The Student Room Group

Graduate Entry Medicine non-science undergraduates 2018 entry

Hi all!

Just thought I'd start a thread for those doing/ with a non-science undergraduate degree looking to apply for GEM courses next year, hoping for 2018 entry.

Post your degree, where you want to apply, why you want to do this!!

Would be great to share ideas and chat with other people in this unusual position!

Scroll to see replies

So, anyone else in this position?

Personally I'm studying Law and have known from very early on, indeed before I came, that I should be studying medicine.

I am trying to get as much work experience/ voluntary exposure as possible atm and am starting to think about where to apply and how to prepare for the UKCAT (maybe GAMSAT too)!

Anyone else out there?
Me! I've got an English Language degree and now working in publishing... I've always liked the idea of doing medicine but never thought it was for me. But now have decided to just jump into the deep end and give it a go!

I've been looking at experience/volunteering and the UKCAT - I'm not sure about GAMSAT though!
Reply 3
I'm a politics and French student and I've been volunteering and gathering work experience etc for a year now. I've started GAMSAT revision (more like just teaching myself science) and I don't think I'm going to take the UKCAT and just apply for GAMSAT unis instead.
Thank you for starting this thread :smile:

I've got a Music degree(!), but have always regretted not studying Medicine. I've been working in a corporate environment for a few years since graduating, and this has made me realise that life is far to short not to pursue what you really want to do!

I'll be applying for 2018 entry and I'm planning to do both the UKCAT and GAMSAT. I'm not too nervous about the UKCAT, but I'm pretty terrified about the GAMSAT - I don't even have any science A-Levels! If anyone is currently studying/has previously studied for it and has any tips on the best ways to prepare, I'd be very grateful to hear them!
I'm studying for an MSc in Nursing and halfway through. I only got a desmond but I have a good excuse, even though uni's don't buy it. I'll be moment and I'll be applying for 2018 entry. I will have and already have more than enough experience to fulfil the criteria. But, I'm really worried about the GAMSAT, I am excellent at essays and the like, but useless at revision. I was potentially going to risk it by applying to just Warwick and hammering the UKCAT, but that would be a risky option.

I think the GAMSAT website says physics to A-Level Standard, Chemistry and Biology to Level 4 Standard. So a few decent, easy to read books on the topics should help. The advice uni's give is go to a library to read a few books and see if you like them, then buy them to revise. The basic concepts are a must for chemistry which is (I think) the hardest comparatively to Biology. Physics is just maths essentially, with a few added bits.

Personally, that will be easiest to revise for, but I have no idea where to start for the social sciences section given that I have no background in the classics or humanities.
Hey All, im a management student looking to study medicine in 2018. any tips for gamsat/ukcat prep? :smile:
I assume those intending to sit for GAMSAT will go for the one in Sep? Because the upcoming one is in March and it will be a mad scramble to have everything down pat in 2 months (us people who have little to no science background definitely need more time than that!)

I have spent countless hours trawling forums to come up with a good study plan and have been at it one-off for the past 6 months (I work full-time and don't get much time in the evenings). Ok, so here it goes:

Section 1:
Get MCAT resources (ExamKracker or The Princeton Hyperlearning) to get used to long, convoluted passages. Its very important to be able to digest such passages and this is achieved only through practice. Des O'Neill has a humanities workbook for Gamsat, which I have not started on yet, but I'm sure it will be helpful.
Do a few passages daily if possible and if you think it will be a piece of cake given our background, think twice (or thrice). I have read a good number of classics and count myself as well read but the passages (and the darn questions!) have a way of thoroughly confusing you. So please start early to know where you stand.

Section 3:
Get the 'Griffiths gamsat review' pdf, if possible, because it lists down core topics to study. There is no one perfect text book or resource to understand the science material and you need to try out the suggestions from people in TSR or pagingdr forum (wealth of info for us). After trying out a few resources, I have settle for these:

Org chem: Organic Chemistry as a Second Language (first semester) - I understood this book much much better than the Organic Chemistry for Dummies. There are multiple practice questions (non-gamsat style) throughout the book to test your understanding.

