The Student Room Group

At what point do you stop trying....

Hi everyone

Well this year was my first application to medicine, and its looking likely that I will have 4 rejections...one post interview to which I am feeling incredibly depressed about.

My concern is that I am a 25 year old mum, and last year I received 4 offers to study midwifery but turned them down as I wanted to just 'go for it' and apply for my dream career. Medicine has been something I have always wanted to do, but put it off due to lack of confidence in my abilities etc.

Anyway, I am at a crossroads now...a lot of you talk about gap years but I am not even sure if I fall into that category at 25? Ive taken a lot of gap years as you can see! My UKCAT score was rubbish even though I practised and practisesd and practised. I got 600, and I used the 600Q book. I wanted to apply to Newcastle, but I couldnt in the end because of this score and felt so disheartened.


I am currently on a pre-medicine course due to finish mid June and part of me wants to sack it off and pursue midwifery again (already have the grades) and another big part of me says, stop being silly finish your course just reapply to medicine this September for 2013 as you know thats why your true passion lies...I just dont know what to do anymore and I feel so lost.


This whole process has devastated me really, and I sitting here in my room right now in tears as I feel like I havent got anywhere in life at my age.


Any advice would be really appreciated, and no silly comments please as its a serious post.

x
(edited 11 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Did you recieve any feedback on why you were rejected?

Your age isn't really a concern, plenty of people do medicine at an older age than yourself. Your UKCAT isn't terrible, it's perfectly doable to get into a medical school with that score if you apply wise. Where abouts did you apply and what are your academics?

To answer the question on whether you should try again, you need to ask yourself if it's worth putting your whole life on hold for another year for something which may never happen?
Reply 2
Hi,

And thank you for replying. I applied to BSMS, Leicester, Leeds & Keele. BSMS are yet to get back to me about detailed feedback, Leicester I was 1 mark of interview so a higher score would have got me an interview. Keele I had an interview and got rejected but I was so nervous, so interview technique was an issue there or keeping nerves under control etc..

My academics are not brilliant, which is why it was an amazing achievement to even get an interview and be so close for Leicester. Although, there was exten circumstances surrounding GCSES and I never did A levels which is why I am on a pre-med course. Got excellent work experience.

Really, its the UKCAT score if it was better I could have applied to places I wanted t go too rather than places that 'would just have me'. Although, I really would study medicine anywhere...

I think my confidence is just feeling really knocked at the moment, and somehow I have to find the strength from somewhere to get back up and apply again. Im just finding it hard. I will go on the Kaplan ukcat course because I need 670 and above really. As I wanted to apply to Newcastle, Manchester, Durham etc...and 600 was too low for any of those..

Thank you for being supportive about my age too!
Reply 3
Original post by Mon.MD

I am currently on a pre-medicine course due to finish mid June and part of me wants to sack it off and pursue midwifery again (already have the grades) and another big part of me says, stop being silly finish your course just reapply to medicine this September for 2013 as you know thats why your true passion lies...I just dont know what to do anymore and I feel so lost.

x


There is a time when you have to have a think about what your priorities are and where you see yourself going.

I am not of the TSR mould that goes 'yeah keep going!!! never give up!!' which actually usually comes from the mouths of applicants.

Medicine is not the be all and end all of life. It is a job. A stable, well paying and respected job but that is all. There are plenty of other successful, fruitful careers out there that have lots of the above attached to them! And you can always come back to apply to medicine later on when you have a bit of experience and your life is a bit more on track.

Look at your prospects, your ability to fund yourself the next few years. If you have not been in formal education or on a course since you left school, it is no longer a gap year. It is unemployment.

Personally, if you are applying to medicine and take up another health related field, I think it is a pretty dodgy state of affairs. You will always feel bad when you are in hospital at least initially for not being a medical student/looking at the doctors thinking what you will be and that may come out as resentment which is not pretty.

