If you used Clearing in 2024, how did you find it?

Help!!! Medical career advice.

I am in desperate need for advice so please help if you can :smile:

I am a student in Northern Ireland who is currently going into year 12. When I choose my gcses I did not have a career in mind and just choose subjects I knew I would enjoy. I picked single award science, english language, foundation maths, music, drama, business studies, religious education and PAL. These are all CCEA. During the past couple of months I have taken an incredibly strong desire to study medicine to become a doctor (more specifically an orthopaedic surgeon OR possibly something in neuro) Due to not studying double award science at gcse level, I cannot study a level chemistry or biology. I also study foundation maths so the highest I can get is a C* this means I also won't have the B in gcse maths that most medical schools look for.
I am looking advice on what route or path I can take to study medicine. It is too late to go back and chance my gcse subjects as they are all nearly completed now.
I am extremely open to studying an under grad and then follow up with post grad medicine but i'm finding it extremely hard to find science or medical related undergrads that do not require the same or similar entry requirements as medicine does.

I would appreciate any help at all.
Many Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

TSR Hippocrates

Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

The Medicine forum gets a high volume of questions being posted, and some of these are already answered by the resources and Megathreads that members of the community and volunteers have created. This is an automatic post which is designed to highlight these resources. Below is a list of threads and articles that could answer your question (you should be looking in the original post of the megathreads). If one of the below threads is a more relevant place to ask your question, please post a reply in that thread to ask your question. If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked below, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

Megathreads
(Please read the first post, before then posting any further questions you have within that thread.)
The "Which Medical School Should I Apply To?" Uberthread
The Ultimate 'Am I Good Enough For Medicine?' Angst Thread
Medicine A-Level subjects queries
Work Experience and Voluntary Work

2023 Applicants:
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2023 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2023 Entry
Medicine 2023 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2023 Entry
Medicine Interview discussion 2023 Entry
2023 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Index of Individual Medical School Applicants' threads 2023 Entry

2024 Applicants :
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry
GAMSAT 2024 / 2025 entry discussions megathread
UCAT 2024 Entry Discussions Megathread
Medicine 2024 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2024 Entry
Medicine Interview Discussion 2024 Entry
2024 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Medical Schools Index 2024 Entry

2025 Applicants :
Official Thread: (Undergraduate) Medicine 2025 entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2025 Entry
GAMSAT 2025 / 2026 entry discussions megathread
UCAT 2025 Entry Discussions Megathread

Other application years:
Official Thread: (Undergraduate) Medicine 2026 entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2026 Entry

Useful Articles:
GCSE Requirements for Medicine
Everything you need to know about the BMAT
Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
Medicine Personal Statement Advice
Medicine Personal Statement Advice (Graduate Entry)
Interview Frequently Asked Questions
MMI Medicine Interview Tips
What to do after an unsuccessful first application
Funding medicine as a second degree

If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked above, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

Reply 2

chappelle

Hi!!! So, I know this is late but one of my friends suffered from this!!! She chose single award science and she didnt end up being able to do biology. This one is really difficult and to be honest its gonna make your education quite difficult!!! But if you're really dedicated to becoming a doctor then:

I would seriously, take a year off school if your already finished with your gcses and that you should ask the secondary or sixth form you previously attended if you could privately sit double award science or the seperate sciences and do a mathematics resit in november and really try to get an A or B (that way you only have to sit the units for biology and chemistry, though you could choose physics) - I'd recommend the English examboard AQA for the sciences as they have the most revision resources as they are the largest examboard so self-study will be easier and you wont have to sit any practical units just two normal science papers, but only if your school sits them. Following this I'd reapply to a college like Belfast MET where taking a year out of school isn't that uncommon and you can get the biology and chemistry a-levels you need.

Of course this is going to be extremely difficult socially as you wont be w/ your friends and its going to cost quite a bit of money but if you're extremely dedicated then i cant see why u cant still be a doctor and in your free time you can get work experience in a hospital or volunteer at a hospital to help your chances of getting in, you could also sit the UCAT!

Reply 3

leoslove

Original post by chappelle

Hi!!! So, I know this is late but one of my friends suffered from this!!! She chose single award science and she didnt end up being able to do biology. This one is really difficult and to be honest its gonna make your education quite difficult!!! But if you're really dedicated to becoming a doctor then:
I would seriously, take a year off school if your already finished with your gcses and that you should ask the secondary or sixth form you previously attended if you could privately sit double award science or the seperate sciences and do a mathematics resit in november and really try to get an A or B (that way you only have to sit the units for biology and chemistry, though you could choose physics) - I'd recommend the English examboard AQA for the sciences as they have the most revision resources as they are the largest examboard so self-study will be easier and you wont have to sit any practical units just two normal science papers, but only if your school sits them. Following this I'd reapply to a college like Belfast MET where taking a year out of school isn't that uncommon and you can get the biology and chemistry a-levels you need.
Of course this is going to be extremely difficult socially as you wont be w/ your friends and its going to cost quite a bit of money but if you're extremely dedicated then i cant see why u cant still be a doctor and in your free time you can get work experience in a hospital or volunteer at a hospital to help your chances of getting in, you could also sit the UCAT!