is there any point in trying?

All of the time i was at school i hated it and didnt do any work. i misssed nearly two years of education becasue i got expelled from one school.and as a product of this didnt do as well as i cold have in my gcse's. i ended up getting two a stars, five a's, one b, and two d's (not in important subjects, double award vocational gcse), while most of my friends and people i know got about 10 a stars

however since i have started college i have really started to enjoy my studies. the a-levels i am taking are maths, english lit, physics, chemistry.

i think now that i would like to be a doctor. would i stand any chance of getting into any decent medical school with my grades or should i think of an alternative career path?

Reply 1

Champagne Breakfast

Work your ass off and you can become a doctor. Aim high old boy - if you find you can't become a doctor, take a gap year and think about other careers.

Reply 2

Kyoto

Your GCSE grades will not be a problem, however the fact that you haven't taken Biology to at least AS might pose a problem. I suggest you take up AS Biology during your A2 year. Work hard and don't slack! :smile:

BTW, you say "a decent med school" - well a med school is a med school... Don't worry about that.

EDIT: I'm also not sure whether med school admissions tutors look indepth at school reports... I'm guessing they will, because med is such a vigorously competitive course. If I would worry about anything, it would be the fact that you got expelled and missed 2 years of school (this will obviously shed bad light upon you).

Reply 3

kellywood_5

Your GCSEs might be a problem because medicine is extremely competitive and the vast majority of applicants, especially to the top medical schools, have a string of A*s. Also, as Kyoto said, A-level biology would have put you in a far stronger position and I don't think you'll get very far unless you at least pick up the AS. Getting expelled won't look fantasitc either, but if your new college write you a very positive reference and you can show at interview how much you've changed, they might be willing to overlook it. It might be an idea to get some work experience so you can write a cracking personal statement. You can only apply for 4 places anyway, so you could fill the other 2 with more general science degrees and apply for a postgraduate medicine course, or alternatively take a gap year where you can do A2 biology and reapply post A-level.

Reply 4

Cirsium

There are loads of ways to become a doctor. If you work your ass off for the next 2 years then it's entirely possible to get in "the front door" as it were - your GCSE results while not being sensational are hardly awful. That said if you're determined to be a doctor then even if you aren't accepted onto a medical course then there's all sorts of things you can do like a Medical sciences / biology degree and then do graduate medicine.

Reply 5

Fluffy

shrek

I HATED school woth a passion, didn't get the point of it, hated my teachers and found the whole thing really tedious.

It was only when I moved to a FE college to do my A-Levels, where you're treated like an adult that I started to enjoy learning.

Your GCSEs are more than OK for 90% of medicial schools, so concentrate on getting good A-Level grades, and the world is your oyster...

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PS Think about picking up Biology to at least AS level, as you will limit your options...

Reply 6

Mustard-man

shrek

those GCSE's are NOT bad at all!!!!!! (Even so, missing 2 years of education!!)

I you want to become a doctor, then go for it, why give up without even trying? Getting into medicine is the hardest to get into, if you try your best, at least you will attain your maximum potential.

And all medical schools are decent, I don't think the university really matters for the degree (unless you're bothered whether its a campus, etc) as a medical degree is universal.

Always aim high, and you will always end up being higher that if you aimed moderate.

Reply 7

Fluffy

Indeed: Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star...

Reply 8

Mustard-man

Fluffy

Indeed: Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star...

that's the spirit!

Reply 9

Mustard-man

ask yourself this question, is the there any point of not trying?!?!!??!

Reply 10

~nat~

shrek

echoing the general sentiment of previous replies, I think you should DEFINITELY go for it! I'm happy for you in that you've turned your studies around in that you're enjoying them, which is half the battle. Besides, if those GCSE's were gained without an interest in school, then you must naturally have something because they're fine considering the circumstances!!

I don't know the ins and outs of applying for medicine, but many unis, including 'decent' medical schools, often look at AS grades and predicted A2 grades first before GCSEs - if you have a passion, it'll show through much more in interview than grades on a piece of paper! Also, is there a careers advisor, or a science teacher 'in the know' where you study to perhaps gauge advice from?

All the best! Keep up the hard work, and I'm sure you'll go far :smile: