applying for medicine in 2015?

i received my ASs on thursday and got AAAA in biology, chemistry and geography. i am considering applying for medicine as i have had an interst for some while, but was unsure after my gcse's (2A*,4As and BB). I have decided to pursue it but unsure what route to take! i am going to spend the next year gaining the work experience and I am considering applying for medicine for 2015 entry? will it be the same procedure as 2014 entry or will I be treated differently? Also considering Biomedicine and then medicine as a graduate? what are the chances of getting in that route?

Reply 1

My-My-My

2

Original post by biojay_

i received my ASs on thursday and got AAAA in biology, chemistry and geography. i am considering applying for medicine as i have had an interst for some while, but was unsure after my gcse's (2A*,4As and BB). I have decided to pursue it but unsure what route to take! i am going to spend the next year gaining the work experience and I am considering applying for medicine for 2015 entry? will it be the same procedure as 2014 entry or will I be treated differently? Also considering Biomedicine and then medicine as a graduate? what are the chances of getting in that route?

Why not apply for 2014? Even if you don't think you're ready (not enough work exp etc.) you never know!

There's nothing to stop you applying for medicine, you have strong AS grades, but because of your GCSE grades, which are on the weaker side, it is important that you look carefully at various uni's requirements, as you won't meet some.
The procedure for applying for 2015 - when you'll be on a gap year - will be the same as if you had applied this year. You'll be treated the same as all other students, the only benefit being that you will have your A-level results already, and those a year younger than you will only have predicted grades. So if that is going to be your plan it is really important to work had this year to maintain those As and maybe even get an A* or two.

If you decided against applying for medicine, I see no reason why you shouldn't get place for bio-medicine or a similar course at a good university. After completing a course like this, if you get a 2:1 or better, you'd be eligible to apply for graduate courses. Bear in mind that they are often more competitive than undergraduate courses and some still have tough A-level requirements.

I hope this answers your questions

Reply 2

biojay_

OP

8

Thanks a lot! Also! As a graduate will I be able to apply for an undergraduate medicine course which would give me more chance of getting in due to experience etc?
Also, would I still be able to go ahead with biomedicine for 2014 entry and apply for medicine for 2015 entry?

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(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 3

My-My-My

2

Original post by biojay_

Thanks a lot! Also! As a graduate will I be able to apply for an undergraduate medicine course which would give me more chance of getting in due to experience etc?
Also, would I still be able to go ahead with biomedicine for 2014 entry and apply for medicine for 2015 entry?

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Anyone can apply for the undergraduate courses (as long as they have the correct A level subjects) so you can do that after a bio-medicine degree. However, the graduate course would be more appropriate as they're shorter (so cost less) and won't be recapping content you learnt in your bio-medicine degree.

You could apply for bio-medicine this year, and if you decide against that reapply for medicine next year.
If you started a bio-medicine course, there would be some universities that wouldn't accept an application from you, and you would have to either drop out or wait until you graduated. There's a wiki on the subject here
If you didn't accept any offers you could apply for medicine 2015 to all universities.

Another option is to have a look at some universities which offer transfers from their bio-medicine courses to medicine after the first year. I think Newcastle and Leicester are included in this list, but you'll have to do some of your own research.

Reply 4

hslakaal

17

I think you'd have a solid chance at biomed as a fifth choice, so even if you don't get in this year, I don't see any harm in trying :smile:

As my-my-my said, it really won't make a difference whether you apply this year or next year, so even if you don't make it, I'm pretty sure you could make it to a decent biomed course this year. You can then either reapply or just go for biomed then I suppose :smile:

Reply 5

k1rby

10

Original post by biojay_

i received my ASs on thursday and got AAAA in biology, chemistry and geography. i am considering applying for medicine as i have had an interst for some while, but was unsure after my gcse's (2A*,4As and BB). I have decided to pursue it but unsure what route to take! i am going to spend the next year gaining the work experience and I am considering applying for medicine for 2015 entry? will it be the same procedure as 2014 entry or will I be treated differently? Also considering Biomedicine and then medicine as a graduate? what are the chances of getting in that route?

Your GCSEs are good. I got 2A* 6A 4B and got 3 offers. You can't apply to Oxford or Birmingham but oh well.

Why don't you apply for deferred entry this year? even if you get rejected for lack of work experience etc you will have experience of the system at least.

It would be the same procedure applying next year for 2015 entry as it is for applying this year for 2014 entry.

Why would you want to do graduate medicine? It is way more competitive, more expensive (you would need to pay upfront - student finance will not give loans for second degrees) and takes longer.

Your GCSEs and AS levels are good, believe in yourself if this is what you want to do. If you are unsure of if this career route then getting loads of work experience this year, getting your A levels at AAA and applying during a gap year is the way to go, in my opinion. :smile:

Reply 6

WannabeDoctor03

7

Hey guys,

So I'm going into Year 12 right now and my GCSE scores were a little mediocre (2A*s in Maths and History, 7As in Spanish, English Language, Bio, Chem, Physics, English Literature and Art, and 1B in French ) My results are good but they're not brilliant, especially considering I go to a Grammar School.
I'm taking Bio, Chem, Maths, History and General Studies for AS and will probably be dropping Maths and General Studies at A2. I'm obviously aiming for 4/5 As at the end of AS and all As at least at the end of A2. I've identified what I did wrong at GCSE (NOT ENOUGH REVISION ) and plan to work much harder at A Level from the first lesson.
I volunteer once a week in the small Chapel at my local Hospital, transporting patients from their ward to the Chapel and also volunteer regularly at one of the small shops in the same Hospital which raises money for the Hospital (last year they raised aprox. £100,000)
I've also volunteered at a GP for one week and spent one week at 6 six different departments at a Hospital (ranging from A&E to Radiology to Surgery- It was Great!) I also do a lot of extra curricular activities at my school, ranging from Debate Club to Head of School Council) I speak 3 different languages fluently, not including English, two of which I taught myself (even though my first language is English) and I have been altar serving for the past nine years.

