Medicine application September 2015

Hi, well this is my story... So i want to do medicine at university, if not medicine then at least pharmacy. But preferably i would like to do medicine, not because it's a good course and I'll have a good career but because i actually enjoy it and have a passion for it. Because i actually want to help people and improve their lives, even if in the slightest way. Now, i know a lot of you are going to think this is impossible and no way in hell that i even have a chance, but even so, i will try.

I never say this ever about myself but I've learnt that i have to be confident and now i finally have confidence in my own abilities and intelligence.I might think it but i never say it and just in general, i might be good at something but something in my head tells me I'm not and if someone asks if I'm good at a particular thing i tend not to say much. (Confidence thing lol, but I'm better now)

So, i just got my A2 grades today. The last 2 years of my life have been extremely tough in all sorts of ways and a lot has happened. So much that some people wouldn't be able to deal with it. Put briefly, my life's been crap for the last 2 years and everything has gotten messed up, including my grades and the time at my Sixth form. I currently have a D in biology and an E in Maths. I plan to take my A2 year again at a sixth form college and resit some exams etc. So i'll resit A2 bio and Maths as well as taking AS and A2 chemistry in one year. I would need a fourth AS, so i plan to take the easiest possibly AS subject simply for an easy A and the UCAS points.

For me, I'm not worried about failing or getting E's again because everything i had to deal with and may continue to deal with is behind me now. I'm actually very smart, will work extremely hard (of which my mum and friends are already taking notice of that I'm trying to move on from what's happened) and i know that by results day 2016 i will have at least 3 A's. It's not a matter of fact if i don't do it or mess up again because I'm not going to let that happen. I know that i can achieve 4 very good grades (B+ at least for all of them). The main thing is acting on your words and proving yourself through actions as opposed to empty words and promises.

So, that's the story and i was wondering if you guys could kindly help me.
1) What Good London universities will accept me for medicine with retakes? I've seen lists before of possible candidates but i just want confirmation of what exact universities will accept retakes.
2) Will universities at least consider my application with resits?

I don't know why I'm even numbering them. I don't know if I have that many questions and/or i don't even remember, my minds kind of fuzzled at the moment......

Basically what I'm trying to say is if i get predicted 4 A's for my exams from my mock exams that will go on my application form and i end up getting lots and i mean lots of medical related work experience as well as lots of extra curricular activities(which i already have lots of). Not to mention end up getting 3 A's at A2 and an A for my AS. Will they accept me? So if i have like the most perfect application ever but only done over the course of 3 years involving resits, will they accept me? Point is I've had a lot happen, but I've come out stronger and am determined to do well and get into a successful university with medicine.

Specifically what universities will accept or consider me, Kings? Queens?... I'm definitely going to put 2 or 3 medicine courses as well as 1 pharmacy and 1 sure fire good science related course that i can easily get into.

HELP!!........ :/

You can resit a module as many times as needed within the 2 years, but once you've taken a 3rd year for your A-Levels, your choices are a lot more limited. Unis that accept resit candidates are summarised here: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_Resit_Policies
Try not to think of 'good London unis' for medicine, all universities are good, you'll end up a doctor wherever you go.

It sounds like you've had a difficult time over the past couple of years. Do you have any evidence for mitigating circumstances, as some of the unis that accept resits will require it?

Good luck.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read and reply to my post. Thanks for the list and yes, i know my choices are limited but hopefully i can still get to a well known uni. Also, OK, i won't refer to it like that, i guess you're right, i just hope to get into a well known university or one that people know are good for getting their students with amazing grades and go on to awesome jobs. But yes, sorry about that.

Yes, unfortunately i have and i heard that some universities will ask but I'm not sure whether they are what these universities think of as ''mitigating circumstances'' even though they are and that you don't truly know something unless you've been through it yourself. Some people also react differently to different situations. Not that I'm saying nothing happened and that i over reacted lol. What kind of evidence is needed though? How do you prove it? I can tell them everything that happened, but I'm not sure how to provide evidence. I've got an idea for evidence for 1 or 2 scenario's i guess, but generally I'm not sure.

Thanks

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read and reply to my post. Thanks for the list and yes, i know my choices are limited but hopefully i can still get to a well known uni. Also, OK, i won't refer to it like that, i guess you're right, i just hope to get into a well known university or one that people know are good for getting their students with amazing grades and go on to awesome jobs. But yes, sorry about that.

Yes, unfortunately i have and i heard that some universities will ask but I'm not sure whether they are what these universities think of as ''mitigating circumstances'' even though they are and that you don't truly know something unless you've been through it yourself. Some people also react differently to different situations. Not that I'm saying nothing happened and that i over reacted lol. What kind of evidence is needed though? How do you prove it? I can tell them everything that happened, but I'm not sure how to provide evidence. I've got an idea for evidence for 1 or 2 scenario's i guess, but generally I'm not sure.

Thanks

Its medicine, the university doesn't matter. You will still be a doctor in the end.

Sadly I think you would not be classed as a resit student in the sense going_to_california means. Yes, you will have taken three years but most universities that allow year resits have minimum requirements before resitting. Your grades are unlikely to qualify you to apply to any of these places.

You should probably look at an access to medicine course rather than resitting and attempting new a-levels. Or if that doesn't work out then look at graduate entry medicine.

OK and oh, i see, so because i got D's and E's even if i end up getting A*, A*, A, B, they still wouldn't consider me? What exactly is an access to medicine course? One with a foundation year or just an extra year to learn the required course??
Also, what exactly is a graduate course too? A masters for example. So could i possibly do Pharmacy or some other medicine/biology science related undergraduate course(the course you do straight after university) and then do a masters in Medicine??? But also, if i do a graduate/masters in medicine then wouldn't be easy in the sense that what you could have done or the level of course it is you could have done years ago you are doing now? Or because its a graduate scheme, you can specialise into certain parts of medicine rather than medicine itself(kinda like how you can specialise what kind of doctor you want to be(ears, mouth throat etc))?

No problem

Honestly, reputation of the uni isn't a factor. When you apply for jobs as a doctor, your uni is hidden from your application. Most people at med school have good grades and employment rates are great from all schools, so the outcome will be the same wherever you go.

You'd have to contact the unis to ask them, but I imagine doctors notes for any illness, say, or evidence from form tutor/ head of college/ sixth form, though I'm not sure. From the link I sent before, King's specify "extenuating circumstances, as judged by the School of Medicine" so it seems to be at the uni's discretion, but might be better to ring up and explain your circumstances and see what they say.