Entry into medicine with unusual circumstances

Original post by garethveale

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Unfortunately I don't think foundation year courses are your best bet; you'd need to get the same sort of grades in non-science subjects (I.e. AAA) to apply, and I don't think you're eligible to apply for any standard 5-year courses because you don't have AAA in biology, chemistry and something else -- and resits on that kind of scale aren't really going to help I'm afraid.

That's the negative bit out the way.

You can consider access courses but in my honest opinion they are horrendously competitive, also. In terms of getting a medicine place at the end you'll need to be at the very top of the cohort; that's not to say it's impossible or even improbable, but you'd need to make sure you worked your absolute arse off to get high grades.

I'd recommend the graduate-entry route. There are biomedical science courses that accept DDD (I'm on one; in fact I was in a near identical situation to yourself!) and you can apply for GEM with those degrees. People in the years above me have applied successfully, and at GEM the emphasis is less on where you graduated from and more to do with your classification.

That said, you still need to work very hard. I, luckily, found degree level study much more to my taste than A-level and have excelled here, and I'm due to gain a first. I'm hoping I can apply this year with that degree and follow the footsteps of those in years ahead of me who have managed it. It's not easy, and you need to make sure you have an interest in medical science to get through the course. It's also handy because, as a backup, you have an accredited biomedical science degree which can lead to a good career in itself :smile:

Alternatively, if you like IT enough, you could do a computing degree (I don't know about the entry requirements though) and still apply for GEM courses that accept non-science (i.e. bio, chem) degrees but you are slightly limiting your choices.

TL;DR: I'd recommend GEM and you can pursue a biomedical or computing interest and gain a degree in the meantime. It is expensive, and competitive, but more worthwhile than an access course and with better career prospects.

Reply 2

OP

Original post by MJK91

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Okay so it seems GEM is the best option!

Do you believe Biomedical Science would be a much more suitable option than Nursing? I purely have that in mind as I was told this would be the best pre-med degree by a tutor at my college (who could well be wrong).

Which diploma did you study? I'm worried access onto a science related degree may not be possible with a Computing diploma :s-smilie:

Thank you for your reply very helpful :smile:

!!

Reply 3

Original post by garethveale

Okay so it seems GEM is the best option!

Do you believe Biomedical Science would be a much more suitable option than Nursing? I purely have that in mind as I was told this would be the best pre-med degree by a tutor at my college (who could well be wrong).

Which diploma did you study? I'm worried access onto a science related degree may not be possible with a Computing diploma :s-smilie:

Thank you for your reply very helpful :smile:

!!

Nursing students have been known to go onto GEM but it's far less common than with biomedical science graduates. If you're interested in the science behind medicine then biomedical science is probably the best choice; you'll still learn some with nursing but in no where near the same level of detail. I don't agree that it's the best degree for GEM, I think any biological science degree would be a better option.

I didn't study a diploma, I did A-levels in biology, chemistry and physics but got DDD for being a lazy twit. I thought you said you'd also sat A-levels in bio/chem? That is what I suggest you apply to courses with :smile:

I don't know much about diplomas, but have a look the entry requirements for the course I'm on currently and see what you think: http://www.salford.ac.uk/courses/biomedical-science?mode=er

If you do progress down this route, I'd recommend the placement year too. You'll gain more experience in case you need to use it as a backup, and I personally got some good references for my medicine application too :smile:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

OP

Original post by MJK91

Nursing students have been known to go onto GEM but it's far less common than with biomedical science graduates. If you're interested in the science behind medicine then biomedical science is probably the best choice; you'll still learn some with nursing but in no where near the same level of detail. I don't agree that it's the best degree for GEM, I think any biological science degree would be a better option.

I didn't study a diploma, I did A-levels in biology, chemistry and physics but got DDD for being a lazy twit. I thought you said you'd also sat A-levels in bio/chem? That is what I suggest you apply to courses with :smile:

Unfortunately my immaturity led to me spending my time not worrying about my education and finished with EEU. By the DDD i meant 3 distinctions in my diploma, I'm not sure if it will be possible to study biomedical science without the A-levels but I will do some digging.

I was always under the impression a degree in bio-med would have extremely high standards with regards to grades. Which university are you at?

Reply 5

Original post by garethveale

Unfortunately my immaturity led to me spending my time not worrying about my education and finished with EEU. By the DDD i meant 3 distinctions in my diploma, I'm not sure if it will be possible to study biomedical science without the A-levels but I will do some digging.

I was always under the impression a degree in bio-med would have extremely high standards with regards to grades. Which university are you at?

Ah, well I can't see you getting on with EEU; you'd probably have to do a separate diploma in Access to Higher Education in Science. Otherwise your only other realistic option is to do a computing-related course and apply to non-science GEM entry courses (e.g. Warwick).

I'm at Salford; I managed to get in through clearing on results day by some fluke. It's not a massively reputable university, and it's a 'redbrick', but they are one of the better redbricks around. Luckily our postgraduate researchers have a lot of good research which is increasing our reputation, so it's a pretty good choice if you don't have the grades for generally more reputable universities. We also have relatively decent employment rates within 6 months of graduation :smile:

Reply 6

Ronove

Original post by garethveale

Okay so it seems GEM is the best option!

Do you believe Biomedical Science would be a much more suitable option than Nursing? I purely have that in mind as I was told this would be the best pre-med degree by a tutor at my college (who could well be wrong).

Which diploma did you study? I'm worried access onto a science related degree may not be possible with a Computing diploma :s-smilie:

Thank you for your reply very helpful :smile:

!!

As you've already picked up yourself, MJK91 did not realise that DDD were the top grades for your qualification. I would recommend checking whether you can apply for the Medicine with a foundation year courses with that qualification before you get fixated on graduate entry.

Reply 7

Original post by Ronove

As you've already picked up yourself, MJK91 did not realise that DDD were the top grades for your qualification. I would recommend checking whether you can apply for the Medicine with a foundation year courses with that qualification before you get fixated on graduate entry.

I think the OP said that they got EEU in their A-levels for bio and chem etc, but has achieved DDD in their IT diploma.

AFAIK, IT diplomas won't be accepted onto foundation courses but feel free to correct me. If that is the case, the only remaining options are an access course or GEM.

Reply 8

Ronove

Original post by MJK91

I think the OP said that they got EEU in their A-levels for bio and chem etc, but has achieved DDD in their IT diploma.

AFAIK, IT diplomas won't be accepted onto foundation courses but feel free to correct me. If that is the case, the only remaining options are an access course or GEM.

Yeah, I'm checking now but so far it's all near misses, if that. There's a Pre-Medical Year at Lancaster that the OP could possibly get onto but how likely that is to lead onto a Medical course I don't know. Keele's Health foundation year requires applicants to not have taken Chemistry beyond GCSE (and doesn't necessarily lead onto a Medical course either).

Nottingham's Medicine with a Foundation Year course requires CCC at A-level, including Chemistry, so that doesn't work. Southampton's requires Bio and Chem at AS or equivalent, at grade B. :frown:

Reply 9

SarahGummer

6

Original post by garethveale

Okay so it seems GEM is the best option!

Do you believe Biomedical Science would be a much more suitable option than Nursing? I purely have that in mind as I was told this would be the best pre-med degree by a tutor at my college (who could well be wrong).

Which diploma did you study? I'm worried access onto a science related degree may not be possible with a Computing diploma :s-smilie:

Thank you for your reply very helpful :smile:

!!

Hey! I hope you don't mind me commenting. I am a nurse beginning medicine in September. I found my nursing background to be very highly regarded by all the unis I applied to for medicine (I got 3 offers, my fourth option I withdrew from). In fact during my interviews they said things like "Oh you're a nurse, we don't need to ask you these questions you would have done all of that!". I think now medicine is changing, and becoming much more patient focused with "Tomorrows Doctors" those with healthcare experience are becoming more appealing to medical schools. That said i'm not pursing graduating medicine, but the 5 year programme, so i'm not sure how much difference this would make. However I know Leicester and Southampton are massively keen on nurses for their graduate medicine courses.

Biomedical science is the more traditional approach, but all graduate medicine is supposed to be tough to get in. So my suggestion would be if you see your backup plan being nursing do a nursing degree, if you see your back up plan being biomedical science then do that degree. :smile:

Reply 10

OP

Original post by SarahGummer

Hey! I hope you don't mind me commenting. I am a nurse beginning medicine in September. I found my nursing background to be very highly regarded by all the unis I applied to for medicine (I got 3 offers, my fourth option I withdrew from). In fact during my interviews they said things like "Oh you're a nurse, we don't need to ask you these questions you would have done all of that!". I think now medicine is changing, and becoming much more patient focused with "Tomorrows Doctors" those with healthcare experience are becoming more appealing to medical schools. That said i'm not pursing graduating medicine, but the 5 year programme, so i'm not sure how much difference this would make. However I know Leicester and Southampton are massively keen on nurses for their graduate medicine courses.