The bottom line is no-one here can decide for you what you do, that is up to you. But just remember, whilst some people can blow up medicine to something that it is not on here: medicine is not the be all and end all of life.
Reply 4
Original post by Mon.MD
Hi,

And thank you for replying. I applied to BSMS, Leicester, Leeds & Keele. BSMS are yet to get back to me about detailed feedback, Leicester I was 1 mark of interview so a higher score would have got me an interview. Keele I had an interview and got rejected but I was so nervous, so interview technique was an issue there or keeping nerves under control etc..


Well, the dissection here provides a mixed pathology: both paper application defects (rejection without interview) and interview skills. No idea how your interview went, could be anything...confidence, articulation, ability to think on your feet, body language, eye contact, knowledge of medicine current affairs and ethics etc. Only the interviewers will tell you that.
Reply 5
Original post by digitalis
There is a time when you have to have a think about what your priorities are and where you see yourself going.

I am not of the TSR mould that goes 'yeah keep going!!! never give up!!' which actually usually comes from the mouths of applicants.

Medicine is not the be all and end all of life. It is a job. A stable, well paying and respected job but that is all. There are plenty of other successful, fruitful careers out there that have lots of the above attached to them! And you can always come back to apply to medicine later on when you have a bit of experience and your life is a bit more on track.

Look at your prospects, your ability to fund yourself the next few years. If you have not been in formal education or on a course since you left school, it is no longer a gap year. It is unemployment.

Personally, if you are applying to medicine and take up another health related field, I think it is a pretty dodgy state of affairs. You will always feel bad when you are in hospital at least initially for not being a medical student/looking at the doctors thinking what you will be and that may come out as resentment which is not pretty.

The bottom line is no-one here can decide for you what you do, that is up to you. But just remember, whilst some people can blow up medicine to something that it is not on here: medicine is not the be all and end all of life.


Thank you Digitalis, unfortunately I cant rep you again as I had repped some advice you had given to a similar applicant recently. And yes you are so right, at my age it really is not a gap year. It IS unemployment! I have spent 2 years improving my academics to A level standard, and so far I have not got anywhere. I am really really broke. Its so sad how broke I am right now.:frown: My daughter is 2 years old, and I relocated to another part of the country to do this well respected pre-medicine course and used up all of my fiance's savings to pay for my over-priced flat only to be looking down at 4 rejections. Its something I really have to consider, and about going back to midwifery. It does worry me, looking over my shoulder at doctors and thinking what if. Im not sure if am strong enough for that and whether I should come out of healthcare altogether. I currently have a 5th application in with Kings for Biomedical science, they recently requested my grades so it would be ineresting to hear the outcome of that.
Reply 6
Sorry to hear you're having such a horrible time! If you do decide that you want to have one more go at it and apply again in October then why don't you use your 5th UCAS choice for a midwifery course? Then, even if you were unsuccessful again, you would have peace of mind that you tried one more time and would hopefully have a midwifery course to start after the summer? But whatever you decide don't let your age put you off doing anything, there's a lady on here (can't remember her username!) who is in her late forties at medical school and loving it! Good luck with whatever you decide :smile:
Reply 7
You dont have to apply to a uk medical school. Go to some medical school in the Caribbean or Russia. neg me faster i want three stripes..
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 8
From the title, I think you have pretty much made the decision already...

If it is financially viable then I think you should complete your course whatever you do.... is not long till June... and i think it would help to demonstrate that you can complete a task under difficult circumstances
Reply 9
Original post by Nightufury
You dont have to apply to a uk medical school. Go to some medical school in the Caribbean or Russia.


