The Student Room Group

Graduate entry medicine application struggle

Hi everyone,
I was wondering if any of you have any tips / advice for me. I am looking to get into medicine (preferably graduate entry), however seeing that I already have a degree in Biomedical sciences (2.ii) it is really hard to get anywhere. I got the lower division due to personal circumstances and am currently very lost as to what to do. For the past two years I have been working as a support worker, trying to get some experience in care, now I will be starting a job in a hospital as a healthcare assistant. I have tried to take the GAMSAT last year (that did not go well due to me working 55+ hour weeks and revision time being very limited), now I am planning on taking the UKCAT in Sept. I have contacted a few universities regarding my results and applications but mostly got told that a 2.ii is just not good enough. I have however received an email from Newcastle Uni stating that a person who is a practising health professional with a post-registration qualification can apply.
Can anyone please tell me what that is? Also any sort of advice would be greatly appreciated :smile: thank you all
Reply 1
Original post by Lahatiel
Hi everyone,
I was wondering if any of you have any tips / advice for me. I am looking to get into medicine (preferably graduate entry), however seeing that I already have a degree in Biomedical sciences (2.ii) it is really hard to get anywhere. I got the lower division due to personal circumstances and am currently very lost as to what to do. For the past two years I have been working as a support worker, trying to get some experience in care, now I will be starting a job in a hospital as a healthcare assistant. I have tried to take the GAMSAT last year (that did not go well due to me working 55+ hour weeks and revision time being very limited), now I am planning on taking the UKCAT in Sept. I have contacted a few universities regarding my results and applications but mostly got told that a 2.ii is just not good enough. I have however received an email from Newcastle Uni stating that a person who is a practising health professional with a post-registration qualification can apply.
Can anyone please tell me what that is? Also any sort of advice would be greatly appreciated :smile: thank you all


You're probably already aware, but just in case: a 2:ii on its own won't be too helpful, but if you use the skills and experience you gained to do a Master's, you'll have a few more options. According to student BMJ, Warwick and Swansea's GEPs accept 2:iis with postgrad qualifications. Good luck!
Reply 2
This is what Newcastle sent me when I enquired, it seems they are after people who are in a patient facing role and have qualifications within that field. I don't think biomedical sciences would count I am afraid:


Thank you for your email and your interest in Newcastle University Medical School.

The entry requirements for a graduate to be considered for the either the A100 (5 year programme) or A101 (4 year programme) is an Honours Degree with a result of 2:1 or above. We do not we consider postgraduate qualifications due to them entailing different teaching methods to that of undergraduate degrees.

The A101 course is for home / EU applicants only who are graduates or Health Care Professionals. To meet the requirements of a health care professional you need to have been a health care professional in a role such as a Nurse, Paramedic, Physiotherapist etc., for 3 years or more with substantial patient contact and continued professional development.


They told me as a HCA with a Masters degree (non medical related) that I could not apply, sorry.

Your best bet is to do a Masters degree (something I have done myself as a 2.ii holder) which opens up more options for GEM.
If this is something you really want to pursue, I really encourage you to try and undertake a Master's and then reapply. Getting in with a 2ii is going to be very, very tough possibly nigh on impossible if you can't do the GAMSAT. Your options are limited. Newcastle is a great school, but only offers a couple of dozen places. Compare that to somewhere like Warwick where you have ~175 or so per year.

To answer your question, a post-registration qualification is normally something done whilst in employment; vocational training for nurses who didn't go to university originally, for example.

I understand an MSc is a financially tough option, it's not easy, but if this is what you really want to do then you're going to have to fight for it! Best of luck.
Reply 4
Without the GAMSAT, your options become very limited. If you're in full time work, you might want to consider sitting both GAMSATs (March sitting and September sitting) and then you can apply with your higher score. Apart from warwick I am not too sure of how many UKCAT unis would accept a 2.2 grade.
Reply 5
First of all, I would like to thank you all for your replies :smile:
I sat the GAMSAT last year did fairly well on sections 1 and 2, however section 3 brought me down. I am thinking of taking the March GAMSAT and seeing how that goes and if not I can always resit it in September. I somehow thought I could do enough to prepare and work as much as I have, which clearly is not even remotely enough. I'm going to start the preparation now so I don't run out of time, considering a masters as well depending how financial situation is.

Again thank you all, you have been very helpful
Original post by Lahatiel
First of all, I would like to thank you all for your replies :smile:
I sat the GAMSAT last year did fairly well on sections 1 and 2, however section 3 brought me down. I am thinking of taking the March GAMSAT and seeing how that goes and if not I can always resit it in September. I somehow thought I could do enough to prepare and work as much as I have, which clearly is not even remotely enough. I'm going to start the preparation now so I don't run out of time, considering a masters as well depending how financial situation is.

Again thank you all, you have been very helpful


I know this is probably the very last thing that you want to hear...but have you thought about other medical related careers? Maybe once you're working as a HCA you will see a lot more different types of fulfilling jobs in hospitals. Lots of NHS careers have similar aspects to medical careers.

But if it's only medicine that interests you, then only apply to the 2:2 unis, ace the GAMSAT and get a ton of work exp. As others have said, an MSc could improve your chances but check with each uni first or else it will be a waste of time and - importantly - money.

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Reply 7
I have thought about getting into a HCA but medicine is what I really want to do, so I will do as you have said a ton of work experience and ace the GAMSAT and hopefully get in, it will take a bit more time but it will be worth it
Reply 8
Original post by Lahatiel
I have thought about getting into a HCA but medicine is what I really want to do, so I will do as you have said a ton of work experience and ace the GAMSAT and hopefully get in, it will take a bit more time but it will be worth it


Don't worry about the time investment. I was in the same position as you when I started and that felt like yesterday. I've just finished my final assignment for my Masters and have been a HCA for over a year now, but the time has flown by! This will be my third year of applying (third time is the charm hopefully!) so don't sweat it :smile:
Original post by Marathi
Don't worry about the time investment. I was in the same position as you when I started and that felt like yesterday. I've just finished my final assignment for my Masters and have been a HCA for over a year now, but the time has flown by! This will be my third year of applying (third time is the charm hopefully!) so don't sweat it :smile:


Good luck :smile: join me in the 3 times the charm club!
Reply 10
I wish you all the best :smile: one way or the other it is going to happen :smile: