Medicine Applicant - GCSE Resit?

I applied to medicine this year and received rejections from all four. I have thought about taking up my back-up choice but I know its not something I'll be happy doing. I still need to request some feedback on where my application failed. Brighton and Sussex told me my application was eligible but failed the second screening. I am guessing main reason is down to my GCSE grades.
AAAAABBBB.
I am wondering whether to resit some modules of my GCSES and get them A's to A*s. This would give me a better academic profile. But I just realised I'll be applying again in October 2010 and the GCSE modules are November, Jan, March ... so how would I go about it? Do you think they will hold it against me for not having any grades in the GCSE section? Thanks for any help.

Reply 1

ilovehotchocolate

TBH, I wouldn't have thought there's a lot of point. They will look at your grades first, and as long as you meet the minimum requirements they have set then you will be put on a yes pile and your grades won't feature anymore after that - as in, it's your personal qualities after that like work ex, interview form and personal statement that count and no one with better grades than you but worse extra cirricular stuff will get your place. If you have to, try improving your A levels, but certainly leave you GCSE's alone. They don't count for much at this stage. In the intervening time before reapplying try getting more varied work ex, try badgering local GP's or see if you can shadow a Dr in a hospital. See if your local hospital has a volunteering scheme you can join. Then really rip apart your personal statement. Give copies to everyone you know and make sure it's the best it can be. Good luck!

Reply 2

Aiboz

Thankyou for your advice! :smile:

Reply 3

username356927

Aiboz

I don't know if you sat the UKCAT, this may have had been an element in the second screening, if it was then that can be improved for next year through practise.

Good Luck! :biggrin:

Reply 4

Aiboz

TooSexyForMyStethoscope

I don't know if you sat the UKCAT, this may have had been an element in the second screening, if it was then that can be improved for next year through practise.

Good Luck! :biggrin:

thankyou

yeah I did get low UKCAT score : 615
I was with a friend today who is in a similar position as me and the teacher was telling her, with her gcses she should forget about going into medicine and do biomedical sciences and go through graduate entry.

Reply 5

username356927

Aiboz

thankyou

Kind of agree but GEM is certainly not easy to get into, maybe she could try an access to medicine course?

Reply 6

Beska

What would be your opinion on resitting a Maths GCSE to raise from a B to a A/A*?

Reply 7

Noble.

Beska

What would be your opinion on resitting a Maths GCSE to raise from a B to a A/A*?

Considering medical schools don't accept GCSE resits, pretty pointless.

Reply 8

Beska

Noble.

Considering medical schools don't accept GCSE resits, pretty pointless.

That pretty much answers my question. Thanks.

Reply 9

lekky

Noble.

Considering medical schools don't accept GCSE resits, pretty pointless.

.... they accepted mine ....

I resat maths from a B to an A, don't think the B would have made much difference though

Reply 10

Noble.

lekky

.... they accepted mine ....

I resat maths from a B to an A, don't think the B would have made much difference though

Did you resit it outside of your other GCSE exams? Did you retake it while doing your AS levels?

Reply 11

lekky

Noble.

Did you resit it outside of your other GCSE exams? Did you retake it while doing your AS levels?

Yes, Yes. But I took AS levels 2 years after leaving year 11.

Reply 12

Hygeia

Noble.

Considering medical schools don't accept GCSE resits, pretty pointless.

Some definitely do accept them. I've seen on various med school websites (can't remember exactly which at the moment) that they don't have a problem with people resitting GCSE maths/english to up the grade. I'll try to remember which they were and post the links later.

Reply 13

krisblade

Hygeia

Yeah, I've heard that. I think if it's one or two letting you down you can get away with it. It's more when people get all C's or something and decide to retake most of them.