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

I'm a new on this thread so please help and answer!

I'm currently in year 12 and study A level maths, biology, chemistry and sociology. I would absolutely LOVE a career in medicine but am totally UNSURE whether I should apply since it is so competitive.

GCSE grades were 6.5 A* 4 As and I am predicted As in all my A levels- I recently got 3 Bs and 1A in my January modules (I don't think I quite sussed out how to revise properly but am DEFINITELY confident I will got As overall)

I know that my GCSE grades aren't great but I am part of a scheme called REALISING OPPORTUNITIES and it means that I could be accepted with a few grades lower than required-so they are ok for me!

I also have the following work experience planned: a week in a chemist, week in a hospital and week in a doctor's surgery. I am also deperately looking for some kind of volunteering- no luck yet

My extra currciculars include debating at regional level, hockey, running a sports club for year 7s and helping younger children to read every week. I am also head girl at my college.

Do you think it is REALLY worth me applying, I certainly do not want to waste a year of my life by not getting through and I do not want to take a gap year gaining more experience or volunteering or whatever. Thanx for your help!



I would also like add that I already have a weeks experience at a dentist (year 10) but do you think this is even relevant for medicine?

I'm a new on this thread so please help and answer!
I'm currently in year 12 and study A level maths, biology, chemistry and sociology. I would absolutely LOVE a career in medicine but am totally UNSURE whether I should apply since it is so competitive.
GCSE grades were 6.5 A* 4 As and I am predicted As in all my A levels- I recently got 3 Bs and 1A in my January modules (I don't think I quite sussed out how to revise properly but am DEFINITELY confident I will got As overall)
I know that my GCSE grades aren't great but I am part of a scheme called REALISING OPPORTUNITIES and it means that I could be accepted with a few grades lower than required-so they are ok for me!
I also have the following work experience planned: a week in a chemist, week in a hospital and week in a doctor's surgery. I am also deperately looking for some kind of volunteering- no luck yet
My extra currciculars include debating at regional level, hockey, running a sports club for year 7s and helping younger children to read every week. I am also head girl at my college.
Do you think it is REALLY worth me applying, I certainly do not want to waste a year of my life by not getting through and I do not want to take a gap year gaining more experience or volunteering or whatever. Thanx for your help!
I would also like add that I already have a weeks experience at a dentist (year 10) but do you think this is even relevant for medicine?

My GCSE grades where 2A*s, 3As, 3Bs, 3Cs
Is this going to make me not even wirth consideration when it comes to application?

My GCSE grades where 2A*s, 3As, 3Bs, 3Cs
Is this going to make me not even wirth consideration when it comes to application?

yeah. i was thinking of applying to UCL or Leicester, maybe, because i think they have quite low GCSE requirements.

I got:
Biology - A*
Chemistry - A
Physics - A
Maths - A
Statistics - A
ICT (SC) - B
RS (SC) - B
History - B
Business Studies - B
English language - B (retook from C)
English Literature - B

Will any of the med schools take me on? I am doing fine at AS level at the moment

Hi So I got 9 A stars and 1 A for my gcses, and am currently studying maths, biology, english literature and chemistry at AS level and they seem to be going fine. I'm not completely sure where I want to apply to but maybe Nottingham, Birmingham, Imperial, Oxford/Cambridge. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice (like maybe what else I should be doing, whether the EPQ is worthwhile, UKCAT/BMAT advice etc) as it would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Is it still a possibilty to get in for 2013 if I havent yet started work experience/volunteering (Long story but basically for a while i've been doubting whether I could do medicine so waited till Jan results to see)... or will I not have enough? I know its quality > quantity with work experience so its more the lack of volunteering i'm worried about.
I have contacted volunteering placements and i've had a call back from one, they said on wednesday somebody would call me to arrange an interview so i'm expecting something back soon.
I'm also in the process of getting a placement in a care home, however I have to wait for a CRB check so that might not start for another month or so.
Also, I know they like to see that applicants have a life outside of academics - however I don't do anything like sports, drama or any other kind of clubs so I never know what to put for things to do with "non academic hobbies".. I guess what I'm asking is are things like... cooking, baking, web design, learning a new language (Only basic german, so would it even be worth mentioning), painting, are they interesting/good enough? (It sounds like a stupid question to ask but I just don't know what people usually put for their non academic section.)

