Is there any chance of getting accepted by another uni after failing a year?

I did pretty badly in my first year medicine exams. I've been studying hard all summer to try and redeem myself in the resit exams but to be honest, I doubt that I'll be successful. Even if I did happen to pass them, I've started to rethink whether or not I'm at the right place at all. I'm at a university quite close to home; in all honesty, I didn't really want to go there but due to health problems last year (and therefore having to go to hospital a lot), it didn't seem like the right time to move too far away from home so I declined the offers I'd originally intended to accept. I don't think that that was a particularly good move. In hindsight, I should have just deferred for a year and gone to my first choice uni.

I'm just wondering if there is any possibility of being accepted by another medical school if I reapplied for 2013 entry? (I'm not definitely set on doing this, it's just something I've been considering). Due to medicine being such a competitive course, I'd imagine universities are quite reluctant to accept students who have failed. Just thought I'd ask incase anyone on here has had any success with this in the past? Also, if I was to reapply, are there any medical schools in particular that I should avoid/any that I would stand a better shot at?

Reply 1

TomInce6666

10

I didnt reapply for medicine, but I got four offers for biochemistry this year,.

Reply 2

Zedd

12

I really don't think you'd get into any other med school given you're apparently failing first year. Add to that the fact that you don't really have extenuating circumstances (while you may have been ill and that may explain your poor grades it wouldn't explain why you dropped out of a medical degree). Also, who is going to give you a reference at your current med school to allow you to get into another?

Reply 3

CantThinkOfaUsername

OP

1

Original post by Zedd

I really don't think you'd get into any other med school given you're apparently failing first year. Add to that the fact that you don't really have extenuating circumstances (while you may have been ill and that may explain your poor grades it wouldn't explain why you dropped out of a medical degree). Also, who is going to give you a reference at your current med school to allow you to get into another?

That's disappointing, but yeah, it's what I'd been thinking. :frown:

To be honest, the illness had pretty much cleared up by September/October and considering I passed first semester, I really couldn't use that as an excuse for doing badly anyway. The real reason is a bit too complicated/embarrassing to explain in a personal statement so I couldn't use it as an explanation either. I think there are two lecturers that would be willing to write a reference if necessary; I spoke to one about dropping out and possibly reapplying to another course, however, he said I'd only really stand a chance if I was to stay within the same university (which I don't want to do). I'll probably just end up repeating first year at my current university as I don't really want to transfer courses yet.

Thanks for the reply though.

Reply 4

Ronove

18

I don't think your lecturer's comment about not standing a chance applying to a different course at other unis is fair or based in fact at all. People change their minds all the time and leave one uni to start at another, often on a different course. I can't see many admissions tutors questioning someone dropping out of medicine too much, it's perceived as a heavy course.

Reply 5

Hippysnake

19

What medical school are you at?

Reply 6

CantThinkOfaUsername

OP

1

Original post by Ronove

I don't think your lecturer's comment about not standing a chance applying to a different course at other unis is fair or based in fact at all. People change their minds all the time and leave one uni to start at another, often on a different course. I can't see many admissions tutors questioning someone dropping out of medicine too much, it's perceived as a heavy course.

Yeah, that's probably right. I probably could do another course. Ideally though, I'd really like to keep doing medicine, just at another university, but I know that's unrealistic.

Reply 7

Anna1988

6

It's probably not impossible but I imagine it would be extremely difficult. Maybe you'll feel differently about your school once you start your clinical years and spend more time on placement?

Reply 8

CantThinkOfaUsername

OP

1

Original post by Anna1988

It's probably not impossible but I imagine it would be extremely difficult. Maybe you'll feel differently about your school once you start your clinical years and spend more time on placement?

Thanks for the reply and sorry for not noticing it until now. Yeah; I really enjoy the clinical stuff and that's the main reason I'm a bit reluctant to change to another course, but at the same time, I don't think I'm good enough at the more sciencey basics to pass the pre-clinical years and progress to that level. I think I'd have been better suited to a PBL style course (my current course is mostly lecture-based) but I know that's something I should have thought through more thoroughly before applying in the first place. I'll keep trying to study as much as possible over the summer though; really don't want to fail the resits :frown:

Reply 9

username158564

17

I'm thinking the same thing - I've got a retake and I'm not 100% confident for it. :frown:

Glad there's this thread here though to read through...

Reply 10

purplefrog

18

Medical schools are hugely reluctant to take those who've failed/dropped out from another medical school. I would think you would need very strong extenuating circumstances to justify them even giving you a chance. How about trying as hard as you can for resits and passing them - and then upon doing so speak to your dean/head of pastoral and try to get a year out to see if you can readjust, as medicine can be quite intense and a shock to the system normally, let alone when you have the burden of looking after your health too.

Reply 11

medic101

1

If there is a reason why you didn't do well, you could appeal. You have a better chance doing that than attempting to transfer.
I have heard of people transferring to other countries after failing 1st year; I'm not sure they told the truth about what they were doing that year.

Reply 12

serdip

Hi,
I failed my resits and am absolutely gutted since Medicine is what I have always wanted to do. I don't know if I have enough grouds to appeal. In Oct 2011 my cousin was killed in a car crash which was very traumatic for my family and me. I did tell my tutor but unfortunately I underestimated the effect it had on my studies. Do you think I should appeal?

Also can anyone please let me know if they are aware of other Uni who might accept me if I reapply?
Thanks.

Reply 13

junior.doctor

18

Original post by serdip

Hi,
I failed my resits and am absolutely gutted since Medicine is what I have always wanted to do. I don't know if I have enough grouds to appeal. In Oct 2011 my cousin was killed in a car crash which was very traumatic for my family and me. I did tell my tutor but unfortunately I underestimated the effect it had on my studies. Do you think I should appeal?

Also can anyone please let me know if they are aware of other Uni who might accept me if I reapply?
Thanks.

Sorry to hear about your circumstances. I know how gutting it is to be told that you have to withdraw. There is a thread stickied in the 'current medical students' forum regarding appeals. i would find it and link it for you but I am on horrendous dial-up internet in Africa. On one hand, you have little to lose by trying to appeal. On the other hand, you need to be realistic that most unis have really tightened up over the last few years on retrospective mitigation and require you to clearly demonstrate why you couldn't have brought the circumstances to their attention before the exam board meeting. You will also need contemporaneous evidence - a copy of the death certificate probably, and also any contact that you had with your GP, counsellors, or any other similar professionals. If you think that you will be able to provide appropriate evidence, and plead your case as to why your mitigation is retrospective, then go for it. (In the appeals information, your uni will usually detail what they accept as evidence). Start getting information about appeals straight away though - deadlines are usually very quick after results are published, and you usually need to be pretty efficient and organised, right at a time when you'd rather stick your head in the sand.

Reply 14

serdip

Thanks. I found the tread regarding appeals that you have posted. It is very useful! I am going to appeal since this has been a very traumatic year for me . However,I am also preparing myself for the worse case scenario in which I won't win the appeal and have to leave medicine...for now!!

:frown:

Is there any chance of getting accepted by another uni after failing a year?

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