forced into a gap year due to low predicted grades

i haven’t got my predicted grades yet but i already know my chemistry one will be low as i have struggled with the subject this year due to my physical and mental health. i’ve been getting mostly C’s and B’s which isn’t too bad bc i’m not failing so i can work my way up but obviously these are not medicine grades. because of this i won’t be able to apply to medicine this year, so i’m going to work to achieve 3 A’s and apply the September after I leave college. is this reasonable? have people done this before? i know of ppl taking gap years because they’ve missed offers or not received any offers but i’ve never seen someone be unable to apply due to predicted grades. shows how dumb i am actually lol but i’m very determined. i know i can get the grades by next august and medicine is what i want to do so i’m going to try my best.

i’m trying to see things positively. for example i plan to work and save in the time before i go to uni which would help since my family is so low income (i know there are loans available but i want some of my of my own funds as back up). i’m also hoping to get my driving done and dusted before university, bc i’m not sure when i’ll have time for it if i do study medicine. i know it will be lonely since all my friends will have gone off to uni, but if all goes to plan, i’ll hopefully go to uni as well :/

Hello!

Sorry to hear that you are struggling, I know this period of life can be a real challenge and you are doing so well to be still motivated! I was in a very similar position to you this time last year (I have just finished my A-levels). I was predicted BCD at the end of first year, however there are things you can do to turn it around.
I worked very hard over summer and was able to resit some mocks at the start of second year, and managed to go up grades to what I needed in order to apply being AAB. So this is definitely an option for you, which is something that your school should be providing, it should not all weigh on these exams you have just done.
Equally, if this does not work out for you and you still need more time and are forced into a gap year, this is not necessarily a terrible thing because your friends will be around if they are at uni, as students come back regularly and you could even hop on a train and go see them! And as you said you can take the time to get some money, and sort some stuff out such as driving whilst taking a well deserved break.

Whatever happens, I'm sure you will get where you need to be eventually, just got to keep trying.
Wish you all the best, and good luck!

thanks so much for replying! you mentioned only needing AAB, are you widening participation by any chance? just asking bc i am (through a programme) so technically i could apply to one uni if my teachers predict me A*AB/AAB but i want to be able to have more options. i don’t like the idea of relying on one university and potentially being rejected. i think i’d feel worse than if i just didn’t apply. congrats on finishing ur A-levels tho, i hope u get the results u want!

i haven’t got my predicted grades yet but i already know my chemistry one will be low as i have struggled with the subject this year due to my physical and mental health. i’ve been getting mostly C’s and B’s which isn’t too bad bc i’m not failing so i can work my way up but obviously these are not medicine grades. because of this i won’t be able to apply to medicine this year, so i’m going to work to achieve 3 A’s and apply the September after I leave college. is this reasonable? have people done this before? i know of ppl taking gap years because they’ve missed offers or not received any offers but i’ve never seen someone be unable to apply due to predicted grades. shows how dumb i am actually lol but i’m very determined. i know i can get the grades by next august and medicine is what i want to do so i’m going to try my best.

i’m trying to see things positively. for example i plan to work and save in the time before i go to uni which would help since my family is so low income (i know there are loans available but i want some of my of my own funds as back up). i’m also hoping to get my driving done and dusted before university, bc i’m not sure when i’ll have time for it if i do study medicine. i know it will be lonely since all my friends will have gone off to uni, but if all goes to plan, i’ll hopefully go to uni as well :/

There are some med schools that do not look at predictions at all, though any offers will be A*AA/AAA, unless you have WP flags?
Dependent on your other stats, you can apply to Aston, Nottingham, Lincoln, Keele, Cardiff, Liverpool, KMMS and Oxford, as none of these look at predicted A levels, but you will need excellent GCSEs and a high UCAT/BMAT as well as being sure you can get AAA or A*AA.

Lots of people take a gap year and apply with achieved grades in hand, as there is a lot to do for a medicine application, which can make year 13 very pressured. SOme places even give you an advantage with achievved grades!

this is interesting information. i went to the university of manchester open day on saturday and they publicly announced that they will not be looking at predicted grades when assessing applications to medicine and will look more heavily at the UCAT. i didn’t realise other medical schools are doing the same. do you think i should attempt the UCAT then and if my score and banding are good enough, try and apply this year? my gcse’s are good i think (all 8s and 9s). i’m just worried bc my college talks a lot about people applying with grades lower than AAA and being auto-rejected. i wouldn’t want to waste money and energy on an application that was doomed from the start