UCL Chem or KCL Med

I have received an offer to study medicine at kings and chemistry at UCL. Now I've visited ucl and LOVED it! I can't visit kings properly because I have work commitment and responsibilities. My friend goes kings and doesn't really like it. I'm not sure what to do at all! I really love chem but I really want to be a Dr there's no other career I want/could see myself doing.
I know medicine is ridiculously hard to get into but I was told that at ucl 100% of their applicants get into med at graduate level.

Reply 1

Democracy

20

Original post by naljamil

I have received an offer to study medicine at kings and chemistry at UCL. Now I've visited ucl and LOVED it! I can't visit kings properly because I have work commitment and responsibilities. My friend goes kings and doesn't really like it. I'm not sure what to do at all! I really love chem but I really want to be a Dr there's no other career I want/could see myself doing.
I know medicine is ridiculously hard to get into but I was told that at ucl 100% of their applicants get into med at graduate level.

How is this even a question? If you want to be a doctor, go to GKT. Chemistry at UCL will be for the next three years, being a doctor is for the rest of your life - and there's no guarantee whatsoever that you'll get into graduate entry medicine after going to UCL. So you'd be extremely foolish to pass up an offer to do the job you've always wanted just so that you can be a UCL student for three years. Seriously dude, take a step back and just think about what you're saying here.

Not sure why your friend's experience is really relevant either...just cause they don't like it there doesn't mean it'll be the same for you.

GKT is just a few stops away from UCL on the tube, you could definitely go and wander around their campus for an hour or two one weekend.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 2

Hydromancer

7

As others have pointed out above, if you really want to be a doctor then this question is actually somewhat redundant.

Reply 3

345rty

12

If you didn't want it why did you apply?

You could do chemistry but what if funding for graduate entry changes or you have other pressures to get earning? Unless you really can't consider 5 years at kings (in which case would you really have applied there) I'd take the medicine offer.

Reply 4

KanKan

11

Original post by naljamil

I have received an offer to study medicine at kings and chemistry at UCL. Now I've visited ucl and LOVED it! I can't visit kings properly because I have work commitment and responsibilities. My friend goes kings and doesn't really like it. I'm not sure what to do at all! I really love chem but I really want to be a Dr there's no other career I want/could see myself doing.
I know medicine is ridiculously hard to get into but I was told that at ucl 100% of their applicants get into med at graduate level.

Am I the only one who understands your situation here? Lets all gasp at the prospect of a wannabe medic having other interests!

To answer your question, have a long think about your priorities. If you wan't to do chemistry so badly, then do it, you won't regret it.
However, you have to know that graduate entry medicine is much more competitive than undergraduate entry medicine. Also, like people have said, you are wasting an offer - as medicine offers are increasingly rare.

Reply 5

seaholme

19

Kings is great, nothing wrong with the place! It's not possible for 100% of people to be guaranteed a place after a Chemistry degree, so you're always going to be stepping into the unknown. Chemistry and Medicine are really very different from each other, so I suppose that's why I find it hard to understand the dilemma :P

I would pick for the subject and not for the place. UCL and KCL are both good and they're both a really similar environment being in the middle of London. Just one is North (and better*) and one is South. If you want to do Medicine, go for it regardless of place. If you want to do Chemistry, go for it regardless of place.

*it's okay, they pay me to say it so don't take this seriously

Reply 6

Zorg

18

Ask your friend why they don't like KCL and consider whether they are likely to affect you. Departments vary wildly within unis and as a medic you're not always based on campus.
Email the admissions/admin team at GKT school and ask if you could have a short visit as you'd like to make an informed decision about going there. Outline briefly why you couldn't make the organised open day.
Most importantly, seriously consider how much you want to do medicine. At graduate level the competition is fierce. I think KCL receive over 1500 applications for their graduate entry medicine course, with only ~20 receiving offers. Even a best case scenario is approximately a 10:1 applicant to offer ratio. So in essence, how much would you kick yourself if you didn't get in to graduate entry medicine having given up the opportunity to study medicine previously?
This also assumes the financing for the graduate entry course is manageable, funding for which is currently up in the air for 2015 entry let alone the year you will enter.

Reply 7

Democracy

20

Original post by KanKan

Am I the only one who understands your situation here? Lets all gasp at the prospect of a wannabe medic having other interests!

I have other interests too, but I didn't contemplate giving up my med school offer to try and have a punt at being a journalist for Rolling Stone...

Reply 8

Maxxie

15

Original post by naljamil

I have received an offer to study medicine at kings and chemistry at UCL. Now I've visited ucl and LOVED it! I can't visit kings properly because I have work commitment and responsibilities. My friend goes kings and doesn't really like it. I'm not sure what to do at all! I really love chem but I really want to be a Dr there's no other career I want/could see myself doing.
I know medicine is ridiculously hard to get into but I was told that at ucl 100% of their applicants get into med at graduate level.

I pretty much agree with everything Democracy has said, so I have nothing great to add to your question. However, I did attend UCL previously and I would not choose it over the chance to do medicine (and KCL is a great university).

I just wanted an elaboration on what you meant by the section I've highlighted. Because I know several UCL graduates who haven't made it onto a GEM course (I myself received 7 pre-interview rejections), and UCL don't even have a GEM course.

