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Medicine

Hey,
I go to a private school and am currently in lower sixth studying maths, chemistry, english literature, biology and theatre studies (yes, 5 examined AS). At GCSE, I got 3A*'s (maths, chemistry and french) and 7 A's (biology, art, physics, english literature, english language, latin, economics).
I badly want to do medicine at university.
I am worried that I do not have the gcse grades, because the majority require at least 6 A*s, and being in a private school, they have higher standards for me. I haven't done any duke of edinburgh awards, but I do voluntary service and have quite a lot of work experience.
Please can you tell me what I should do, if any of you have been in this situation, and if I should aim for lower universities than Edinburgh which is my dream uni.
Thank you so much for reading this guys!
Maria
xxxxxxxxx

Reply 1

terpineol

14

Be careful where you apply, five AS levels isn't anything unusual (I think the record where I was stands at nine).

Edinburgh probably isn't the best bet with those GCSEs.

Reply 2

raffy

i think edinburagh may be too high cos i know quite a few people myself included who applied there for medicine and didnt even get a interview.You will be ok for most other universitys .My advice is to pick wisely with your uni choices

Reply 3

choccandy21

4

i want to go into medicine...doubt ill get many A* but ive checked with the uni and the one i want to go to i need 5A's atleast which is achievable
so i dont think u have much of a problem...check the uni requirements (:

Reply 4

raffy

yeah but what they universitys say is allot different to what they actually accept

Reply 5

mariashafira

OP

Thanks!
So does anyone have any tips or advice, or routes I should take?
Do you have any recommendations on what I should do or which unis I should try to go to?

Reply 6

Hygeia

14

mariashafira

Hey,
I go to a private school and am currently in lower sixth studying maths, chemistry, english literature, biology and theatre studies (yes, 5 examined AS). At GCSE, I got 3A*'s (maths, chemistry and french) and 7 A's (biology, art, physics, english literature, english language, latin, economics).
I badly want to do medicine at university.
I am worried that I do not have the gcse grades, because the majority require at least 6 A*s, and being in a private school, they have higher standards for me. I haven't done any duke of edinburgh awards, but I do voluntary service and have quite a lot of work experience.
Please can you tell me what I should do, if any of you have been in this situation, and if I should aim for lower universities than Edinburgh which is my dream uni.
Thank you so much for reading this guys!
Maria
xxxxxxxxx

I've requested that this thread by moved through to the medicine forum. Have a look at this first - it contains links with the medical school requirements for GCSE and A level. The only 2 medical schools that come to mind at the moment as ones I'd advise you against applying to due to your GCSEs are Birmingham (who required 7-8A*s) and Edinburgh (where the average applicant offers 6A*s, top third have 8-11A*s). The majority of medical schools do NOT require 6A*s, have a look here.
They do not have higher standards for private school pupils either so I don't know where you got that idea from. You will be assessed just the same as any other applicant regardless of where you went to school. There are a couple of courses which take into account where applicants have gone to particularly bad schools and may lower their requirements for these but being at a private school does not mean you have to meet higher standards.

Reply 7

HotCoco.

17

Your GCSEs are absolutely fine. Only places you probably should steer clear of is Birmingham who require 8/9 A*s and oxbridge. Otherwise it's fine to apply to anywhere else! Just make sure you do really well in your AS levels since many medical schools require at least a B grade in whatever you choose to drop for A2.

I was also a private schooled for GCSEs (moved to a different sixth form) and have similar GCSEs. So feel free to PM me with any other questions/concerns. :smile:

Reply 8

HazzaJ

i got 4A*s 5As and 3Bs at GCSE and have been rejected from cardiff and peninsula due to my "academic score" and also rejected from Kings and Bristol. Ive done 3 years volunteering with st johns ambulance service, hospital and GP experience and volunteering with visually impaired adults. however none of the experience counted as i didnt make it pass the intial scoring system based on GCSEs and the UKCAT (i got 638 average). i would say contact the admissions tutor at the unis you're interested in and ask about their selection procedure- how they use GCSEs/AS levels in order to choose the unis best suited to your application. also do as well as possible on UKCAT!

Reply 9

Woody.

12

Edit: Just noticed that this is an incredibly old, bumped thread...

mariashafira

Hey,
I go to a private school and am currently in lower sixth studying maths, chemistry, english literature, biology and theatre studies (yes, 5 examined AS). At GCSE, I got 3A*'s (maths, chemistry and french) and 7 A's (biology, art, physics, english literature, english language, latin, economics).
I badly want to do medicine at university.
I am worried that I do not have the gcse grades, because the majority require at least 6 A*s, and being in a private school, they have higher standards for me. I haven't done any duke of edinburgh awards, but I do voluntary service and have quite a lot of work experience.
Please can you tell me what I should do, if any of you have been in this situation, and if I should aim for lower universities than Edinburgh which is my dream uni.
Thank you so much for reading this guys!
Maria
xxxxxxxxx

No and no. The standards are the same for public and state students. I have worse GCSEs than you, 1.5A*s, 5As, 6Bs, 1C and got offers from UCL and Aberdeen, interviewed and pooled by Cambridge and the waiting list of Southampton. Just avoid GCSE crazy unis like Birmingham or Oxford.

Reply 10

Carpet21

12

Woody.

Edit: Just noticed that this is an incredibly old, bumped thread...

No and no. The standards are the same for public and state students. I have worse GCSEs than you, 1.5A*s, 5As, 6Bs, 1C and got offers from UCL and Aberdeen, interviewed and pooled by Cambridge and the waiting list of Southampton. Just avoid GCSE crazy unis like Birmingham or Oxford.

