Tips on becoming a paid HCA

Hey mate.
Make a generic one and then modify that according to the role stated more specifically.
Talk about the knowledge that you have, where you have held responsibility, shown professionalism, and empathy and altruism.
For medicine can be anything involving care. I myself applied to be a disability support worker, and have been doing that for about 1.3 years now.

Have seen on your profile that you have Aspergers. I don't know if you would like to do disability support but you could say that you can empathise with others for the reason that you have found communication difficult in the past, and it has given you sort of an understanding of the meaning and value of 'person centred care'. As long as you show you would find communication to be functional at the moment with those supported etc.

You could say that you try and be altruistic in everyday life, giving to charity regularly or where possible. It would look good on an application if you did work with an organisation like the Red Cross, Unicef etc.

I'm not sure how things are going to come together ultimately, but I'm prepping myself for an application for graduate med.
Just hoping money isn't an issue, as my job currently pays peanuts. Expensive endeavour that it is.

I can't remember the figures as I calculated ages ago.

But I think the low up front figure, currently, for GEM is quite low (relatively) - at about the 3k. Then there are the fees of living away from home for the 4 years.
Though it is suggested that it is best to apply to undergraduate medicine as well, due to the even greater competitiveness of graduate medicine - which requires massive financial input up front (I think), as well as the cost of living away from home etc.

Absolute conjecture, but I can assume that there may be changes to GEM with regards to length (as I think is discongruent with European law or something currently?) and thus may get funding for the 5 year scheme with GEM lengthened to the same duration as undergraduate levels.

Maybe you're right!
I was thinking of applying some years in the future when about 28, with the £45k in my pocket. Though this is a risky strategy, as things often tend to change. So what could be £45k needed now, this could change in the future, or other admissions policy etc.
Just applying to GEM is worrying though, just because of the competition. I'm almost tempted to try and see if can do an access course to medicine haha (not that would be tenable, take too long!), cause I think I will always feel I don't know enough (suppose I have a tad of an inferiority complex). But then they again they say that you're not expected to know a huge deal of medicine before you apply.

My plan currently is to apply when 25, when have finished my masters degree and have done a year of work so have some money saved up. Though may apply when 26 if money is an issue, after a further year of work. I wouldn't see these as wasted, as could probably take part in research and stuff as well as getting new caring and voluntary experience etc., as well as reading bulky textbooks (Bought Davidson's principles of medicine, crazy big but seems useful).
Thinking of going for GP if I can, as I'm more of a generalist than a specialist sort of person. I get bored easily ^^. It's also quite a bit shorter, their training, than to be a consultant.

Yeah, doing a masters in neuroscience after doing a degree in psychology. Not been very motivated though for the MSc as I have used it to essentially kill time and gain more knowledge generally and caring experience, and just really to mature before dealing with death for the rest of my life (yay!).
I'm paying for the masters myself with my job.
Fair enough! Just be sure to get lots of experience in care settings whilst doing the degree