Crap advice.
Hi missus, I am a 25 year old single parent who is reapplying for medicine. My academics are a bit shaky, but I worked hard to update them and I am also on an Access course. I have had 4 interviews over 2 years (all in Scotland), so I am going to give you a bit of advice:

1. I cannot stress the importance of the UKCAT and how it has played a part in your application. Your score of 600, while it's perfectly average, is just that. I wouldn't bother with the Kaplan course (I distrust anything that profits from people applying to medicine) rather look at the breakdown of your score and see where you were weakest. Bad at maths? Practise distance, speed and time, percentages, area and volume, etc Basic GCSE stuff, until you barely have to think about it. Abstract Reasoning? Decision Analysis? Verbal Reasoning? Loads of test prep books out there with loads of practise, but the problem is you must identify where you went wrong. Is it timing? People in my class complained last year about the on screen calculator not working properly with the keyboard - I practised with the mouse only, meaning for each question I needed it I saved valuable seconds as I didn't have to look at the keyboard and back at the screen. In verbal reasoning I skimmed over the passage only, and then read the question and just read in depth the parts that applied. VR was my worst one the year before, so I made sure to finish that section, giving me time to look it over. AR I've always been naturally good at, so I made sure to concentrate on the other sections more, while not ignoring it entirely. Do you see? I practised the things I worse at, identified my timing as a problem and sought to shave seconds where I could. The result was that I got 732.5 compared to 680 the year before. You need to do the same.

2. Applying for Medicine is lonely. I thought that joining an access course would help support me in my application, not through qualifications, but through shared experience with other people. I had spent the year before at a college surrounded by people who didn't care very much about education (though they were loads of fun) and, because I devoted my entire time to studying, I missed out on things I now regret (one of them being that my boyfriend and I split up after my exams). It is important to have a life outside of applying to medicine, incredibly so, because it keeps you sane and on an even keel and helps put things in perspective. It is just a job, like digitalis says. Remember that.

3. I know what it's like to feel disappointment and self-doubt, and I know the difference between that and feeling worthless. It happens when I'm depressed, and depression can become severe. Go see your doctor about this: there is no shame about it, and it is better for you and your daughter that you do something now.

4. Being rejected last year was tough for me too. I questioned leaving the course and working full time in the coffee shop. I didn't because all I could think of was how much time with my daughter I had sacrificed for this, and how it would have been all for nothing if I left without perfect results. I got straight As in all my exams and reapplied.

5. Get a part-time job. Yes, you'll be stretched for time, but it will keep you normal and give you some money as well. Customer facing jobs will give you confidence in dealing with the public and the interview will give you some more practice.

6. PRACTICE INTERVIEWS. I got a very good friend of mine to look at how I stand and walk and sit and gave me some pointers. 1) Be deliberate in your motions - control your movements, take your time, any gestures must not be flappy or display nerves 2) Be confident - THEY OFFERED YOU AN INTERVIEW. They want to see you, no matter the questions they are asking you or how horrible they seem, they are considering offering you a place! Keep that in mind! 3) Do not sweat the small stuff. You will make a mistake in your interview, forget a word or phrase, or do or say something stupid. You will. Accept this and don't worry about it.

Get people to practise with you, people whose feedback you trust and will listen to. Follow their advice. Interviews are a lot calmer once you get the hang of them.

7. If I were you? I'd reapply one more time. I gave myself two cycles to get a place, and the time limit has helped as I can make some sort of plan for the future. I currently have an unconditional for genetics which I'll happily take up if I get rejected for medicine. It has helped give me some perspective (what is two years in the grand scheme of things) and it feels good knowing I'll be back in uni soon either way :smile:

PM me if you need to chat, and if you're ever up in Glasgow, let me know. We'll go for a drink :wink: xx
Reply 11
Original post by anoldbaby
From the title, I think you have pretty much made the decision already...

If it is financially viable then I think you should complete your course whatever you do.... is not long till June... and i think it would help to demonstrate that you can complete a task under difficult circumstances


Thank you, I think I will definitely complete the course but maybe if Kings was to make me an offer for Biomedical sciences I could come back to this later when my prospects are better. I guess I need to stop thinking about how long this takes and that I will get there at some point, maybe just not now. I dont have a degree, and getting a job in this market without a degree is hard. Im really hoping Kings make me an offer now, I would be very interested in pursuing research if I didnt get in after finishing my degree but least then I would be in a position where I have a fallback. Right now, I just how no fallback option and its pretty rubbish if I am honest.
Reply 12
Original post by Harbour Seal
Hi missus, I am a 25 year old single parent who is reapplying for medicine. My academics are a bit shaky, but I worked hard to update them and I am also on an Access course. I have had 4 interviews over 2 years (all in Scotland), so I am going to give you a bit of advice:

1. I cannot stress the importance of the UKCAT and how it has played a part in your application. Your score of 600, while it's perfectly average, is just that. I wouldn't bother with the Kaplan course (I distrust anything that profits from people applying to medicine) rather look at the breakdown of your score and see where you were weakest. Bad at maths? Practise distance, speed and time, percentages, area and volume, etc Basic GCSE stuff, until you barely have to think about it. Abstract Reasoning? Decision Analysis? Verbal Reasoning? Loads of test prep books out there with loads of practise, but the problem is you must identify where you went wrong. Is it timing? People in my class complained last year about the on screen calculator not working properly with the keyboard - I practised with the mouse only, meaning for each question I needed it I saved valuable seconds as I didn't have to look at the keyboard and back at the screen. In verbal reasoning I skimmed over the passage only, and then read the question and just read in depth the parts that applied. VR was my worst one the year before, so I made sure to finish that section, giving me time to look it over. AR I've always been naturally good at, so I made sure to concentrate on the other sections more, while not ignoring it entirely. Do you see? I practised the things I worse at, identified my timing as a problem and sought to shave seconds where I could. The result was that I got 732.5 compared to 680 the year before. You need to do the same.

2. Applying for Medicine is lonely. I thought that joining an access course would help support me in my application, not through qualifications, but through shared experience with other people. I had spent the year before at a college surrounded by people who didn't care very much about education (though they were loads of fun) and, because I devoted my entire time to studying, I missed out on things I now regret (one of them being that my boyfriend and I split up after my exams). It is important to have a life outside of applying to medicine, incredibly so, because it keeps you sane and on an even keel and helps put things in perspective. It is just a job, like digitalis says. Remember that.

3. I know what it's like to feel disappointment and self-doubt, and I know the difference between that and feeling worthless. It happens when I'm depressed, and depression can become severe. Go see your doctor about this: there is no shame about it, and it is better for you and your daughter that you do something now.

4. Being rejected last year was tough for me too. I questioned leaving the course and working full time in the coffee shop. I didn't because all I could think of was how much time with my daughter I had sacrificed for this, and how it would have been all for nothing if I left without perfect results. I got straight As in all my exams and reapplied.

5. Get a part-time job. Yes, you'll be stretched for time, but it will keep you normal and give you some money as well. Customer facing jobs will give you confidence in dealing with the public and the interview will give you some more practice.

6. PRACTICE INTERVIEWS. I got a very good friend of mine to look at how I stand and walk and sit and gave me some pointers. 1) Be deliberate in your motions - control your movements, take your time, any gestures must not be flappy or display nerves 2) Be confident - THEY OFFERED YOU AN INTERVIEW. They want to see you, no matter the questions they are asking you or how horrible they seem, they are considering offering you a place! Keep that in mind! 3) Do not sweat the small stuff. You will make a mistake in your interview, forget a word or phrase, or do or say something stupid. You will. Accept this and don't worry about it.

Get people to practise with you, people whose feedback you trust and will listen to. Follow their advice. Interviews are a lot calmer once you get the hang of them.

7. If I were you? I'd reapply one more time. I gave myself two cycles to get a place, and the time limit has helped as I can make some sort of plan for the future. I currently have an unconditional for genetics which I'll happily take up if I get rejected for medicine. It has helped give me some perspective (what is two years in the grand scheme of things) and it feels good knowing I'll be back in uni soon either way :smile:

PM me if you need to chat, and if you're ever up in Glasgow, let me know. We'll go for a drink :wink: xx


Oooooh I just seen this, Ill have a good read when I come back from the shops and send you a pm. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me.
Original post by Mon.MD
Hi everyone

Well this year was my first application to medicine, and its looking likely that I will have 4 rejections...one post interview to which I am feeling incredibly depressed about.

