Want to do medicine, but have a huge problem. NEED HELP

Hi, well my gcses went badly (ABBBBBBBBCC) i went to a terrible school and had a bad time but it was down to me in the end :frown:

and that is just something i have to face. AS Levels aint gone well so far, the workload hit me like a ****storm and i did very badly in my moduals and got kicked off chemistry and am left with biology, english lit, and psychology. I have always wanted to do medicine and i know deep down i am capible of acheiving if i had another chance. I just saw the "how many times did you apply thread" thingy and my heart sunk and i kinda began to cry as the thing i have wanted to do since i can remember is gone. What should i do?, Cheers guys :frown:

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Reply 1

Beska

Have a look here for a list of universities and their requirements (caution: may be out of date) and see if there are any suitable universities which do not require A2 chemistry. However, perhaps you need to be realistic in your outlook as if you're having trouble with AS chemistry (and indeed you are as you've been kicked off), maybe a future career with a strong academic component isn't for you?

Reply 2

infernalcradle

just make sure you get those grades....not having chemistry will limit you a lot....but its not impossible, especially if you have AS chem...

retake loads of modules to get all the grades up......and then knuckle down and own the A2 year....

there is nothing more you can do.....(have you considered access/foundation courses???)

Reply 3

digitalis

Original post by mclovin123

Hi, well my gcses went badly (ABBBBBBBBCC) i went to a terrible school and had a bad time but it was down to me in the end :frown:

Well, you are now reaping the fruits of your labour. Let this be a warning to others reading this thread!

Reply 4

mclovin123

Original post by digitalis

Well, you are now reaping the fruits of your labour. Let this be a warning to others reading this thread!

hmmmm yeh i guess, actually yes. I just did not work hard enough :frown:

Reply 5

rohitbd

I believe the competition for medicine is so high, that without an A/B(if your lucky) in chemistry A2, you would find it very hard to get into medical school, so If I was you I would beg your teachers to let you do chemistry, or move sixth form/college to do it. You GCSE's are fine as long as you get a good UKCAT and good AS/A2.

Reply 6

digitalis

Original post by rohitbd

You GCSE's are fine as long as you get a good UKCAT and good AS/A2.

They are decidedly mediocre.

Reply 7

tjoe

No offense, but your grades aren't good enough and you won't even be considered for most courses without Chemistry A-level. Getting into medicine this year or next will be more or less impossible, the competition is so high even for people who have achieved well. Having a bad school may help with the GCSE results, but to be honest even if the school was the worst in the country that line up isn't brilliant.
If your determined to get in though it may still be possible, and if you want to do medicine you have to be determined to have a chance anyway, you can do some entry into medicine courses, or take a degree and enter into some graduate course. The most important thing that i'd advise is experience, without that you have absolutely no chance whatsoever.

Reply 8

Beska

Original post by digitalis

They are decidedly mediocre.

I'd be as brass to say they are significantly below-average tbh.

Reply 9

Samwelln

I know it might hurt, but if you were as capable and determined as you say you are then you would have at least stepped up your game after your GCSEs. Do you think you could cope with a medical degree?

Reply 10

Wangers

Original post by digitalis

They are decidedly mediocre.

My GCSE's would be decidedly mediocre by medic standards. Cba to work at 16 should not be a one way ticket to fail.

Reply 11

Beska

Original post by Wangers

Cba to work at 16 should not be a one way ticket to fail.

Unfortunately they are... it sucks the big one, but we're stuck with it.

Reply 12

Benevolence

Yeah, there has most certainly been a lot of tough love dished out here. Essentially what they are saying is correct. That is, in this rat-race that is applying to uni the only thing the university will see about you (excluding an interview) is what is on that paper. And unfortunately even if you do have the potential to be the most amazing doctor, sometimes you have to prove your self on paper first. The uni's don't know how good you are, all they see is another applicant and in these tough times the urgency to up your game and achieve your potential so that you get the place you need, is ever more important.

I wish you the best of success in your endeavours :smile:

Hit me up if you'd like to chat :wink:

Reply 13

Peterborough Lad

Original post by Beska

I'd be as brass to say they are significantly below-average tbh.

As far as medicine goes I would agree.

Reply 14

Emine

Aren't there foundation courses you could do? I've seen a few that don't necessarily rely on your academic grades but your potential?

Reply 15

NewStitches

Original post by mclovin123

Hi, well my gcses went badly (ABBBBBBBBCC) i went to a terrible school and had a bad time but it was down to me in the end :frown:

I think you are getting some unnecessarily negative and unsupportive responses on here, which Im sorry to see.
My GCSEs were AABBBBCCCC, my A levels were English, media and psych. I did a degree in Psych and only got a 2:1. Six months ago I decided I didnt like mental Health work and applied for medicine, I got 2 of 3 interviews and an offer at KCL.
If its something you really want, dont let poor gcses hold you back - get your **** together for A2, get good Bio,Eng & Psych grades and maybe do another degree first then apply for 4 year grad entry.
Get some work experience because its SO important if your grades are weaker than most, and dont give up on it yet. If your only at AS level now, you have plenty of time to get there. And you may find something else you'd rather do along the way.

And bear in mind that there are plenty of people on these forums with a million A Grades and no offers - It aint everything :wink:

Reply 16

Ayshizzle

Original post by NewStitches

Only go for grad entry if you have a spare 40 grand in the bank.

You do know that most uni's have access programmes for people who've come from bad schools? You should contact the universities about it.

Also, defo try and do chemistry, it's the core requirement of pretty much every single medical course.

Reply 17

Alison1992

Original post by mclovin123

Hi, well my gcses went badly (ABBBBBBBBCC) i went to a terrible school and had a bad time but it was down to me in the end :frown:

Unfortunately, most medicine courses will require AAB at A level
The minimum entry requirements are similar to those for oxbridge, a minimum of 4 A*'s at GCSE, thought the average applicant will have at least 7.
Generally, even though you need AAB, applicants will be predicted higher than this A*AA or something.
Furthermore, chemistry is a must for most courses, more so than biology and having psychology and english isn't the best combination as most people will apply with biology chemistry maths at A2 and then something else at AS.
This doesn't mean you can never be a doctor but if i were you i wouldn't waste time applying to medicine courses.
Instead, if i were you i would apply to do a degree in biomedical science which you can do at many uni's and thus there is a greater range of entry requirements.
After having done your biomedical science degree (providing you graduate with at least a 2.1) you will able to study medicine at graduate entry. It's only an extra year and based on your current grades it is a more likely way of you becoming a doctor :smile:

Good luck!

Reply 18

Alison1992

Original post by NewStitches

I know someone with 7 A's at AS level and doing 5 A2's, predicted A and A* grades in all of them and still got rejected for medicine

Reply 19

Ulo

I would look into access or foundation courses which could remedy your lack of chemistry A-level. Widening access criteria would likely stand if you went to a bad state school and had other issues going on. I think you know yourself now that you need to work a lot harder; I know plenty of people who went to awful schools but knew what they wanted and worked for it, so the excuses only get you so far (and still leave you with inadequate grades). Good luck!