ARU Medicine Applicants Thread 2020

Hi Gayle,

I got 595 average and band 3 in UCAT and am predicted A*A*A*. Would I have a chance at getting an interview for 2020 entry, or is my UCAT too low?

Thanks,
Arusa

Hey, I'm considering to apply but I have one major reservation - accommodation. It looks like the Student Village in Chelmsford is only available for first years. Does anyone know how does the accommodation situation looks in Y2 onwards? I don't think there are any private halls in Chelmsford and the uni website doesn't offer much help.

Hi,

A Levels didn't go spectacularly for me due to extenuating circumstances. So I got accepted to do the Medical Sciences extended degree at ARU. During clearing, I was told that I can transfer to medicine within my first year (so after year 0) if I get above 75% in all of my modules. My question is, will this still apply to me despite doing a foundation year?

Thanks.

Hi Gayle -

Could provide an indication on whether the following with be competitive for interview at ARU please:

- UCAT 2550 (638 average) with Band 2
- GCSEs 1x9, 4x8’s, 4x7’s, 1x5 (French)
- A level predicted 3xA’s in Chemistry, Biology and Philosophy

Your guidance is much appreciated!!

Dear Gayle,

I am a mature student and I have recently completed an Access to medicine diploma. My UCAT score is 2570 (642.5 average) Band 1.

I have checked your website and I meet the GCSE + diploma entry requirements. Could you kindly advise if my UCAT score would be competitive enough for 2020 entry?

Kind regards
Stephanie

Hi @Stephanie02

Lovely to hear from you. Unfortunatley we don’t yet know what the cut-off for UCAT will be for 2020 - it was 2480 last year and
2440 this year so provided there isn't a dramatic change then you're looking good. I'll let the group know as soon as the cut-off is announced.

Best wishes,

Gayle

Hi @jungshook

Yes this does apply :-) Although our internal transfer scheme is only available when students have completed their study at Level 4, so for the extended degree (which is what we call your course with a foundation year) this will be at the end of your second year of study rather than your first.

I hope this helps?

Gayle

Hi,

Thank you for answering. I'm just worried that my A Levels might be looked at during the selection process. My school has provided valid reasons for why I underperformed (extenuating circumstances), and the university staff encouraged me to look into it once I complete my first year (after foundation) - I can't develop the nerve to call them up again, clearing was a nightmare I'm really afraid to relive. I've been to my school around 3 times now, just to make sure if what I'm doing is the right thing and they say that this is my best bet for medicine. I would really appreciate it if I had insight from an ARU representative.

If I have really good work experience, excellent UCAT, good prediction in my first year (above 75% for modules) will I stand a fair chance? I just need to make sure I'm making the right decision to do this degree and to not have regrets about it afterwards if I am unsuccessful due to my A Levels. I only have 80 UCAS points.

I apologise if you aren't able to answer this. I appreciate the help you have given thus far, thank you very much for your time.

hey is a grade 5 in english language okay to apply with at ARU?

What results did you get? And what was your UCAT this year? You may be better resitting your A levels and re-applying as that would give you several med schools to choose from, not just the one you can transfer to from a Foundation year

I got CUU. I had health issues, and I wasn't able to sit any of my science exams (my school didn't withdraw me from UCAS) so by default, I got U's. As for the C, I got that in Art and again, I only completed one day of exam work. I don't understand how I will be able to resit art in one year as it requires two, mostly for coursework and due to some events that took place during the school year I've been put off by it.

I was told to only apply to universities for biomedical science so I could not take the UCAT - cos of stuff outside of my control. I was advised to either do postgraduate medicine, which is so competitive, or to do euro medicine. I also was told that I can apply to universities who do internal transfers such as St George, but obviously with what I got they rejected me.

I was leaning more on resitting and taking this year out to gain more work experience. But the school and my family are encouraging me to go to university and do it this way. Right now, I'm just confused and slightly overwhelmed. But life, I guess.

I would be restricted to only one university but as I'm being told, perhaps this is my best bet. That is, if they would even consider me. If it's out of the question, resit it is.

Hello Gayle,

Thanks so much for your reply.

That’s great; I will be sure to keep a look out for your message.

Best wishes
Stephanie

hey is a grade 5 in english language okay to apply with at ARU?

If you have proper extenuating circumstances (and it certainly sounds like you do) then most med schools would accept your resits without penalty (although you would have to get them to confirm this in writing before applying). Could you not use the Art coursework you have done already? Do you think you could achieve AAA with a resit?
Your chances of a transfer are pretty slim, though not non-existent, whereas achieve AAA and you have multiple med schools you can choose from with the same chance as everyone else at the 4 you apply to. It does however, mean getting AAA in a year of work (though presumably you were deemed capable of these grades until you fell ill and had done most of the 2 years' work?) as well as UCAT etc. If you start down the foundation route and do not get the transfer you are down to Graduate Entry Medicine which is more than twice as competitive as standard entry and requires higher UCAT scores

I got CUU. I had health issues, and I wasn't able to sit any of my science exams (my school didn't withdraw me from UCAS) so by default, I got U's. As for the C, I got that in Art and again, I only completed one day of exam work. I don't understand how I will be able to resit art in one year as it requires two, mostly for coursework and due to some events that took place during the school year I've been put off by it.

I was told to only apply to universities for biomedical science so I could not take the UCAT - cos of stuff outside of my control. I was advised to either do postgraduate medicine, which is so competitive, or to do euro medicine. I also was told that I can apply to universities who do internal transfers such as St George, but obviously with what I got they rejected me.

I was leaning more on resitting and taking this year out to gain more work experience. But the school and my family are encouraging me to go to university and do it this way. Right now, I'm just confused and slightly overwhelmed. But life, I guess.

I would be restricted to only one university but as I'm being told, perhaps this is my best bet. That is, if they would even consider me. If it's out of the question, resit it is.

If you have proper extenuating circumstances (and it certainly sounds like you do) then most med schools would accept your resits without penalty (although you would have to get them to confirm this in writing before applying). Could you not use the Art coursework you have done already? Do you think you could achieve AAA with a resit?
Your chances of a transfer are pretty slim, though not non-existent, whereas achieve AAA and you have multiple med schools you can choose from with the same chance as everyone else at the 4 you apply to. It does however, mean getting AAA in a year of work (though presumably you were deemed capable of these grades until you fell ill and had done most of the 2 years' work?) as well as UCAT etc. If you start down the foundation route and do not get the transfer you are down to Graduate Entry Medicine which is more than twice as competitive as standard entry and requires higher UCAT scores

Hi @jungshook

@GANFYD has given you some really good advice. While it is possible to transfer from Biomedical Science, I'll be honest, this would be quite a long process for you without any guarantees. We don't look at the A Level results of our internal transfer applicants so that's not a concern. We only consider the marks you'd attain at the end of Level 4 study, which in the case of an extended degree is the end of the second year of your study (so you'd have to complete the foundation year and then your first year of the undergraduate degree). The first year or foundation year is studied at Level 3 so we wouldn't be able to take this into account.

All internal transfer applicants should sit the UCAT test and apply through UCAS the year before they hope to start medicine. So, for example, if you want to start medicine in September 2021, you'll need to sit the UCAT test in the summer of 2020 and apply through UCAS by 15th October 2020. You'd then need to be shortlisted for a interview and make the selection. If you were successful in this process you'd join year 1 of the Medicine degree. This may, however, have some implcations on funding so I'd recommend you talk to our Student Money Advice Team so you have a full picture of whether it would work for you. You can drop them a line at [email protected]