The Student Room Group

Reapplying to Med School disadvantages?

Hi Im applying to study medicine this October. I dont think my application is very strong this year compared with others.
Im applying to Newcastle Glasgow Bristol and Imperial.
(also biomed at Newcastle)
Gcses 10A 1A* 1 B
AS BCCD - Laziness didnt revise till May
A2 Predicted AAB or AAA depending on how much I hassle my teachers.

Work XP: Care home recently started and St Johns Ambulance and could be working with Kumon soon. Also did a few med conferences etc.
UKCAT: doing it next week hoping for 700+
BMAT: May not do it and swap my Imperial choice if my UKCAT goes great.

If I dont get in will Med schools not accept me if I reapply to them? E.g. I get rejected by Newcastle. Take a gap year and reapply to Newcastle. Will they reject me on the basis that I applied there before?

Also, say I applied to study at UCLAN the lowest med school in UK. Will my degree be looked down upon and not be as valuable if i did medicine at a better uni? for when trying to get a job?
1. No, a university will not reject you on second application purely because they rejected you the first time around. But if you've not improved upon whichever criteria they rejected you for in the first place, you're not going to get in the second time around unless they change their admissions policy.

2. Please don't think of medical schools in terms of prestige. Medical courses are much more standardised than most other university courses, for the simple reason that it wouldn't be ethical, cost-effective or practical to have a university that consistently churned out bad doctors. There is a certain standard that is expected of all medical graduates, and every single course in the UK has to enable its students to conform to that standard. Besides, which medical school you went to makes no difference whatsoever to foundation job applications.*
Reply 2
Original post by *pitseleh*
1. No, a university will not reject you on second application purely because they rejected you the first time around. But if you've not improved upon whichever criteria they rejected you for in the first place, you're not going to get in the second time around unless they change their admissions policy.

2. Please don't think of medical schools in terms of prestige. Medical courses are much more standardised than most other university courses, for the simple reason that it wouldn't be ethical, cost-effective or practical to have a university that consistently churned out bad doctors. There is a certain standard that is expected of all medical graduates, and every single course in the UK has to enable its students to conform to that standard. Besides, which medical school you went to makes no difference whatsoever to foundation job applications.*


Ok that is reassuring.
And no I dont think of medical schools in term of prestige I am aware that any medical degree in the UK should be looked at in the same way whether it was from oxford or liverpool.
Its just family and friends wont be impressed as much depending on which Uni you get into..
To me getting into any medical school is a great achievement...
Original post by bobwibbles
Hi Im applying to study medicine this October. I dont think my application is very strong this year compared with others.
Im applying to Newcastle Glasgow Bristol and Imperial.
(also biomed at Newcastle)
Gcses 10A 1A* 1 B
AS BCCD - Laziness didnt revise till May
A2 Predicted AAB or AAA depending on how much I hassle my teachers.

Work XP: Care home recently started and St Johns Ambulance and could be working with Kumon soon. Also did a few med conferences etc.
UKCAT: doing it next week hoping for 700+
BMAT: May not do it and swap my Imperial choice if my UKCAT goes great.

If I dont get in will Med schools not accept me if I reapply to them? E.g. I get rejected by Newcastle. Take a gap year and reapply to Newcastle. Will they reject me on the basis that I applied there before?

Also, say I applied to study at UCLAN the lowest med school in UK. Will my degree be looked down upon and not be as valuable if i did medicine at a better uni? for when trying to get a job?


If your UKCAT goes well, I wouldn't suggest applying to Imperial. Their cutoff is high enough that the average BMAT taker won't make it, and the ones that just about do get put in Band 4(which has a very low chance of interview). You've also got to consider the prospect of getting A* in chemistry or biology too.
Original post by bobwibbles
Ok that is reassuring.
And no I dont think of medical schools in term of prestige I am aware that any medical degree in the UK should be looked at in the same way whether it was from oxford or liverpool.
Its just family and friends wont be impressed as much depending on which Uni you get into..
To me getting into any medical school is a great achievement...


So what? Tell them to get over themselves. it just shows that they're naive about the realities of studying, and working, in Medicine in this country.
Original post by bobwibbles
Hi Im applying to study medicine this October. I dont think my application is very strong this year compared with others.
Im applying to Newcastle Glasgow Bristol and Imperial.
(also biomed at Newcastle)
Gcses 10A 1A* 1 B
AS BCCD - Laziness didnt revise till May
A2 Predicted AAB or AAA depending on how much I hassle my teachers.

Work XP: Care home recently started and St Johns Ambulance and could be working with Kumon soon. Also did a few med conferences etc.
UKCAT: doing it next week hoping for 700+
BMAT: May not do it and swap my Imperial choice if my UKCAT goes great.

If I dont get in will Med schools not accept me if I reapply to them? E.g. I get rejected by Newcastle. Take a gap year and reapply to Newcastle. Will they reject me on the basis that I applied there before?

Also, say I applied to study at UCLAN the lowest med school in UK. Will my degree be looked down upon and not be as valuable if i did medicine at a better uni? for when trying to get a job?


You can't go to UCLan med school unless your an international
Reply 6
Original post by GradeA*UnderA
If your UKCAT goes well, I wouldn't suggest applying to Imperial. Their cutoff is high enough that the average BMAT taker won't make it, and the ones that just about do get put in Band 4(which has a very low chance of interview). You've also got to consider the prospect of getting A* in chemistry or biology too.


Yes that is also true. I went to Imperial college once and I loved it it was a beautiful school. Nice area also.
Ok I probobaly wont apply to Imperial I was thinking of swapping it to something really easy to get in so like I mentioned before Lancashire.
Where would you suggest me to apply? considering my average achievements so far?

Leeds?
Exeter?
im not too sure..
Reply 7
What!! Really?... oh well.
Original post by bobwibbles
Ok that is reassuring.
And no I dont think of medical schools in term of prestige I am aware that any medical degree in the UK should be looked at in the same way whether it was from oxford or liverpool.
Its just family and friends wont be impressed as much depending on which Uni you get into..
To me getting into any medical school is a great achievement...


Well, you did ask about career prospects/value of degree, so I answered with reference to those things.

If you're actually asking about how the public/friends and family will view your degree then yes, there will always be people who will see your degree as less of an achievement depending on which university you go to. Those people are ignorant; you shouldn't need to justify yourself to them.
Reply 9
With an AAB prediction, I don't think you'd get past the first stage of any med school. You'd need AAA predicted.

You can reapply to the same med schools however they do reserve the right to retain your previous application and compare it to your new application.
Original post by bobwibbles
Yes that is also true. I went to Imperial college once and I loved it it was a beautiful school. Nice area also.
Ok I probobaly wont apply to Imperial I was thinking of swapping it to something really easy to get in so like I mentioned before Lancashire.
Where would you suggest me to apply? considering my average achievements so far?

Leeds?
Exeter?
im not too sure..


Consider Lancaster or BSMS. Your GCSEs meet the requirements and won't be considered any further. AS grades aren't considered either. You'll be essentially assessed entirely on the BMAT and PS+References.

Quick Reply

Latest