HELP not getting predictions for Medicine!!!!!!!!

moonlightblues

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(edited 7 years ago)

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Reply 1

username1884577

Original post by moonlightblues

I don't have the predicted grades to apply for medicine and I really don't know what to do. I initially had 4 A-Levels in bio, chem, maths and econ and was predicted AAAB.

What are you predicted now?

Reply 2

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by moonlightblues

My chem teacher advised me to drop econ (my third A prediction) in order to spend more time on chemistry, which I have now dropped. However,it still seems unlikely that he would raise my prediction. Now I am in a worse-off situation with AAB and I really don't know what to do. Any advice would be great!

Plan a gap year with lots of relevant experience and apply with grades in hand, assuming you get AAA.

Reply 3

username2769500

Gap year. Get into medicine.
Dont do a other course.
Studying hard.
Don't be a fool and think a gap year is a disaster its not. And learn to cope with that fact in your own Time.

Reply 4

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by moonlightblues

I'm just annoyed at the fact that the only reason he is predicting me a B was because I got a B in the end of year mocks (as these are now reformed, the school didn't let us do the AS) and probably partly because he seems to dislike me. Otherwise, in end of topic tests I have always received A's or A*s :/

I have spoken to the head of sixth form about it and she has been so unhelpful. I really don't want to take a gap year as Medicine is a long course as it is.

Do you recommend getting parents involved?

There is likely to be a school policy on predictions, which is in turn likely to be based on the mock grades in this first run through of new A levels, so his hands are probably tied. If your parents are prepared to have a calm discussion about this with the head of sixth then by all means ask them to make an appointment. If it is likely to end in the raising of voices and the stamping of feet, then I would say avoid it. You may have to be prepared to hear some home truths that you won't particularly like as to the reasons why the school isn't prepared to support your application.

Reply 5

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by moonlightblues

What do you mean by home truths? I am normally a straight A student, and have got 13 GCSEs with mostly A*s and a few A's. They said that there is still a possibility for it to go up a day before the final deadline but I just can't deal with the uncertainty of the outcome.. especially as I need to know whether to finish preparing my application or spend that additional time focusing on my studies.

I meant that if they are being unhelpful, there may be a reason they are not prepared to support your application.

Reply 6

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by moonlightblues

It's because I got a B in the internal mock and because A2 is significantly harder, they don't think I am capable of achieving an A..

Well, that's the answer. As I said, I'd go for a gap year and applying with the grades you believe you can get.

Reply 7

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by moonlightblues

I guess I could see where they are coming from, I just think it's unfair that they wouldn't take the other tests into account. Also, from what i have heard, other schools have it easier

There are two sides to every story.

Reply 8

Ghotay

Hah, the highest grade I ever got in a physics mock is an E. Good thing my teacher didn't pay too much attention to that because I got an A in every exam. It would be one thing if you were getting Ds, but you're not

Get your parents to complain. Loudly. My dad is a teacher and he has always told me that rightly or wrongly people who kick up a fuss tend to get what they want. Schools don't want to deal with drama and conflict, and are likely to change your predictions just to get you off their back.

Reply 9

999tigger

100% what Carnation said. Perhaps have a talk ahain with your chemistry teacher and ask him to explain why and inform him of your predicament.
Better to make it eventually than never at all. Be wary of the parents route .

Reply 10

999tigger

Original post by moonlightblues

Thank you so much for this!! Finally someone supportive haha. I've decided I am going to get them involved.. initially when they wanted to speak to my teachers, I didn't want them to as I was too embarrassed and thought the teacher might hate me more but it seems to be the best way forward.

Thats really the wrong attitude. Carnation has been very supportive and helpful except you are too inexperienced to see it. Hopefully your parents are capablle of being tactful and diplomatic or they will rub the school up the wrong way. Maybe you cna agree to do some extra work and if you show a marked improvement, then he might reconsider.

Reply 11

Ghotay

Original post by 999tigger

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

There are two sides to every story.

Why are you all assuming that the chemistry teacher isn't the dick here? The OP says they have tried talking it over with chem teacher and head of sixth and hasn't gotten anywhere, what reason do they have to believe anything will change by continuing to do the same thing?

There are plenty of bad schools and bad teachers out there who really don't care if they harm their students prospects by giving low predictions. I don't see what harm can come by getting parents involved. Unfortunately there are a lot of people out there who simply won't take a teenager seriously, but will listen to an adult

Reply 12

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by Ghotay

Well, partly it's because more than 30 years of teaching sixth formers and working with teaching colleagues has taught me that 'dicks' among the staff are rather less common than students make out, and that professional judgement often leads to students having to see things in a rather different way to the way they would prefer to see them.

I haven't said that they are likely to change anything, if you read my posts. I have advised applying with results in hand.

Reply 13

999tigger

Original post by Ghotay

Experience. neither of us said dont but we emphasised the need to be cautious, At the moment the teacher is in the box seat. If you want to get them to change their mind then even the parents have to be diplomatic about it ir they could make it worse. Why does anyone have to be a dick or a bad teacher as you call it?

Reply 14

username2238097

Original post by moonlightblues

definitely get your parents involved. In my school, pupils who got C's in their mocks are being predicted A's. If you've been doing well in all your mini tests, then they should predict you an A.
Just curious, but what grade boundaries did they use for the mocks? Because the grade boundaries for the official AS exams were really low. 64% for an A. Maybe if you mention that they might rethink your predictions.

Reply 15

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by moonlightblues

Not necessarily, my chemistry teacher has only been working at my school for 3 years and he is fairly young so I doubt he has had 30 years of experience. In fact, he isn't even my main teacher, but is subsidising for my actual teacher as she is currently on maternity leave, so he doesn't know me very well.

I meant I had 30 years of experience.

Reply 16

999tigger

Original post by moonlightblues

My school is known for its harsh predictions. I spoke to a few students in the year above from my school who were in similar situations. One of them was applying for dentistry but got predicted B in chemistry as she had achieved a B in her AS, making her think she couldn't apply. After constant meetings with the teacher and involving her parents, the school finally changed her prediction to an A and she got the grades at the end of the year, managing to secure a place at King's.

Another girl didn't get the A* prediction she needed for Cambridge, so she moved school and managed to get them. She later got into the uni of her choice which is good, but moving schools is definitely not an option for me.

I'm not trying too disprove anyone or cause any arguments. I just wanted some advice on how to tackle the situation without taking a gap year.

Just brief your parents and ask them to be diplomatic.

Reply 17

redhelen

My dd didn't get study leave to do her AS levels! Regardless of your prediction I would apply anyway but bear in mind that more get rejected for medicine than get in so you may well end up having to take a gap year anyway.

Reply 18

rekhagm

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

Plan a gap year with lots of relevant experience and apply with grades in hand, assuming you get AAA.

I had a question regarding your advice to do lots of relevant work ex in the Gap year. Assuming that a student does plan a gap year, he will not be able to include all the work experience planned during the Gap year in his personal statement - isnt it? This is because the deadline for the 2018 entry application will be 15 Oct, 2017. Board exams will end by May/June, 2017. That would leave only 2-3 months to do some work ex that can be included in the med school personal statement.

The work ex planned for the remainder of the year will only add to that student's life experience, not their medical school application.

Reply 19

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by rekhagm

Exams finish in June. Applications in by mid October. That gives plenty of time to have made a significant commitment to work experience, but any medical applicant who is only just starting their work experience at that point would have pretty much left it too late. It should be ongoing throughout the sixth form if you are to get in plenty of variety as well as demonstrating a long term commitment.