General chem, Bio, Biochem: Examkrackers - this is a MCAT resource with good illustrations and concise explanations. I also googled any niggling (sometimes elementary) questions when the books weren't too detailed. Knowing that I did not have tonnes of chapters to cover helped psychologically.

Learning content is just half the battle. Practicing Gamsat style questions is what we need and you can count on Des Science mcq book for hundreds of passages.

Haven't had much time to dedicate time to physics and section 2, so I have nothing to add here.

So in summary, get griffiths Gamsat review, Des O'Neill Mcq pdf/books (esp science) and whichever textbooks that work for you.

Cheers
(edited 7 years ago)
Hi Guys!

Hope preparation is going well. I wanted to ask whether anyone has taken the GAMSAT preparation course at Imperial College or is looking to do so? I am looking into it however it is not very cost friendly :frown:

Does anyone know any other courses available to aid non-science students?
Hi all

So, I'm an oldie (well, 36) and attempted the gamsat last September, two months after my second son was born. I did virtually no prep and got 66 in essays, 60 in the humanities and a lowly 35 in the sciences!
I guess I need to work on the science given I'd not studied in 20(!) years.

I had another (unprepared) stab at gamsat in march (results pending) but intend to try properly for UKCAT and GAMSAT this summer

BSc (Home) Audio & music technology
MSc Computer studies

Eek,
Goodluck to everyone doing Gamsat this year! I did it twice too - its one of the most draining exams i have ever taken
First time i did it I used old A2 books and notes from first year of University - basically anything i could find online
Second time i went on the Gradmed intensive course - scored much better and am looking forward to starting Medschool in September 2017.
I am selling all the material they gave me plus a few essays of my own - this is all 2016 material. Please check out my listing on ebay or forward to someone who you know needs these... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/282486730224?

GRADMED teachers have basically sat these exams and remembered the questions year after year and made these books with questions coming straight out of gamsat exams. Do I think you need to go on the Gradmed course in London? No. The full prep course costs £2650 while the intense course costs £1265. I paid for the intensive course. I cannot fault the teachers at all and I appreciated that learning environment but they basically taught from these books. The questions we did in class were mainly from the booklets pictured and then they told us to do the questions in the books at home. I went because I knew I needed these books and no one was selling the most updated versions.Definitely worth paying less and getting the books and all notes. These books have been well looked after and are basically like new. You may find the odd pencil mark where i've circled an answer or made a note of something - I will do my best to remove as much of the pencil markings of answers as I can (i will leave the notes i've made if i think they will be useful) Section 1 essay writing I found very hard - my top tip for this is www.ted.com, the news and practice! Write out essays and keep up to date as much as you can. I will also include a print out of my essays that I wrote out on common topics that crop up in the exam. FREE DELIVERY UK MAINLAND ONLY - Books are in Birmingham if you want to collect
Reply 11
Hi all,

I'm a Civil Engineer, 26, with a BSc 2:1 and an MSc. Sat the gamsat for the first time in March and got 59. Not thrilled but not totally put out. I prepared for about 4 months around my full time job. Now started preparing for the UKCAT which i've booked for early july, and then probably start revising to resit the gamsat in september. Because I'm working full time (need the money for med school!) and sitting the gamsat and ukcat I'm really struggling to find the time to get the required experience - I've started volunteering at a local care home for a few hours a week and have managed to get a few days shadowing at a local hospital, but that's it really.

Really glad to see this thread as it's quite disheartening seeing all the other GEM groups which seem to be full of people with biomedical degrees and working full time in clinical jobs. Makes me wonder how I can possibly hope to compete with them!
Hi everyone !

I am currently entering into my final year of my law degree and hoping to apply for 2018 entry for medicine :biggrin:

I am specialising in medical law/ forensic medicine, but I have no sciences to Scottish Higher level but I have Intermediate 2 Biology, Maths and Physics at AAB.
I was going to sit the GAMSAT as well as the UKCAT but I think I will just focus on the UKCAT, and because I am not expecting to get accepted 1st time round, I will take a gap year where I will take Higher Sciences and study for the GAMSAT.

