The Student Room Group

MEDICINE - *RESULTS DAY 2017* - Help, I missed my medical school offer!

RESULTS DAY 2017

Help, I missed my medical school offer!

Firstly, whilst it may feel like it right now, this is not the end of the world. You're not the only one in this situation and there are still plenty of options available to you.

HowThe first thing to think about is how much you missed your grades by. Every year medical schools will take a (very) small amount of people who miss their grades.

Has your UCAS track changed?

In some cases, it may have changed to 'Unconditional' despite the missed grades - if so, congratulations!

If it's changed to 'Unsuccessful' then you might want to consider ringing the university to ask if they’ll still be willing to give you a place. This may work if you have only just missed your grades though this is extremely unlikely.

If it still says "Conditional", ring your university immediately - they haven't yet made a decision on you so anything you say or do now could sway that in your favour if you’ve missed your grade by only a few marks you should consider putting in a request for a priority remark. Discuss this with your teachers and remember that remarks can put your grade down as well as up. Inform your university immediately if you are requesting remarks. The university should, though are not compelled to, hold your place open for you whilst your exam is remarked, provided the results come back to satisfy the conditions of your offer by August 31st. Make sure you clarify the situation about how long they will hold your offer for when you speak to them.

Clearing for medicine

It is extremely unlikely that any spaces will be available for medicine in Clearing as most medical schools run their own official/unofficial waiting lists throughout the cycle through which they fill any vacancies, usually with people whom they have already interviewed. If you are willing to risk the wrath of admissions tutors who are inundated with phone calls, you may like to try ringing all of the medical schools to ask if there are any spaces - no harm in trying! There are a very small handful of cases where this has worked in the past.

Important to note, last year (2016 entry) St George's was in clearing for both home and international students and Plymouth was in clearing for international students.


IfYou may like to try ringing up various medical schools asking if they’re willing to consider you. Although this is a very very long shot (similar to Clearing) this has worked for a very select few in the past. It is much less likely to work these days compared with previously given medical school internal waiting lists.

If you don’t manage to get a place for this year you need to decide what your next steps will be. Your options are:

1) Take a gap year and reapply.

This gives you the opportunity to improve the weak spots in your application, and also work and/or travel if you so wish. If you have the right grades for medicine, this is your best chance of success at getting into medical school. We recommend this as the primary option - it takes the least times, costs the least and most people are successful.

2) Go to university this year.

If you put your 5th choice as your Insurance and met the offer for this, you just need to check your AS12 letter to see how they want you to confirm this place, and organise accommodation if you haven't done so already.

3) Clearing (non-medicine courses)

If you didn't have a 5th choice or didn't make it your Insurance, you can try to gain a place through Clearing. Many high calibre universities are expected to be in Clearing this year, so consider where you would like to study and what subject - whilst biomedical sciences is the most common option, consider what you would be most happy studying for the next three years.

Physiology, biochemistry, biology, and medical engineering are all possible alternatives, and the Clearing lists will have even more options for you to consider.

Eligibility for graduate entry to medicine is usually achieved with any science degree (and also with non-science degrees, though this would limit your options later on), though check this before entering a Clearing choice onto Track.

4) Start another degree with the view to transferring to medicine after year 1.

This route is achieved by very few people and competition is stiff, so consider whether you would be happy staying on the course for the full three years if you don't manage to transfer. This should not be considered a route into medicine. A small number of courses offer this option (Bradford Clinical Sciences, St Georges Biomed, Newcastle Biomed, to name a few). As a rule, we do not recommend this as a viable route into medicine and you should only do this if you would be completely happy graduating with the biomedical science degree you would be applying for.

5) Start another degree with the view to reapplying for medicine during year 1. Again, consider whether you would be happy to remain on the course if you are unsuccessful at reapplication. Medical schools have differing views on this, and again is not one of the most recommended options.


IfIn most circumstances, you will not get into a medical degree course in the UK with grades less than AAA. Exceptions include people with mitigating circumstances or those applying through specific special access courses. You have to decide whether you still want to do medicine or not.

Decided you don't want to do medicine?

You can either take a gap year whilst deciding what to do, or apply for a different course through clearing. Some excellent resources on clearing can be found here .

Still want to do medicine?

Your options are either resit your A Levels to achieve AAA/A*AA or apply for another course (such as biomedicine with the aim of transferring after first year or a course leading to taking medicine as a graduate, see above). All of these options have their disadvantages.

Few medical schools will accept resit students unless they have extenuating circumstances so you would be limited in where you can apply, more information on individual universities are available here . You should carefully look at the resit policies of each medical school before making a decision.

Graduate entry medicine is very competitive and can be a rather expensive route, with tuition fees and maintenance coming out of your own pocket. Bear in mind that you ideally would need a 2:1 or 1st to get a place, which can be difficult, especially if you’re doing a subject that you don’t enjoy. Studying biomedicine with a view to transfer to medicine is also extremely competitive and you should be willing to continue on the degree if you are not able to transfer, bearing in mind that this is the more likely outcome.


If you need any other support or advice, post in this thread.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 1
Avatar for Beska
Beska
OP
21
xx
Reply 2
Avatar for naitik13
naitik13
1
I missed my offer for Medicine at Imperial which was A*AB and instead got AABB (Maths,Biology,Chemistry and Further Maths).I am considering just reapplying this year or retaking my exams. If I retake I am fairly certain I can get the Bio and Chem up a grade or two.What advice would you have for me?
Original post by naitik13
I missed my offer for Medicine at Imperial which was A*AB and instead got AABB (Maths,Biology,Chemistry and Further Maths).I am considering just reapplying this year or retaking my exams. If I retake I am fairly certain I can get the Bio and Chem up a grade or two.What advice would you have for me?



I would do the retake option for sure. Good luck.
My daughter is in a very similar position. We are thinking about resits and applying to exeter and east angle medical schools who both say you can apply with resits but are expected to get a grade higher in each one but no mitigating circumstances are needed.

Has anyone experience of going through this process. I also noted that Trinity colledge Dublin seemed to have lower entry requirements can we apply there ??

With your grades if your personal statement and UKCAT ARE good I think you have a good chance of getting in next year .
Good luck
Original post by Kitchencupboard
My daughter is in a very similar position. We are thinking about resits and applying to exeter and east angle medical schools who both say you can apply with resits but are expected to get a grade higher in each one but no mitigating circumstances are needed.

Has anyone experience of going through this process. I also noted that Trinity colledge Dublin seemed to have lower entry requirements can we apply there ??

With your grades if your personal statement and UKCAT ARE good I think you have a good chance of getting in next year .
Good luck


UK medical schools that accept resits are :

UAE UKCAT
Plymouth UKCAT
Brighton (BMAT)
Exeter UKCAT
Lancaster (BMAT)
Liverpool UKCAT

These are the only 6. Not sure about Dublin.

For most, a minimum of AAB at first sitting is needed except for :

- Exeter - no minimum specified
- Liverpool - CCC minimum at first sitting
- UEA - ABB minimum at first sitting

Remember that if you apply to these places and you don't have the minimum required at the first sitting, it will be instant rejection.

The other points to be wary off :

- Liverpool place a very high emphasis on your PS. If your work experience is weak or if you have not reflected the reasons for doing medicine and taking a gap year and explained what you gained from your work experience clearly - do not apply to Liverpool. PS is crucial here.

- Exeter seem to place a lot of emphasis on A* predictions. If you do not have A* predictions, Exter may not be the best choice.

Resitting is very much a viable option as long as you nail the resits. It's a tough process going through it again and UKCAT/BMAT prep has to begin immediately.

You can use the gap year to also improve your work experience and interview skills.

I missed my offer last year and got poor grades for medicine. I took a gap year and resat all subjects and now starting medicine at Liverpool next month.

The other viable option is graduate medicine. If you started a BSc now, the total period would be 7 years. 6 years if you get in for undergraduate medicine next year. So this is also a good option.

Good luck.
(edited 6 years ago)

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you