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No A*'s at GCSE but Medicine!

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@RedGiant Cambridge and Oxford aren't the only unis out there, there are plenty that he would be able to get into
Original post by Doonesbury
Yep, his A-level results are MUCH more important :smile:


Out of interest how comes you haven't watched an entire video, the guy is entertaining af hahah... although I doubt he's a typical Camb student :colondollar:
Original post by ultimateradman
@RedGiant Cambridge and Oxford aren't the only unis out there, there are plenty that he would be able to get into


Are you talking about the OP? Yes of course there are many other great med schools, I was just commenting on the highly competitive nature of Oxbridge.
Original post by manlike99
Out of interest how comes you haven't watched an entire video, the guy is entertaining af hahah... although I doubt he's a typical Camb student :colondollar:


I'm not the target demographic... :wink:
Original post by Doonesbury
I'm not the target demographic... :wink:

true that :tongue:
Original post by GCSE 9
Will this make me stand out- wellbeing ambassader and a MOOC :smile:


You don't necessarily have to "stand out", all you need to do is show them that you are highly interested and enthusiastic to do Medicine, and you have the academic ability and potential to support it (as well as work experience for med) :smile:
My mum got like a B at best in her GCSEs, CD in her two A Levels and now she has two degrees and is a qualified band 6 nurse. She's fully qualified to be a Band 7 (and she was) however at Band 7 it's more about paperwork and not so much about helping people, which is her passion.

You won't get into the Oxbridge Medicine with AAA at A Level since that's a course sought after worldwide but you have a good chance of getting into a Russel Group. If you put in the extra effort to make it A*AA then you'll definitely be able to get into the Russel Group.

Your GCSEs don't matter too much. If you went from mediocre GCSEs to really good A Level then actually it shows a big improvement, therefore making you a stronger candidate for universities.
Cambridge value your A-Levels, BMAT and interviews more than anything else. Compared to those, GCSEs are kinda futile and your PS even more.

If you have say... A*A*A* at interview and 6s in the BMAT as well as a solid interview(s) - you'd be hard to reject and the least they'd do is give you an offer.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by GCSE 9
I said that it doesn't matter, oxbridge or not Medicine in Medicine, I love Cambridge but If I don't get in and I got I got in at say Brighton, It's still medicine, everyone thinks I want to go to oxbridge ONLY, so we've cleared this up now :smile:


Hi my son was in same position in 2016 entry all four rejections but he took a Gap year more medicine related experience and a part time job, and in 2017 entry he got two offers and one university put him on waiting list .He only had 3A* 3As and rest Bs at GCSES But he nailed his A levels all three A* in biology,chemistry and mathematics.

So please apply to your strength and once you get an interview make sure you had plenty of interviews practice mock interviews.as my son did get two interviews first time but he didn't do well as coming from a family with non medical background he wasn't sure how to communicate his answers and was very nervous. So during Gap year took some drama classes and an online interview practice, it all paid off.

Wish you good luck
(edited 6 years ago)
Are you taking a gap year? And applying next? Bc the deadline for medicine/Cambridge has passed ?
Original post by Ex-pert
Are you OK?
10 A*
Do your research it is not even on the cambridge website
He got four As at As
He will get into Cambridge if he works hard


"He will get into Cambridge if he works hard" - what a most ridiculous thing to say. Everybody who applies to Cambridge works hard - are you on the board of assessors for Cambridge so you can say this with confidence.
Original post by squeakysquirrel
"He will get into Cambridge if he works hard" - what a most ridiculous thing to say. Everybody who applies to Cambridge works hard - are you on the board of assessors for Cambridge so you can say this with confidence.


Why are you demotivating him for?
Reply 192
Avatar for moshh
moshh
5
Hi, I'm just wondering if I have a likelihood of getting into Cambridge even though my GCSEs weren't great.I had 2A*s, 6As and 4Bs at GCSE And I am predicted 4A*s at A level I know my GCSEs aren't great but will they count my improvement (hopefully in the real exams).

I just want to know if I should really go into it for med even though the GCSEs weren't great.

Also, I am taking bio, chem, maths and EPQ.
Original post by Ex-pert
Are you OK?
10 A*
Do your research it is not even on the cambridge website
He got four As at As
He will get into Cambridge if he works hard


This is one of the most annoying things I see when people refer to Oxford and/or Cambridge. They massively underestimate how hard it is to get in, just because the odd person every year gets in with average grades.

'He got four A's at AS'. Most successful Oxbridge applicants will have this or better and may even have an A* taken early. Along with 6A*+ at GCSE, for medicine, this is often much higher e.g. Oxford 10A*. They will also have incredible references, personal statements, test scores and interview scores.

I'm all for encouraging people to work hard but let's be realistic here. At my school, 2 students in the year above me got rejected last year with 12A*GCSE, 4A's AS. They 'worked hard' since the age of 14 to get those grades and got straight rejections.

So please refrain from getting people's hopes up.
Original post by GovernmentEarner
This is one of the most annoying things I see when people refer to Oxford and/or Cambridge. They massively underestimate how hard it is to get in, just because the odd person every year gets in with average grades.

'He got four A's at AS'. Most successful Oxbridge applicants will have this or better and may even have an A* taken early. Along with 6A*+ at GCSE, for medicine, this is often much higher e.g. Oxford 10A*. They will also have incredible references, personal statements, test scores and interview scores.

I'm all for encouraging people to work hard but let's be realistic here. At my school, 2 students in the year above me got rejected last year with 12A*GCSE, 4A's AS. They 'worked hard' since the age of 14 to get those grades and got straight rejections.

So please refrain from getting people's hopes up.


not getting his hopes up
just telling him to keep working hard
why dont you stop pulling his hopes down?
Original post by Ex-pert
not getting his hopes up
just telling him to keep working hard
why dont you stop pulling his hopes down?


No, you didn't tell him to "keep working hard", you said he will "get in if he works hard". Two things which have very different meanings and have very different implications.

If someone wanted to "stop pulling his hopes down", they would simply say "don't worry, if you have no A*s at GCSE, but have worked hard beyond GCSE it will all be sunshine and rainbows and you'll get a place". The reality (as stated above) is that they realistically do not have a relatively high chance compared to the *majority* of other applicants that have 7-10+ A*s at GCSE. Even more so for Oxford. Saying that their chance is unaffected by their GCSEs, is NOT true, and is just straight up lying to the OP.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by RedGiant
No, you didn't tell him to "keep working hard", you said he will "get in if he works hard". Two things which have very different meanings and have very different implications.

Spoiler




Pardon Who are you to tell me that I am a skrub
Is it cuz i got those reps and your jealous

Your below me
Original post by Ex-pert
Pardon Who are you to tell me that I am a skrub
Is it cuz i got those reps and your jealous

You're below me


This isn't about reps, this is about the actual reality of medicine applications to Cambridge. Which you were and still are evidently very wrong about.

You appear to genuinely think reps actually matter or mean anything. I can honestly say I do not care the slightest if I have 0 reps, or 10^23 reps. It makes no difference to me whatsoever.

Also, I joined on 23/10/17. You joined on 4/6/17. I've only been a user on TSR for just over a week, and I have 1 less rep gems than you. Which doesn't awfully support your case.
@RedGiant and @Ex-pert guys calm down, I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do, no ones opinion will change that.
Original post by GCSE 9
@RedGiant and @Ex-pert guys calm down, I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do, no ones opinion will change that.


Good luck, try and get As in your AS exams (if you're still taking them despite the A Level reform).

Although what I was discussing was not a matter of "opinion", it was about the truth.
(edited 6 years ago)

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