Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry

Hey Gang! Idk how you're supposed to do these introductions, I posted a similar panicked thing over a year ago when I first started to consider GEM but I reckon I have more information now, and am much more sure about my path- thanks for the advice from some of the mods here.

Anyways. I'm currently a second year physicist at ICL, honestly I reckon I'd be likely to get a 2:1 in my BSc which I think should be alright. I've got 7 9s, an 8 and a 7 at GCSE with 9s in Maths, English and Sciences, A*A*AA at A level in Physics, Maths, Further Maths and Chemistry and a bunch of random sciencey but not really medicine related extracurriculars from sixth form.
I'd done some work experience in a GP's surgery while at school, and had considered applying for medicine but thought I wouldn't be able to as I didn't do Biology A Level + I questioned my motivations and capability for it (I used to get anxiety attacks in hospitals when I was younger- these have since stopped and I have worked through it)

Since starting university and throughout the pandemic I have decided to apply for GEM. I didn't want to rush into making a decision so I first looked into volunteering to be sure of this path- over the past summer I volunteered with a charity that was teaching elderly people to use technology, which I found very rewarding. Over the past five months I've been volunteering a few hours a week at an antenatal clinic which has been eye opening and also very rewarding- this has cemented my decision to now apply for GEM.

(I'm not sure this work experience would count for Warwick for example bc they said it has to be hands on and what my role entails is looking over patients who are fasting for blood tests, giving them water, giving directions, chaperoning occasionally and generally corralling people away from busy areas.)

The plan currently is to focus on uni for now and get some experience in over the summer. I'd be graduating in 2023, and I'm planning to spend the academic year 2023/24 working and also getting as much experience as I can while applying for GEM, for which I was going for Warwick, Cambridge and maybe QMUL (? im not sure yet tbh) GEM and also Leicester standard med as both Warwick and Leicester are commutable from where I live so given the whole financial strain I think being close to home would be useful + I've taken a look at Leicester A100's entry requirements for Grads and they look alright.

Anyways. Main questions are: is applying after graduating a good idea or should i be doing it this year? Any tips for getting work experience which counts as 'hands on' enough for Warwick's standards? any other tips? any at all?

Reply 22

Original post by coco:)

Ahhh problem was that I didn't want to do medicine at the time I was applying, I was set on going into academic research and now I feel so stupid. Doing medicine was always at the back of my mind but when I started thinking about it more in the massive summer holiday that I had I wasn't very sure so I went on to enrol at Imperial. The course this term hasn't been as 'busy' (although I have exams coming up) and it's given me time to think about why I'm here and what I want to do. I never set out to apply to GEM before I enrolled I've just realised recently that I want to pursue medicine and not research. Perhaps dropping out may be better but honestly, that scares me especially since I am going to a good university and the timescale of it all.

i hate to say this but you are still in first year if you drop out before the end of this year and then reapply for med you will still get the full tuition loan. i'm also at imperial and I fully understand dropping out of such a 'heavy and prestigious' uni can be nerve-wracking but if i had realised 100% that I wanted to do med when i was still in first year i would have dropped out and applied to standard. the timescale itself is a non-issue because you'll be at most 2-3 years behind the school-leavers and eventually that will mean nothing. There'll definitely be ppl older than you there.

Reply 23

coco:)

Original post by (3.1415926535)

i hate to say this but you are still in first year if you drop out before the end of this year and then reapply for med you will still get the full tuition loan. i'm also at imperial and I fully understand dropping out of such a 'heavy and prestigious' uni can be nerve-wracking but if i had realised 100% that I wanted to do med when i was still in first year i would have dropped out and applied to standard. the timescale itself is a non-issue because you'll be at most 2-3 years behind the school-leavers and eventually that will mean nothing. There'll definitely be ppl older than you there.

