Chemistry needed for postgrad medicine?

Hi, sorry if this has already been asked elsewhere.

I'm currently in my final year of a Psychology degree at one of the top universities for it and I'm considering going on to do postgraduate medicine (probably the less intensive 5 year course, rather than 4 year fast-track) for 2014/15 entry. My A levels were Biology, Geography, Psychology, General Studies, and German and I got 4 As and a B, respectively, and I'm expecting a high 2:1 for my degree.

My question is whether I would need to do Chemistry A level? If so, would it be possible to cover it over the summer? (Is there anywhere that does chemistry A level short-courses?) Would it be enough to say that I'm planning on doing the A level in my gap year following graduation or would they rather I already had it?

Would appreciate some advice from those in the know!

Wow, we are twins! I studied Experimental Psychology at University of Bristol. Where are you?

You don't strictly NEED chem for post grad entry but it helps. I took it at evening classes at Southwark College in London but I'm not sure if they do it anymore. They don't get the best funding as they have high drop out rates (it's difficult working and doing an evening course!) and people don't always get very good grades.

I got into Exeter 5 year course and I didn't need chemistry, just needed the GAMSAT but studying chemistry A level helped me with this. You will most likely have to do some kind of entrace exam, GAMSAT, BMAT, UKCAT depending on where you apply.

A word of warning about applying for 5 year courses instead of 4 year Grad Entry medicine ones is that the 5 year ones are sooooo expensive. You are not entitled to a tutition fee as you are a grad. you can only get a maintenance loan (no grant). Whereas if you do the 4 year course you get most of it paid by student finance or the NHS. you only have to cough up about £3000 for the first year tuition fees and then the rest is paid.

So my degree in 2013 is going to be VERY expensive as I'm using all of my savings to pay for it! It's going to be £36,000 for tuition fees ALONE. Unfortunately I wasn't competitive enough to get onto one of the GEM programmes this year and as I got an offer from Exeter I thought I would take it rather than risking turning it down and reapplying to GEMs next year.

The graduate route into medicine is extremely competitive so you have to be very serious about starting the process. Trust me. It can be soul destroying but it's so worth it once you get an offer!!!

The exams can be expensive too. The GAMSAT costs about £300 each time.

There is so much more you should know, but I can't think of what else to say right now it's soo late . You need to do a lot of research as different unis have different requirements and can be rather picky.

As you are expecting a 2i you should have a lot more choice of unis. I just missed out on a 2i so was limited in where I could apply to, you should be OK though. Check out the medicine application forum on here. It has lots of useful information about requirements etc. You have a lot of research to do!

Good luck. x

Wow, we are twins! I studied Experimental Psychology at University of Bristol. Where are you?

EDIT: Just seen your profile and realised you also study at Bristol. How strange. How are you finding it?
Personally, the course wasn't for me (hence the 2ii!) and I knew I really wanted to do medicine when I started it so was quite demotivated. So silly of me really! I really hope you are enjoying it though, some of my Psychology friends absolutely loved it.

The thing about the 4 year course is that it would be really intensive and would mean shorter holidays and therefore less opportunities to work in the holidays and earn some money. Plus a 5 year course, being less intensive, would allow me to continue to be involved in sport and societies, whereas I'm not sure the 4 year would allow that so much.

I've spoken to my parents and they're very supportive and would happily fund me through this, although I imagine I'll try and fund myself as much as possible out of respect and maturity.

Medicine has always been on my mind, but never really been a reality. I didn't even consider it when I was choosing A levels (although I was considering doing Chemistry!). Now that I'm at uni and I'm around medics, it just seems like something I should do. I've always been interested in what they were learning about and doing and it seems like a medicine degree would offer me far more opportunities in life. Trawling through graduate job websites is just so boring - nothing really stands out to me. I'm not interested in finance, engineering, management consultancy etc. which seem to comprise the majority of jobs on those websites!

I enjoy it as in that I find it all really interesting. Love the research side of things and all the sciencey aspects. But the course just isn't sciencey-enough and isn't particularly stretching (no offence). I feel like they could have filled the timetable out a bit more, although I do appreciate having so few hours!

I feel quite bad though - I haven't got involved in any volunteering stuff except a little bit in the holidays. I really should have done some RAG stuff or some of the UBU volunteering programs. Ah well... plenty of time for that in the holidays/next year!

When did you graduate? Just wondering if I would know you...

Do you mind me asking why you got rejected for 2012 entry?

Also, one thing that slightly bothers me is that, if I were to get in for 2014/15 entry, I would be graduating when I'm 27/28, which is pretty old! Would be almost 30 by the end of the foundation years!

you dont need chemistry.
I've just got into KCL this year with a non science degree from Coventry and No chemistry at A level. They are more looking at you as a person and what you have done with yourself to stand out (a High UKCAT helps too!)

Post graduate medicine is what you do after you graduate as a doctor. You mean graduate entry medicine (GEM/GEP), and if you're talking about doing 5 year courses, you're simply talking about applying as a graduate to the undergraduate medicine course.

Pedantry aside, you don't always need Chemistry, and there are ways round it if you do. Aberdeen, for example, offer a chemistry summer school for graduate entrants who haven't covered enough chemistry in their undergraduate degree.