Graduate/Undergrad Medicine (No science background) Help!

1) There are graduate entry courses that accept any degree and don't care about your A-levels.
2) You're not too old. People go into medicine in their 40s.
3) There are plenty of threads and online resources that will help you. You just have to look at them. There are also ~13 GEP running medical schools so it won't take you long to narrow down which ones you can apply to based on your qualifications. This book is my bible: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Graduate-Entry-Medicine-Study-Text/dp/1472745582/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0/261-0939499-1427412?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2MKGN6YXQZMKZYWNAZD1
4) Don't think about normal entry medicine unless you can afford it.

Hiya,

I'm 25, I have a BA (hons) 2:1 in a creative arts subject however since graduatiing I have realised I want to pursue medicine. I have not stepped foot in a science class since GCSE. Is there anyway to get into med school with this kind of background?

I would be willing to study biology & chemistry a-level, would these be necessary for graduate entry?

I'm currently volunteering on the cancer ward at my local hospital and looking to gain more experience.

Am I crazy? I would also realistically be 27/28 by the time I go to med school, is this too old?

I would appreciate any advice from people who have perhaps been in a similar position!

29yo first year GEM student with an Arts degree here. You will need to sit the GAMSAT which is a mammoth of a task, but entirely doable. I'd recommend Griffiths GAMSAT Review as a solid starting point. Then, using the syllabus outlined in that, and whether you prefer books/videos/websites I'd look for suitable avenues to learn the sciences from there. Also worth sitting the UKCAT for Warwick (where I am) as it has the best applicant : place ratio for a GEM course.

Try and get a part-time HCA job in a hospital - invaluable experience! The more acute the better!

If you have any more specific questions feel free to PM me

Thanks for your reply That's awesome to hear, I hope you're enjoying your first year!

Did you already have science A-Levels or did you sit the GAMSAT without them? Would it be possible to study for a-levels/GAMSAT whilst holding down a job & volunteer work at the same time? I've heard horror stories about the amount of learning time GAMSAT requires (especially for someone like me)

Yes it's great thanks! I won't lie it's a lot of work, but really enjoyable.

I hadn't done any science since GCSE and then I only achieved C's. Admittedly I sat the GAMSAT a few times, but I was working full-time, had a part-time care job for experience, and volunteered a few hours a week for experience too. After my first application (applied 3 times!) I threw the towel in on my design/marketing job and became a full-time HCA, so I stopped doing my volunteering (as it was at the hospital where I was now a HCA). So that made it a bit easier!

It varies from person to person. I had to study a LOT for it, but it has really helped with the course so far (even though Warwick doesn't require GAMSAT, I'm really glad I sat it because there is a lot of science!). I was studying on average 3-4 hours a day, it was very gruelling. But I found revisiting biology and chemistry incredibly interesting, and thinking about how the science would work in a clinical context really helped spur me on with studying.

Some people manage 1-2hours a day and still do incredibly well. The one good thing we have going for us as arts grads, is that we tend to be able to do the first two sections of the exam with less revision than the scientists. So everything isn't against you!

If money is of little concern to you, I would recommend having a crack at the March sitting of the GAMSAT. This would give you some good prep for the September sitting of the day as a whole, and who knows you might smash it and not need to do the September one. If blowing £250 on an exam for a trial run seems a bit mad (as it did for me) then I would recommend starting revision for the September exam in the New Year (enjoy the Christmas holidays!) doing a minimum of 1-2hours a day.

Hope this helps!

That gives me a lot of hope, how long did it take you to study for it & did you attend any classes etc? I'm not sure where to start really because, like you, I haven't done science since GCSE and my science classes were not the best back then so I have no clue which text books to start with, I feel like jumping in at GAMSAT level would be like finding a torch in the dark. The first two sections don't sound as scary though, I think you're right- arts grads probably find them slightly easier to catch up with!

Thanks again!

Hiya,

I'm 25, I have a BA (hons) 2:1 in a creative arts subject however since graduatiing I have realised I want to pursue medicine. I have not stepped foot in a science class since GCSE. Is there anyway to get into med school with this kind of background?

I would be willing to study biology & chemistry a-level, would these be necessary for graduate entry?

I'm currently volunteering on the cancer ward at my local hospital and looking to gain more experience.

Am I crazy? I would also realistically be 27/28 by the time I go to med school, is this too old?

I would appreciate any advice from people who have perhaps been in a similar position!

Both GEM and normal entry are undergraduate courses. GEM is funded by SFE and NHS bursary except for ~£3500 you pay in your first year. Normal entry is paid fully by you except for your final year.

The first time I sat it, I studied about 9 months altogether. I started with the ‘for dummies’ series which helped refresh what I learnt at gcse and set a good foundation. I then used the Gold Standard GAMSAT book, which was nice as it had everything in one place, and online question banks. But, it did have mistakes in and was a bit soft in some sections.

Some people recommend the Letts revise AS/A2 books. They’re pretty heavy and cover more than necessary. But if you use the Griffiths GAMSAT review to guide you then that should be fine. YouTube and some other websites (I liked MCAT review) have a lot of great resources too.

I hired a personal tutor for a few sessions prior to my first sitting. This was helpful for just talking things through and reassuring myself that I understood something.

The second and third times I sat the exam I revised for about 4 months.

Hope this helps!

Both GEM and normal entry are undergraduate courses. GEM is funded by SFE and NHS bursary except for ~£3500 you pay in your first year. Normal entry is paid fully by you except for your final year.