Graduate Entry Medicine 2017

Scroll to see replies

I will be re-applying for 2017 entry, my UKCAT was low. Psychology student and will be graduating this summer. I have a week work experience in ED and Out Of Hours service. Also a week experience in vascular surgery and other departments shadowing a range of health professionals. I'm a dementia befriender (a year), voluntary care assistant at a hospice (a year plus) and SJA first aider (a year plus).Hoping to get a part time hospital role after graduation and currently looking at masters.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 461

Lisagee10

Original post by MedicalElleWoods

Hi everyone! I'm applying this October :smile:

I'm currently doing a degree in Medical Microbiology and I am predicted a first. I've worked for the NHS as paediatric clerk for nearly a year, and in a couple of weeks I start training to be a HCA. I've also done work experience in paediatrics with a consultant, and I've got GP work experience in summer. Fingers crossed i'm a strong applicant but i'm really worried about my UKCAT. Think the plan is to do it in July, and if i get a bad score to book on to do the GAMSAT. Southampton is probably my top UKCAT choice, then George's if i end up doing the gamsat :smile:

My advice would be to do the ukcat earlier. If you mess it up then you have longer to prepare for gamsat. Depending on your background, July may be cutting it a bit fine.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 462

MedicalElleWoods

Original post by Lisagee10

My advice would be to do the ukcat earlier. If you mess it up then you have longer to prepare for gamsat. Depending on your background, July may be cutting it a bit fine.

Posted from TSR Mobile

July is the earliest you can do the UKCAT i'm pretty sure, but the plan is to not have to do the GAMSAT.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 463

MedicalElleWoods

Also, anyone applying for a masters at the same time? Think I'm going to apply for Nutritional Medicine, it's always interested me and will help once I am a doctor.

Reply 464

paniking_and_not_revising

Original post by MedicalElleWoods

Also, anyone applying for a masters at the same time? Think I'm going to apply for Nutritional Medicine, it's always interested me and will help once I am a doctor.

My parents are trying to get me to go to law school next year but I'd rather not.

I was thinking about going to Maastricht last year but it would cost me money and I want to save for med school.

Reply 465

MedicalElleWoods

Original post by paniking_and_not_revising

My parents are trying to get me to go to law school next year but I'd rather not.

I was thinking about going to Maastricht last year but it would cost me money and I want to save for med school.

I would eventually doing Medical Law if i'm being honest, being a doctor and a lawyer take similar qualities I think.

Reply 466

paniking_and_not_revising

Original post by MedicalElleWoods

I would eventually doing Medical Law if i'm being honest, being a doctor and a lawyer take similar qualities I think.

I don't want to be a lawyer lol

They do require similar strengths yeah but the 2 careers are different in some ways. Lawyers will have an opposing side and it's sometimes conflict based. Doctors tend to all be working towards the same goal and teamwork is emphasised.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 467

Graduate_Medic

Original post by MedicalElleWoods

I would eventually doing Medical Law if i'm being honest, being a doctor and a lawyer take similar qualities I think.

The world of lawyers is a little more cutthroat. As I imagine it anyway.

Medicine never stops being competitive but it at least seems that on the whole everyone wants to work together for the greater good.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 468

paniking_and_not_revising

Original post by DelphiDeWitt

The teamwork aspect of medicine is pretty much why I want to be a doc rather than a lawyer. I still think being a criminal defence lawyer would be interesting but there's no way I could have handled it since the more time you spend in criminal defence the more likely you move into the Crown Court and deal with more complicated and emotionally intolerable cases. I'd be able to defend someone who violated the traffic code but there's no way I could question the reliability of a rape victim and not have a mental breakdown.

Reply 469

eeb90

Original post by Ebuwa

I'm a psych grad also applying for 2017 entry. Are you applying to only UKCAT unis or are you going to give the GAMSAT a go? I've been looking in to the GAMSAT realising it'll be quite some challenge after years of little science!

Reply 470

Rosser1994

Honestly the GAMSAT really isn't hard, the verbal is quite a bit easier and less pacey than the Verbal in the UKCAT.

As long as you're fairly decent at making things up on the spot you should be able to get through Section 2 (My worst)

Then section 3 is basically AS level biology/chemistry and a tiny bit of physics.