A bit of a vague question...but how did you do it? Are you super extra-curricular etc.? Or lots of work experience?

Reply 11

Woody.

12

Carpet21

A bit of a vague question...but how did you do it? Are you super extra-curricular etc.? Or lots of work experience?

Medicine isn't some impossible beacon to reach, all the unis want to know, academically, is that you are able, and once you tick that box then it's done and dusted. For example, Southampton rate someone with 7A*s and 7Bs the same (unless, I imagine, if grades become the only determining factor) because all that matters is that you are academically able to do the course. 'Intelligence wise', I'm told, you only need Bs and Cs at A level, there's just a huge volume of work and the competition raises the grades.

So essentially what I'm saying is that if you tick the academic box you are on the same grounds as everyone else, so it is no more remarkable that I get an offer.

Reply 12

Carpet21

12

Woody.

Medicine isn't some impossible beacon to reach, all the unis want to know, academically, is that you are able, and once you tick that box then it's done and dusted. For example, Southampton rate someone with 7A*s and 7Bs the same (unless, I imagine, if grades become the only determining factor) because all that matters is that you are academically able to do the course. 'Intelligence wise', I'm told, you only need Bs and Cs at A level, there's just a huge volume of work and the competition raises the grades.

So essentially what I'm saying is that if you tick the academic box you are on the same grounds as everyone else, so it is no more remarkable that I get an offer.

Oh no, I never meant to say it is remarkable that you got an offer! All I mean, is that you must have done something to do so well, and I was just wondering if you spent a lot of time on something in particular...

Edit: Oh and most of the offers now are actually AAA :\....unfortunately.

Reply 13

Woody.

12

Carpet21

Oh no, I never meant to say it is remarkable that you got an offer! All I mean, is that you must have done something to do so well, and I was just wondering if you spent a lot of time on something in particular...

You might want to read my applicant profile here which explains what I have done. I just want you to realise that 'low grades' do not disadvantage you - you only need to tick the box and you are on level terms.

Edit: Oh and most of the offers now are actually AAA :\....unfortunately.

Yes...they haven't changed much in the last year. I was saying that intelligence wise you only need Bs and Cs, they are straight As due to the huge number of applicants.

Reply 14

Nutta!

10

mariashafira

Hey,
I go to a private school and am currently in lower sixth studying maths, chemistry, english literature, biology and theatre studies (yes, 5 examined AS). At GCSE, I got 3A*'s (maths, chemistry and french) and 7 A's (biology, art, physics, english literature, english language, latin, economics).
I badly want to do medicine at university.
I am worried that I do not have the gcse grades, because the majority require at least 6 A*s, and being in a private school, they have higher standards for me. I haven't done any duke of edinburgh awards, but I do voluntary service and have quite a lot of work experience.
Please can you tell me what I should do, if any of you have been in this situation, and if I should aim for lower universities than Edinburgh which is my dream uni.
Thank you so much for reading this guys!
Maria
xxxxxxxxx

You cant apply to the to notch unis- when youdont have the grades for it.

Seriously, you should have done better.. trust me I know I got similar grades and from a private school!

CHeck their entry requirements, and try to do well on your UKCAT and BMAT.

Do well in your AS-level, very well asin 3A's on more

should be okay then x

Reply 15

Woody.

12

Nutta!

You cant apply to the top notch unis- when youdont have the grades for it.

Seriously, you should have done better.. trust me I know I got similar grades and from a private school!

CHeck their entry requirements, and try to do well on your UKCAT and BMAT.

Do well in your AS-level, very well asin 3A's on more

should be okay then x

Firstly I'd say there are no 'top notch' medicine unis. And if you were to talk the false view of them existing, one might argue that UCL is one of them, and I got an offer from there with worse grades.

Reply 16

ben_l

Nutta!

You cant apply to the to notch unis- when youdont have the grades for it.

Seriously, you should have done better.. trust me I know I got similar grades and from a private school!

Pretty obnoxious tbh

Reply 17

hassan_s

Don't let the GCSE stuff put you off. I even got an offer from Cam with 5a* 7a (hence majority a, which is what caius look at I think). Whatever you do, go for straight As at AS with at least 90% in 3 subjects, it will put you in good stead. Plus, do NOT forget the extra-curricular stuff likec soooooo many people on TSR.

Reply 18

hassan_s

Nutta!

You cant apply to the to notch unis- when youdont have the grades for it.

Seriously, you should have done better.. trust me I know I got similar grades and from a private school!

CHeck their entry requirements, and try to do well on your UKCAT and BMAT.

Do well in your AS-level, very well asin 3A's on more

should be okay then x

That's not really true, is it...

Reply 19

Gizmo!

11

mariashafira

Hey,
I go to a private school and am currently in lower sixth studying maths, chemistry, english literature, biology and theatre studies (yes, 5 examined AS). At GCSE, I got 3A*'s (maths, chemistry and french) and 7 A's (biology, art, physics, english literature, english language, latin, economics).
I badly want to do medicine at university.
I am worried that I do not have the gcse grades, because the majority require at least 6 A*s, and being in a private school, they have higher standards for me. I haven't done any duke of edinburgh awards, but I do voluntary service and have quite a lot of work experience.
Please can you tell me what I should do, if any of you have been in this situation, and if I should aim for lower universities than Edinburgh which is my dream uni.
Thank you so much for reading this guys!
Maria
xxxxxxxxx

hi.

just one fing, standards arent 'igher for you. if anyfing you ave it easier, often a lot easier.

good luck in your application.

Medicine

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