My concern is that I am a 25 year old mum, and last year I received 4 offers to study midwifery but turned them down as I wanted to just 'go for it' and apply for my dream career. Medicine has been something I have always wanted to do, but put it off due to lack of confidence in my abilities etc.

Anyway, I am at a crossroads now...a lot of you talk about gap years but I am not even sure if I fall into that category at 25? Ive taken a lot of gap years as you can see! My UKCAT score was rubbish even though I practised and practisesd and practised. I got 600, and I used the 600Q book. I wanted to apply to Newcastle, but I couldnt in the end because of this score and felt so disheartened.


I am currently on a pre-medicine course due to finish mid June and part of me wants to sack it off and pursue midwifery again (already have the grades) and another big part of me says, stop being silly finish your course just reapply to medicine this September for 2013 as you know thats why your true passion lies...I just dont know what to do anymore and I feel so lost.


This whole process has devastated me really, and I sitting here in my room right now in tears as I feel like I havent got anywhere in life at my age.


Any advice would be really appreciated, and no silly comments please as its a serious post.

x
Hey, I'm 43 and know all about "gap years" :yes:

I can't see that harm in persevering for another year. You are still young with loads of possibilities, including your dream. :smile:

How do you know it wasn't the home/academic balance that was effecting result? Have you analysed this? Maybe things could be rebalanced for the next year to help you achieve the necessary scores?

Another year isn't so bad when you have four lovely kids to raise your spirits :smile:. If it doesn't work out after rebalancing and reorganising things then maybe it would be time to say "it's not for me" and going for the midwifery.

All I do know is that raising four kids is incredibly hard work at times as well as being fun and satisfying. If the responsibilities of childcare did effect your scores then your dreams could well be achievable with a careful reorganisation of your time.

Good luck!!!!

:smile:
Original post by los lobos marinos
Hey, I'm 43 and know all about "gap years" :yes:

I can't see that harm in persevering for another year. You are still young with loads of possibilities, including your dream. :smile:

How do you know it wasn't the home/academic balance that was effecting result? Have you analysed this? Maybe things could be rebalanced for the next year to help you achieve the necessary scores?

Another year isn't so bad when you have four lovely kids to raise your spirits :smile:. If it doesn't work out after rebalancing and reorganising things then maybe it would be time to say "it's not for me" and going for the midwifery.

All I do know is that raising four kids is incredibly hard work at times as well as being fun and satisfying. If the responsibilities of childcare did effect your scores then your dreams could well be achievable with a careful reorganisation of your time.

Good luck!!!!

:smile:



Mums FTW!

And dads too, obv :biggrin:
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Harbour Seal
Mums FTW!
And dads too :wink: :tongue:
Original post by los lobos marinos
And dads too :wink: :tongue:


Arse, sorry about that :colondollar: pint?
Original post by Harbour Seal
Arse, sorry about that :colondollar: pint?
lol no problem

My name 'los lobos marinos' literally translated means wolf of the sea. (standard translation for every day use is 'sealion'). With you being a harbour seal do you think it was fate that bought us together??

And back to your question. mmmm a pint....I'll have a Guinness and a small Jameson please...ooh and a packet of ready salted and some change for the pool table please. :biggrin:
Original post by Harbour Seal
Arse, sorry about that :colondollar: pint?


You can get me a pint :sexface:
Original post by los lobos marinos
lol no problem

My name 'los lobos marinos' literally translated means wolf of the sea. (standard translation for every day use is 'sealion'). With you being a harbour seal do you think it was fate that bought us together??

And back to your question. mmmm a pint....I'll have a Guinness and a small Jameson please...ooh and a packet of ready salted and some change for the pool table please. :biggrin:


Fate indeed! This is where I ask if you're single :sexface:

Original post by digitalis
You can get me a pint :sexface:


Digitalis, if I am ever in your area, or you are ever here, I will buy you a pint.