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(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1

Scotland Yard

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by ultimateslayer30

I had an offer for gateway to medicine at bristol on the requirements that I get BBC however I didn’t meet these grades. I completely failed my exams and got CDE.
I’m not sure what steps to take anymore or what I even want to study, retaking year 13 doesn’t seem like a secure route. And I don’t want to do UCAT again now.

I have looked at clearing options and the one that stands out the most to me is undergrad then a guaranteed interview to Postgrad medicine at swansea. However, This is a long course, and I’m unsure If I want to do this enough and like with bristol it was just one foundation year.

I always had an interest in psychology and speaking to people or get to know people better who have mental illnesses however I’m not sure how I’d pursue this. i have clearing options for forensic science and neuroscience as well but my mind is very board and I’m not sure about what course to take and what I even want to do in the future

Retaking your A-levels is admittedly not a secure route, but it's the best route in the great scheme of things. You'd have to be careful with where you apply to, not everywhere accepts resits and some places require you to achieve a minimum mark in order to accept resits. Even with this difficulty, it's the easiest choice.

Swansea and other transfer schemes are hugely competitive- much more competitive than standard entry into Medicine. And as you note, it's a long course, it means a whole lot of extra debt and you still have to sit the UCAT, which you stated you're so keen to avoid. There is Graduate Entry Medicine at other universities too, but they will require the UCAT too, or the GAMSAT, which is a god-awful admissions test much worse than the UCAT.

From the sounds of it, you might like to become a psychologist or councillor too, but I think you're still too confused and don't know enough about it to make an informed decision. I would suggest you take a gap year to take some time to think what you actually want to do - although note you have until October if you wish to apply to Medicine to make this decision, and until January if you decide to pursue something else.

Wish you the best of luck :hugs:

Reply 2

Tara753

Original post

by ultimateslayer30

I had an offer for gateway to medicine at bristol on the requirements that I get BBC however I didn’t meet these grades. I completely failed my exams and got CDE.
I’m not sure what steps to take anymore or what I even want to study, retaking year 13 doesn’t seem like a secure route. And I don’t want to do UCAT again now.
I have looked at clearing options and the one that stands out the most to me is undergrad then a guaranteed interview to Postgrad medicine at swansea. However, This is a long course, and I’m unsure If I want to do this enough and like with bristol it was just one foundation year.
I always had an interest in psychology and speaking to people or get to know people better who have mental illnesses however I’m not sure how I’d pursue this. i have clearing options for forensic science and neuroscience as well but my mind is very board and I’m not sure about what course to take and what I even want to do in the future

Hi there, from someone who resat for medicine. I would firstly check how many marks you were away from the next grade and ask for your scripts back. You might be able to appeal your grades and go from there. The pathway with Swansea is a very good option, I considered this last year but decided to resit. With resitting, you are limited of to which unis you can reapply for especially for foundation courses. As I struggled last year, however Bristol do accept resits for the foundation course.

Reply 3

grace-d6

Original post

by ultimateslayer30

I had an offer for gateway to medicine at bristol on the requirements that I get BBC however I didn’t meet these grades. I completely failed my exams and got CDE.
I’m not sure what steps to take anymore or what I even want to study, retaking year 13 doesn’t seem like a secure route. And I don’t want to do UCAT again now.
I have looked at clearing options and the one that stands out the most to me is undergrad then a guaranteed interview to Postgrad medicine at swansea. However, This is a long course, and I’m unsure If I want to do this enough and like with bristol it was just one foundation year.
I always had an interest in psychology and speaking to people or get to know people better who have mental illnesses however I’m not sure how I’d pursue this. i have clearing options for forensic science and neuroscience as well but my mind is very board and I’m not sure about what course to take and what I even want to do in the future

Have you considered gap year, even if you don't want to retake it might help clear up your mind and find your passion, and you can get experience too

Reply 4

Flo0-

This is literally me I missed out on my offer for medicine with a foundation year and I do not know what to currently do , should I retake year 13 at another school or resit , any help appreciated

Reply 5

Scotland Yard

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Flo0-

This is literally me I missed out on my offer for medicine with a foundation year and I do not know what to currently do , should I retake year 13 at another school or resit , any help appreciated

I'm so sorry :frown:

It's a judgement call on your part. Do you feel like you'd benefit from retaking year 13 in order to have a school to support your learning or dp you think you can improve your grades on your own?

