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MEGATHREAD - The Ultimate 'Am I Good Enough For Medicine?' Angst Thread Mk II

Sorry, but at most unis (for medicine) don't tend to accept GCSE equivalents, but it'll still be worth checking their site (because I havn't looked at everyone). I was pretty annoyed (I took two equivalents) as my school sort of pressured me into taking them (and told everyone how great they were), then later down the line you realise they're practically useless and that the school was just trying to bump themselves up the league table!

Edit: Looks like some place do accpet them

Reply 181

username356927

13

Connor132

Sorry, but at most unis (for medicine) don't tend to accept GCSE equivalents, but it'll still be worth checking their site (because I havn't looked at everyone). I was pretty annoyed (I took two equivalents) as my school sort of pressured me into taking them (and told everyone how great they were), then later down the line you realise they're practically useless and that the school was just trying to bump themselves up the league table!

Edit: Looks like some place do accpet them

Really???

I better give back my offer then....

Reply 182

Connor132

7

TooSexyForMyStethoscope

Really???

I better give back my offer then....

I admit that it was poorly pharsed (i.e. wrong), but what I meant were the unis that I have looked at don't accept them (,but I havn't looked at any Scottish universities - which may be more accepting of them?).

Also what equivalents did you take?

Reply 183

Philosoraptor

18

terpineol

I would question wether you have to be smart, let alone amazingly smart. It does help though if you aren't particularly hard working.

Reply 184

username356927

13

Connor132

I admit that it was poorly pharsed (i.e. wrong), but what I meant were the unis that I have looked at don't accept them (,but I havn't looked at any Scottish universities - which may be more accepting of them?).

Also what equivalents did you take?

Sorry for being so scathing, just saw your edit :frown:

Well I did Standard Grades.

Reply 185

Connor132

7

TooSexyForMyStethoscope

Sorry for being so scathing, just saw your edit :frown:

Well I did Standard Grades.

Dw, it wasn't really the best answer. But also when I said GCSE equivalents I meant the (more vocational) qualifications such as BTECs/DIDAs/ect. not the regional acedemic types (IGCSEs/Standard Grades ect.)

Reply 186

jelementality

1

Hey guys my if i do not do very well in my gcses (as in the example below).

core science B
Additional science C
English lit A (RETAKEN FROM A D)
English Lang B (RETAKEN FROM A C)
Maths B (RETAKEN FROM A D)
geography C
Psychology B
Resistant materials A
French B
R.E E
Citizenship C

If i kick ass at everything else (As-Levels/A-levels/experience/volunteering/extra curric/ personal statement/DofE/ Prefect/) could i get in at age 19 if i took a gap year to do more experience and work. I will be applying to university's that are less pressing on gcses of course (bsms).

Reply 187

user152713

For medicine? GCSE's are becoming more and more important. However I guess its not a problem if you get something like AAAA at A level

Reply 188

michael clayton

15

On the basis of your gcses would you seriously be able to meet the AAA/AAB requirement and even then keep up with workload of med school? I don't mean to shoot down your chances but the competition is already fierce and the majority of applicants would have pretty much straight A/A*s at gcse and AAA at a level.

Not as bad as AIDS

kbountra

On the basis of your gcses would you seriously be able to meet the AAA/AAB requirement and even then keep up with workload of med school? I don't mean to shoot down your chances but the competition is already fierce and the majority of applicants would have pretty much straight A/A*s at gcse and AAA at a level.

i meant to say in the ******* description, i hate when people say stuff like this lol. I am not finding it hard i just have not worked at all

Reply 191

felt_monkey

12

jelementality

I will be applying to university's that are less pressing on gcses of course (bsms).

BSMS are huge on GCSEs unless you have virtually all As at AS. They mark you out of 15 and to get that you need much higher than their applicant average, which is 9 GCSEs and more A*s than As. Or declare your ASs. Saying 'if I kick ass in x/y/z' is one thing, but if it was that easy everyone would do it.

Reply 192

hassom

13

no i didnt say just write them i ment when he does his resit! he shud put the grade he got from the resit if its higher :/

Reply 193

gildartz

14

jelementality

i meant to say in the ******* description, i hate when people say stuff like this lol. I am not finding it hard i just have not worked at all

well that's an awesome attitude to have and it will get you through med school easily :rolleyes:

I hate comments like that too, but with this post you made, I have to agree with kbountra

GCSEs are fine if you're wise about your choices. By resits, do you mean you resat a module for that GCSE? Also, I'd find out what the unis asking for a B in science say to you having a B in core but a C in additional.

Reply 194

michael clayton

15

jelementality

i meant to say in the ******* description, i hate when people say stuff like this lol. I am not finding it hard i just have not worked at all

Medicine is not the career for you with an attitude like that. You can't expect unis to simply ignore those results simply cos you couldn't be bothered to put in any work. Also- you were quite obviously struggling if you ended up with C/D/E grades.....
my advice would be to go for biomedical science but speak to a careers advisor first

Reply 195

Master.K

18

Sgul accept dida. :smile:

Reply 196

gildartz

14

oxford don't take btecs or cida/dida into account when working out your %A* but they may take it into account separatly in the later stages

Reply 197

bluemax

16

no gcse's are there only for fun....so just beat about the bush :wink:

Reply 198

Mahia

1

It depends where you apply, Bham / Oxford / Edinburgh, yeah.

Reply 199

krisblade

8

jelementality

i meant to say in the ******* description, i hate when people say stuff like this lol. I am not finding it hard i just have not worked at all

So? In all honesty at GCSE, you shouldn't have to work massively hard to get a B or even higher grades. Most of my friends at medical school as well as myself didn't put a huge amount of effort in to achieve the grades we got. Yet these people are the ones that could still have struggled at A-level or degree. The simple fact is, if you are already struggling then how will you a) make yourself work harder as you say you don't and b) how will you cope with a harder workload if you already struggle with a very small one.

That poster made a valid point - your GCSE's are poor and would suggest you struggle. I mean lets be honest, you wish to pursue a career in medicine yet you have a C in GCSE science. I know some people can score poorly at GCSE but be amazing at A-level, but they are the minority. I got a very high A*'s in triple science - I still stuggled with some aspects of the A-level sciences, and even with some of the stuff I am learning on the degree. If you stuggle to achieve that level at GCSE, then every step after is going to be even harder for you compared to an A* student. And with competition as fierce as it is, it makes your chances smaller and smaller.