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Mature Graduate Wanting To study Medicine - help!

Hi everyone,

I have a bit of an unconventional background in that I am currently 27 and am a chartered accountant, with a 2:1 in accounting with no science background whatsoever. I also achieved AAA at A -levels back in 2006.

I wanted to be a doctor when I was younger but was put off with the tough entry and went for an easier route.

Now after some serious soul searching I have decided that I do infact want to be a doctor and that accountancy is not for me at all.

I wish to apply for the 2017 entry for medicine. I want to apply for GEM courses due to the cost difference from the 5 year course.

In order to boost my application I will do the Gamsat and also have applied to volunteer as a hospital helper.

So my questions are as follows:

1) Should i only apply for 4 year courses or should I also apply to some 5 year courses to boost my application? Note I have no science A-levels at all.

2) What extra can I do to boost my application? I feel I am at a massive disadvantage compared to people who have science degrees and backgrounds.

Thanks for your help in advance

Emily

Reply 1

BoriniLFC

have a look at the TSR graduate entry guide which has an overview on it all

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=15889-graduate-entry-medicine-a-guide

Reply 2

MonteCristo

This isn't really an unconventional background for graduate entry medicine. My initial feeling is that you won't be eligible for any 5 year courses without chemistry +/- biology at A-level. Even if you were rejected by four graduate courses and had to re-apply, you'd still qualify in the same year as if you joined a 5 year course. I personally would make a serious bid at graduate courses (in two application cycles you can apply to 8 institutions...) rather than using a UCAS spot on a 5 year programme.

A number of universities (including Warwick and the GAMSAT institutions) don't award any extra points to applicants with a science background. You're not really at a disadvantage as long as you selectively apply to the right courses but the process is competitive for everyone and so your application needs to be as good as it can be.

There are a number of threads on here and some good books on medical school applications (http://goo.gl/ypwxNI has a chapter specifically on graduate applications) that could provide you with a solid starting point. Your next priority should be trying to organise a range of work "experiences" - an ideal application might include insight into primary care (GP), community healthcare (nursing homes, hospices, etc), and secondary care (hospitals). Working as a hospital volunteer can help get you "in" and meeting people - try and catch a friendly consultant then ask to shadow them in the clinic/ward/operating theatre/etc. If you can't easily pin down a consultant, ask the secretaries or clinic nurses who is "nicest" - they might actively introduce you. You might need to go through a separate process to formally shadow in the hospital but this is pretty straightforward if/when a consultant has agreed to babysit.

Remember that, although you are looking for things to write about on the UCAS form, work experience is possibly even more useful to help you demonstrate insight into the career. A candidate that shows an unusual level of insight into the problems faced by doctors, patients, and the wider NHS will be very attractive to medical schools. Don't just be a "plant" when shadowing/volunteering - ask questions, look things up, think (critically) about everything you see...

Then start studying for the GAMSAT...

Reply 3

Aliviarara

Original post by hydrographer1208

1) Should i only apply for 4 year courses or should I also apply to some 5 year courses to boost my application? Note I have no science A-levels at all.

Can you fund it? The financing is very different for 4 year versus 5 year. That's probably the biggest factor in this question. If so look at your eligibility for 5 year courses.

Original post by hydrographer1208

2) What extra can I do to boost my application? I feel I am at a massive disadvantage compared to people who have science degrees and backgrounds.

Extracurricular, a strong personal statement with good reflection, versatile work experience (although it's quality not quantity but competition is higher for GEM).

Most importantly, apply strategically to increase your chances (there is no point applying anywhere that looks nice but you don't meet the application criteria). Look at which universities accept non-science based degrees, these ones likely won't give preferential treatment unless stated, no disadvantage. Do the UKCAT early, if it's strong apply to UKCAT heavy universities, if not take the GAMSAT and apply preferentially to those and personal statement heavy ones.

In all honesty, get a strong UKCAT 710+ (for this year but higher is better) and apply to Warwick. A 2.1 and a strong UKCAT would get you an interview but you need 70 hours of confirmed work experience by the UCAS deadline.

Reply 4

hydrographer1208

Thanks for all your replies so far.

I was thinking of volunteering at a hospital ward 2-3 hours per week so that should get me up to 70 hours and might try and get some shadowing arranged. Easier said than done but i guess it is possible.

I suppose the key thing for me is convincing a university that I am dedicated when my CV contains no medicine of the sort - more volunteering variety on the cards for me then!

Thanks for your replies!

Reply 5

hellodave5

Original post by hydrographer1208

That's the thing. It's extremely competitive, and you will likely need much much more than 70 hours in a hospital setting. But yeah, volunteering will help greatly - possibly in a few different roles, and some shadowing later on.