What should i do if i don't get into medicine?

rejected w/o interview from kings, leeds and keele :frown:

. still got soton left. my backups are masters medicinal chemistry (ABB Offer) and bimed (BCC offer). i dont no if i should take a year out and apply again or jus go for one of my backups and just do that. i dont really want to spend like three years doin a course then another 7 for medicine. i would be like 28/29 by the time i qualify, n i want to start earning soon as possible. so wot do u think i should do and if ur in the same position what are u goin 2 do?.

:tsr2:

Reply 1

ph9

10

i would without a doubt work for the AAB/AAA this year, take a year out and reapply for entry 2008

Reply 2

brokenangel

16

If medicine what you really want to do work for your grades then take a year out. I know that what ill be doing if I dont get in next year. :rolleyes:

Reply 3

Philosoraptor

18

Yeah true, but don't need the eyes lol, it's a serious decision to make , one year is a long time to waste if that is what it ends up being!

Reply 4

theredsox

15

Maybe it's just late and I've been getting more and more sleep deprived as the week goes on, but what does that mean, Philo? :smile:

Reply 5

Philosoraptor

18

Hehe, you again! :wink:

. I'm saying the OP needs to think about what their next step is seriously. If they feel they have a good chance of getting in again with good grades it's worth it! Otherwise if not, it's a waste of a year!

Reply 6

Johnny C.

9

Philosoraptor

Hehe, you again! :wink:

. I'm saying the OP needs to think about what their next step is seriously. If they feel they have a good chance of getting in again with good grades it's worth it! Otherwise if not, it's a waste of a year!

Taking a gap year (two in my case), imo is anything but a waste of time regardless of whether you get into medicine second time round or not.

Firstly, if you know you want to do medicine, you are going to have to reapply to med school at some point, so why wait 3 years and blow £30,000 on a degree you never wanted, when you could have just taken a gap year.

Now, why is a gap year a good idea (whether you get in 2nd time or not)?
-You can earn a lot of money before going to uni
-You can travel for long periods of time to places you might never go to later in life (if you do end up studying medicine and becoming a doctor, you'll be in your mid 30s probably before having another chance to go off travelling for months on end)
- You can gain valuable work experience (medical or otherwise)
- You can spend eons writing your PS or preparing for interviews
- You will mature as a person, maybe become more confident
- You will undoubtedly gain greater perspective on life, meeting new people of different ages from different backgrounds.
- Finally, in my experience and that of everyone I know, taking a gap year was one of the best things they've ever done.

You've already said in the OP that you don't want to spend 3 years doing a course then medicine, so don't - It's a no brainer to be honest :smile:

Reply 7

lil groovy dude

14

Aim for AAA and re-apply! :biggrin:

Reply 8

Mubsy

Raky D

rejected w/o interview from kings, leeds and keele :frown:

. still got soton left. my backups are masters medicinal chemistry (ABB Offer) and bimed (BCC offer). i dont no if i should take a year out and apply again or jus go for one of my backups and just do that. i dont really want to spend like three years doin a course then another 7 for medicine. i would be like 28/29 by the time i qualify, n i want to start earning soon as possible. so wot do u think i should do and if ur in the same position what are u goin 2 do?.

:tsr2:

Well wait and see what Soton say. You never know, you may be pleasantly surprised.

If you don't get any offers, you should:

1) Work exceptionally hard between now and the summer to get the grades in you exams. AAB is the least you need but try and aim for AAA or AAAA (if you're doing 4 A-Levels).
2)During the summer relax and have some fun.
3)On results day if you don't have any offers but have the grades, try ringing up the medical schools to see if they might have any spare places. It's a longshot but certainly worth a try.
4)If you still don't have a place then I suggest you take a gap year during which you can do mroe work experience either at home or abroad to really make your applicaiton standout. Work on your personal statement and prepare well for BMAT/UKCAT and hopefully you'll have a really good chance of getting in next time round.

DON'T ACCEPT A PLACE ON AN ALTERNATIVE COURSE IF YOU HAVE THE GRADES FOR MEDICINE. I say that because if Medicine is really what you want to do, then anything else will ALWAYS be second best. The graduate entry route for Medicine is a very difficult road into Medicine.

Reply 9

Philosoraptor

18

True johnny, I'm probably a bad person to ask- if you do that kind of gap year ( a proper one :p:

) yeah I suppose so!

