Failed medicine - certificate of higher education?

I was studying medicine and failed 2 exams. I resat both and this time passed on of them but still failed one again.
I am now told that I could appeal if I wanted to and potentially retake the year. I hear the odds of them accepting the appeal are very low and even so, I'm not sure I have it in me to retake the year. After having completed the same content twice already and failing again I don't have the heart to try again.

I'm apparently eligible for a Certificate of Higher Education. From what I understand it's just to say I have studied at university for a year and is one level above A-levels. Is it worth me taking it? What can a certificate of higher education do for me in terms of future study or jobs? Does it hold any value in the eyes of employers/universities?

Any help would be appreciated
Many thanks

Reply 1

ApplyYourself

16

Original post by nk786

I was studying medicine and failed 2 exams. I resat both and this time passed on of them but still failed one again.
I am now told that I could appeal if I wanted to and potentially retake the year. I hear the odds of them accepting the appeal are very low and even so, I'm not sure I have it in me to retake the year. After having completed the same content twice already and failing again I don't have the heart to try again.

I'm apparently eligible for a Certificate of Higher Education. From what I understand it's just to say I have studied at university for a year and is one level above A-levels. Is it worth me taking it? What can a certificate of higher education do for me in terms of future study or jobs? Does it hold any value in the eyes of employers/universities?

Any help would be appreciated
Many thanks

Commiserations bro :frown:

I have a strong desire to study medicine but due to current circumstances have decided against it which is pretty depressing, to have been on a medicine degree and not be able to continue must be crushing, I feel your pain.

The HNC prob won't be great for job prospects but will be useful for joining a degree in either the 2nd or 3rd year, particularly degrees allied to medicine such as neuroscience.

I can't offer any advice on the appeal but would advise to go ahead with an appeal and make sure you get to retake the year, watch in the pursuit of happyness for some inspiration :smile:

Good luck I hope they let you finish the degree.

Reply 2

nk786

OP

Original post by ApplyYourself

Commiserations bro :frown:

I have a strong desire to study medicine but due to current circumstances have decided against it which is pretty depressing, to have been on a medicine degree and not be able to continue must be crushing, I feel your pain.

The HNC prob won't be great for job prospects but will be useful for joining a degree in either the 2nd or 3rd year, particularly degrees allied to medicine such as neuroscience.

I can't offer any advice on the appeal but would advise to go ahead with an appeal and make sure you get to retake the year, watch in the pursuit of happyness for some inspiration :smile:

Good luck I hope they let you finish the degree.

I'm sorry you're not able to study what you want to. I hope your circumstances clear up and you get the chance to at some point.

Thank you for your advice, if the HNC could help me study later then maybe I should go for that. Thank you

Anybody else? All advice/help is welcome...

Reply 3

Lionheartat20

11

Original post by nk786

I'm sorry you're not able to study what you want to. I hope your circumstances clear up and you get the chance to at some point.

Thank you for your advice, if the HNC could help me study later then maybe I should go for that. Thank you

Anybody else? All advice/help is welcome...

Sorry to hear your circumstances.

It depends how motivated you are to be a Doctor at the end of the day.

Firstly, you can always appeal - try your hardest to get given the opportunity to resit another year - and then you can always choose not to. If they reject your appeal, I would be slightly more comfortable in the knowledge that I tried to get the decision overturned. Otherwise, in a few years, might you think "Damn, I should have appealed".

Secondly, you can try to increase your chances of the appeal being successful. Is there any reason whatsoever that may have affected your performance in either exam? E.g. family illness, having persistently low mood, illness of your own. Anything like this would absolutely increase your chances of retaking the year at my uni (Soton) so probably similar to your uni.

Thirdly, that Certificate sounds like you passed two years of medical school and failed the third? If so, even if you are not massively motivated to do medicine, you can check whether the 3rd year would give you a much stronger qualification if you were to drop out after passing it (i.e. appeal - pass the year - leave if you so wish).

Best wishes for whatever you choose to do :smile:

Reply 4

Ezme39

19

Can you ask the uni to let you transfer onto a related course which you could find easier? Things like biomed, neuroscience etc.
I don't know about the certificate, but anything you can get from this is worth it.
In terms of the appeal, I guess it depends if you still have the drive to study medicine. I study medicine, and can absolutely see why the pressure of failing would put you off carrying on.
That said, I know of a guy who has resat three of his years, and he's now becoming an F1, and despite being held back he seems pretty happy.

Reply 5

martin7

20

Original post by ApplyYourself

The HNC prob won't be great for job prospects

It's worth mentioning that a Certificate of Higher Education is not the same as an HNC.

According to Wikipedia: "The attainment level of the qualification [i.e. the HNC] is roughly equivalent to one year of university and a Certificate of Higher Education"
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_National_Certificate)

... but they're different qualifications.

Reply 6

ApplyYourself

16

Original post by martin7

It's worth mentioning that a Certificate of Higher Education is not the same as an HNC.

According to Wikipedia: "The attainment level of the qualification [i.e. the HNC] is roughly equivalent to one year of university and a Certificate of Higher Education"
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_National_Certificate)

... but they're different qualifications.

Well spotted and thanks for correcting me :colondollar:

Reply 7

DamnDaniel2

18

Original post by nk786

I was studying medicine and failed 2 exams. I resat both and this time passed on of them but still failed one again.
I am now told that I could appeal if I wanted to and potentially retake the year. I hear the odds of them accepting the appeal are very low and even so, I'm not sure I have it in me to retake the year. After having completed the same content twice already and failing again I don't have the heart to try again.

I'm apparently eligible for a Certificate of Higher Education. From what I understand it's just to say I have studied at university for a year and is one level above A-levels. Is it worth me taking it? What can a certificate of higher education do for me in terms of future study or jobs? Does it hold any value in the eyes of employers/universities?

Any help would be appreciated
Many thanks

Congratulations! You are perhaps on the most competitive course in the world so please be happy with this achievement!
My advice would be to first tell yourself how motivated you are to become a doctor as this will influence your decision to a large extent.
If you are still motivated then I suggest retaking one more time and giving it your all this time. Although people assume getting into medicine means you made it, this is not the case as you'll be competing with others throughout your course, so yes will be very challenging but not impossible!

If you can pass one of the exams having failed it earlier then I'm sure you can pass all of them this last time. I wouldn't miss out on an opportunity to be able to retake one more time :smile:

You do have potential! You just need to find your motivation and actually have that success attitude.
Honestly, just give your 100% this time round and even if you passed all your exams if you do retake the year, ask yourself whether you think medicine is actually for you and then go from there :smile: