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Medical Schools and the A* grade?

When looking through Medical School Admissions entry requirements they normally state that they require AAA only and imply that A* grades are of no real benefit. Are there any Medical Schools which give preference to applicants holding one A* or more (other than Cambridge)

Thanks. :smile:

Reply 1

Botakgi

AAA is the minimum entry requirements, if you get A* it's even better. :smile:

Reply 2

Clare~Bear

Of course A*s are helpful, they show that academically you're supposedly one of the best. It just means that they're happy to take people that have only got AAA (predictions). It can probably help make up if your 4th AS is a grade below what they'd prefer.

I reckon in a couple of years time almost all med courses will be at least A*AA . . .

Reply 3

Someone123123

Well Birmingham are the only other med' school who give out A*AA med offers.. but they only do it sometimes and the majority of their offers are AAA. So maybe they'd like it.

Reply 4

Orinincandenza

This is a question i'd wondered about myself, so (as i'd advise anyone else to do) i asked them:

From the ones i emailed

-Cambridge & St. andrews give benefits to A*
- At most or all other unis it gives NO ADVANTAGE

- Not sure about Oxford/UCL as i didnt ask them

Reply 5

Booyah

From what I am told most universities do not recognise, except for a select few, (Cambridge and St. Andrews). Instead they look for continuity (i.e. AAA not A*AB). Medicine is a broad spectrum subject which expects you to excel in all the fields that they teach you.

What they really want is AAA, and a lot of extra curricular work, this being a leadership role in the ATC, to show you are a team player or volunteering at a hospice to show that you care for the dying (What medicine is really about and what you have to prepare for mentally). Being the son of a doctor, some of my fathers patients do have his private number, and he goes out to them at 2 in the morning to reassure them, that is a damn important thing to remember you've got to be able to commit and put what you are doing down to rush to someones aid.

Reply 6

StrawberryLaces

Leeds give more credit to A*A*A achieved than A*A*A* predicted supposedly. You can only get 16/16 in academic achievement after you have obtained your A-Levels - gives gappers an advantage.

Reply 7

-Simon-

Original post by Orinincandenza

I've only started thinking about it now that reapplying after a gap year could be on the cards (I hope not). I didn't look into St. Andrews, might do if there is a next time.

Original post by StrawberryLaces

Leeds give more credit to A*A*A achieved than A*A*A* predicted supposedly. You can only get 16/16 in academic achievement after you have obtained your A-Levels - gives gappers an advantage.

I didn't know that, i'll look into that, if I have to reapply.

Thanks for your responses. :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 8

Orinincandenza

Original post by -Simon-

I've only started thinking about it now that reapplying after a gap year could be on the cards (I hope not). I didn't look into St. Andrews, might do if there is a next time.

Oh OK, wish you the best of luck with your application.

St. Andrews do give an advantage to achieved grades over predicted as well

Reply 9

andrewpeters

Peninsula will be 2 separate unis starting in the 2013 cycle. They both require A*AA.

Reply 10

Helloworld_95

Original post by andrewpeters

Peninsula will be 2 separate unis starting in the 2013 cycle. They both require A*AA.

A*AA-AAA I think it is, so there is a chance of an AAA offer, and iirc the A*AA offers were used only for those predicted A*AA and serve as an incentive for schools to predict the A* grade less.