Are foundation / 6 yr courses fair?

What do you think about foundation years to medicine, where a person with no science A levels can get onto a pre medical year, then gain straight entry to a medical course? I think they're ridiculous.. if someone doesnt take any science or maths alevels.. they obviously have no inclination or interest in science, so why should they have the opportunity to read medicine? If they want to they should spend another year at college and take science. Those extra places could go to some of the many people who are really passionate but miss out because of the huge applicant ratio.

Another thing is.. there was a guy from our college who did two alevels in biology and chemistry, I think he ended up with CD or something to that effect. i'm told he hardly ever did any work and missed a lot of lessons.Yet Right now he's on the foundation year of the 6 yr course at Southampton, because, apparently he comes from a disadvantaged background!! So the govt must have some policy wherby these lazy ass toe rags are rewarded with these kinds of opportunities just because of their background.. do me a favour. It wouldnt surprise me one bit if he and many others left the course when they realise they cant hack it. We all went to the same college (which was pretty average) and im telling you.. he certainly didnt look like he came from a 'disadvantaged background'. None of them there were because we were in college in the first place. Eugh it just makes me annoyed when we have people who work really hard but it never turns out right, but others have it handed to them.

Reply 1

IcarusExMachina

3

I don't understand your problems with them. If somebody wanted to do art, but an experience made them change their mind, why shouldn't they be allowed to have a foundation year, and then go up. If they went back to college as you said, then they would have their science A-Levels, and would be directly challenging your place at medical school, whereas with these foundation courses, places are previously alloted to these people. Many people do actually come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Just because one person you know didn't, doesn't mean that other people don't. Everybody deserves an equal chance to get into medical school, and so someone who went to the worst school in the country won't have the grades, or possibly was never pushed to work.

Personally I think you just have a problem with it because somebody you didn't like got into a foundation course, and you either found it hard getting in, didn't get in, or are just on such a high horse that you believe someone who wants to do medicine should have wanted to since they were in the womb.

Reply 2

Fluffy

15

I think they are great - not everyone knows what they want to do at 16, so don't choose the right A level subjects.

Courses of the "wrong A-Level" types often have more stringent entry conditions than 5 year medicine, as the requirement for a certain academic standard is still there, but there is only a handful of such places, so competition is fierce.

The right A-levels wrong grade courses are also great - they allow people who often come from very disadvantaged backgrounds to have a stab at medicine. There was a piece in last months student BMA news on how such candidates perform as well as people with the right subjects, with the right grades...

Reply 3

callum9999

16

Surely postgraduate medicine is just as bad then.

As someone else said, not everyone is focussed at the age of 16. The example you gave about the lazy student getting it - he has either changed and is now working hard or hasn't changed and will get kicked out after the 1st year. Everyone deserves a second chance.

Reply 4

nexttime

22

i see the point being made, but its not like these people just walk onto this course - they are also competative and you would have to stand out in the interview as passionate, and show potential. this person you talk about may have problems outside of school that you don't know about- a surprising number of people do.

sure, some won't make it, as will people on all other courses, but that's unavoidable. i would say they are worthwhile courses

Reply 5

The_Goose

18

My college don't let you go back and take other A- levels. So it's not as simple as that. You would also have to go back for 2 years, because some college wont let you just take 2 intensive AS and A2 courses together. I see your point, some people just generally wont work and will get on access courses, but like has already been said, Some people will try hard and will have genuinely come from disadvantaged backgrounds, or have chosen the wrong a - levels and will not have a chance to take the additional ones required. Access courses exist because they give people who didn't make the right choices for a- level access onto the course. I think they work well

Reply 6

Custer

1

OP, you sound too bitter for your own good. :P

But I agree. I don't like the whole idea of allowing people with lower grades into courses just because they're from an unprivileged background. Either try harder or go into nursing or something.

Reply 7

coolguy456

A lot of the foundation courses ask for the same grades as the standard medicine course AAA-AAB. Once on the course, the students spend the first year doing science modules up to and above a-level standard to gain knowledge before entering the first year of the medical course.

I never chose science a-levels. Something which I regret, but nonetheless everyone has there own reasons for taking the wrong route! I'm just happy that universities understand this and offer the foundation courses!

Reply 8

ShinyApple

14

user-name

What do you think about foundation years to medicine, where a person with no science A levels can get onto a pre medical year, then gain straight entry to a medical course? I think they're ridiculous.. if someone doesnt take any science or maths alevels.. they obviously have no inclination or interest in science, so why should they have the opportunity to read medicine? If they want to they should spend another year at college and take science. Those extra places could go to some of the many people who are really passionate but miss out because of the huge applicant ratio.

That's a whole load of bullcrap. You just wasted 10 minutes of your life which you'd have spent better researching the area you've just spent your time ranting about. The courses are not designed for dropouts who don't care about science, they're about access to learning. This is very important. Go read up about them and who they cater for.

You know the people on those course have to work DAMN hard for their place?

Reply 9

Sarky

18

I couldn't see a title like this and not say something.

I did a widening access year and am in my fourth year at Southampton. The course asks for CCC at A2, and we spend the first year studying on a foundation year before starting the standard five year course. Competition is high and we have to pass everything in order to progress to the five year course.

We have to do science A levels, and most of us on the course actually had higher than the required grades. There was also the non-academic criteria that had to be met and we had an interview. I worked my arse off in that first year, and have worked hard since. I'm still convinced that i would have gotten into medicine if i had had to take another year, get my higher grades and get into a standard course because i wanted it so much and i had extenuating circumstances for my grades. However i was lucky i met the criteria for such courses.

We don't just walk onto these courses, we have to prove ourselves on a strict set of criteria. Once on the five year course we are assessed in the same way as everyone else. Most intelligent people know that grades are only one aspect of what makes a good doctor. Having a mixture of people from a wide range of backgrounds can only be good for patients. If i was allowed to progress on the course getting lower grades than everyone else that would be wrong, but that isn't the case. And we don't take places away from anyone else, the course was started after course numbers were increased.

The OP seems to be a bit confused. Widening access courses on the whole always ask for science a levels, foundation courses do not.

There is also this misconception that wanting to be a doctor since you were born somehow makes them more capable to do the course. Thats bull****. I've wanted to be a doctor since i was about four, so yes i was driven and always knew i wanted it. But it is wrong to think that people can't change their minds. People decide they don't want to be doctors, people can decide they do.

Reply 10

user-name

OP

10

I've not applied for medicine and won't do, so im not bitter from personal experience. but it was one of my options. I know someone else who has a place though.. but probably wont go.

tbh I don't want to spent a huge chunk of my life training to do a job and working all hours.. theres more to life than work for me.

Reply 11

Sarky

18

user-name

I've not applied for medicine and won't do, so im not bitter from personal experience. but it was one of my options. I know someone else who has a place though.. but probably wont go.

tbh I don't want to spent a huge chunk of my life training to do a job and working all hours.. theres more to life than work for me.

Not sure what your point is. Seems your not only an idiot, you're an uninformed one.

You can't work all hours, its against the law. From 2009 you can only work a maxium of 48 hours a week.

To be honest i wouldn't want to waste my time on the internet making ill informed statements and telling everyone that i wasn't bitter when no-one gave a damn anyway. But oh well :rolleyes:

Are foundation / 6 yr courses fair?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you