2014 Medicine Re-Applicants

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Ah right I thought I showed organisation skills for not going back to school and trying to improve my grades on my own

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It doesn't make a difference where you're doing the exams, you're still classed as resitting.

Reply 2581

Philippamalko

if you have got achieved grades is it necessary to put your AS grades on your UCAS application too?

Reply 2582

Mangodepo11

Original post by AhmedDavid

The unis that currently allow resits allow resit of the whole year & I am aware that a lot of people capable get the grades first time however this would also show that they are cleaely capable by getting the As at A2 first time which is meant to be a lot harder than AS.

You need to stop making up your own admission rules. If you don't complete A-levels within two years achieving AAA without exceptional circumstances you will not be considered by all the medical schools apart from 3/4 it's as simple as that. There is a legitamate reason for this in respect to academic capability when on the course. This won't change either, so just do your best to get the grades and stop wasting your time pondering if admissions will bend the rules for you.

Reply 2583

Hudl

Original post by confusedbengali

Ah right I thought I showed organisation skills for not going back to school and trying to improve my grades on my own

Posted from TSR Mobile

yeah what Becca said, whether on your own or not you're still classed as resitting. I really do think the graduate route would be the best route for you to take.

Reply 2584

Hudl

Original post by Pastaferian

I'm not sure if you are being serious (the lol's suggest you may not be), but in case I'm wrong... most med schools expect students to achieve academic success (AAA+) in 2 years - anyone taking longer is assumed to be unable to handle the workload and/or be lacking commitment/focus. Barring exceptional circumstances, of course. The rule is fairly strictly enforced, as it's highly competitive, and anyone taking 50% longer to achieve the same results has a significant advantage over the majority who take just the normal 2 years.

Not every med school takes this view - a handful will consider students who completed AS and A2 in 2 years, didn't quite achieve AAA, and resat after Y13. But I'm not aware of any that will consider students who retake Y12, unless there are documented extenuating circumstances.

As has been said, your application won't be considered if you don't have AAA predictions (and may not be believed if you do). In addition to upping your game to get AAA+ at A2, you'll also need to do a lot of volunteering, find a clinical placement or two, and pass the UKCAT exam - quite a workload for Y13. Not saying it can't be done, but you may be better planning for graduate entry into medicine, bearing in mind that you can always review your options in August 2014 if you get the A2 grades that you need (in that case, you could take a gap year and apply for medicine based on achieved grades). Good luck!

Edit to add: this link may be helpful... http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medicine_Prospects_for_Students_with_%27Poor%27_AS_Grades

I think you're looking for the wiki article on 'competition ratios'. Or better autocorrect software? :biggrin:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_Competition_Ratios

I am indeed being serious, Yes I agree that resits are not favourable without extenuating circumstances by all medical schools except

. Liverpool
. Plymouth
. Lancaster
. UEA
. Brighton & Sussex
. Exter (Not sure if they're doing it for 2014 entry)

Which is exactly what I am talking about, on some of their websites, (Liverpool or Lancaster I think) It states that resit A2 applicants will be considered aswell as resit AS applicants aswell as modular resit.

Secondly I was just being optimistic as most universities comment on the fact that A2 resitters have a significant advantage over other applicants as they have done the whole course before however AS resitters have only completed what is classified as the easier section of the full A-Level so I was being optimistic, hoping that more universities are less critical on candidates who have resat their AS than their A2.

I got ABCCC at AS in Gen Studies, Chemistry, Maths, FMaths, Physics. However I know that I could have done better as during the exam periods there was a lot of conflict at home and I think it affected my studies as there was never peace. I would have carried on with A2 anyhow as I know I am capable of pulling up those grades however my sixth form are not allowing me to pick up AS&A2 Biology in a year whilst dropping Physics FMaths; in order to broaden the universities I can apply to. Due to this I have been left with no choice than to resit the year.

[ Nothing wrong with a bit of optimism, I am determined to do this for the rest of my life (Of you noticed I asked a question not stated a fact)]

Original post by Richyp22

The same applies to you ^^

& are you psycotic where and when have I made up my own admission rules. I have studied the policies of the unis that allow resit applicants and it clearly states that whether you resit just one unit or all units you are all classified the same as " resit applicants". The only way it differes is in cases like UEA where if one subject is resat then they expect A* if 2 subjects are resat A*A and so on.

Reply 2585

FlavaFavourFruit

Wow so much going on! :nutcase:

Reply 2586

Pastaferian

Original post by AhmedDavid

[...]I got ABCCC at AS in Gen Studies, Chemistry, Maths, FMaths, Physics. However I know that I could have done better as during the exam periods there was a lot of conflict at home and I think it affected my studies as there was never peace. I would have carried on with A2 anyhow as I know I am capable of pulling up those grades however my sixth form are not allowing me to pick up AS&A2 Biology in a year whilst dropping Physics FMaths; in order to broaden the universities I can apply to. Due to this I have been left with no choice than to resit the year.[...]

