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

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timsquirrell

So guys, I'm probably going to be applying to Edinburgh, Cambridge (Churchill college), Manchester and Birmingham for 2011 entry. I've got 9A*AB at GCSE, and I'm likely to get AAAA A/A* in my AS Levels, with the last one being Maths which I'm a year ahead in and so I'm just about to finish the A2. I'm taking Bio, Chem, Maths, Lit and Politics, and I realise that it's an odd combination, but I like to pursue all my interests, not just those pertaining to my chosen career path. I'm just wondering whether I will be 'good enough' to get offers/interviews?

Hey hey
Grades look great!! Definately good enough for all your choices, Birmingham had a cut off of 8a* last year so you should be fine for that and almost guaranteed an interview there. Interview at cambridge will depend on your BMAT score although your GCSEs are promising as these are involved in calculating the top percentage which get an interview.
Obviously your personal statement is extremely important especially for Manchester + edinburgh.
I don't think its an odd combo at all: most people have bio chem maths so having 2 more A levels will be reallly good/ show your academic qualities.
Make sure you have enough work experience as that is key for getting interviews and offers.

Reply 301

Muddy91

Master.K

I can still apply for Imperial (I think), Barts and St Georges. :smile:

Don't listen to v-zero, you do not need to take a year out. Just try and push your grades up.
UCL - I wouldn't risk it because they want all A2 exams to be sat in June, so allow it.

As long as your school does not cash in your AS grades, then your fine as you do not have to declare them. :smile:

You just put your predicted grades....just chill out.

J DOT A

Yeah I'm allowing UCL, I would have too many exams to do in January and June!

First off - UCL rock

Secondly - it might actually give you the opportunity to samsh all your AS resits in january - and then concentrate on your A2s - Its not that uncommon to do all your exams at the end of summer...

Reply 302

mazzie111

post grad med?
thats what i intend to do

Reply 303

Muddy91

jhines

If you really think you've messed up, do what my cousin did - Apply to a course that is linked to medicine but has lower entry requirements, complete that degree and go on to do a post-grad medicine degree.

Thats MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH easier said than done. I mean its certainly not as easy as it sounds in this post (sorry if you didn't mean it to sound this way) - and its a much more difficult (not to mention pain in the arse) route to take, than undergrad medicine - the applicant :tongue:

lace ratios are much higher for grad medicine - and you need to usually do very well in your first degree - which people seem to just assume will happen for them. But ofc it doesn't work like that... Jhines' Cousin mustve done really well for themselves to get a spot on grad med.

Thats not to say its impossible - it isn't - just people are so cavalier about grad med - I don't think some people realise how much harder it actually is...

Reply 304

Pegasus92

I'm an international applicant, I did O Levels and got 9As,(A*s not awarded)
I have got 2 problems.
1- Can I apply to unis with 8A* requirements?
2- In the board which I did they offer only science, not bio,chem or phy, so will it be ok, or should I do Bio,chem,phy from another board this oct/nov session and give them.

If I'm doing 3 extra O Levels(gcses) this october and predicited As, will the unis take my overall GCSES results to be 12As or just 9As?
I'll be applying this september.

Reply 305

Niveken13

failingatm

Try doing Biology AS in year 13?

Exactly what I just said. My only problem is, if universities would accept it for the application although I haven't exactly done it yet, so there will be no predicted or actual grades for Biology.

Reply 306

Niveken13

*Jelly Beans*

My friend did that. She took Biology AS in year 13 and she got an offer from KCL and QMUL for med. Just make sure you get good predicted grades in the subjects you are doing. You should be fine :smile:

Oh and I don't understand when you say with no predicted grades? Surely you would have predicted grades from the subjects you are already doing?

I meant for Biology. Since the deadline for Medicine is at Oct. 15th this year, I won't manage to get a predicted grade since I haven't done any tests or exams concerning AS Biology.

Reply 307

Niveken13

greatmonte

no problem many med schools dont ask for Bio

Thats what I am saying. The only problem is that the deadline for Medicine is at Oct. 15th this year.

Exams are normally done inbetween January/February or May/June.

Reply 308

xSara.loux

You will have a predicted grades, AS predictions are based in GCSEs.

Reply 309

anonanon123123

Niveken13

Exactly what I just said. My only problem is, if universities would accept it for the application although I haven't exactly done it yet, so there will be no predicted or actual grades for Biology.

Yes there will - as has been said many time by myself and others, you will be predicted a grade for the AS as well. I don't see what's difficult to understand here.. I have already done exactly what you are asking about, I know it works.

Reply 310

username356927

Pegasus92

If you did IB, the universities will state on the website what you are required to achieve :smile:

Reply 311

Panorama

Pegasus92

I'm sure 9 A grade O levels will be fine even for A* unis like Birmingham - they will know that A* is not possible and they are meant to be more difficult than GCSEs anyway. 12 O levels will not give you any advantage over 9 O levels as only a certain number are taken into account.
Double award science GCSE is acceptable for medicine so O level science should be OK. As long as you are taking biology/chemistry A levels there shouldn't be an issue.

Reply 312

timsquirrell

jbottle1

Hey hey
Grades look great!! definitely good enough for all your choices, Birmingham had a cut off of 8a* last year so you should be fine for that and almost guaranteed an interview there. Interview at cambridge will depend on your BMAT score although your GCSEs are promising as these are involved in calculating the top percentage which get an interview.
Obviously your personal statement is extremely important especially for Manchester + edinburgh.
I don't think its an odd combo at all: most people have bio chem maths so having 2 more A levels will be reallly good/ show your academic qualities.
Make sure you have enough work experience as that is key for getting interviews and offers.

As far as work experience is concerned, I've done a week in a hospital around here, which included experience in A+E and the operating theatre. As well as that, I've done a few individual days in the A+E department in the summer, as well as watching another operation. When I go I'm allowed to make up syringes of drugs, help with menial tasks and stuff, but also to do ECGs with someone watching. It's really awesome to watch someone come in, in pain and slightly bewildered, then to put them at their ease, explain what's going on and start them on the road to getting better.

I've also done two weeks in an Optician's, both on sales and in the room finding out people's prescriptions, using some of the machines etc, sometimes on my own and sometimes supervised. It's good experience again for putting people at their ease and for engaging with the patient/customer, as well as making sure you're likeable when you're selling to them.

I also did some experience in a law office, just to make sure it wasn't for me. It certainly wasn't for me, but I'm glad I did it just to make sure that Medicine is the course I want to take.

I guess that's a summary of what I've done and what I've gotten out of it - does that seem satisfactory?

Reply 313

BethAliceCaine

Hey guys I know there must be so many threads like this but everyone is in slightly different circumstances so I didn't think there was any harm is asking...
I am in my second year of college currently doing my A2 exams
I kept my four subjects to A2 level - french, maths, biology and chemistry
Last year I achieved AAAB - A's in chemistry, biology and french and a B in maths
I achieved 7A*'s (history, biology, chemistry, physics, french, R.E and english literature) 2A'S (maths and english language) and a B (in art&design haha...)

So I have volunteering experience in the form of twice weekly visits to a nursing home over a 9 month period and I also completed a weeks work experience on a hospital ward shadowing a consultant.

I haven't applied for 2010, I wanted to do a gap year and I was having doubts about what I wanted to do so I didn't apply - I'm just going to see what my grades are and apply for 2011.

In my gap year I am going to Nepal for 3 weeks to an orphanage (my mum is a paediatrician and she goes out there twice a year - I am accompanying her this year). I am then going to stay in Belgium with my mums friend for 2 months from February whilst working in her restaurant to improve my french speaking skills.

However, I think it's likely that I'll achieve the following grades come august - A in chemistry, A in biology, B/A in french and B in maths

Can anyone tell me whether it's worth applying if say I get AABB, I know that the normal grades asked for are AAA.
I'm looking to apply to newcastle, leeds, aberdeen and liverpool

thankyou :smile:

Reply 314

josh_a_y

Well, alot of AAB medschools are now moving the grade requirements to AAA. But hey, its worth asking them for yourself. And who knows, you might get your AAA in these exams anyway!

Reply 315

Waziri

want to study it? go for it defo.. AAB is good enough... ur A*s will get u an interview at leicester... i dont think they will take up requirements.. All u need is a good UKCAT score, and its all down to u.... good ukcat of 690-700+ will get u an interview at newcastle... good luck!(i suffered so much applyin this year, but i got a place with lower grades than u have.. by far)

Reply 316

katyness

BethAliceCaine

How did u get work experience, can u tell me? cos ive been trying forever!!

Reply 317

BethAliceCaine

katyness

How did u get work experience, can u tell me? cos ive been trying forever!!

You mean on the hospital ward? I organised it through my college, they had a load of contacts and the work experience guy just organised it for me. Your college should have some sort of system like that?
The volunteering at the care home was just me walking in and asking haha.

Reply 318

Single Malt

katyness

How did u get work experience, can u tell me? cos ive been trying forever!!

Her mother is a paediatrician, I imagine it makes it a lot easier.

Reply 319

BethAliceCaine

Waziri

Ah okay thank you :smile:

Will just have to see whether I get my grades before I pay to do the UKCAT haha. But thanks you have made me feel a little better about things ha, was having major worries.