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Undergrad for medicine

trangmed

3

What are the best undergraduate degrees to then study postgraduate medicine in the UK?

Original post by trangmed

What are the best undergraduate degrees to then study postgraduate medicine in the UK?

Why don't you just want to do undergrad medicine?

Reply 2

leejieunstoes

2

Hi, I am in year 12 currently and I have had a lot of extenuating circumstances throughout the year. I booked my ucat, but i feel like the most sensible decision for me right now is to reapply to medicine another time because it is progressively getting worse. In the meantime, I have developed an interest into neuroscience and I love learning about the brain, but I don't want to give up on medicine. Is there any way I can do 1 year in neuroscience and then apply to medicine, or do I have to do the full 3/4 years then reapply. It would be really cool to get the best of both worlds and do both courses. Please be kind :-)

Reply 3

leejieunstoes

2

Which degrees could I do for a year or two to to then go apply to medicine/are there any conversion courses earlier on?

Reply 4

TriplexA

18

Original post by leejieunstoes

Hi, I am in year 12 currently and I have had a lot of extenuating circumstances throughout the year. I booked my ucat, but i feel like the most sensible decision for me right now is to reapply to medicine another time because it is progressively getting worse. In the meantime, I have developed an interest into neuroscience and I love learning about the brain, but I don't want to give up on medicine. Is there any way I can do 1 year in neuroscience and then apply to medicine, or do I have to do the full 3/4 years then reapply. It would be really cool to get the best of both worlds and do both courses. Please be kind :-)

Hi there.

It'd probably be best to apply for medicine and perhaps use your 5th choice on UCAS for neuroscience if you're unsure as you can only apply to 4 med schools. If you do choose to go for neuroscience and with the aim of doing medicine later, it's very important to realise that graduate entry medicine is much more competitive than standard undergraduate medicine so you're at a much greater risk of not getting a place. could advise further. :smile:

Best wishes. :smile:

Spoiler

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 5

leejieunstoes

2

Hi there, thanks for your reply. I am not in the best situation to do medicine due to my personal situation, so wanted to know if there are nay other routes to get towards it and I genuinely do like neuroscience too which is why I was conflicted. Do you reckon if I work on my alevels and do really well in the real thing, I should take a gap year and reapply to med? Wouldn't that be even more competitive?

Reply 6

micholate9

16

Original post by leejieunstoes

Hi, I am in year 12 currently and I have had a lot of extenuating circumstances throughout the year. I booked my ucat, but i feel like the most sensible decision for me right now is to reapply to medicine another time because it is progressively getting worse. In the meantime, I have developed an interest into neuroscience and I love learning about the brain, but I don't want to give up on medicine. Is there any way I can do 1 year in neuroscience and then apply to medicine, or do I have to do the full 3/4 years then reapply. It would be really cool to get the best of both worlds and do both courses. Please be kind :-)

I understand you’re worried about applying to medicine, but it’s much worse with a degree. There are fewer universities that offer graduate entry medicine. This makes it much much more competitive. You need a much higher UCAT scores and you will be competing with very high calibre applicants at interviews. Competition ratios are ten fold higher than for standard undergraduate medicine. The financial aspect is also something to consider. I’m speaking from experience that it’s much harder, as I applied as a graduate for September 2022 start.

You won’t be able to do just one year in Neuroscience I’m afraid. Unis will only let you apply to medicine once you’re in the final year of your neuroscience degree.

I would say have a go at UCAT anyway. You might surprise yourself. If it doesn’t go well, you could take a gap year, get some more work experience, earn some money, maybe travel and generally strengthen your application for next year. You could maybe even do online neuroscience courses online in your gap year since you’re interested in it - it could be a good talking point for your personal statement and interviews.

Let me know if you have any more questions :smile:

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 7

TriplexA

18

PRSOM.

Yes, you won't lose anything applying this year. OP's choice though. :smile:

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 8

leejieunstoes

2

Yes!! I have been interested in medicine since I was a child i really love it so much and it is all i ever thought about.. i recently became more interested in the brain and neurodegen diseases so thats why i thought neuroscience was a cool option for me as backups. I want to get into med so i think i will take ur advice and get that gap year and apply to standard entry later. I would love to know how neuroscience is really like, i have tried to read and research about the course in google but it is very vague. How is it like??

Reply 9

leejieunstoes

2

Original post by micholate9

I understand you’re worried about applying to medicine, but it’s much worse with a degree. There are fewer universities that offer graduate entry medicine. This makes is much much more competitive. You need much higher UCAT scores and you will be competing with very high calibre applicants at interviews. Competition ratios are ten fold higher than for standard undergraduate medicine. The financial aspect is also something to consider. I’m speaking from experience that it’s much harder, as I applied as a graduate for September 2022 start.

You won’t be able to do just one year in Neuroscience I’m afraid. Unis will only let you apply to medicine once you’re in the final year of your neuroscience degree.

I would say have a go at UCAT anyway. You might surprise yourself. If it doesn’t go well, you could take a gap year, get some more work experience, earn some money, maybe travel and generally strengthen your application for next year. You could maybe even do online neuroscience courses online in your gap year since you’re interested in it - it could be a good talking point for your personal statement and interviews.

Let me know if you have any more questions :smile:

Hi thanks for your advice :-) I don't know if i should cancel my ucat i was heavy on cancelling it yesterday because it was putting me under a lot of pressure having to revise for it and revise for my exams in september and go on holiday .. and do my work experience. Im not sure now though, i dont want to overwork myself when im ill right now. I don't know if i should give it a go. I did revise for it for a few weeks and i booked it for the 11th of aug do you reckon I have time to work on it throughout july and do it? I am applying to gateway year to medicine since i meet the criteria. im sooo conflicted arghhhhh

Reply 10

leejieunstoes

2

What was neurology like for you? how did you find it? What were your favourite parts of it?

Reply 11

micholate9

16

Original post by leejieunstoes

Hi thanks for your advice :-) I don't know if i should cancel my ucat i was heavy on cancelling it yesterday because it was putting me under a lot of pressure having to revise for it and revise for my exams in september and go on holiday .. and do my work experience. Im not sure now though, i dont want to overwork myself when im ill right now. I don't know if i should give it a go. I did revise for it for a few weeks and i booked it for the 11th of aug do you reckon I have time to work on it throughout july and do it? I am applying to gateway year to medicine since i meet the criteria. im sooo conflicted arghhhhh

I understand you’re in a tough situation. Nobody can make that decision for you so you just have to evaluate if the stress will make your illness worse. From my perspective, giving it a go might make you feel more prepared for next year. You could see it as a practise run and approach it with the mindset that you’ll be happy to reapply next year. This might help take some of the pressure off from having to do incredibly well.

But having said that, it depends on how unwell you are. Your September exams should probably be a priority over UCAT anyway.

(edited 1 year ago)

Undergrad for medicine

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