My current Uni choices are
1. UCL (first choice)
2. Either Cambridge or Barts
3. Bristol
4. Leicester

Even though, whilst typing all of this out, I was thinking 'Wow, I've done quite a bit of stuff', I know how competitive Medicine is, especially at UCL which is where I've been dreaming to go for as long as I can remember.

I know my GCSEs put me at a disadvantage, but if there is even the slightest way to improve my Application, could you please please reply to this post.
Even if you don't have anything to contribute, you can PM me or quote me on advice on how to get Work Experience, Voluntary Work or anything else, I'm researched a lot of Med School Unis quite extensively, it's actually a little embarrassing.

Please Note: That I'm not trying to brag or 'show off' on what I have done so far or trying to belittle anyone; I'm literally so worried that I'm not going to be good enough for UCL, or any medical school, and I'm not here to ask if I am either, but I would just like to know how I can improve my Application.
Anything will be helpful; thank you!

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Reply 7

Aelathehuntress

1

Original post by biojay_

Also considering Biomedicine and then medicine as a graduate? what are the chances of getting in that route?

Firstly, congrats on your fantastic results! I would always be a bit skeptical about doing medicine postgraduate as you have to finance a 5 year degree yourself as student loans won't cover it, so you might find yourself in financial difficulty (source: a junior doctor who studied medicine at postgraduate told me, whilst I was on WE, that unless your parents have deep pockets it's very difficult). Plus if you think medicine is competitive at undergraduate, it's even more so at postgraduate. If you don't think you're ready to apply this year, take a gap year, earn a bit of cash, do volunteering and working experience and get yourself some decent grades and re-apply! Good Luck!

Reply 8

My-My-My

2

Original post by Aelathehuntress

Firstly, congrats on your fantastic results! I would always be a bit skeptical about doing medicine postgraduate as you have to finance a 5 year degree yourself as student loans won't cover it, so you might find yourself in financial difficulty (source: a junior doctor who studied medicine at postgraduate told me, whilst I was on WE, that unless your parents have deep pockets it's very difficult). Plus if you think medicine is competitive at undergraduate, it's even more so at postgraduate. If you don't think you're ready to apply this year, take a gap year, earn a bit of cash, do volunteering and working experience and get yourself some decent grades and re-apply! Good Luck!

You only have to finance maintenance costs (rent, food etc). After 4 years of study, medicak student get their fees paid by the NHS. This means that graduate students who have done a three year degree only have to pay the fees in thir first year. NHS bursaries for maintenance are also available to students who come from a low income family, they're not as generous as student finance but it's better than nothing!

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Reply 9

k1rby

10

Original post by My-My-My

You only have to finance maintenance costs (rent, food etc). After 4 years of study, medicak student get their fees paid by the NHS. This means that graduate students who have done a three year degree only have to pay the fees in thir first year. NHS bursaries for maintenance are also available to students who come from a low income family, they're not as generous as student finance but it's better than nothing!

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That's if you get onto the 4 year graduate course (more competitive). They were talking about being on the 5 year course as a graduate when you have to pay the fees up front for the first four years of it.

Reply 10

My-My-My

2

Original post by k1rby

That's if you get onto the 4 year graduate course (more competitive). They were talking about being on the 5 year course as a graduate when you have to pay the fees up front for the first four years of it.

Ok, yes, in that case you would have to cough up until you reached 5th year.

But, if they'd done a Biomedicine degree they'd be more than eligible for the 4 year postgrad course. I don't know why you would apply for the 5 year (even if it is less competitive!) if you could apply for the 4 year instead?

Reply 11

callmehannah

2

I'd also like to apply for Medicine in 2015 but I'm not sure whether or not I need Maths at A Level. At GCSE, I got 3 A*'s (including one in Maths) and 5 A's, and am continuing Chemistry, Biology, English Lang & Lit and Psychology into Year 12, which I have just started.

Most of the universities I have looked at don't specifically require Maths, as my two science subjects cover their requirements, but I was wondering if universities are more likely to accept those who are doing a Maths A Level?

Would love to go to Cardiff or Cambridge, but have also been looking at UCL.

Reply 12

My-My-My

2

Original post by callmehannah

I'd also like to apply for Medicine in 2015 but I'm not sure whether or not I need Maths at A Level. At GCSE, I got 3 A*'s (including one in Maths) and 5 A's, and am continuing Chemistry, Biology, English Lang & Lit and Psychology into Year 12, which I have just started.

Most of the universities I have looked at don't specifically require Maths, as my two science subjects cover their requirements, but I was wondering if universities are more likely to accept those who are doing a Maths A Level?

Would love to go to Cardiff or Cambridge, but have also been looking at UCL.

If they state they don't require maths, that's what they mean. Those who study maths at A level will have NO advantage over people who don't when applying to those universities.

applying for medicine in 2015?

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