Fair enough, but I don't understand your strategy. You say you're taking on AS/A2 Biology this year to broaden the uni's you can apply to, but by taking an extra year you are restricting your options. Chemistry plus Biology is an ideal combination, but Chemistry plus (Maths or Physics) is sufficient for over a dozen med schools, and is more acceptable than Chem/Bio taken over 3 years.

Reply 2587

Hudl

Original post by Pastaferian

Thats a fair point, however Physics is my weakest subject although I am fairly good at maths and was about 9ums from a B. Physics is one of my weakest subjects as the high school I went to didnt have a Physics teacher and the Physicians where taught Physics once a month for GCSE and looking at my options if I did take Maths Chem & Physics to A2 it would leave FMaths as an AS which is confliciting to most Unis policies which accept just Chem and another science.

I was really confused when I tried to make the decison but I ended up with this because I am aware even people where they achieved pretty strong AS grades mess up at A2. So me carrying on to A2 with bad grades in subjects I dont particularly enjoy is a bad combo.

Starting the year with Chemistry, Maths, Bio, Physics is a much better combination as even though I dont enjoy Physics as much as the others my determination is to become a medic and that is what is pushing me on. ( I can drop it after AS anyway :P )

Reply 2588

Setsuna

Original post by Bumble333

I'm really sorry if i sound harsh but all your comments have been really confusing to read and your situation isn't clear. Also this is a thread for medicine reapplicants - people who have worked vey hard and still didnt get in and the deadline is in 2 days so it seems abit like your wasting everyone's time . Medicine is really tough and just having " passion " isn't enough, if you want real advice I think work your arse off this year and get 3 As and properly think about where you want to apply . Then if you get 3As, think you will cope with the course and you think it's more to you than a "passion" then go for it next year and I wish you success.

Sorry I have to disagree with that sentence, I'm a resit applicant having achieved AAB after missing the A by 1 mark. I don't think this is because I didn't work hard enough as I found out after getting my exam script back I would of got 2 more marks if it wasn't for the mark scheme, as in answers that are condoned previously are now marked wrong, even my tutors were surprised by that. Of course there was one or two silly errors, but all in all I wouldn't say I didn't work hard enough, hence I think your comments are a bit harsh.

Reply 2589

Bumble333

Original post by Setsuna

Theres a big difference between AAB and CCC , or course you worked hard to achieve yor grades as they were only " 1 mark off ". Also I never said that people who didn't get AAA didn't work hard I was reiterating the point confusedbengali posted when they said they only did a weeks sociology revision. Hope this now makes sense sorry for any offence caused :smile:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 2590

confusedbengali

Original post by Dr.Ugs

Lol at your name! :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

thought it was most fitting to my situation

Reply 2591

confusedbengali

thanks to everyone who gave me feedback, I've got one more question, do you think I should take up AS economics? I'm gonna be teaching myself do you think it can be done and will it hurt my chances of getting into medicine if I take up an AS now. Btw I've decided to apply for medicine anyway I've applied to UEA, Kings and Nottingham for foundation courses, any ideas of one more?

Reply 2592

ameelia22

Oh my, my my. I was getting so confused reading those last few pages, I was tempted to go out and get a breathalyser to check if I'm still off-my-face from 2 nights ago (it honestly wouldn't surprise me...).

To my fellow hardcore re-applicants,
the one's that I sort of consider "TSR pals" as we have discussed at length code words for periods, how crap the UKCAT is when we've done ****, or how despite how simple typing things into UCAS is meant to be, none of us feel confident with it....and are terrified that we are doing every tiny thing wrong, (Do we enter AS grades? CAN WE USE LAST YEARS PS? Why do i have last years personal ID? Does UCAS hate me? Are they trying to ruin my life?) etc... I am now able to confirm, I AM A CONFIRMED RE-APPLICANT!! Woop Woop :rave:

(dats da sound of da police....anyone know the song? No? Just me? I'm still drunk.)

Manchester
UEA
Leeds
And...Sheffield!

You may recall that actually I was going to apply to Nottingham...and then I realised I wasn't legible because in chemistry I resat both Chem1 (and did worse lol) and Chem 2 and they only allow 1 module resit / per subject.

Now that that's all sorted, what have you guys been up to? As much as I'd like to be all, "I'm-one-of-the-cool-gals-that-play-GTA-5) I am so uncool we've never been allowed games consoles in the house...so if someone would like to invite me round to play, I would so take up that offer...

Reply 2593

ameelia22

Can you please remind us all how great your son is, how he has 7A*s at A-level, how his UKCAT is big enough for me to drown in and how despite the fact that he is SO fantastic, and SO much better than the rest of us, he is incapable of typing for himself?

Just remind us, I'm sure we'll all forget.

Spoiler

Reply 2594

Brachioradialis

http://www.ukcat.ac.uk/App_Media/uploads/pdf/2013%20Testing%20Statistics.pdf

THEYRE UP!!!!

Bad news: Deciles have increased, DA massively as predicted (770).
Good news: other sections relatively constant.