Medicine 2021 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants

Original post by leahnj

since exams are cancelled, will unis still keep the 3 year maximum of study if 2021 autumn exams technically count as 4 academic years of study? :frown:

I've emailed some unis for Dentistry and literally all that got back to me so far say they understand our situation. Basically first time you do exams is your first sitting and some places who take second CAG as a resit will still take it. Email unis to know for sure tho

Reply 1422

_harveer.s_

Screenshot_20210304-213542_Gmail.jpg181.6KB

Here's an example of Birmingham dent

Reply 1423

leahnj

Original post by _harveer.s_

Here's an example of Birmingham dent

thank you I will email too

Reply 1424

robotmonkey

2

Original post by medic_2001

Hi everyone! Just wanted to see if there are others here in my situation? I was lucky as my firm uni from last year said that they would honour/hold my offer as long as I sat my Biology exams (which I did last Autumn). Would love to hear from anyone else who's had a similar journey

I'm in the exact same situation as you mate. I had to resit Bio as well as my CAG was C which was too low for my med offer

Reply 1425

_owais

4

Original post by robotmonkey

I'm in the exact same situation as you mate. I had to resit Bio as well as my CAG was C which was too low for my med offer

Nice to hear from you - so did you manage to get everything sorted out?

Reply 1426

Abzy2002

12

Original post by medic_2001

Hi everyone! Just wanted to see if there are others here in my situation? I was lucky as my firm uni from last year said that they would honour/hold my offer as long as I sat my Biology exams (which I did last Autumn). Would love to hear from anyone else who's had a similar journey

Yep, exact same situation.
My offer last year was AAB, but my CAG's were ABB. I was gutted and hadn't revised anything since last march when lockdown started, but I still went ahead and did the autumn exam for maths. I was so close to going into pharmacy as my parents were really opposed a gap year. But I managed to convince them and try my best as my uni said they'd honour my offer. In the beginning it felt like I had forgotten everything, I felt like giving up a handful of times, but I persisted and somehow end up getting an A*. For me it was crazy, as I started in set 5 for maths in year 9, and during sixth form I was only set 3. It just goes to show hard work does pay off, you just gotta have a little self-belief.
Right now, I'm working in the NHS part time. It's been a really valuable experience as well as an opportunity to save up some money to fund for uni. I think I even dodged a bullet not getting in the first time round as online learning doesn't seem quite appealing.

If anyone's reading this, TSR might seem like it's full of insanely smart students, but believe me, you don't need to be Einstein to get into medicine.

Reply 1427

username3978178

16

Anyone found a cheap reliable centre yet? By cheap I mean the cost per subject is up to but not including £200? And true deadline hasn’t finished yet?

Reply 1428

_owais

4

Original post by Abzy2002

Yep, exact same situation.
My offer last year was AAB, but my CAG's were ABB. I was gutted and hadn't revised anything since last march when lockdown started, but I still went ahead and did the autumn exam for maths. I was so close to going into pharmacy as my parents were really opposed a gap year. But I managed to convince them and try my best as my uni said they'd honour my offer. In the beginning it felt like I had forgotten everything, I felt like giving up a handful of times, but I persisted and somehow end up getting an A*. For me it was crazy, as I started in set 5 for maths in year 9, and during sixth form I was only set 3. It just goes to show hard work does pay off, you just gotta have a little self-belief.
Right now, I'm working in the NHS part time. It's been a really valuable experience as well as an opportunity to save up some money to fund for uni. I think I even dodged a bullet not getting in the first time round as online learning doesn't seem quite appealing.

If anyone's reading this, TSR might seem like it's full of insanely smart students, but believe me, you don't need to be Einstein to get into medicine.

Exactly this. Just want to echo your post by saying never give up. The hardest thing about my CAG in biology (B) was that you start thinking that your old teachers didn't have the confidence in you to give you a higher grade. It was very difficult in the beginning but got there in the end. Self-belief, determination, and hard-work make a huge difference.

Again - never give up! A gap year (as so many others say) is a much better option than GEM, and can help make you better prepared for uni anyway

Reply 1429

Original post by leahnj

since exams are cancelled, will unis still keep the 3 year maximum of study if 2021 autumn exams technically count as 4 academic years of study? :frown:

Can I just ask what this means? Do unis care if u apply to medicine after 2 gap years

Reply 1430

leahnj

Original post by DoctorAk

Can I just ask what this means? Do unis care if u apply to medicine after 2 gap years

the majority of unis specify they do ie "We will not consider applications from students currently in their third year of A level study"
https://www.themedicportal.com/medical-school-a-level-resit-policies/

Reply 1431

GANFYD

18

Original post by leahnj

the majority of unis specify they do ie "We will not consider applications from students currently in their third year of A level study"
https://www.themedicportal.com/medical-school-a-level-resit-policies/

Gap years are not years of A level study, though. Now, more than half of med schools are happy withe resits and all of them were OK with people sitting autimn exams for 2020 and many summer ones too. They have not yet declared what they will or won't accept for 2021 exams

Reply 1432

GANFYD

18

Original post by DoctorAk

Can I just ask what this means? Do unis care if u apply to medicine after 2 gap years

I cannot think of any that would care about 2 gap years. There are some who specify you must have significant academic activity/A levels in the last 3 years and a few more that will assess you as a mature non-grad once you get over 2 years, so depends if any of the years were spent re-doing A levels

Reply 1433

Original post by GANFYD

I cannot think of any that would care about 2 gap years. There are some who specify you must have significant academic activity/A levels in the last 3 years and a few more that will assess you as a mature non-grad once you get over 2 years, so depends if any of the years were spent re-doing A levels

Oh okay I havnt redone and A level , ive only done the autumn chem A level. I was wondering if it’d put me in a different category like grads applying if I take two gap years. Thank you

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 1434

GANFYD

18

Original post by DoctorAk

Oh okay I havnt redone and A level , ive only done the autumn chem A level. I was wondering if it’d put me in a different category like grads applying if I take two gap years. Thank you

Some med schools use a category called mature non-grads (or similar), and they do tend to be assessed differently, and as I say, some want sustained academic endeavour within the last 3 years, but I cannot think of any where 2 gap years would be an issue

Reply 1435

sh63ma

3

Original post by DoctorAk

Can I just ask what this means? Do unis care if u apply to medicine after 2 gap years

I mean i took 2 gap years and got interview for both med schools i applied to so no it’s not a problem

Reply 1436

Original post by sh63ma

I mean i took 2 gap years and got interview for both med schools i applied to so no it’s not a problem

Oh okay thanks a lot

Reply 1437