Graduate to nursing to medicine! HELP PLEASE!

Morning!
First post, but long time lurker, I'm desperately looking for some advice... Will try to be brief :smile:

I'm 26, with a 2:1 degree in Philosophy and Politics and a very unusual educational record. I was home educated and so only have four GCSEs in English, Maths and Science, I was also unable to sit these exams due to being ill so they're not great grades (B,C,C,C) my A-levels are in Psychology, English and History, but again I was hospitalised during the exams and underperformed (BCC).

I decided I wanted to study medicine a few years ago now, so I returned to studying, I'm just finishing off an access to medicine course with straight distinctions obtained so far.

I applied to Keele, Lancaster, Brighton and Sussex and Bristol last year as my UKCAT was rubbish (610) and have been rejected from all four. I believe I can pull my UKCAT score up a fair bit as I did next to nothing preparation for it last year (last minute application).

My dilemma is, I'm not sure whether my rocky educational history will ever be good enough to get me an interview to the 5 year course. The GEM course would therefore be an obvious choice, but considering my poor UKCAT score last year, I'm not sure if I'm being too naive to assume I can improve my score to 740+ in order to gain an interview. I also intend to sit the GAMSAT this year, but I'm not holding out too much hope for getting a good enough score there either.

I have worked as a care assistant now for nearly 2 years and although I love the job, I'm getting quite frustrated. It's difficult watching most of my friends buy houses/ go holidaying/enjoying themselves etc. when I'm working between 40-50 hours a week just to pay bills as the salary is so poor, whilst juggling a nearly full time course, which could all be for nothing if I keep getting rejected. I decided I needed a backup plan in case I'm just not capable of ever getting into medical school so applied through UCAS extra for a graduate nursing course and now have an interview.

My plan would be to do the nursing course if I got offered a place (it's 2 years instead of 3) and then continue to apply to medicine each year (I would defer to 2018 so I could complete the course). If I continued to get rejected, I could then work as a nurse and I'm sure I would love the job, my worry is however, that working beside Doctors all day would be a constant reminder of how nursing was not what I really wanted to do.
I'm just wondering what peoples opinions are of approaching medicine like this. I am genuinely concerned I just might not be capable of medicine, I feel therefore like I need some sort of backup plan and I feel that nursing would be the best choice. But I worry it will look bad completing a nursing course and continuing to apply to medicine each year...
Any advice would be amazing as I'm totally confused about what to do right now!

Sorry for waffling.

Thank youuu

Reply 1

lcsurfer

I wouldn't go into nursing unless you actually want to do nursing, even if you do a nursing degree you still have to hit the same parameters as before i.e. UKCAT, GAMSAT.
Spend the time finding a new job if your fed up and doing the GAMSAT practice or UKCAT. Or travel and do all the fun things!
I went from 680 to 770 in a UKCAT with just a bit more prep and confidence, grad entry would be fine for you. But since you are doing the access to medicine you will e fine. just make sure you do a load of research into the different uni's and what they require. It can take 3-4 attempts to get in. It took me twice and some of my friends 3 or 4 times for the grad entry.

Reply 2

Khiro

Thanks for the reply :smile:

I guess I'm just worried that medicine may never happen. I feel like I need to prepare in case I don't get in at all to medicine after 3-4 applications and nursing would definitely be the best option if I couldn't be a doctor. I'm just worried that studying nursing whilst applying would immediately put my application down, even if UKCAT/GAMSAT was good enough...

Reply 3

jackjohnstone

With GEM, UKCAT can make or break an application.

I am currently studying graduate medicine, but it took me 3 tries to get in. It definitely takes perseverance, but if it is what you really want, it is worth it.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 4

Quilverine

Make use of the 2:i and apply graduate entry. Warwick, Newcastle, Swansea and SGUL don't give a stuff about pre-degree studies. Try the GAMSAT, Swansea have lots of places so you don't have to get a ridiculous score and Warwick have gone under 700 for cutoff before so don't start panic applications to things you arent desperately interested in just yet!

I got a third time lucky UKCAT score. Bloody stupid test, hate it. But sitting it a few times really helps. Good luck for your next sitting.

Reply 5

Khiro

It's so reassuring to hear of people getting in third time. Do you mind me asking you guys how much you managed to bump your scores up by?

I hate the thing but I'm literally going to keep doing it each year until I get in, even if it takes 10 years haha.

Graduate to nursing to medicine! HELP PLEASE!

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