MEGATHREAD - The GEM "Am I Good Enough?" General Questions & Advice Megathread

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Be aware that GEM is a lot more competitive than normal undergraduate entry to Medicine. :smile:

Which offers did you have from universities that you applied to?

It's been recommended many times to applicants in your position, that you apply again next year.

Reply 181

T-Bags

Original post by Lantana

No, yes, whichever one you want. There are people who did Arabic, Computer Science, Business Studies etc. in my course. Having a science degree just makes it easier on yourself when applying.

Thanks

Btw, I got BBB at A-Level. I'm most likely to go the "Uni of Brighton" to study Biology will this be alright come the time I apply and what are the most important factors for GEM!!!!!!!!!!

P.S- Lastly will it affect my chances if i retook some A-Level modules to raise my grades to AAA or would it just be pointless

Thanks :smile:

Reply 182

rj0804

Original post by getfunky!

Be aware that GEM is a lot more competitive than normal undergraduate entry to Medicine. :smile:

Which offers did you have from universities that you applied to?

It's been recommended many times to applicants in your position, that you apply again next year.

I can't take a gap year, GEM is my only option because of the fee situation - I don't want to pay for 2 degrees under the new system. I just want to know if it is common for people who miss their grads to reapply to GEM.

Reply 183

Penguinsaysquack

Original post by rj0804

Be careful here!

You can only get student finance for your first degree (assuming you are of British nationality) so reapplying next year would see you get the nice tuition fee loan etc, but if you go for GEM then the second degree must be financed by you :sadnod:

Reply 184

rj0804

Original post by Penguinsaysquack

I thought that with GEM you have to pay the £3k a year rate for year 1 and then the nhs pay 3k a year. then you get a student loan to cover the £6k a year so in total you pay£21k in fees compared to the £36k in fees for a100 2012. the first degree i would do, would be done at my local uni so i would save money there so i only save £3k by doing gem over standard a100 in 2012

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 185

Renal

Original post by rj0804

And what were you planning to live on?

Reply 186

Penguinsaysquack

Original post by rj0804

It's all a bit complicated and under review atm so what I'll do is quote someone here who knows more about this than I do :smile:

EDIT: I knew there was info somewhere:

Funding for GEM Courses for 2011 Entry

Currently for English students:
The fees in this year are set at £3375 and are set to rise with inflation in each year.
In year 1, students are entitled to apply to the SLC for a maintenance loan only. No tuition fee loan or maintenance grant is available. Bursaries may be available at some universities to help.
In year 2-4, students can apply to the SLC for a reduced maintenance loan (half the maximum amount). Students can also apply to the NHS for a tuition fee grant to cover tuition fees (£3375) as well as a maintenance grant that is means-tested.

Details can be found here.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 187

rj0804

Original post by Renal

And what were you planning to live on?

I'm talking about tuition fees in that post but as for living costs, I have about £12k in savings and I would probably try and save my maintenance loans from my first degree so that I can use that to live on for GEM too. My parents probably wouldn't charge any rent or food costs etc and they have said they would try and help with living costs if i want to still do medicine later.

I really hope this remark works, it would save so much time, money and stress

Reply 188

23girl

I can't decide between doing a biology degree or biomedicine degree, which one will be better in terms of doing medicine at graduate entry?

Reply 189

Seher

Okay, so I got BBBb in maths, chem, bio & physics... missed my firm AAB offer for medicine this year. I got a place for human biology at Aston. Anyone know if this is good enough realistically?

Edit: I'm aiming for the 4 year grad programmes

Reply 190

Vanny17

Original post by SarahTM

I didn't get into my Biomed placement :frown:

So I'm doing Psychology! :P Hopefully getting a 2.1 so I can do GEM :biggrin:

I hope we make it there. :biggrin:

Reply 191

uer23

Original post by SarahTM

I didn't get into my Biomed placement :frown:

So I'm doing Psychology! :P Hopefully getting a 2.1 so I can do GEM :biggrin:

It doesn't matter, the main thing is make sure you get that 2.1 :smile:

Reply 192

uer23

Original post by Seher

Try see if you can resit a few subjects to bring your grade up and look at resit policies of each med school (There's a few wiki pages on this site to help). Best thing is to try the standard route if you are interested in doing medicine atm. It is possible with GEM route, but chances are much lower compared to a 5 year standard programme. It's getting a lot difficult for graduates wanting to study medicine.

Reply 193

Seher

Original post by uer23

only 2 unis accept resits... and it involves taking 2 years out as you have to have the grades in hand before you apply for Keele.

Reply 194

Seher

For GEM, how much of a difference does the reputation of your first university make?

I'm trying to choose between Aston and QMUL, the former would save me a LOT of much needed funds for medicine later on...

Reply 195

jmorrison88

I have an offer for the GEP medicine programme at Barts to start this year but have a problem. Last year I graduated with a 2.1 in pharmacy and this year I did my pre-reg year. At the end of the year you have to sit a pre-reg exam in order to enable you to practice pharmacy and become a pharmacist. I however, have failed my pre-reg exam so am not a pharmacist but I have been given the option to extend my training and resit the exam in a few months time. I know that I definitely want to do medicine - I don't see a future for myself in pharmacy at all and know that I am not happy with it but being registered would be very helpful because then I would be dual qualified and able to locum as a pharmacist to earn money throughout my GEP degree or at least work in the holidays and at weekends. My question, is that is it worth me doing another few months of pre-reg to pass the exam and then start my medical degree or shall I do it straight away. The only problem I have of doing it this september is that if I can't get the pre-reg passed I have effectively wasted the last 5 years of my life.

Reply 196

John Locke

can you resit the pre-reg exam without current employment? i would advise against declining a GEP offer.

Reply 197

ilovehotchocolate

I wouldn't say you've wasted the last 5 years of your life by any means. Look more at the long game. You wanted to do medicine, you did a degree that would let you access it and taught you study skills to help you when you get there. If you wanted to do pharmacy, then yeah, you have, but you don't - med was your goal. Sure it would be nice to be dual qualified, but do you really think you'll a) have time to have a part time pharmacy job alongside your degree and b) be motivated enough to get the job in the first place? Also, is it worth the extra debt and money you'll have to find for fees once the fees go up? Can you earn more than the difference in fees in a part time pharmacy job to make it worth while? If you really want a job you could go for something like HCA or admin assistant in a GP's. Otherwise, I really wouldn't pass up on the med offer, it isn't worth it. You worked really hard and fought off a lot of competition to get that place. If you give it up you may not be lucky enough to get another offer next time.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 198

jmorrison88

Original post by John Locke

can you resit the pre-reg exam without current employment? i would advise against declining a GEP offer.

i'm not too sure on that but i don't think it's possible because the company i have been working for are the ones who have offered to extend my pre-reg contract until the exam date. the pre-reg exam is abit like the MRCP where you have to work normal hours and then study for the exam. we had half days off allocated for pre-reg study but i'm not sure i would cope with studying for my resit in the pre-reg exam alongside GEP year 1 because there is just too much to learn for both. will t negatively affect my medical career in the future when i start applying for posts if they see that i failed this pre-reg exam and therefore never qualified as a pharmacist?

Reply 199

Aneurysm

Original post by Penguinsaysquack

You're best of signing up to UCAS.. you don't want to assume it's the same only to find out it's changed :noway:

Think registration is open so you might as well do that first and now :yep:

Thanks; unfortunately registered for the gamsat before I had the UCAS ID. Sent them an e-mail now to update my ID number onto the registration form. Should be fine I think...Hopefully.

Thanks again though.