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Awful AS results but want to do medicine

I got my AS results and they were really bad. I got:
Biology: E
Chemistry: D
Geography: B
French: D
I've wanted to drop French since Christmas but now I'm worried that I'll have to keep that and drop biology. I absolutely cannot drop biology. I don't see an alternative career. I have done all the work experience and extra curricular a necessary and all I needed was the grades. At least with BBC I would have decent predictions. With this I have hardly any options. What can I do?? I dont even think a non medicine course would take me with these results .

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Reply 1
Original post by abcd12399
I got my AS results and they were really bad. I got:
Biology: E
Chemistry: D
Geography: B
French: D
I've wanted to drop French since Christmas but now I'm worried that I'll have to keep that and drop biology. I absolutely cannot drop biology. I don't see an alternative career. I have done all the work experience and extra curricular a necessary and all I needed was the grades. At least with BBC I would have decent predictions. With this I have hardly any options. What can I do?? I dont even think a non medicine course would take me with these results .

Smash your A2 year and apply for 2018 entry
Reply 2
Original post by SGHD26716
Smash your A2 year and apply for 2018 entry


Do you think it's worth trying to find a low requirement Biomed course?
Reply 3
Original post by abcd12399
Do you think it's worth trying to find a low requirement Biomed course?


What this year?

Look, if you really love medicine that much you would take the gap year. You could do the biomedical course next year if you are unsuccessful. It's just one year.
Reply 4
Original post by abcd12399
I got my AS results and they were really bad. I got:
Biology: E
Chemistry: D
Geography: B
French: D
I've wanted to drop French since Christmas but now I'm worried that I'll have to keep that and drop biology. I absolutely cannot drop biology. I don't see an alternative career. I have done all the work experience and extra curricular a necessary and all I needed was the grades. At least with BBC I would have decent predictions. With this I have hardly any options. What can I do?? I dont even think a non medicine course would take me with these results .


Well done on your Geography!

You need to have a serious think about whether academically you are suited to medicine if you are so far from getting the required grades to even start the course in 1 year's time.

Which exam board are you with? AQA's new AS grade boundaries for Biology were pretty generous. Even with BBC there would be little reason for your teachers to predict you higher than BBC.

Perhaps think about redoing your AS with different subjects you are more suited to? Instead of a science degree you would be unhappy with and have to get in to a huge amount of debt over.

I know this may not be what you want to hear right now, but what exactly is going to happen in 1 year that will transform your Chemistry and Biology to As? Even if that was to happen, your UCAS etc. will be based on these AS grades. If you do end up getting the required grades next summer, you could apply for 2018 entry but run the risk of not getting in and having to do another science degree you are not interested in.
Only choice is to reapply next year with achieved grades. But that does mean that you wont be applying to uni this year. If you really want to do medicine then graduate entry isn't the best way at all
Reply 6
I didn't do too well in my AS exams. I was wondering if it was possible to do a degree in nursing and then transfer to medicine as a graduate. I know that it is very competitive but I would be prepared to work hard. Would I be at a disadvantage compared to those who do a biomedical/biochemistry degree? I am taking Chemistry to A2 but cannot take Biology as I achieved an E.
Original post by abcd12399
I didn't do too well in my AS exams. I was wondering if it was possible to do a degree in nursing and then transfer to medicine as a graduate. I know that it is very competitive but I would be prepared to work hard. Would I be at a disadvantage compared to those who do a biomedical/biochemistry degree? I am taking Chemistry to A2 but cannot take Biology as I achieved an E.


I don't think you should use nursing as a stepping stone to Medicine tbh - it's a very difficult course in its own right.
Reply 8
Is it worth retaking AS again?
If you really want to do medicine then graduate entry isn't something to consider at this stage. Its long, expensive and more competitive. You still have your A2s to go, so why not work really hard this year, get 3As then reapply for 2018 entry. If you cant get three As even after a year of hard work then maybe medicines not for you.
Just to add, you won't be at a disadvantage but good advice above.
Original post by abcd12399
I didn't do too well in my AS exams. I was wondering if it was possible to do a degree in nursing and then transfer to medicine as a graduate. I know that it is very competitive but I would be prepared to work hard. Would I be at a disadvantage compared to those who do a biomedical/biochemistry degree? I am taking Chemistry to A2 but cannot take Biology as I achieved an E.


