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Considering GEM - no a-levels

Hi! so I posted a similar thing to the premed uk subreddit and I wanted to see if I got the same advice here.

I've wanted to be a doctor for years, but my GCSEs didnt go as planned due to mental health and I landed in college doing music, which I've loved. I'm in my last year of college now and I've sent my applications through UCAS to do a bachelors in psychology w/ clinical. I have no a-levels as I went to college instead and the majority of my GCSEs were 4s or 5s, aside from a 3 in chemistry and an 8 in english language.

I am willing to sit a-levels, but it's not really a feasible option for me right now since I've already applied to universities. I'm not keen on withdrawing and I'm excited about doing an undergraduate in psychology, so I'll really be happy either way, but being a doctor has been my dream job for years and I'd like to do whatever I can to make it a reality.

I will also, if need be, resit my chemistry GCSE as I'm aware a lot of unis might not accept that 3 considering it's in chem.

I'm thinking about speaking to the careers advisors at my college about it but I wanted some outside opinions as well. I know that planning to do GEM rather than going straight to undergraduate med is much less than ideal but it feels like my only option right now.

Reply 1

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

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Reply 2

Original post
by lluvolii
Hi! so I posted a similar thing to the premed uk subreddit and I wanted to see if I got the same advice here.
I've wanted to be a doctor for years, but my GCSEs didnt go as planned due to mental health and I landed in college doing music, which I've loved. I'm in my last year of college now and I've sent my applications through UCAS to do a bachelors in psychology w/ clinical. I have no a-levels as I went to college instead and the majority of my GCSEs were 4s or 5s, aside from a 3 in chemistry and an 8 in english language.
I am willing to sit a-levels, but it's not really a feasible option for me right now since I've already applied to universities. I'm not keen on withdrawing and I'm excited about doing an undergraduate in psychology, so I'll really be happy either way, but being a doctor has been my dream job for years and I'd like to do whatever I can to make it a reality.
I will also, if need be, resit my chemistry GCSE as I'm aware a lot of unis might not accept that 3 considering it's in chem.
I'm thinking about speaking to the careers advisors at my college about it but I wanted some outside opinions as well. I know that planning to do GEM rather than going straight to undergraduate med is much less than ideal but it feels like my only option right now.

You don't just get into uni. For undergrad medicine, 1 in 8 get an offer, for graduate entry it is even less (everyone that applies has at least 7s in all gcses and at least A's in their A-levels). I would say there is no way you get into undergrad, it is borderline impossible with your gcse's and is impossible with no a-levels. It also seems you don't know about the UCAT which you'd have to do.
Best of luck, I think psychiatry would be the better option if you manage to get in.
(edited 1 year ago)

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