Need a back up if I don’t get into medical school.

I’m applying to do medicine next year, by I also know that it’s really competitive so I need a backup course in case I don’t get in. What courses can I do at uni with biology, chemistry and sociology A levels? What are their prospects?
What are the prospects of doing a biomedicine degree?

So I guess gap year is front runner.
But at the end of the day in case I don’t get into medicine the second time round what kind of degrees are suited for me? What should I do?
I would be devastated if I didn’t get in.

Hi there!

Many people applying for Medicine select Biomedical Sciences as their fifth choice - you can read more about routes into Medicine from Biomed on our Biomedical Science to Medicine page.

Hope this helps!
The Medic Portal

Hey,I used this page to make a choice for my back up. https://www.themedicportal.com/application-guide/graduate-entry-medicine/biomedical-science-to-medicine/ (medic portal's page on Biomedical Science to Medicine transfers.) It was very useful as it showed which universities allow transfers to Medicine and how frequently they do so.

That what I thought when I originally thought of biomedicine and I figured that I won’t know if I want to to a PhD until I get to it. But at the moment it’s doesn’t seem so bad. I like the idea of being an academic but I have no idea what it entails for me other than lots of research and papers and lectures and meeting and conferences.
What about pharmacy? Does it require maths?

As far as I am aware there is currently an excess of pharmacists so it might not be such a great career if you want to work in the hospital.
I think it does allow you to work for pharmaceutical companies/ beauty products as well as participate in clinical trails, but you would have to research it as I am not 100%.


I think you should sit down and think about what you want to do in the future. It's very scary when you have to do it at 17, but rushing into a degree just for the sake of it isn't gonna do you much good in the grand scheme of things!
Think about what attracts you in medicine. Is it the patient contact? Is it the mysterious biology of human body? Or is it something entirely different? Based on these questions you can see what other career is best fit for you (i.e. might consider physiotherapy or other health allied professions such as occupational therapist or audiologist)

My advice to you would be to put all of that to one side. Put all your efforts into getting in first time, and then a gap year if that doesn't work out. Anything beyond that is just thinking too far ahead and will only distract you, assuming your heart is firmly set on medicine.

There may be an alternative where you study medicine, but just not in the UK. I attended a webinar last week with a former med student who's now mentoring students on getting into med school. She said that there's always the possibility of joining a European med school, for eg, in Romania. All you need to do is take a European Medical School Admission test, which apparently is much easier than UKCAT or BMAT. Their website https://www.uni-med.co.uk/

It's not for everyone, but if medicine is really what you want to do... and you can pair that with a nice european city.

I've wanted to medicine for years, and I have my heart absolutely set on it but it's just that fear of not knowing what to do afterwards if I do get rejected that's scaring me. I've invested so much time and effort into doing this and not getting in would break me. I need to know that I have a failsafe and that can continue doing something else.

I love both the biological and the patient interaction you get as a doctor,

I've done some work in a pharmacy before and I know the job role, I liked it but I didn't love it.

I've also researched different Biomed courses and I got a thrill out of the things I would learn but its just what I could do afterwards that's a bit of a bum. Turns out most of the jobs one enters afterwards at in business which I really don't want to do. And the actual sciencey well-paying jobs require PhD's as well as years and years of experience - not too different from medicine but I have no idea whether I will want to do a PhD or a master's after my degree.

I'll have a look at some of the other roles you have mentioned because i haven't had a look at them yet.

I would recommend you take a gap year (if you don't get in) as there's a higher chance of getting in second time around rather than doing the grad entry route- which is much more competitive.

Far fewer places. King's, for example, makes ~40 offers for 28 places. Last I read they typically have around 1400 applicants for it.

Yet people can and do get offers. And that is what's important to remember, even if it takes multiple goes (there's somebody who posts regularly on TSR who got in on his 4th attempt).