Biomedical science is the more traditional approach, but all graduate medicine is supposed to be tough to get in. So my suggestion would be if you see your backup plan being nursing do a nursing degree, if you see your back up plan being biomedical science then do that degree. :smile:

Original post by MJK91

Hey, thanks for the reply.
After a few hours research I've found that getting onto biomedical science is not looking likely unless I opt for a year of open university science (this is not desired as I am already approaching my 4th year in further education :s-smilie:

).

You mentioned that Leicester and Southampton are keen on nurses for their graduate course, do you guys think there is room to discuss a Nursing degree following immediate entry into their GEM course? (Obviously result dependent). Or do they need to have the impression I am absolutely set on becoming a Nurse?

I am just concerned about completing a degree and not being able to get onto a GEM. As although I am extremely passionate about this nature of work I don't feel I would like to follow a career as a nurse :redface:

Reply 11

OP

Original post by MJK91

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Would you mind reading my last post.
Thank you

Reply 12

Ronove

Original post by garethveale

Hey, thanks for the reply.
After a few hours research I've found that getting onto biomedical science is not looking likely unless I opt for a year of open university science (this is not desired as I am already approaching my 4th year in further education :s-smilie:

).

You mentioned that Leicester and Southampton are keen on nurses for their graduate course, do you guys think there is room to discuss a Nursing degree following immediate entry into their GEM course? (Obviously result dependent). Or do they need to have the impression I am absolutely set on becoming a Nurse?

I am just concerned about completing a degree and not being able to get onto a GEM. As although I am extremely passionate about this nature of work I don't feel I would like to follow a career as a nurse :redface:

If you don't want to work as a nurse if you don't get into Medicine, don't do a Nursing degree. That's about all there is to say on that. And no, you would absolutely not get in if you told the admissions tutors that you were planning on using it to apply for GEM. These are Department of Health-funded places, they're not going to give one to someone who doesn't want to be a nurse.

Reply 13

OP

Original post by Ronove

If you don't want to work as a nurse if you don't get into Medicine, don't do a Nursing degree. That's about all there is to say on that. And no, you would absolutely not get in if you told the admissions tutors that you were planning on using it to apply for GEM. These are Department of Health-funded places, they're not going to give one to someone who doesn't want to be a nurse.

I see, thanks :dontknow:

Reply 14

Original post by garethveale

I see, thanks :dontknow:

You have two options if you really want to pursue medicine: Access course (but you'll have to work your socks off) or an IT-related degree and then apply to GEM courses without science requirements.

Reply 15

SarahGummer

6

Original post by Ronove

If you don't want to work as a nurse if you don't get into Medicine, don't do a Nursing degree. That's about all there is to say on that. And no, you would absolutely not get in if you told the admissions tutors that you were planning on using it to apply for GEM. These are Department of Health-funded places, they're not going to give one to someone who doesn't want to be a nurse.

I agree with Ronove. If nursing isn't even a back up option for you I wouldn't pursue it.

Do you mind me asking how old you are? Perhaps get a job as a healthcare assistant for a year or two, do an access course and go from there?

Reply 16

Pastaferian

17

Having done well in IT, are there any "Biomedicine & IT" (or similar) courses that you could apply to, which might then give you a platform to try for GEM? I have this (possibly naive) idea that you are more likely to get into GEM if your previous degree was earned in a School of Medicine.

Reply 17

OP

Original post by SarahGummer

I agree with Ronove. If nursing isn't even a back up option for you I wouldn't pursue it.

Do you mind me asking how old you are? Perhaps get a job as a healthcare assistant for a year or two, do an access course and go from there?

I'm 19, yes i suppose this is a viable option :smile:

Reply 18

OP

Original post by Pastaferian

Having done well in IT, are there any "Biomedicine & IT" (or similar) courses that you could apply to, which might then give you a platform to try for GEM? I have this (possibly naive) idea that you are more likely to get into GEM if your previous degree was earned in a School of Medicine.

I have done some research as of yet I haven't found any degrees of this nature. I may be wrong but I think a degree like this would require some previous education in at least a science a level?

I am swaying towards completing a Computer Science degree (access onto this is possible with my current Diploma), depending on workload I aiming at acquiring at least a chemistry A-level while I'm studying. Do you guys think hospitals offer part-time health care assistant positions? I could take up this to strengthen my GEM application.

Reply 19