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You might be entitled to apply to a foundation course because of your situation and other factors. You'll find foundation courses have lower GCSE requirements. I know UEA and Southampton offer these foundation courses, research it.

OK, that was on the verge of being TL;DR. I am a 2Lt in the TA RAMC.

You are right in thinking your GCSEs are not great. You will need to be prepared to apply tactically and make concessions and have an explanation. However, you are on the right track with your A levels and you have a nice collection of extra curriculars. Nothing however will compensate for not having a decent set of A levels and a good UKCAT, so keep your head down.

Your living situation is a different matter. Firstly, working 9-5 five days a week is a normal working week. Whilst it is unfortunate that there is damp etc and you cannot turn the heating on, that is something that is experienced by a lot of people, especially students. As an example, I lived in a house in second year that was so damp there was mould regularly growing on the ceilings of the rooms and my flatmates were reluctant to keep the heating on, so it was cold most of the time.

You need to sit down and have a conversation with your mum and see where you can budget. You have two earners in the house, effectively, and what you bring in from the TA and EMA if you are eligible. Construct a budget, make it tight and stick to it. Don't waste money on 'luxury' items unless you can set aside one or two items a week. You can create very nutritious and tasty meals from the value ranges of most supermarkets for a couple of pounds per day. This will be good training for you as a student if you ever do decide to go down that route Cut out the booze, cut out the cigarettes, cut out the Sky if you have it and money is that tight. Take public transport instead of driving if you have a car. These are all general tips that may or may not apply to you, but hopefully you understand what I am getting at here.

With regards to what you want to do, only you know what is best for you. The Army will be a good career for you if you so choose to do go down that route and it will provide a nice, managed environment for you. At the end of the day, you will have to call the shots on this one. If you do decide to go into medicine, you will be eligible for a commission in your fourth year.

As a general recommendation, do not go around punching walls and 'getting angry'. That behaviour is not constructive and will only serve to get you in trouble (and an early discharge) and alienate yourself from your mother. Go out for a run instead. We all have stress to deal with, from all aspects of life and it is part of being an adult that you channel that in the right way. Invariably, you will experience more stresses in life...if you decide to go to medical school, you will have all the financial concerns coupled with academic work, full time placements, long periods of isolation etc. It is best not to get into destructive patterns now whilst you are still young.

Dont give up! it seems like you're really passionate about medicine! times are hard, I understand but keep your head high! you havent got that long to go! work hard and try and forget about everything else! just focus 100% on your studies! and it'll pay off, a year seems like a long time but in comparison to your future, its really nothing!

work hard and get the grades you need to get into uni, heck! you may even get a scholarship! and i promise you it'll pay off. i know it seems like the end of the world right now but remember that no condition is permanent! you have more work experience than A LOT of other students that;ll be applying and that will give you an edge when it comes to employment and all that! you're on the right track! DONT GIVE UP!!

Don't give up. Your grades are pretty good really (no once cares about GCSEs when you have tasty A levels.
Your work experience is impressive and shows that you really have put a lot of thought into this and that it is something that you have aspired to do for a long time.
I know living in a (sorry) complete ****hole is horrible, especially when your bro is starting to pay his way and your mum works hard too.

If I were you I'd not give up. By getting yourself good A levels you will be able to get into uni, which you will be able to afford with government grants and loans, especially if you're used to spending money sensibly.

Go to uni and become a doctor, and then you will have the means to break the cycle of working in crap jobs and living in a mouldy damp house. You'll never be satisfied if you have all that potential, are obviously very clever and then go into a career which is a dead end and doesn't require you to use your brain at all.

If you really want to join the army you could become an army doctor and have them fund you through your med school.

Well relevant and good work experience/volunteering is needed, but I'm sure you knew that already For both UKCAT and BMAT, revise at least a month beforehand - there's some good books on amazon. For the UKCAT try to aim for average of 670, a score of at least 700 would be ideal. For BMAT try to get at least 5 5 3A, score of 6 6 4A would place you in a safe zone Not sure about oxford but for Cambridge make sure you AS UMS marks are high - in the high 90% area. Hope that helps

I did indeed know that But how much work experience do you think it necessary to have? I have done a couple of weeks but I understand that it is more what you learn than how much you do..? I will definitely make sure I get some books and aim for those scores! Thanks again So are you already at medical school or are you applying there soon?