year, firstly I wouldn't know what to do for a whole year and I know a year goes by quick but still. Plus I think i'll find it hard to get back to the a medics after a year off. That's just my personal opinion but I don't know much about gap years.

Good then. Apply to Imperial and BSMS. Though, word of warning. Imperial consider all applicants with AAA predictions and above equally, so someone with 3A* predictions is not advantaged over someone with 3A. But, the offer will be A*AA (usually). What were you AS grades? You can apply to Leeds as well. They use an academic score based on your GCSEs and AS Levels and the one which is best contributes to it. So in reality, if you have AAA at AS, you're as good as someone with 9A* and AAA.

(You get full academic score by either having 9A* or AAA at AS).

Reply 13

OP

Original post by GradeA*UnderA

Good then. Apply to Imperial and BSMS. Though, word of warning. Imperial consider all applicants with AAA predictions and above equally, so someone with 3A* predictions is not advantaged over someone with 3A. But, the offer will be A*AA (usually). What were you AS grades? You can apply to Leeds as well. They use an academic score based on your GCSEs and AS Levels and the one which is best contributes to it. So in reality, if you have AAA at AS, you're as good as someone with 9A* and AAA.

(You get full academic score by either having 9A* or AAA at AS).

Yep, I went to the imperial open day and they said what you said as well. However, I didn't do AS because the subjects are now linear and I will be given predicted grades. Although I did a As in geography but they will give predictions instead.
I was thinking of applying for foundation year at Bradford which is in partnership with Leeds medicine course.

Reply 14

Original post by Noorzia

Yep, I went to the imperial open day and they said what you said as well. However, I didn't do AS because the subjects are now linear and I will be given predicted grades. Although I did a As in geography but they will give predictions instead.
I was thinking of applying for foundation year at Bradford which is in partnership with Leeds medicine course.

Careful about Bradford. I think the competition there would be intense, as there would only be a few places available for transfer. I suppose Leeds isn't a good choice, as there's a cutoff for points which your GCSEs wouldn't meet.

Here's an idea. Apply to BSMS and Imperial and apply to some other medical sciences too - though obviously tailor your personal statement towards medcine. If you get an offer, good, if not, keep working and see what options are available in clearing. To my knowledge, SGUL had 50 places left in clearing and Sheffield had a dozen for medcine too.

Reply 15