I am currently volunteering in a hospital and have quite a bit of shadowing experience in Intensive Care, A&E, Paediatrics, Anaesthetics and Pathology.

Would love to hear from fellow Law applicants and anyone else taking the UKCAT with no A level/Higher Science :smile:
Hi folks!I'm 29 with a good job in marketing and a 2:1 Bsc in Business. I've had medicine in the back of my mind for years, flunked out of an attempt to get in when I was doing my A-Levels due to a total fail with Chemistry. Since then I've just felt that I'm not smart enough and it's not meant to be, but the thought of doing my job until retirement kills me, I would like to do something meaningful. Basically, the ill health of a family member 1 month ago brought this all to the fore and I'm going to take a proper stab at getting in to study medicine. My question is, should I even bother applying for 2018 entry, or wait until next year? I'm booked to do the UKCAT before this year's deadline, but I haven't done any shadowing/volunteering in 5 years. I can get some under my belt by the time of interview but am worried about my application looking like an impulsive rush job. Would love to hear people's thoughts! Good luck all.
Hello all!

I've just graduated with a politics degree and I'm planning on applying for 2018 entry, as taking a gap year now (well, I say gap year but I'm going to be working as a Care Assistant). I've done three different lots of shadowing and I'm volunteering on a Ward, with a charity for disabled children and have done some volunteering during university that is relevant. I'm hoping to apply to Warwick, Nottingham, Newcastle and Swansea as those are the only ones bar St George's that I can apply for (no science A Levels so can't apply to Southampton or Cambridge (not that I want to apply there anyway haha)). I'm currently preparing for UKCAT, on 22nd August, and then obviously GAMSAT is September 13th so doing that too! How's everyone finding science revision? I'm not loving it, and possibly should have done more so far but I'm trying my best and feeling okay about S1 and S2.

Good luck all!!
Hi,
I have a 2.1 in petroleum geology and just about to finish my masters in nursing in january so I will be fully qualified then! just registered to do GAMSAT yesterday after a last minute change in mind! but I have ukcat booked for end of august so I am totally cramming! ok for biology part in GAMSAT and just trying to get as much Verbal reasoning done for both UKCAT and GAMSAT! a bit stressed as I am only applying for one graduate medicine program (scotGEM) and the rest undergrad!
Second time lucky applying for medicine ! hoping I get in this time with my 2000 plus hours nurse training and working as a HCSW whenever time allows!
Original post by buckbeak123
I assume those intending to sit for GAMSAT will go for the one in Sep? Because the upcoming one is in March and it will be a mad scramble to have everything down pat in 2 months (us people who have little to no science background definitely need more time than that!)

I have spent countless hours trawling forums to come up with a good study plan and have been at it one-off for the past 6 months (I work full-time and don't get much time in the evenings). Ok, so here it goes:

Section 1:
Get MCAT resources (ExamKracker or The Princeton Hyperlearning) to get used to long, convoluted passages. Its very important to be able to digest such passages and this is achieved only through practice. Des O'Neill has a humanities workbook for Gamsat, which I have not started on yet, but I'm sure it will be helpful.
Do a few passages daily if possible and if you think it will be a piece of cake given our background, think twice (or thrice). I have read a good number of classics and count myself as well read but the passages (and the darn questions!) have a way of thoroughly confusing you. So please start early to know where you stand.

Section 3:
Get the 'Griffiths gamsat review' pdf, if possible, because it lists down core topics to study. There is no one perfect text book or resource to understand the science material and you need to try out the suggestions from people in TSR or pagingdr forum (wealth of info for us). After trying out a few resources, I have settle for these:

Org chem: Organic Chemistry as a Second Language (first semester) - I understood this book much much better than the Organic Chemistry for Dummies. There are multiple practice questions (non-gamsat style) throughout the book to test your understanding.

General chem, Bio, Biochem: Examkrackers - this is a MCAT resource with good illustrations and concise explanations. I also googled any niggling (sometimes elementary) questions when the books weren't too detailed. Knowing that I did not have tonnes of chapters to cover helped psychologically.

