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

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It's much harder to get onto a postgraduate medicine course than an undergraduate one

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Reply 661

Democracy

Original post by charmcw

I have been searching for ages trying to find out if doing a degree in Medical science can lead onto a course in medicine.

Help someone :frown:

Certainly, but you can't transfer into it if that's what you meant by "lead onto". You'll need to apply through UCAS. More info here:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Graduate_Entry_Medicine_-_a_guide

Original post by eggy_nog

It's much harder to get onto a postgraduate medicine course than an undergraduate one

Graduate entry medicine is still an undergrad course :yes:

Reply 662

charlottep1234

Great, thank you so much thats really helpful. I am very new to this whole thing as you can tell haha but am i right that that link says I can do pretty much anything and then enter 4 year med school at most unis? for example, at Bristol they are specific about what you have a degree in but say at Southampton it could be anything?

Also do you know what southampton is like as a uni? in particular for medicine and occ. therapy?

Thank you again! :smile:

Reply 663

Democracy

Original post by charlottep1234

So long as your degree is in health or life sciences, that'll be fine for GEPs. Things would be a little trickier if you were doing Law or English or something, but since you're doing Occ Health, that's fine.

Southampton's a very good uni, I've been there a few times, really nice campus...but its medical school is pretty difficult to get into as a graduate since they don't interview, so your PS needs to be very, very special indeed.

Reply 664

gradydent

Due to unfortunate circumstances, I basically have to apply to 5 year courses. However, I genuinely don't know how I'm going to fund it because I have no savings and my parents are not in a position to help.

Apart from a maintenance loan from SFE, is there any other help available for graduates on a 5 year courses?

* This thread is specifically for graduates applying to 5 year courses.

Reply 665

Daisyflower

“Am I good enough?”

I’ve always wanted to study medicine but closed the door on it having obtained poor A-level grades (BBBC). However, I’ve sorted my priorities and I’m not on track for a 1st class honours in Psychology.

I’ve got lots of disjointed bits of experience, ranging from being teaching assistant at a school specialising in special needs, I volunteer on a mental health ward and part-time in a prison. I also have a part-time job on hospital ward. I’ve shadowed a consultants as well as having first hand experience as a long-term patient (which I here can sometimes be a positive).

Extra-circular wise, I’m on one of the varsity sports teams at university, I have several positions within the university - mainly helping 1st years, mentoring etc. I also am helping build two businesses and I’m a research assistant for one of the main lecturers at the university.

I hope I interview well, so based on this rather brief over-view of what my personal statement will look like, do I stand a chance of getting an interview? It’s just the initial ‘foot-in-the-door’, aspect that’s freaking me out!!

Reply 666

polldoll

I'm a grad on a 6 year course. I get the student loan, which covers my living. I got money through student services which paid for halls for me, and I basically work during the holidays to earn my fees. There are quite a number of scholarships available. If you do a google search you should find the ones that are aimed for medicine as a 2nd degree.
Good luck!

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Reply 667

Supportive mum

Original post by polldoll

That sounds OK with fees of around £3k. It will be so much more difficult for people starting this year, with fees of £9k to find. My nephew is currently on a 4 year graduate medicine course and says that there's no way he could have done it if he'd had to start this year. Fortunately he has help from his parents. At this rate it will be only people from very wealthy families or qualified dentists (there are 3 on his course) who will do the course.

Reply 668

select the right name

Original post by Supportive mum

There is no difference in the money that grads have to pay out whether they started last year or this year. The only difference is the amount of student loan we have to take out.

This year, we pay approx £3.5k in first year, taking out a student loan for the rest, then in years 2-4 the NHS pay £3.5k and we have a student loan for the rest.

We will be far worse off loan-wise but the initial outlay is the same.

Because of the £9k fees the only real difference is the increase in competition for 4 year grad places.

Reply 669

Supportive mum

Original post by select the right name

Oh, I see. I thought that new students on the GEM course would be having to pay £9k. Having done a bit of research, I see in fact that in 2012, students will have to pay the first £3,465 themselves and take out a loan for the remaining £5,535. For years 2-4, the NHS pays the first £3,465 and they can get loans for the remaining £5,535. Of course, there is living costs on top of that. I suppose the answer is to avoid doing the GEM course if you can, and do the A100 course if you know that medicine is for you! Students starting courses this year could end up owing around £45k after their first degrees, many won't be keen to add significantly to that, even if a career in medicine beckons. I have 2 nephews who have gone for GEM, because they didn't know they wanted to do it when they were 17. Interestingly, both have parents who are doctors!

