Alternative routes into medicine?
I really do want to be a doctor, but I doubt that I will get the A*\A grades needed to enter A100 medicine and also many of these courses require chemistry at AS\A2, which I didn't take. I've also looked into medicine foundation courses but many either need chemistry, or have specific entry requirements such as a certain annual income (which my household is usually over) or something about your school having to be under 60% in GCSE achievement (which my school is also over).
I'm starting to give up on my dream, but are there any other routes into medicine that I could look into before I give up?
Thanks
I'm starting to give up on my dream, but are there any other routes into medicine that I could look into before I give up?
Thanks
Access to medicine courses (again, you may not be applicable for some) Also take these with a grain of salt... it's not necessarily a paved path to medicine
There are a couple of biomedical science BSc -> MBBS courses (SGUL and I think Leeds?) but the lack of chemistry may preclude you from applying to BSc courses.
Other options:
-go do chemistry on a gap year. then apply.
-go do a different degree, like psychology, and apply as a graduate to 4-/5-year courses.
There are a couple of biomedical science BSc -> MBBS courses (SGUL and I think Leeds?) but the lack of chemistry may preclude you from applying to BSc courses.
Other options:
-go do chemistry on a gap year. then apply.
-go do a different degree, like psychology, and apply as a graduate to 4-/5-year courses.
Get a degree in something else first, then apply to another undergraduate degree.
I know a law lecturer who desperately wanted to do law, but presumably couldn't get into a good law school, so she did something irrelevant first (at Harvard), then she did again something irrelevant for her master's (at LSE), and finally the LLB she wanted at Cambridge.
A friend of mine who's doing medicine (MBBS which are two undergraduate degrees here in Hong Kong) but did his BA first at Oxford in psychology.
Now I don't think you need to do your bachelor in any of those schools to get into medical school, as being a graduate should already give you a significant advantage over other applicants. But of course you will need time and money.
I know a law lecturer who desperately wanted to do law, but presumably couldn't get into a good law school, so she did something irrelevant first (at Harvard), then she did again something irrelevant for her master's (at LSE), and finally the LLB she wanted at Cambridge.
A friend of mine who's doing medicine (MBBS which are two undergraduate degrees here in Hong Kong) but did his BA first at Oxford in psychology.
Now I don't think you need to do your bachelor in any of those schools to get into medical school, as being a graduate should already give you a significant advantage over other applicants. But of course you will need time and money.
Thank you for all the replies, but I'm hesitant to do another undergraduate course and then going on to medicine simply because of the cost, £9000 per year for a 3 year bioscience course then a further 6 year medicine course at £9000 again = £75000 plus costs for books, accommodation ect, leaving me in a LOT of debt!
Original post by GraceLynn
Thank you for all the replies, but I'm hesitant to do another undergraduate course and then going on to medicine simply because of the cost, £9000 per year for a 3 year bioscience course then a further 6 year medicine course at £9000 again = £75000 plus costs for books, accommodation ect, leaving me in a LOT of debt!
It's worth pointing out too that if you already have a degree you can't apply for another student loan, so medicine would be paid for upfront.
I applied for UEA and had an offer for A100 Medicine last year - I really wanted to apply for the foundation year as I met all the requirements but they advised me not to because my existing grades were a fair bit higher (A*AB) than their requirements (BBB). I was doing an extra year at sixth form because I basically spent too long deciding whether to apply for medicine at the start of year 13 that I decided to wait a year and do some more work experience etc. But then UEA changed their requirements to needing chemistry, so I went back to sixth form and did AS and A2 chemistry at the same time. It was hard, I got a B and I needed an A so I didn't meet my offer
however I also had an offer for my non medicine choice (Occupational Therapy) and that's what I'm doing now. It is a difficult decision but if medicine is in your heart don't give up! There are a few options!
Access courses are something to think about - there's a college near me that does access to medicine but you need to have been 'out if education' for two years prior to starting and need some work in health care, but if you didn't want to do another degree first then you could try and get a job in the NHS for a couple of years after sixth form and apply that way.
I'm still aiming to do Medicine after I graduate - the only issue I worry about is the money because as I said I'm unable to get a student loan so I will have to (somehow!) come up with £9000 a year - but there are bursaries available which can reduce fees to £6000.
Do have a look at th UEA foundation year programme and check their requirements as last time I looked they didn't need chemistry but it may have changed. You could consider just taking a chemistry AS if need be.
Good luck
Original post by jessica.thomas
It's worth pointing out too that if you already have a degree you can't apply for another student loan, so medicine would be paid for upfront.
I applied for UEA and had an offer for A100 Medicine last year - I really wanted to apply for the foundation year as I met all the requirements but they advised me not to because my existing grades were a fair bit higher (A*AB) than their requirements (BBB). I was doing an extra year at sixth form because I basically spent too long deciding whether to apply for medicine at the start of year 13 that I decided to wait a year and do some more work experience etc. But then UEA changed their requirements to needing chemistry, so I went back to sixth form and did AS and A2 chemistry at the same time. It was hard, I got a B and I needed an A so I didn't meet my offer however I also had an offer for my non medicine choice (Occupational Therapy) and that's what I'm doing now.
It is a difficult decision but if medicine is in your heart don't give up! There are a few options!
Access courses are something to think about - there's a college near me that does access to medicine but you need to have been 'out if education' for two years prior to starting and need some work in health care, but if you didn't want to do another degree first then you could try and get a job in the NHS for a couple of years after sixth form and apply that way.
I'm still aiming to do Medicine after I graduate - the only issue I worry about is the money because as I said I'm unable to get a student loan so I will have to (somehow!) come up with £9000 a year - but there are bursaries available which can reduce fees to £6000.
Do have a look at th UEA foundation year programme and check their requirements as last time I looked they didn't need chemistry but it may have changed. You could consider just taking a chemistry AS if need be.
Good luck
I applied for UEA and had an offer for A100 Medicine last year - I really wanted to apply for the foundation year as I met all the requirements but they advised me not to because my existing grades were a fair bit higher (A*AB) than their requirements (BBB). I was doing an extra year at sixth form because I basically spent too long deciding whether to apply for medicine at the start of year 13 that I decided to wait a year and do some more work experience etc. But then UEA changed their requirements to needing chemistry, so I went back to sixth form and did AS and A2 chemistry at the same time. It was hard, I got a B and I needed an A so I didn't meet my offer
however I also had an offer for my non medicine choice (Occupational Therapy) and that's what I'm doing now. It is a difficult decision but if medicine is in your heart don't give up! There are a few options!
Access courses are something to think about - there's a college near me that does access to medicine but you need to have been 'out if education' for two years prior to starting and need some work in health care, but if you didn't want to do another degree first then you could try and get a job in the NHS for a couple of years after sixth form and apply that way.
I'm still aiming to do Medicine after I graduate - the only issue I worry about is the money because as I said I'm unable to get a student loan so I will have to (somehow!) come up with £9000 a year - but there are bursaries available which can reduce fees to £6000.
Do have a look at th UEA foundation year programme and check their requirements as last time I looked they didn't need chemistry but it may have changed. You could consider just taking a chemistry AS if need be.
Good luck
Thanks for ths suggestion, but already looked into UEA as I stayed there before for a function thing I had in Norwich and my family and I stayed at the uni accommodation and I really Liked it, but I dont meet the requirements, I live in essex, but annual income is too high, my parents have been to uni (multiple times!!), never been in care and my school does not meet their requirements either
but I've decided to do a degree in cardiac physiology then see if I could work for a few years then try to get into medicine after if I can as a mature student Original post by GraceLynn
Thanks for ths suggestion, but already looked into UEA as I stayed there before for a function thing I had in Norwich and my family and I stayed at the uni accommodation and I really Liked it, but I dont meet the requirements, I live in essex, but annual income is too high, my parents have been to uni (multiple times!!), never been in care and my school does not meet their requirements either but I've decided to do a degree in cardiac physiology then see if I could work for a few years then try to get into medicine after if I can as a mature student
but I've decided to do a degree in cardiac physiology then see if I could work for a few years then try to get into medicine after if I can as a mature student Cardiac physiology sounds great and in the end you'll be well prepared! Good luck
Original post by jessica.thomas
It's worth pointing out too that if you already have a degree you can't apply for another student loan, so medicine would be paid for upfront.
That isn't quite true. There are several courses exempt from the ELQ (Equal and Lesser degree) rule, meaning at least some funding in the form of (at least one of) tuition fee loan, maintenance loan and bursary is available. This includes medicine.
If medicine is really want you want then take a gap year and do at least an AS in chemistry. It's possible to do both AS and A2 at the same time at some schools/ colleges. However you do need 3 As and if you wont get them better to look at different careers. Cardiac physiology would be a rewarding career.
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