Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

I wanna study medicine, but...

...all I've basically got is the SAT's. I've finished one full-time year of college in the USA, on a pre-med biology dgree track. I'm really on a roll there, just got into the Chancellor's Honors Program and will start shadowing in an emergency room this fall. The only problem is I won't be able to afford all four years.

Now I'm wanting to apply to the UK. I'm a Finnish/EU national but can't speak Finnish well enough for the med school entrance exams here. I applied to the King's Lynn Access to Medicine course, until I hear back from them I'm going back to college in America.

Could someone advise me on what's the best possible thing I could do to get into a UK med course in 2007? Are there certain schools that may be more flexible with their academic standards, or less competitive, than others? If I don't go to King's Lynn, all I'll have to apply with is a good GPA and SAT score (plus a UKCAT score, if that went well!). If I wait for a third year, I won't be eligible for EU-tuition status anymore! I've also tried to find out about the Irish system, but the information online so far has been vague...

Thanks to anyone who can help me out :biggrin:

Reply 1

Fluffy

UK med schools do not care about your SAT score.

You will (usually) need a GPA of 3.6 or above (for the non-Access route).

I'm not sure Kings Lynn will take you with a biology degree either... My understanding was they did not want to be used as a back door entry route by people with relevant subjects but low grades, and were there to act as an access point for people with unrelated and vocational qualifications...

There is no such thing as an uncompetative or less competative UK med school. Expect between 5 and 40 applicants per place, depending on course type and location. This tends to vary year on year as people apply to the one with a low app rate the year before...

EDIT - just read read your post. Hadn't noticed you had only done 1 year of a degree. You will need to talk to each med school individually to see what they will consider. The usual non-degree entry requirement over here is AAA/AAB at A-Level. You will not normally get any credit for an incomplete degree.