Medicine ir not?

You could take a gap year to work, for example in a hospital. That way
- you would have a better idea if you really want to be a doctor (thinking about it is one thing but actually doing the work every day is another)
- you would have someone other than your teachers writing your reference, someone who can actually judge your commitment to medicine, your work ethic, your interaction with patients etc.
- you would have your grades already so universities wouldn't have to rely on AS and predicted grades / would see immediately that you are academically capable
- you'd be older and more mature

Reply 2

llys

Sorry for double post - I forgot to say, of course there are disadvantages like waiting another year before you go to uni, however if your heart is set on medicine it might be worth it.

I just saw the thing about working with disabled kids through primary school - I'm sure that's something you could do in your gap year, it would be great for a medicine personal statement as well as really good experience for the other route you're considering in case you don't decide to do medicine after all.

Also think about if a medical science degree is really the right thing for you - I studied Molecular Medicine and am now doing a PhD in Biochemistry. In my course we had one pathology module which involved a tiny bit of case studies, no patient contact, and all the rest was basically Chemistry and Molecular Biology, which is really great if you wanted to go into research like me but was depressing for the people who wanted patient contact. You sound like you want to work with patients so maybe you should indeed apply another round for real medicine, but maybe also consider courses like physiotherapy or speech therapy or something like that, which has more patient contact and might be more useful for you later. (Of course that also depends on the med sci course in Birmingham which I don't know anything about. It might be totally different from my course.)

Sorry if I'm totally off here, I'm just rambling because I'm bored, but maybe it helped a little bit. :smile:

Reply 3

Renal

Personality.

It's complicated and there are no yes or no answers.

It is certain that studying and practicing medicine requires a certain type of person. Not that anyone is ever able to adequately describe that person. Have you thought, honestly, about what qualities you have that would suit you to the job? Have you thought about the challenges of studying medicine? Have you thought about the challenges of practicing medicine - both as a junior and as a senior doctor? Have you any experience from which to think about it?

I don't think that, personality wise, it is that hard to get into medicine. Interviewers know that 17 or 18 year old, or older, candidates do not fully understand the challenges and that they will develop and mature through the course and through their career. Consequently, there is a fairly wide margin of error, erring in favour of the applicant, when it comes to admissions.

If you want to do it, go for it. But. Experience as much as you can and think very hard about whether you are suited to it. It is not easy physically, mentally or emotionally by any stretch of the imagination.

Reply 4

how is your personality 'wrong' then?

and are you actually not particularly clever, or did you do no work? is your school just not very good?

Reply 5

Saffie

how is your personality 'wrong' then?

and are you actually not particularly clever, or did you do no work? is your school just not very good?

Haha saf, I qualify for all 3 - should I quit right now? :p:

:getmecoat

Reply 6

Philosoraptor

Haha saf, I qualify for all 3 - should I quit right now? :p:

:getmecoat

UCL is a good school, so you don't qualify for all 3!!

And you could become hard working and you'd do really well... you don't need to be a born genius.

Reply 7

Haha yeah I know UCL is, my love! I meant my original one lol.

Heh thanks for the support, I need it right now. :frown:

Reply 8

1mhward

OP

1

Hi, my school is a very good school and I aint one of their best pupils. I am not a natural clever person but I work really hard, and I think that is one of my strong points. Regards to my personality, what i believe my teachers think is that I'm quiet, don't try, am not clever enough, and don't have the logical mind required but I think i do, not being big headed but even though i may not be a very clever staright A's student i think it's my personality and determination that will get me in. but now my teachers are saying it won't so I dont know if what i see is the truth, or if i just don't show it. Thanks for the idea on a gap year, i was going to take one, but I never considered the facts you pointed out.

Reply 9

Renal

1mhward

Regards to my personality, what i believe my teachers think is that I'm quiet, don't try, am not clever enough, and don't have the logical mind required but I think i do,

Regarding being 'quiet'. Medics are often percieved to be extroverted and while it's true that you do need confidence and find it easy to talk to people, not even half of us are 'loud' types.

Reply 10

1mhward

Hi, my school is a very good school and I aint one of their best pupils. I am not a natural clever person but I work really hard, and I think that is one of my strong points. Regards to my personality, what i believe my teachers think is that I'm quiet, don't try, am not clever enough, and don't have the logical mind required but I think i do, not being big headed but even though i may not be a very clever staright A's student i think it's my personality and determination that will get me in. but now my teachers are saying it won't so I dont know if what i see is the truth, or if i just don't show it. Thanks for the idea on a gap year, i was going to take one, but I never considered the facts you pointed out.

Well medicine's not that hard, I think you'll be fine.

Loads of people have had people tell them they can't do it, but the people that say that usually have no idea what medicine's like or perhaps they just underestimate us!

Reply 11

I'm loud!
Whoop whoop!
But Renal's right - definitely not everyone's loud and there are plenty of geeks.

Heh Saffie stop playing it down! I'm finding it hard now. Hmm maybe if I'd have worked :biggrin:

Reply 12

Philosoraptor

I'm loud!
Whoop whoop!
But Renal's right - definitely not everyone's loud and there are plenty of geeks.

Heh Saffie stop playing it down! I'm finding it hard now. Hmm maybe if I'd have worked :biggrin:

I reckon I'm somewhere in the middle of the quiet-loud scale, as I guess most people are. There's a lot of people who are very shy though and they managed to get in.

Sorry, philosoraptor, should I put a disclaimer next time; that you can't just absorb the course through passive diffusion? :wink:

Reply 13

crazyhelicopter

1mhward

not being big headed but even though i may not be a very clever staright A's student i think it's my personality and determination that will get me in.

Hate to burst your bubble but in the current climate if yu can't get AAB minimum no amount of personality or determination will get you in

Reply 14

icouldbedreaming

6

When I was on work experience I spoke to a junior doctor who had a friend who got in to do medicine at Newcastle a few years back with AAC at A level, so it is possible.

Reply 15

Madprof

12

icouldbedreaming

When I was on work experience I spoke to a junior doctor who had a friend who got in to do medicine at Newcastle a few years back with AAC at A level, so it is possible.

... being the key here.

Plus the (friend of a) friend's predicted grades, reference etc were most probably excellent, could have had extenuating circumstances, come from a poor school, really really impressed at interview, whatever.

Reply 16

Renal

icouldbedreaming

When I was on work experience I spoke to a junior doctor who had a friend who got in to do medicine at Newcastle a few years back with AAC at A level, so it is possible.

I got in with BBC, lots of people in my cohort and before got similar. However, although leniency still exists it much less common and has trended up as grade requirements have become more important.

Reply 17

icouldbedreaming

6

I don't know if you've got anything like this where you live, but in Newcastle if your school is listed with the Partners scheme or you live in the catchment area you can go on a 2 week course the summer before you go to Newcastle uni and if you pass the assesment at the end of the 2 weeks they drop your offer to BBB automatically.

Reply 18