Graduate Entry Medicine: 2016 Entry

Thank lyra1987 she posted it would like to know how many offers some places made, but I guess very few people would turn down Kings so probably not much more than 28 offers were made.

Am I being a bit thick. If the uni's hand out more offers than places and fewer people turn down the offers than anticipated...do they have to honour the offer?

Really, really concerned about the future of the NHS. I don't want to work in private healthcare, I believe health is a fundamental right and the people that have been benefitting from our (formerly) amazing education and healthcare systems are destroying it for future generations. I love my current job, I love being part of the hospital clinical workforce and I am desperately keen to be a doctor but I am scared about what the situation will be even in the near future let alone 2020 onwards. The government is so scared of upsetting the ultra rich and commercial backers they have that instead of taxing wealth and profit appropriately they are shunting the bill paying onto the working masses by creating a loan system that is basically a tax hike for young people.

I had felt secure in my ability to progress in my current career to the extent I wasn't too stressed about the prospect of maybe not getting into medical school or not being able to afford it but now senior people in my sector are losing their jobs to restructuring. Highly skilled people with 20+ years under their belts are being made redundant and management goes to executive types who have no idea what frontline service involves. Our small department is being expected to work miracles on a shrinking budget whilst service demand has been increasing. What started as a 2000 patient per year service with 4 staff now sees something like 5k patients with 1.6 staff and it's a huge compromise. I can't provide the service at the level that I was trained at because I have no time and a major lack of equipment and resources.

I am sorry to post a rant, but it's an awful prospect. It seems like there are a lot of us here that want to truly help people and I worry that we won't be able to. The whole world is going down the pan despite the incredible feats we, as humans, are now capable of. We have tech to save the world but a few powerful, greedy, misguided people seem to screw it up for everyone with good hearts and intentions. I ready somewhere that the greater the wealth divide the less the wealthy choose to help the less fortunate. I am all for achievements and hard work being recognised financially but not at a rate that adversely affects those lower down the chain. The Swedish model works, high tax yes, but also high quality of life and ample public service, why aren't they emulated more? Madness.

Anyway, two weeks til we start to hear from Warwick. Something to maybe look forward to!?

The rate we're going, the Tories will manage to destroy the NHS before the next election. Scary, scary stuff.

*rant*

All this waiting is driving me mad. I've yet to hear back anything from any of my choices. REPLY god damn it. You've had the GAMSAT scores for ages, BMAT has been released, just tell me so I can stop this constant flinch whenever I get an email. GAHHHHH.

Why did I apply to such slow universities (Notts/Swansea/Liverpool/Oxford)

*end rant*

So, bursaries for student nurses have been dumped - is anyone else getting nervous about funding arrangements for GEM? Starting to worry that if I don't get in this year, financing might be harder next time round...

And yes, this is all assuming that there is an NHS in 4/5 years time

Edit: I see people have been quicker off the mark in worrying about this than me!

Meh, it's bursaries for ALL allied healthcare professionals so midwives, physiotherapists, operating department practitioners, dental nurse/hygienist/therapists, podiatrists, orthotists, occupational therapists, dieticians, radiographers, audiologists and social workers all getting less from their wages than staff who qualified prior to 2017 entry. The wages they earn aren't high enough that they'll repay very early avoiding years of cumulative interest. Some may be in repayment for the full thirty years. At least with degrees that have high earning potential you could clear the debt in 15-20 years.

To be honest I don't mind whether it's bursary or loan. If I was looking to make money medicine is the last thing I would do!
I'm more worried about whether they'll shift to more up-front costs. It's not like there wouldn't still be enough people with enough cash to fill the places. Just sucks I'm not one of them!

I see why the government doesn't want to pay bursaries. From their point of view, they don't need to incentivise people to apply. That's what happens when the country's run by economists I suppose.

Does anyone know when we will start to hear from either Barts or Warwick?
Thanks so much!
Good luck to everyone who has been offered an interview so far!

But they're not doing medicine. So many of them will be Band 5 or 6 forever. When you earn under 30/35k the chances are you need every pound. Also the loan is a one shot deal unless you're specifically doing GEM. The average age of student nurses is 28, a huge proportion do it as a second degree. That entire demographic will be prevented from accessing the course because saving 27k for fees is not doable for people with families or on a low to average income.

On the plus side for us- it might mean they have to allow second loans to people applying to healthcare subjects. Maybe A100 will be one of them.

To be honest I don't mind whether it's bursary or loan. If I was looking to make money medicine is the last thing I would do!
I'm more worried about whether they'll shift to more up-front costs. It's not like there wouldn't still be enough people with enough cash to fill the places. Just sucks I'm not one of them!

I see why the government doesn't want to pay bursaries. From their point of view, they don't need to incentivise people to apply. That's what happens when the country's run by economists I suppose.