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Optometry and then medicine

Would it be possible, or a good idea, to do a degree in optometry followed by medicine, if you weren't accepted into medical college the first time round? Thanks for your help.

Reply 1

Fluffy

15

Yes. At the moment. Beware though that more and more graduate entry courses are taking A-Levels into account (as they courses are heavily over subscribed - average of 60 applicants per place, which can only rise now that graduates have to pay £3k a year upfront to do 5 year medicine)

As I said, graduate entry is a lot more competative than school leaver entry, so ask yourself would you be happy being an optometrist. If the answer is yes, then go for it. If you're just doing optometry because you think you will then walk into med school after, I would do a little more research on the subject...

Reply 2

Cunning Linguist

3

getting into uni for optometry is NOT easy! unless say ur confident u'll get three As (or similar) at A-Level. i know a lot of people who have been rejected for optom, even though they've got 3 As - seriously.

i was gonna apply for optom, but i realised that anything scientific is just not for me! thank god i didn't apply for it! good luck anyway with the app.. u wont have that much of a problem choosing unis for optom anyway, cos only 8 unis do it!

Reply 3

igloo

OP

1

Thanks for the advice you two. So would you recommend doing a biomedical sciences degree instead, and then applying for medicine?

Reply 4

Cunning Linguist

3

yes i think something like biomed, or biochem is definitely easier to get into. why aren't u applying for medicine anyway? are your grades not good enough? or u just not feeling confident? (lol no offence!)

Reply 5

Muse

13

igloo

Thanks for the advice you two. So would you recommend doing a biomedical sciences degree instead, and then applying for medicine?

I'd choose something different to biomed personally (as would Fluffy!) - Graduate entry is more competitive than applying for medicine as a school leaver, lots of graduates with biomedical science degrees apply for medical school so it might be worthwhile doing something slightly different like Anatomy, Physiology, Genetics, Neurosci etc. to help stand out.

Reply 6

Fluffy

15

No - Biomed science is probably the worse degree you could do for grad entry medicine. Too many people are doing it and your UCAS form just will not stand out...

Reply 7

JayD

1

What about an unbiological degree, like chemistry? How would they view that out of interest?

Reply 8

hero

1

i read than you can do any degree you like as long as u have A level biology and chemistry and that you get a 2.1 then you'll be allowed to apply for the 5year course.

Reply 9

Fluffy

15

hero

i read than you can do any degree you like as long as u have A level biology and chemistry and that you get a 2.1 then you'll be allowed to apply for the 5year course.

That's true on the whole - but from 2006 entry it's very expensive to do the 5 year course as a grad. You do not get the delayed paying of your fees option - and have to pay £3k a year up front.

There's even talk that the whole amount will have to be paid upfront - i.e. £12k before you can even begin the course...

Some 5 year courses do not accept any graduates - Nottingham haven't for a year, St Georges aren't from next year, and a lot of other schools are saying that they are going to follow suit...

Therefore, I really wouldn't start 'any degree' hoping for 5 year medicine, as it might not be an option by the time you graduate... Sad really - I love being on a 5 year course, the class diversity is amazing.

--------------

JayD

What about an unbiological degree, like chemistry? How would they view that out of interest?

Some GEPs state 'life science', others state 'science' and some 'any degree'...

Check here for lists:
http://www.freewebs.com/graduatemedicine/
http://www.medschoolsonline.co.uk/

Reply 10

hero

1

I need to know more about gradute entry.
So far from reading these forums I hear that its extremely competitive to get into med via graduate entry with degrees such as bio etc
But when I was at college most teachers would recommend to people who didnt get straight As at GCSE to apply for med via graduate route?
Well if its even harder this way and yo say 60people to 1 available place then why do teachers at sixth form seem to give us this graduate entry advice then?
From what I heard anyone with a degree such as biomed etc and did well in it could walk straight into med school or atleast get a garanteed interview.
So basically does every single graduate get into med school as soon as they complete their first degree?
I've heard about a couple of people who has gone this route and they all managed it...but maybe I wouldnt be told about the people who didnt.
Again I've heard of loads of poeple who got straight into med from A levels and some who havent.

Because I was originally going to do a biomed degree and with my dad telling me to as well because he said i can get straight into med after if I didnt find a good job i liked.
But then I heard a lot of stuff like its a lot more competitive/near impossible etc so i thought to myself i could apply for med anytime with my A-levels resat instead then...rather than spend 3years doing something i wasnt interested in...

So in the end i started aerospace engineering in sep05 and right now as of this moment I am having seriously doubts upon the decision i made...after engineering i wont have the 4year graduate entry option whereas other people who went on to do biomed would probably end up becoming doctors whilst im stuck with a career which i may not entirely like... :frown:

Optometry and then medicine

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