Reply 670

Supportive mum

Original post by select the right name

Because of the £9k fees the only real difference is the increase in competition for 4 year grad places.

I would have thought that the fees increase would have made more people have gap years and reapply if they don't get in at the first attempt, rather than go for the GEM route later.

Reply 671

SashaLuLu

Hi,

I just wondered what universities thought of people who have done a degree in pharmacy and then onto post grad medicine? Thanks. :smile:

Reply 672

select the right name

Original post by Supportive mum

I would have thought that the fees increase would have made more people have gap years and reapply if they don't get in at the first attempt, rather than go for the GEM route later.

I meant more competitive for graduates. Before, a grad could have done a 5 year course and just manage financially, now with the £9k fees, only those with trust funds, lottery wins or rich parents can do it!

So more competition for the less financially obstructive GEM courses.

Reply 673

Supportive mum

Original post by select the right name

Oh, yes, I see!

Reply 674

Shaz Iqbal

Hello. I have just completed my first year of A-levels and am taking Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics. I intend to drop physics and the grades I have already achieved are AAB in Biology Maths and Chemistry and I got a U in Physics but there are circumstantial reasons surrounding that and am hoping that I have done enough to have gotten 3A's in my May exams (I resat the physics exam and it went very well so I am quite hopeful). I didn't do as well in my GCSE's, A*AAAAAABBBC.
I have done work placements in three different hospitals, two of a week length and one that lasted a fortnight. I am currently working as a ward volunteer once a week in a hospital and although I have only been once thus far I have made a long term commitment and am intending to fulfil that. I did 6 months of volunteering weekly at a local charity shop and am completing the Duke Of Edinburgh, silver award. I'm going for a residential volunteering placement at a care home for a week, within which I stay at the nursing home and help out for the duration of the week. I'm very active, going to the gym 3/4 times a week and playing football and tennis twice weekly. I have been told by my Maths teacher that if I want to, I can do Further Maths as an A2 although I did not do it as AS, although it will be extremely difficult. I attended an ATOM (Advanced Topics On Medicine) lecture and requested to be an Ambassador, whereby I spread the word of conferences and contact schools and colleges to do so. I want to know if I am good enough for Medicine, and any constructive criticism would be much appreciated, whatever your opinion please do reply. Thanks :smile:

Reply 675

reee

I wanna do medicine(I wanted to do it before pharmacy tbh)... I got a 2:1! However, I am thinking of applying to non-ukcat unis, so I have 3 choices only (bham, Bristol and Liverpool), my GCSEs and A-levels weren't that great, but I am hoping that they consider my MPHARM degree.

However, I am not sure whether to apply for the 5 or 4 years course. Since I can apply for 4 unis, will I be able to apply to both 5 and 4 years to one of the unis mentioned above?

Has anyone else applied to non UKCAT unis ONLY?

Cheers

Reply 676

Democracy

Original post by reee

Firstly, congrats on getting your degree!

As a graduate, you'll be able to apply for both GEPs and standard 5 year courses...but you should bear in mind that as a graduate on a 5 year course, you will not be entitled to a tuition fee loan from the SLC, so you will have self-finance £9Kx4 (fifth year is paid for by the NHS).

From what I recall, Liverpool GEP expect reasonably good A level grades, even with a 2:1, so you may want to look into that.

If you're looking to avoid the UKCAT, you could apply to GAMSAT unis instead.

But can I ask why you're looking to avoid it?

This page might also interest you:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Graduate_Entry_Medicine_-_a_guide

Reply 677

cactus_farmer

So if you're a 2.1 science grad, and you got a 'B' at A-level (AAB) - does that screw your chances forever?

Look at this table;

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_A_Level_Requirements

Every single university requires AAA now.

Furthermore, re-taking A-levels is frowned upon according to that page, so even if you re-took and got an A it doesn't matter. It seems that if you pissed around at A-level you're scarred for life!!

Or would they factor in that in 'your day' (2007) the standard offer for medicine was AAB?

Are the A-levels of graduates interpreted differently to the A-levels of school leavers by university admissions?