This is a very difficult route to take, much harder than working your socks off this year to get the grades if you can, taking a gap year and applying with grades in hand.
Reply 12
But can I even take the gap year route if my college won't let me take Biology A2?
Original post by abcd12399
I didn't do too well in my AS exams. I was wondering if it was possible to do a degree in nursing and then transfer to medicine as a graduate. I know that it is very competitive but I would be prepared to work hard. Would I be at a disadvantage compared to those who do a biomedical/biochemistry degree? I am taking Chemistry to A2 but cannot take Biology as I achieved an E.


I will echo what the excellent @usycool1 has said. Nursing is a profession in its own right, it is not a stepping stone to be used simply to get in to medicine. Only pick nursing if you actually want to be a nurse.

If you want a route to medicine there are plenty of other degrees you can do. Pick a subject that interests you, it doesn't necessarily have to be a science one, although that would make life easier.


Or like others have said, don't apply this year and focus on getting those grades up. What went wrong in biology this year? The exams shouldn't count, so if you can work out what went wrong speak to your teachers and see if you can convince them to let you keep going with it.
Original post by abcd12399
I got my AS results and they were really bad. I got:
Biology: E
Chemistry: D
Geography: B
French: D
I've wanted to drop French since Christmas but now I'm worried that I'll have to keep that and drop biology. I absolutely cannot drop biology. I don't see an alternative career. I have done all the work experience and extra curricular a necessary and all I needed was the grades. At least with BBC I would have decent predictions. With this I have hardly any options. What can I do?? I dont even think a non medicine course would take me with these results .


Good morning,

If you're really intent on studying Medicine, you can really knuckle down and as written above, try to 'shmash your A2 year' :smile: .

Are you doing linear or modular A levels? With the new linear system, many med schools aren't considering AS level grades, so if you think you can revise and revise and revise and get those A grades you want in your A2 year, then you could do it.

If you are doing modular A levels, then you may have to retake some exams. This can make things tricky, as many med schools don't consider applicants with retakes.

We've got a list of all UK Med School Resit Policies for A levels / AS levels.

We've also got a list of all the Med Schools and how they consider AS levels here.

Try and apply strategically!

Hope you find the above useful, and good luck!

The Medic Portal
OP unfortunately all Russell group universities will not consider the applicant for medicine if exams or A levels are completed over a duration of 3 years however i would strongly advise that you work extremely hard next year to improve them grades because i know students from my own school whom this year have went on to do medicine/veterinary science who didnt have particularly good grades but got a special letter from their year head indicating that these students previous results are of high caliber and that if given a conditional offer they would work hard to obtain the outlined results! hope that helps
Original post by abcd12399
I got my AS results and they were really bad. I got:
Biology: E
Chemistry: D
Geography: B
French: D
I've wanted to drop French since Christmas but now I'm worried that I'll have to keep that and drop biology. I absolutely cannot drop biology. I don't see an alternative career. I have done all the work experience and extra curricular a necessary and all I needed was the grades. At least with BBC I would have decent predictions. With this I have hardly any options. What can I do?? I dont even think a non medicine course would take me with these results .


Your better off going for something else like chemistry or biochem. For medicine for this year entry you have 0% chance. People who have AAAA at AS are sometimes not offered a place.
You can drop biology, many universities don't ask for it for medical school, e.g. Newcastle, Bristol, Sheffield and more. I didn't do Biology AS level (as it is my worse science), so do your research and I'm sure there will be a school for you!
Original post by abcd12399
I didn't do too well in my AS exams. I was wondering if it was possible to do a degree in nursing and then transfer to medicine as a graduate. I know that it is very competitive but I would be prepared to work hard. Would I be at a disadvantage compared to those who do a biomedical/biochemistry degree? I am taking Chemistry to A2 but cannot take Biology as I achieved an E.


I saw your other post about doing medicine. I would say just think about another career path. Do YOU want to do medicine? or do your PARENTS want you to do medicine?
Reply 19
Try as hard as you can this year. If you want to apply for biomed in the meantime, in case you don't get AAA, then you could- but your main focus should be getting the highest grades possible.
Post grad medicine is much more competitive and expensive, so if there's any chance of you getting in as an undergrad then do it! Getting the grades, and applying on a gap year, is the most logical option.
Don't retake AS as a whole. Spending three years on your A-levels is a huge turn off to pretty much all med schools, and it won't be worth it.

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