Applying (for medicine) after a gap year

Hi, I've been doing some thinking lately and Im just so confused!

Let's say I apply to UCAS normally and then decide that the course i've chosen isn't right for me, so I decide to take a gap year instead of going to uni...

during this gap year i might work in a hospital in another country and help out generally with caring for people and confirm that i do want to be a doctor (Its been an on and off thing for me my whole life) so is it possible for me to apply for medicine after this gap year, or not? Should i just get on with my 3 year degree then see what happens?

I know a lot of people apply for medicine first time round and don't get in so they try again the next year, but what about people who didn't want to do medicine first time round and only decide after rejecting their applied course and do a gap year instead, then apply? Or would this be a total waste of time

sorry if this makes no sense! but help would be appreciated if you understand the jist of what im asking lol :smile:

xxx

by the way, this question can apply to subjects other than medicine as well, but i am leaning more over to the medical side

had another thought, if you apply to uni after a gap year, do you have to wait another year after this gap year to go? if so, maybe it is a waste of my time...

Reply 1

wackysparkle

14

if you want to take a gap year you have to do a 'deferred' entry which essentially means: e.g. you apply in 2007 but your offers are for the 2008 course - so you have a gap year, but you are guaranteed a place for the 2008 course.

I am quite confused as to what you want. You say medicine and then you change your mind half way. You need to realise that medicine is a hard course to get into, and you need to focus only on that if you want to apply for it, your PS needs to focus on it as well as your grades. So you can't just switch round all the time.
My advice would be that you get some work experience over the summer so that you know whether medicine is the course for you or not, and when UCAS apps come you will know which course you want to apply to.

Reply 2

kellywood_5

17

If you apply during the gap year for normal (ie not deferred) entry you can go to uni the same year, eg if your gap year is 2008-09 and you apply for 2009 entry. If you apply after the gap year, you'll have to go to uni a year later. Are you asking whether you'd be looked down on as a reapplicant? If so, I guess you could make it clear in your personal statement that you applied for something else originally but the gap year made you sure you want to do medicine, but that could have its disadvantages as well because it might make you appear less committed.

Reply 3

wackysparkle

14

but surely universities are obligated to look at you objectively rather than checking to see if you are re-applicant? :s-smilie:

Reply 4

terpineol

14

wackysparkle

but surely universities are obligated to look at you objectively rather than checking to see if you are re-applicant? :s-smilie:

you'd think so, but for medicine its really cut throat. St Andrews last i checked looking at second time applicants last, and a few places refusing to deal with them.

Aslong as you really nail the PS and make sure you really pile in the work experiance over the summer it would be worth a shot, you'll also have to do the UKCAT and BMAT depending where you want to apply, you should have a chance. probably not as much as if you applied first time for medicine though. So there is a fairly high chance of coming out of a gap year with nowhere to go.

the best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

Reply 5

wackysparkle

14

sheesh thats really annoying! - that would actually explain the number of students who reapply again don't get in.

Reply 6

Johnny C.

9

I actually did exactly what the OP is talking about. I applied to study physics and philosophy when I was at school. Took a gap year, during which I decided I would rather study medicine (had been thinking about it on and off for about 10 years). So when I got back from my gap year travels, I set about applying for medicine (requires a lot of preperation e.g. work experience, voluntary work etc....). Obviously I had missed the UCAS deadline for that academic year, so I've had to take a second gap year.

Anyway, I sent my application off last october and will be going to Newcastle to study medicine in September. So it is possible :smile:

In fact, having taken a gap year gave me a lot of experiences to draw on when writing my PS and in interviews

As for reapplying - most uni's will happily consider reapplicants (as long as you get the grades first time round). It's people who are reapplying because they are having to resit their a-levels that have a lot of trouble.

Reply 7

*River

15

There's a difference between reapplying and reapplying because you need to resit some a level modules.

Reply 8

Beautiful_Plumage

OP

Sorry for the confusing question!

I understand that medicine is a course that requires a lot of commitment and Im not planning on messing around loads with my PS etc like i sound i will. I have actually done volunteering at hospitals etc but the fact I still couldn't make my mind up about it after that made me decide it's not the course for me yet, what I meant to ask was what Johnny C has carried out himself.

Seeing as there's two gap years involved in that process, I won't take a gap year, and because also the difficulties they present for reapplicants, I'll do a degree in something like biology then maybe do a years experience etc then try and apply for a post-graduate if i have decided i am truly committed.Thank you for the help, glad thats sorted :smile:

xx

I just realise how stupid i must seem to all of you, sorry about that, I'm not usually that bad, it's something about this exam period which is making me lose my common sense...

Reply 9

Excalibur

15

Bear in mind that graduate entry is usually a lot more competitive than applying after A levels....

Reply 10

johnkt506

Hello,
I am planning to reapply for medicine for 2008 entry becasue I didn't get any offers for 2007 and hence had to take a forced gap year. So I was wondering if I would need to explain in my ps the rationale behind taking a gap year and also what I would be doing and so forth. Please help!

Thanks

Reply 11

Ossie1701

1

Two people I know reapplied, after failing to gain offers in the 2005/6 cycle, and are now studying Medicine. So, it is entirely possible, especially with a well planned gap year.

Hello,
I am planning to reapply for medicine for 2008 entry becasue I didn't get any offers for 2007 and hence had to take a forced gap year. So I was wondering if I would need to explain in my ps the rationale behind taking a gap year and also what I would be doing and so forth. Please help!

Almost certainly. If you do not say what you are going to do during your gap year and somehow relate it too medicine, you are really shooting yourself in the foot. This applies to basically every university subject. Clearly don't say 'I am on a gap year because I failed to get an offer last year'. Gap Years are meant to be productive, so maybe do some volunteering in the UK/NHS i.e. one of the said friends fed disabled people, or something random like that. Another big hit among Medical orientated gappers is volunteer community work in the third world, I find it a little pretentious, but it appears to impress Admissions Tutors. I would suggest (having just finished a gap year) having an entire paragraph (only four lines of the P.S.) devoted to detailing gap year plans. Also, even if these plans are still 'plans' never say "I plan to" or "I may". Best to go with "I will be helping lepers over the summer" for example.

Applying (for medicine) after a gap year

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