This may sound foolish but I would like to have a degree behind me in case I am rejected after multiple cycles. I know this makes me seem like I am not 100% committed to medicine and that would be true as I am only around 75% sure at the moment - perhaps later on in the year after gaining more experience, I will reconsider, follow your advice and drop out. I am also not planning to apply to all GEM courses anymore but to also 1 or 2 standard courses to hopefully improve my chances of a successful application. I think I will be able to do this financially as my parents have said they are happy to help with tuition fees that will not be covered by an NHS bursary or an SFE loan. So for me, I think this is the best option allowing me to gain experience and work on my application whilst also completing a degree as a sort of safety net. Obviously, your thoughts are completely valid and I do really appreciate your advice - it has definitely made me think!!

Reply 24

Angiogram1

11

Original post by coco:)

This may sound foolish but I would like to have a degree behind me in case I am rejected after multiple cycles. I know this makes me seem like I am not 100% committed to medicine and that would be true as I am only around 75% sure at the moment - perhaps later on in the year after gaining more experience, I will reconsider, follow your advice and drop out. I am also not planning to apply to all GEM courses anymore but to also 1 or 2 standard courses to hopefully improve my chances of a successful application. I think I will be able to do this financially as my parents have said they are happy to help with tuition fees that will not be covered by an NHS bursary or an SFE loan. So for me, I think this is the best option allowing me to gain experience and work on my application whilst also completing a degree as a sort of safety net. Obviously, your thoughts are completely valid and I do really appreciate your advice - it has definitely made me think!!

you don’t get any SFE funding apart from maintenance loan for A100 if you already have a degree

Reply 25

coco:)

Original post by Angiogram1

you don’t get any SFE funding apart from maintenance loan for A100 if you already have a degree

yh I know, thanks though :yy:

Reply 26

little dou

6

Hi
I am a student from IB international school in China.
After rigorously consideration of the circumstances now, i'd like to apply medical school in 2024. And may i ask some questions?
1 What is GAMSAT, should all medical student take that test? The only tests i know for medical students is BMAT,UCAT.
2 What is GEM, is that a test? Because i haven't seen any of the Uni. requirement said they need GEM results.

Reply 27

little dou

6

Thank you very much!
That helps a lot.
There seems like no way that i can take GAMSAT, China doesn't have any testing center for GAMSAT.
And another question for UCAT/BMAT
Do i have second feasible chance for UCAT/BMAT if i did it badly.

Reply 28

molly123454

12

How is graduate entry medicine funded?

Reply 29

miaxmur

9

Original post by molly123454

How is graduate entry medicine funded?

It's funded by SFE

Reply 30

GANFYD

Original post by miaxmur

It's funded by SFE

And the NHS bursary system, which means 2 complex applications where the rules do not always align (I understand!)

Reply 31

molly123454

12

Original post by GANFYD

And the NHS bursary system, which means 2 complex applications where the rules do not always align (I understand!)

How do the rules not align

Reply 32

GANFYD

Original post by molly123454

How do the rules not align

I understand they have slightly different definitions of when you are considered independent, although I think previously the NHS team have given in if it has been shown SFE have assessed you as such

Reply 33

ok so an older applicant who's done a bunch of research has said that i'd be better off applying while at university because grad med admissions frown upon people who are further out of education- is this the case? Like she's said that they are far less likely to accept you if you're not currently at uni when you apply so i should either apply when i'm starting third year or apply for a masters and apply when i'm doing that.

Reply 34

GANFYD

Original post by (3.1415926535)

ok so an older applicant who's done a bunch of research has said that i'd be better off applying while at university because grad med admissions frown upon people who are further out of education- is this the case? Like she's said that they are far less likely to accept you if you're not currently at uni when you apply so i should either apply when i'm starting third year or apply for a masters and apply when i'm doing that.

And what were the sources for this? How much less likely? What are the stats?
I have certainly not seen any obvious correlation, and lots of people get offers having been out of education for a while every year - Birmingham even give extra points in their scoring algorithm for several years of working, and I cannot think of any med school that has it as a negative marker in their selection process!

Reply 35

little dou

6

Is this link of undergraduate medical 2024 right?
Why I get into 2023 entry after I click it.

Reply 36

gem_aspirant

1

Hi TSR!

I'm an international student and I shall be graduating dental school in my country in September 2022.
Since my degree needs one year of compulsory rotatory internship to graduate, can that count towards clinical work experience?

Any advice towards work experience and/or towards application building is highly appreciated. Thank you!

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 37