Learning content is just half the battle. Practicing Gamsat style questions is what we need and you can count on Des Science mcq book for hundreds of passages.

Haven't had much time to dedicate time to physics and section 2, so I have nothing to add here.

So in summary, get griffiths Gamsat review, Des O'Neill Mcq pdf/books (esp science) and whichever textbooks that work for you.

Cheers


Hey,

Looks like you had a solid study plan there! How did your exam go? I've only sat UKCAT this year however I will probably attempt the GAMSAT if I don't get in this year.

Thanks,
Bella
Original post by evalilyXOX
Hi everyone !

I am currently entering into my final year of my law degree and hoping to apply for 2018 entry for medicine :biggrin:

I am specialising in medical law/ forensic medicine, but I have no sciences to Scottish Higher level but I have Intermediate 2 Biology, Maths and Physics at AAB.
I was going to sit the GAMSAT as well as the UKCAT but I think I will just focus on the UKCAT, and because I am not expecting to get accepted 1st time round, I will take a gap year where I will take Higher Sciences and study for the GAMSAT.

I am currently volunteering in a hospital and have quite a bit of shadowing experience in Intensive Care, A&E, Paediatrics, Anaesthetics and Pathology.

Would love to hear from fellow Law applicants and anyone else taking the UKCAT with no A level/Higher Science :smile:


Hello there,

Also a fellow law grad (and I haven't even specialised in medical law!). I also focused on the UKCAT this year. How did yours go? Dreading preparing for the GAMSAT if i fail to get in this year!
Reply 18
Original post by BellaRoscetti
Hello there,

Also a fellow law grad (and I haven't even specialised in medical law!). I also focused on the UKCAT this year. How did yours go? Dreading preparing for the GAMSAT if i fail to get in this year!


Original post by evalilyXOX
Hi everyone !

I am currently entering into my final year of my law degree and hoping to apply for 2018 entry for medicine :biggrin:

I am specialising in medical law/ forensic medicine, but I have no sciences to Scottish Higher level but I have Intermediate 2 Biology, Maths and Physics at AAB.
I was going to sit the GAMSAT as well as the UKCAT but I think I will just focus on the UKCAT, and because I am not expecting to get accepted 1st time round, I will take a gap year where I will take Higher Sciences and study for the GAMSAT.

I am currently volunteering in a hospital and have quite a bit of shadowing experience in Intensive Care, A&E, Paediatrics, Anaesthetics and Pathology.

Would love to hear from fellow Law applicants and anyone else taking the UKCAT with no A level/Higher Science :smile:


Hey, I'm also about to enter the final year of my law degree. I sat the gamsat in march and got 61, and sat it again this September to see if I could improve my score as I didn't have as long as i would have liked to prepare for march. I did biology A level but other than that I have no science background.

Three of the unis I am applying to use gamsat so I thought I would just give ukcat a shot to be able to apply to a fourth. I only had a few days to prepare for as I decided to take it last minute, and as I sat it directly after gamsat, but was pleased with my score of about 640 average, however my VR was a lot lower, so I'm not overly hopeful about getting an interview offer from Warwick based on my ukcat.

Just a waiting game now until September to see what the gamsat cut-offs are!

Would also love to hear from other law students :tongue:
Original post by Clairemcgregor
Hey, I'm also about to enter the final year of my law degree. I sat the gamsat in march and got 61, and sat it again this September to see if I could improve my score as I didn't have as long as i would have liked to prepare for march. I did biology A level but other than that I have no science background.

Three of the unis I am applying to use gamsat so I thought I would just give ukcat a shot to be able to apply to a fourth. I only had a few days to prepare for as I decided to take it last minute, and as I sat it directly after gamsat, but was pleased with my score of about 640 average, however my VR was a lot lower, so I'm not overly hopeful about getting an interview offer from Warwick based on my ukcat.

Just a waiting game now until September to see what the gamsat cut-offs are!

Would also love to hear from other law students :tongue:


Wow well done - that's an amazing gamsat score!!

So glad to see that I'm not the only law grad to have decided to re-route entirely!

Which gamsat unis have you applied to?

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