Reply 6

Swansea University Enquiries

Official Rep

Original post

by ultimateslayer30

I had an offer for gateway to medicine at bristol on the requirements that I get BBC however I didn’t meet these grades. I completely failed my exams and got CDE.
I’m not sure what steps to take anymore or what I even want to study, retaking year 13 doesn’t seem like a secure route. And I don’t want to do UCAT again now.
I have looked at clearing options and the one that stands out the most to me is undergrad then a guaranteed interview to Postgrad medicine at swansea. However, This is a long course, and I’m unsure If I want to do this enough and like with bristol it was just one foundation year.
I always had an interest in psychology and speaking to people or get to know people better who have mental illnesses however I’m not sure how I’d pursue this. i have clearing options for forensic science and neuroscience as well but my mind is very board and I’m not sure about what course to take and what I even want to do in the future

Hi @ultimateslayer30, I hope all is well.

Here's a useful thread from our Medical School team on the Pathways to Medicine options with Swansea Uni, and also some reflection on Clearing entry and progressing to GEM from one our students, Hope. https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7480587

If you wanted to chat further around options, feel free to give us a call on 0808 175 3071. Note that for Pathways to Medicine, we may need to refer an enquiry on to the Admissions Tutor first, so they can review grades and available places. We currently have Psychology places available too.

https://www.swansea.ac.uk/medicine/pathways/

Let me know if you need help with anything else. Many thanks, Gethin (Future Students Team).

Reply 7

USW Social Team

Original post

by ultimateslayer30

I had an offer for gateway to medicine at bristol on the requirements that I get BBC however I didn’t meet these grades. I completely failed my exams and got CDE.
I’m not sure what steps to take anymore or what I even want to study, retaking year 13 doesn’t seem like a secure route. And I don’t want to do UCAT again now.
I have looked at clearing options and the one that stands out the most to me is undergrad then a guaranteed interview to Postgrad medicine at swansea. However, This is a long course, and I’m unsure If I want to do this enough and like with bristol it was just one foundation year.
I always had an interest in psychology and speaking to people or get to know people better who have mental illnesses however I’m not sure how I’d pursue this. i have clearing options for forensic science and neuroscience as well but my mind is very board and I’m not sure about what course to take and what I even want to do in the future

Hi, sorry to hear that your results were not what you hoped. But you still have options.

You need to think about what you enjoy doing, what career you want to go into, as well as the difference in course structure, plus how you like to be assessed.

For example if you compare Psychology with Forensic Science, they differ greatly in terms of Course Structure, Career Pathways and assessment methods.

. Course Structure

•

Psychology: The course typically includes theoretical lectures, research projects, and possibly fieldwork or internships in clinical settings. Students study topics like psychological assessment, developmental stages, neuropsychology, and therapeutic approaches.

•

Forensic Science: This course usually involves a combination of classroom learning, lab work, and practical experience. Students might work with simulated crime scenes, learn forensic analysis techniques, and study criminal law and ethics.

Career Paths

•

Psychology: Graduates may work as clinical psychologists, counsellors, researchers, organisational psychologists, or in human resources, marketing, or education.

•

Forensic Science: Graduates often work as forensic scientists, crime scene investigators, forensic pathologists, or in law enforcement. They may also work in laboratories, government agencies, or private sector forensic services.

Assessment Methods

•

Psychology: Assessments may include exams, research papers, case studies, and practical assessments like clinical evaluations or therapy simulations.

•

Forensic Science: Students are often assessed through exams, lab reports, practical forensic analysis, mock crime scene evaluations, and sometimes court testimony simulations.

Based on your grades, it would be possible to speak to our Admissions Team to apply for both Psychology and Forensic Science courses. It's best to call them and explain your circumstances ☎️ 03455 76 06 06.

Helpful links for your research
Psychology 👉 https://www.southwales.ac.uk/psychology/
Forensic Science 👉 https://www.southwales.ac.uk/forensics/

Best of luck.

-Samantha ✨

Reply 8