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Odd alternative route to medicine via biomedicine 1 year for a die hard wannabe medic

basically. I've started an English degree and realised it was medicine I really should have done and am in such regret.

Someone at my uni is doing her first year in biomedicine (as she didn't get the A Level grades) and if she gets a 2.1 in her first year she can go straight into the 5 year medicine degree. Which is my best bet for medicine as I do not have chemistry at A Level.

So my questions are

1) can you change courses from an arts degree to a science degree for the spring term?
2) can i trust this method? how can i not guarantee that the BSMS (Brighton and sussex medical school) won't change their mind after i've completed the first year of biomedical science?

help appreciated!!!

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Reply 1

krisstassen

I hav no clue and am no help at all here..but surely u can just drop out now...and reapply using ucas in september for biomedicine.....alot of unis then hav graduate programmes..so u wont hav to be limited to BSMS.when u upgrade to medicine.....
this is all my guesswork really......

I have heard alot of unis do foundation years as well so if ur a levels were good im sure some unis do a straight 6 year course for those who took the wrong subjects

Reply 2

Madprof

1) I dunno, depends on your uni. But transfering midway through the year form a completely unrelated subject is really tough, I've never heard of anyone being allowed to do it. Your best bet is to drop out altogether and reapply, if you're sure English isn't for you.

2) No, you can't. There have been many many threads on the medicine via first year biomed route, and I'm not going to repeat them - you can use the search button at the top of the forum to read what was said - but basically it's very competitive and not a very reliable option at all.

My advice would be, if you're sure you don't want to study English, to drop out and either apply next year for medicine with a foundation year (for people with arts A-levels) or take Chemistry A-level (possibly Biology too) starting this September and apply next year for five year medical courses.

Reply 3

Fluffy

This is the first I've heard of BSMS doing this... I've got a good friend whose a senior lecturer there - I'll ask her...

Reply 4

graemematt

2.1 grades and your friend can enter the medical school? I find this quite hard to believe...when I was back in my 1st/2nd years I needed 1st class grades to even get an interview for St Andrews med school, following which I was rejected (but then again so was EVERYONE going by this route...). Seems like if that were the case, a lot more people would follow through with this method.

Reply 5

theatrical

Myabe the 2.1 means she can apply for a transfer. A 2.1 seems pretty low though, and surely if they guarenteed a place to all those getting 2.1s in first year, they'd be overrun!

Reply 6

linkdapink

I'm at Newcastle uni doing biomedicine, although I'm one of the few that chose a biomedic degree as my first choice. With about 200 people in the first year doing biomedic degrees (i.e. genetics, physiology etc which all have same first year) about 100 want to be medics, and are applying to switch at the end of this year. Out of that 100, there is only a maximum of SEVEN places. And thats a max. They don't even have to fill those places if they don't want to.

If I was you, I'd drop out and reapply for next year, but you've missed the deadline for applying for medicine now I think. Maybe if it really was something that you had to do, then either finish your degree, and try again then, or just drop out and applying for 2009 entry, and in the mean time build up your "extra curricular work"

Reply 7

bionic07

medicine is such a bitch

basically you need to get three A's in science a levels, a bloody good personal statement, work experiance etc first time round or you're skrewed! Some people just wanna be doctors :frown:

Reply 8

Fluffy

Then knuckle down and work. ANYTHING is possible - excuses and whinging will not help...

Reply 9

Wangers

bionic07

To be fair though - it is (in the grander scale of things) relatively simple concepts. Medicine will in some areas build, and in others completly overhaul what you learnt at A level.

It is possible to go from Es in May mocks, to straight As come August.

Hint: It involves determination and bloody hard work, cramming is not advised for everyone

Reply 10

mouse_mat

bionic07

I'm missing your point.

Reply 11

Philosoraptor

I didn't want to be a doctor when I was going for my grades. If that somehow goes against what you're trying to say.

Reply 12

iceman_jondoe

bionic07

your so so wrong there. 3 A's? only for oxbridge and if you do an AEA they lower it to AAB. Most offers are AAB..and all you need is biology and chemistry with a third subject that doesnt have to be science related!

Reply 13

mcmam

a non-science subject is viewed as an advantage by many medical schools;

ANYWAY back to topic

i know st georges take the top 6 biomedical science students on to the medicine course but you need to be hardcore for that,

if you dont get in the first time , try again and youll find the gap year a great experience .

Reply 14

Madprof

iceman_jondoe

Edinburgh and Newcastle are also asking for three As this year.

Neither Oxford nor Cambridge will offer lower than AAA, AEA or not.

Some colleges in Cambridge want three science A levels.

Reply 15

Speedbird2008

iceman_jondoe

If you do an AEA they lower it to AAB

No they don't.

Reply 16

Wangers

Speedbird2007

No they don't.

Depends on what you get, I'm sure for a distinction they'd make some allowance.

Reply 17

Madprof

But you don't take AEAs until after you get an offer - how would they affect their offer?. They always offer at least AAA.

A distinction at AEA *might* count in your favour if you narrowly miss your offer come results, but I don't think in practice (Oxford at least) do ever let in people who miss their medical offers (with the possible exception of someone's friend's hairdresser's cousin).

Reply 18

Speedbird2008

An AEA only counts as a win in tie-break situation between two candidates, I *think*.

So, if there are two eually good candidates, the one doing the AEA will get in. They certainly do not lower their offer, otherwise my friend would have got AAB...

:smile:

Reply 19

icapturethecastle

i tthink king's do anextended course for those people who didn't take the required a levels...although i'm not sure if this course is for people doing a degree too.....