Finally don't be stupid, If you want to be a doctor, study Medicine. There's no guarantee that you'll get their later, and frankly it's a massive waste of time to take the other route you're considering.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 9

carcinoma

17

Original post by naljamil

I have received an offer to study medicine at kings and chemistry at UCL. Now I've visited ucl and LOVED it! I can't visit kings properly because I have work commitment and responsibilities. My friend goes kings and doesn't really like it. I'm not sure what to do at all! I really love chem but I really want to be a Dr there's no other career I want/could see myself doing.
I know medicine is ridiculously hard to get into but I was told that at ucl 100% of their applicants get into med at graduate level.

You would have to be dizzy to want to do medicine and choose to do chemistry, because you might not like the medical school!

Lol

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Reply 10

username1155925

14

If you want to do medicine, go to kings! Look on the KCL medicine applicants page and you'll see people who are going insane waiting for an offer from kings, including me. You have an offer from a brilliant medical school, if you want to do medicine, go for it. Graduate medicine is a lot harder to get into and you have to wait 3 years for it.

Reply 11

Mushi_master

17

How can you even be questioning this - you want to be a doctor, therefore you need medicine. You haven't even visited kings to compare. You're going on the view of one friend (who knows how subjective their experience is, and how little that may apply to you?).

If you truly want to be a doctor, you'll surely do the sensible thing and take the medicine offer. Getting into medicine as a grad is much, much more competitive so whoever claimed it wasn't, well, was talking out of their arse. Finally, Kings is great, I love it here and have had a fantastic experience, same goes for all my friends here. If you're really stuck, then atleast go and visit it before you choose something you might regret.

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Reply 12

KA125

5

Seems fairly obvious... if you really want to become a doctor you obviously go to kings... Unless you're happy to do another 7 years study (providing you get in at graduate entry medicine somewhere).

Do what you will

Reply 13

Beska

21

I'm actually quite flabbergasted at this question.

Reply 14

letsbehonest

15

Hahaha most medics don't even get their first choice.

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Reply 15

letsbehonest

15

And there is no guarantee you will get offers with medicine lol regardless of grades

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Reply 16

Cephalosporin

8

Is KCL that bad?! OP, please, if medicine is really want you want to do, firm that offer from King's!!!!!!! Ask any graduate applicant on TSR, applying as a grad is competitive as €€#}€€#£#£££**%££€€ and it's not something one wants to put themselves through willingly. I know excellent applicants from Oxbridge who failed to secure a place this cycle just because the competition is absolutely fierce. Going to a competitive school like UCL actually makes it harder because it'd arguably be more difficult to get an upper second/first class degree if the grading curve is particularly steep. If you really have a thing for UCL, why not apply to North Central Thames foundation school to do your foundation training as a F1? Or, maybe you can look into doing your intercalated year at UCL. I think you can if a particular course is not offered at King's. Also, you'll grow really fond of your medical school by the end of your first year there, trust me. :smile:

Reply 17

naljamil

OP

Original post by Maxxie

I pretty much agree with everything Democracy has said, so I have nothing great to add to your question. However, I did attend UCL previously and I would not choose it over the chance to do medicine (and KCL is a great university).

I just wanted an elaboration on what you meant by the section I've highlighted. Because I know several UCL graduates who haven't made it onto a GEM course (I myself received 7 pre-interview rejections), and UCL don't even have a GEM course.

Finally don't be stupid, If you want to be a doctor, study Medicine. There's no guarantee that you'll get their later, and frankly it's a massive waste of time to take the other route you're considering.

A lot of people have picked up on that quote! Lol

It was said to me by the head of chem admissions at ucl. He was just highlighting that in terms of getting into med at graduate entry chem at ucl is my best bet ( he didn't know I had an offer) because the entry rate of ucl students into med was higher at the chem department that biomed or any other dept.
he was stressing how desirable chem students from ucl are cus of how rigorous the course is. And the year before every chem student who applied got in but for all I know that could have been one person.....

Reply 18

naljamil

OP

Original post by Cephalosporin

Is KCL that bad?! OP, please, if medicine is really want you want to do, firm that offer from King's!!!!!!! Ask any graduate applicant on TSR, applying as a grad is competitive as €€#}€€#£#£££**%££€€ and it's not something one wants to put themselves through willingly. I know excellent applicants from Oxbridge who failed to secure a place this cycle just because the competition is absolutely fierce. Going to a competitive school like UCL actually makes it harder because it'd arguably be more difficult to get an upper second/first class degree if the grading curve is particularly steep. If you really have a thing for UCL, why not apply to North Central Thames foundation school to do your foundation training as a F1? Or, maybe you can look into doing your intercalated year at UCL. I think you can if a particular course is not offered at King's. Also, you'll grow really fond of your medical school by the end of your first year there, trust me. :smile:

Thank you sooooo much for your reply. Really really helpful :wink:

I firmed KCL btw and even attended the open day and I'm happy to say I love it!

An intercalated year never occurred to me acc so know I'm very happy cus I'm pretty sure I'll be doing it in chemistry so at least I can satisfy my other interests.