Reply 10

ph9

10

sometimes i find myself sort of wishing i'll be forced to take a gap year and reapply for entry 2008 just because i'd love a year out but i'm too cowardly to do it out of choice :redface:

Reply 11

username39618

1

Mate- i'm speaking having been in your position exactly a year ago- I applied to do Medicine at Imp, Kings, UCL and Newcastle, got a cracking BMAT 19.1 and the interview at UCL- nonetheless I was rejected by all four. I decided to focus on getting grades, and in the summer got AAAAB (B in chemistry). I thought long and hard about reapplying to do medicine- but I realized it would be horrible if on my gap year I was rejected by all my unis again- besides, I could have only applied for less prestigious unis with my grades, and that really wasnt what I wanted to do: So I reasessed by options, decided to go for economics, I'm having a brilliant gap year- AND I got into my top choice unis for economics- and in fact i'm so pleased how stuff worked out for me- I realize now that at the time I was so hung up on med being the be all and end all, yet I wouldnt want to spend all that time a uni, 11 years! :biggrin:

What I'm trying to say is; chin up, get some good grades then take it from there. Hope that helps...

Reply 12

Mubsy

Makky_Legend

Mate- i'm speaking having been in your position exactly a year ago- I applied to do Medicine at Imp, Kings, UCL and Newcastle, got a cracking BMAT 19.1 and the interview at UCL- nonetheless I was rejected by all four. I decided to focus on getting grades, and in the summer got AAAAB (B in chemistry). I thought long and hard about reapplying to do medicine- but I realized it would be horrible if on my gap year I was rejected by all my unis again- besides, I could have only applied for less prestigious unis with my grades, and that really wasnt what I wanted to do: So I reasessed by options, decided to go for economics, I'm having a brilliant gap year- AND I got into my top choice unis for economics- and in fact i'm so pleased how stuff worked out for me- I realize now that at the time I was so hung up on med being the be all and end all, yet I wouldnt want to spend all that time a uni, 11 years! :biggrin:

What I'm trying to say is; chin up, get some good grades then take it from there. Hope that helps...

There isn't really such thing as "less prestigious universities" in Medicine. They all pretty much ask for the same grades except one or two like Oxbridge and Edinburgh which ask for AAA. Other than that they're all vast over-subscribed and extremely competetive to gain entry to.

But reading further in your post it seems that maybe your heart was in Economics and well done with your offers and good luck for the future.

Reply 13

CrazyZo

Hey,
I didn't get in this year and I am gutted, like proper boo your eyes out like a baby and feel like the world has ended gutted. BUT I am taking a year out reapplying, not taking a second best course even though I have unconditional offers because Medicine is what I want to do. Your never too old, if I get in next year I will be 23, won't graduate until I am 28, so what? Thats still nearly 40 years of career, and think about it do you want to spend 45 years doing something you don't enjoy and that was always second best??
:smile:

Reply 14

Democracy

20

Deffo reapply. You've got one life make sure you're as happy as you can be in it :wink:

Reply 15

mrs_bellamy

18

ph9

sometimes i find myself sort of wishing i'll be forced to take a gap year and reapply for entry 2008 just because i'd love a year out but i'm too cowardly to do it out of choice :redface:

I know how you feel, have thought the same thing. I'm so pleased I've got offers, but quite like the idea of defering, but too scared. :redface:

Reply 16

Philosoraptor

18

Hehe you know what, even me on a crap year is tempted to defer, I'd like to spend a year in Germany!

Reply 17

Tabris

16

Get grades, reapply, profit.

Reply 18

lexie_89

I have been rejected from peninsula, Southampton and Birmingham and am still waiting to hear from Cardiff but am not holding out much hope.
In a local university there is a new 3 yr course in Medical sciences and after the 2nd yr the top 10 candidates go into the 2nd yr of medicine in another local uni so I’m seriously considering doing that as I would be in the same position as somebody who reapplied. The grades are also higher AAB/ABB but I would have to apply via UCAS extra to accept the place so I'm still stuck

Reply 19

trina87

CrazyZo

Hey,
I didn't get in this year and I am gutted, like proper boo your eyes out like a baby and feel like the world has ended gutted. BUT I am taking a year out reapplying, not taking a second best course even though I have unconditional offers because Medicine is what I want to do. Your never too old, if I get in next year I will be 23, won't graduate until I am 28, so what? Thats still nearly 40 years of career, and think about it do you want to spend 45 years doing something you don't enjoy and that was always second best??
:smile:

did you do a degree before you applied for medicine. I'm studying nursing at the moment and have realised even from the first week that medicine is for me. Having really bad career troubles just now...not good!!!
catxx

What should i do if i don't get into medicine?

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