Reply 471

hopefulGEM17

hi all!

i'm due to graduate in june and have been looking at which GEMs to apply to. from what i have read and all of my research it does seem as though these courses are being phased out, and to be honest, if the funding were available i think the 5 year courses would be a lot better for me. but unfortunately i cannot apply to undergrad as i simply cannot afford it!!
i really think that its unfair that we cannot borrow our tuition fees for a second degree when they have JUST made them available as of this year for nursing, midwifery and all other ahp courses but not medicine!!
i know its a massive longshot but i want to start a petition regarding it - i need people to back me up for it to get off the ground
i started this thread if anyones interested!! http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show...1#post63586151

sorry for the rant but i've been so upset about this and decided i needed to at least try and make a difference! i know you are all GEM applicants but i'm guessing a lot of you would like to at least have the option of considering undergrad :smile:

Reply 472

Absorbaloff

Original post by hopefulGEM17

They have not been made available for nursing. Changes to nursing and AHP courses will take place in 2017 and I seriously doubt they will provide the funding for students to do nursing as a second course. Also if you already have a degree, you can do the shortened nursing course which is only 2-2.5 years long. Its a shame theres no funding for graduates on the 5 year course. Now that they've gotten rid of nursing bursaries the least the HEE can do is create more places in all the healthcare disciplines.

Reply 473

hopefulGEM17

Original post by Absorbaloff

apologies, the changes are being made in 2017
after reading this article http://www.councilofdeans.org.uk/2015/11/the-2015-spending-review-changes-to-nursing-midwifery-and-ahp-education-background-information-for-students/ i called up the council of deans as well as student finance, both of who told me that those applying for nursing, midwifery and AHP courses who already have a degree will be entitled to tuition fee loans. all i ask is the same for medicine!

"What if I’ve already done a degree? Could I take out another loan to do one of these courses?Under current rules, you can’t usually access the student loans system if you’ve already done a degree at the same level. But we understand that the Government will make these courses exempt from this rule, so in the new system you could access student loans if you want. This is called an equivalent or lower qualification (ELQ) exemption."

Reply 474

robbo83

Original post by 03pearsont

Hi All! Fab to hear like minded people's opinions and experiences. I'm studying for a PhD in medical physics (having a physics undergrad and masters) but looking to apply for GEM 2017.

Currently I spend 2 days every week in a neurology clinic, interacting with and scanning MS patients as part of the PhD. Alongside this I have close interaction with neurologists, ophthalmologists and MS nurses. I was wondering if this would be enough in terms of "work experience", and also whether my PhD would at all help my application (are departments only concerned with undergrad degrees)?

Hi,

I will be starting GEM in September and I applied with a PhD. If you have a 2:2 classification at degree level then having an MSc and PhD opens more doors as to which courses you can apply to. Also having postgraduate qualifications allows you to hit lower cut-offs for GAMSAT if you have a 2:2 (e.g Nottigham and St. Georges). Whilst I don't think having a PhD puts you at a huge advantage academically over someone with a degree it certainly gives you great stuff to talk about at interview (i.e because you have done a PhD you are driven, self motivated, hard working, analytical e.t.c).

As for work experience, what you have sounds good. Anything where you are interacting with patients or members of a team is valuable. However, the most important thing is not really how much experience you have but what you have learned from it and being able to talk about it reflectively at interview. Quality is more important than quantity I think. I think some courses might require you to do some volunteer work to show commitment to medicine (not sure that this is a must so would be worth checking the individual courses) so maybe you could supplement your work experience with some volunteer work in a healthcare setting.

Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck with the application.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 475

eeb90

Original post by Rosser1994

This is reassuring, thanks! I'm remaining hopeful with the UKCAT as I'd really like to go to Warwick, but having never got a score over 700 I feel that I now need to start looking at other options, and was a little panicked when I looked at the GAMSAT!

Reply 476

jazzie14

For work experience (specially Warwick wanting 70 hrs), does shadowing Drs count? And what about admin? I have been a fundraising intern at a Marie Curie hospice for six months

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 477

-inspired-

Original post by jazzie14

You can find previous forms online which will show you what they're looking for: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/pgadmissions/applicants/mbchbselection/info/work_experience_faq_-_2015_entry.pdf

This form is from 2015 entry but the categories are the same as last year, if you scroll down it shows you the type of work experience they except :smile:

Reply 478

Ebuwa

Original post by eeb90

Hi, I'll be applying for both this time round. Tbh the price put me off doing the GAMSAT last year.

Reply 479

sam_town1

Original post by Ebuwa

Hi, I'll be applying for both this time round. Tbh the price put me off doing the GAMSAT last year.

Agreed, the price for an exam that I'm sure that I'll fail, even with maximal effort is a major put-off. Prefer the UKCAT format to be honest.

Posted from TSR Mobile