The Student Room Group

Rejected from medicine as a gap year applicant- next steps?

So I’m currently on a gap year and have unfortunately been unsuccessful in reapplying to medicine. Last year, during Year 13, I actually got an offer from medical school but ended up not making the grades on results day with A*AB (the B in Chemistry so there was no way around it :frown: I decided I would retake and reapply on a gap year, but I didn’t perform that well in interviews and ended up with no medical school offers.

So now I’m thinking of what I should do next. I have an offer for Biomedical Sciences which would enable me to do grad entry if I really wanted. I’m only worried that it’ll delay me becoming a doctor even more- I am pretty sure it’s what I want so I would like to achieve it as soon as possible. For that reason I wouldn’t really like to take another gap year. My other option at this point is moving abroad- I’ve already applied to Bulgaria and am thinking about Romania too. I think that unfortunately, my ego is telling me it isn’t ‘good enough’, even though I’m sure it is. I’m just worried about how others (colleagues, patients) will perceive me if I have a degree from abroad rather than the UK, as a UK citizen. I’m really struggling with what I should do, so if anyone could provide me with some guidance or reassurance I would really appreciate it! Thanks in advance :smile:
Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

The Medicine forum gets a high volume of questions being posted, and some of these are already answered by the resources and Megathreads that members of the community and volunteers have created. This is an automatic post which is designed to highlight these resources. Below is a list of threads and articles that could answer your question (you should be looking in the original post of the megathreads). If one of the below threads is a more relevant place to ask your question, please post a reply in that thread to ask your question. If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked below, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

Megathreads
(Please read the first post, before then posting any further questions you have within that thread.)
The "Which Medical School Should I Apply To?" Uberthread
The Ultimate 'Am I Good Enough For Medicine?' Angst Thread
Medicine A-Level subjects queries
Work Experience and Voluntary Work

2023 Applicants:
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2023 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2023 Entry
Medicine 2023 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2023 Entry
Medicine Interview discussion 2023 Entry
2023 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Index of Individual Medical School Applicants' threads 2023 Entry

2024 Applicants :
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry
GAMSAT 2024 / 2025 entry discussions megathread
UCAT 2024 Entry Discussions Megathread

Other application years:
Graduate Entry Medicine 2025 Entry
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2025 Entry

Useful Articles:
GCSE Requirements for Medicine
Everything you need to know about the BMAT
Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
Medicine Personal Statement Advice
Medicine Personal Statement Advice (Graduate Entry)
Interview Frequently Asked Questions
MMI Medicine Interview Tips
What to do after an unsuccessful first application

If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked above, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.
Reply 2
Original post by moonstars27
So I’m currently on a gap year and have unfortunately been unsuccessful in reapplying to medicine. Last year, during Year 13, I actually got an offer from medical school but ended up not making the grades on results day with A*AB (the B in Chemistry so there was no way around it :frown: I decided I would retake and reapply on a gap year, but I didn’t perform that well in interviews and ended up with no medical school offers.

So now I’m thinking of what I should do next. I have an offer for Biomedical Sciences which would enable me to do grad entry if I really wanted. I’m only worried that it’ll delay me becoming a doctor even more- I am pretty sure it’s what I want so I would like to achieve it as soon as possible. For that reason I wouldn’t really like to take another gap year. My other option at this point is moving abroad- I’ve already applied to Bulgaria and am thinking about Romania too. I think that unfortunately, my ego is telling me it isn’t ‘good enough’, even though I’m sure it is. I’m just worried about how others (colleagues, patients) will perceive me if I have a degree from abroad rather than the UK, as a UK citizen. I’m really struggling with what I should do, so if anyone could provide me with some guidance or reassurance I would really appreciate it! Thanks in advance :smile:

Honestly, you can either take another gap year and reapply, do grad entry, or apply abroad. All of these options have their pros and cons.

First things first, you need to get rid of the idea that a medicine degree abroad is inferior to one you would do here. Medicine is the same everywhere, especially in places like Bulgaria and Romania where in most universities, the degree is accredited with the GMC. That basically means that the way the course is taught in Bulgaria and Romania has considerable similarities to the way it is taught here. Unfortunately, you won't have the luxury that the most recent international graduates have had of being able to immediately register with the GMC and get a full license without having to sit PLAB 1 and PLAB 2. That is because, by the time you graduate, both UK and International, graduates will have to sit the UKMLA to work as a doctor in the UK. Lastly, the only real disadvantage of studying abroad is the tuition fees which you pay by yourself, and being far from home.

The other option is a graduate entry route which is probably more competitive than applying normally. And if you don't make it through that route then there's the crushing feeling of having wasted 1-2 years for something that didn't happen.

Ultimately, it's your decision to make and only you know what works for you but whether you do it abroad or try here makes absolutely no difference.

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending