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Studying medicine abroad?

So I really want to do medicine, but in my GCSEs I got 2A*s, 6As and 4Bs (Bs in core, additional and eng lang, As in maths and further, and an A* in eng lit). I'm taking Biology, Chemistry and German for A-Level and I am in Year 12 at the moment. I've wanted to do medicine for as long as I can remember, but I think I've messed it all up with my GCSEs :/ But because I also really love German, I had the idea of studying medicine abroad, in somewhere like Germany, Austria, or Switzerland - I know it's free over there, which will be really good :smile: So I thought about doing a degree in the UK in German, or maybe German with a science or something, then applying to a university in a German-speaking country :biggrin: Does anyone have any advice or tips for me? :smile:
Original post by MiracleLeaf
So I really want to do medicine, but in my GCSEs I got 2A*s, 6As and 4Bs (Bs in core, additional and eng lang, As in maths and further, and an A* in eng lit). I'm taking Biology, Chemistry and German for A-Level and I am in Year 12 at the moment. I've wanted to do medicine for as long as I can remember, but I think I've messed it all up with my GCSEs :/ But because I also really love German, I had the idea of studying medicine abroad, in somewhere like Germany, Austria, or Switzerland - I know it's free over there, which will be really good :smile: So I thought about doing a degree in the UK in German, or maybe German with a science or something, then applying to a university in a German-speaking country :biggrin: Does anyone have any advice or tips for me? :smile:


Your GCSEs are absolutely fine for Medicine. Aim for AAA at a-level and apply here.
Original post by ForestCat
Your GCSEs are absolutely fine for Medicine. Aim for AAA at a-level and apply here.


Thank you :smile: But everyone else on here seems to get at least 10A*s and even then they're still unsure as to whether they'll be able to get in :/
Do you know much about studying medicine abroad?
Original post by MiracleLeaf
Germany, Austria, or Switzerland - I know it's free over there, which will be really good :smile: So I thought about doing a degree in the UK in German, or maybe German with a science or something, then applying to a university in a German-speaking country :biggrin: Does anyone have any advice or tips for me? :smile:


Medicine in Germany is really competitive and I'm not sure they're happy with A-Levels.
Original post by zyzzyspirit
Medicine in Germany is really competitive and I'm not sure they're happy with A-Levels.


Do you think my GCSEs are good enough for medicine in the UK? Because that would be the ideal scenario, as I wouldn't have to pay for all the travel across to Germany :P
Original post by MiracleLeaf
Thank you :smile: But everyone else on here seems to get at least 10A*s and even then they're still unsure as to whether they'll be able to get in :/
Do you know much about studying medicine abroad?


TSR isn't representative, its rather skewed.

You won't be able to apply to GCSE heavy universities but you will have plenty of options. You may not get in first time, but people are generally more successful applying or a second time on a gap year.

Germany requires you to be fluent in German. Seriously, just aim to get the grades and apply here. Its cheaper and much easier.
Original post by zyzzyspirit
Medicine in Germany is really competitive and I'm not sure they're happy with A-Levels.


What do you mean they are not happy with A levels? Are A levels not acceptable?
the people on here with their amazing competitive stats aren't representative of the general med student population.... trust me on that. I say give it a go a here, and if it doesn't work out then consider going abroad.
Original post by ForestCat
TSR isn't representative, its rather skewed.

You won't be able to apply to GCSE heavy universities but you will have plenty of options. You may not get in first time, but people are generally more successful applying or a second time on a gap year.

Germany requires you to be fluent in German. Seriously, just aim to get the grades and apply here. Its cheaper and much easier.


Okay, I'll try :biggrin: Which universities would you recommend as less GCSE heavy? I'm thinking Aberdeen, Durham, Exeter, Glasgow, Hull York, Brighton and Sussex, or Southampton? Any of these any good? :biggrin:
Original post by christinedona
the people on here with their amazing competitive stats aren't representative of the general med student population.... trust me on that. I say give it a go a here, and if it doesn't work out then consider going abroad.


Do you know many people who got into medicine with GCSE grades like mine?
Original post by MiracleLeaf
Okay, I'll try :biggrin: Which universities would you recommend as less GCSE heavy? I'm thinking Aberdeen, Durham, Exeter, Glasgow, Hull York, Brighton and Sussex, or Southampton? Any of these any good? :biggrin:


That all depends on how you do in the UKCAT.

You should focus on doing well over the next year, and come back once you've sat the UKCAT.
Original post by MiracleLeaf
Do you know many people who got into medicine with GCSE grades like mine?


Plenty of profiles here. But yes, there will be thousands of people who have gotten in to Medicine with grades like yours.
Original post by DeadEnd_96
What do you mean they are not happy with A levels? Are A levels not acceptable?


They probably are acceptable, but I believe German universities will prefer more 'international' qualifications like the IB or a German qualification.

That plus it being very competitive makes it an unnecessarily difficult task to get in. UK medicine is hard enough on its own.
Original post by ForestCat
That all depends on how you do in the UKCAT.

You should focus on doing well over the next year, and come back once you've sat the UKCAT.


Thanks so much for your help :smile: You've really given me more confidence in my grades :P
Original post by MiracleLeaf
Thanks so much for your help :smile: You've really given me more confidence in my grades :P


They are good grades. Be proud of them.
Original post by ForestCat
They are good grades. Be proud of them.


Thank you :smile: This is probably a stupid question, but I just want to make sure - will a medicine qualification from a UK university give me the right to practice medicine anywhere in the world? So I could move to Germany one day, when I'm fluent, and practice there?
Original post by MiracleLeaf
Thank you :smile: This is probably a stupid question, but I just want to make sure - will a medicine qualification from a UK university give me the right to practice medicine anywhere in the world? So I could move to Germany one day, when I'm fluent, and practice there?


I think its a generally well accepted degree, but I don't know the specifics of practising in each country.
Universities with medical schools are, by definition, good. :smile: They wouldn't be allowed to teach medicine if they weren't up to the GMC's standards.

This might help in deciding where to apply: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Applying_to_Medical_School_using_your_Strengths. Bear in mind it's a tad out of date.

Original post by MiracleLeaf
Okay, I'll try :biggrin: Which universities would you recommend as less GCSE heavy? I'm thinking Aberdeen, Durham, Exeter, Glasgow, Hull York, Brighton and Sussex, or Southampton? Any of these any good? :biggrin:
Reply 18
Original post by zyzzyspirit
They probably are acceptable, but I believe German universities will prefer more 'international' qualifications like the IB or a German qualification.

That plus it being very competitive makes it an unnecessarily difficult task to get in. UK medicine is hard enough on its own.

They're not allowed to have a preference like that. A standard EU qualification which grants access to regular university study (such as A-levels, unlike e.g. BTECs) has to be viewed as just as acceptable as any other qualification by other EU countries.

There is however a small problem of other countries requiring different subjects for Medicine, and different subjects in the A-level 'bundle' on top of that. E.g. some countries expect you to have done a science subject and a language subject in your Sixth Form 'package', which is difficult with the narrow range of subjects at A-level unless you're forewarned and know where you want to go before you pick your subjects. It wouldn't surprise me at all if German medical schools required A-level Maths, incidentally.

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