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Medicine,A levels and life stress

So basically I am struggling with career choices and revision. I’m currently in year 13 and I have 3 months left for my A level exams in June . I just don’t know what to do. Basically I got rejected from all four of my universities for medicine and now I’m stuck . When I applied I knew I would get rejected since my UCAT score was too low and I planned to take a gap year and reapply but now I’m realising how unrealistic it all was . I’m genuinely so tired of education and studying and yet I’m choosing to go into a career that’s based on studying , it makes no sense. I’m just not the type of person fit for medicine and even if I like the idea of having a respectable job, making my parents proud ,being valued in society and helping people , I won’t survive medical school and I definitely wont handle the academic pressure . I know it’s not good but my family aren’t financially stable and so being a specialised doctor will bring lots of money and job security. I don’t know why I keep going back to the idea of medicine even when I’m constantly doubting it every day . I’ve thought of other options such as Biomed, pharmacy and optometry which I can take after my gap year but I just don’t seem to be interested in anything at all, not even my alevels .I know that right now I should be focusing on my A levels and ensuring I get the best grades but when I’m constantly surrounded by my classmates getting offers and talking about how excited they are for uni , I just start panicking about how I don’t even know what I want to do for my future . How do I get passion and live a content life?

Reply 1

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

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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

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
Medicine 2025 entry for resit/ retake/ gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2025 Entry
Medicine Interview Discussion 2025 Entry
2025 entry A100/ A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Medical Schools Index 2025 Entry

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

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Medicine Community Feedback and Suggestions

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Reply 2

Original post
by tmohlahli
So basically I am struggling with career choices and revision. I’m currently in year 13 and I have 3 months left for my A level exams in June . I just don’t know what to do. Basically I got rejected from all four of my universities for medicine and now I’m stuck . When I applied I knew I would get rejected since my UCAT score was too low and I planned to take a gap year and reapply but now I’m realising how unrealistic it all was . I’m genuinely so tired of education and studying and yet I’m choosing to go into a career that’s based on studying , it makes no sense. I’m just not the type of person fit for medicine and even if I like the idea of having a respectable job, making my parents proud ,being valued in society and helping people , I won’t survive medical school and I definitely wont handle the academic pressure . I know it’s not good but my family aren’t financially stable and so being a specialised doctor will bring lots of money and job security. I don’t know why I keep going back to the idea of medicine even when I’m constantly doubting it every day . I’ve thought of other options such as Biomed, pharmacy and optometry which I can take after my gap year but I just don’t seem to be interested in anything at all, not even my alevels .I know that right now I should be focusing on my A levels and ensuring I get the best grades but when I’m constantly surrounded by my classmates getting offers and talking about how excited they are for uni , I just start panicking about how I don’t even know what I want to do for my future . How do I get passion and live a content life?

Well you've identified what you should be doing: focusing on the here and now i.e. your A levels, so that's a good start. Longer term thoughts about whether you'd be able to manage medical school are not immediately pressing tbh.

Why does hearing your classmates talk about their offers make you feel panicked? Just because they have offers doesn't mean you won't ever get any.

Do you actually want to do medicine? Or are you wanting to do it based on things like having a respectable job, making your parents proud etc?

Reading your post gave me a vague feeling of stress, which I think is probably a reliable indicator that you're stressed out. Do you have much else going on in your life? Friends? Hobbies? Ways to relax?

Reply 3

Original post
by Democracy
Well you've identified what you should be doing: focusing on the here and now i.e. your A levels, so that's a good start. Longer term thoughts about whether you'd be able to manage medical school are not immediately pressing tbh.
Why does hearing your classmates talk about their offers make you feel panicked? Just because they have offers doesn't mean you won't ever get any.
Do you actually want to do medicine? Or are you wanting to do it based on things like having a respectable job, making your parents proud etc?
Reading your post gave me a vague feeling of stress, which I think is probably a reliable indicator that you're stressed out. Do you have much else going on in your life? Friends? Hobbies? Ways to relax?

Thank you so much for replying . I guess I’m just unsure on wether or not I should continue pursuing medicine when I’m struggling with my A levels on a daily basis.

As for my classmates, I genuinely feel so proud of them when I hear about their offers, especially for medicine as I know how hard they worked but it puts me in a perspective where I realise that I might not be cut out for medicine .

The people who currently hold offers are the type of people who can power through their studies even when they struggle and they enjoy different aspects of biology and chemistry while I’m struggling to find any enjoyment in what I’m studying . I only really enjoy them when I understand them thoroughly but lately even when I understand something I still feel uncomfortable or it feels insignificant when I compare it to how much of the syllabus I don’t know and how little time I have left.

I’ve currently gotten an offer for biomedicine at the University of Brighton and I’m going to attend the applicant day . My teacher told me to just enjoy Brighton itself and the university and to check whether or not their biomedicine course is for me . They also encouraged me to go into graduate medicine but I’ve been discouraged to do this by even medics themselves who did it and said that it’s better to reapply . The applicant day is in march which should give me plenty of time to thoroughly research about careers after biomedicine and to decide on what I want to do after I’ve taken my A levels but I can’t stop feeling as though I’ve let down everyone who helped me apply .

When I went for work experience, I really enjoyed the environment of a hospital even the stressful aspects and I could see myself doing well under pressure, but now I don’t think I can handle any kind of pressure. I was quite late into the game when I actually wanted to do medicine as it was only in March of Year 12 when I actually decided. originally I wanted to go into medicine because I wanted to maintain and improve peoples quality of life while also being in a position where I could diagnose and treat someone. My parents definitely coached me into it and the school offers a lot of support for aspiring medics so it felt like the easiest career path but I always felt like an imposter , like I was pursuing something that was meant for high achievers and people who strive for excellence.

As for ways to relax, I don’t really have anything going for me. My friends at school are quite academic and I’ve only known them for these 2 years as I’m an external student so I don’t feel very close to them . My closest friend is struggling with things much worse than me so I normally focus on helping her than complaining. I quit swimming for GCSEs and I don’t do any other sports or exercise . i used to read in year 12 but after the UCAT I’ve found it hard to focus on any book without losing focus or feeling as though I should be studying . I recently deleted social media to focus on my studies as it was a huge time waster, but now I feel a bit disconnected from the world.
Hi, it’s completely understandable that you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to not have everything figured out right now. So many people change paths, it’s just part of figuring out what actually suits you.

Since you’re feeling burnt out, a gap year might still be a good idea—not just to reapply for medicine (if that’s what you still want), but to give yourself some breathing space to explore other interests. You might find clarity through work experience, volunteering, or even just stepping back from the academic cycle for a bit.

You can also spend some more time researching Universities and attending open days, this might give you a better insight into what University life could be like and if you think it might be something for you.

Remember, you don’t have to have all the answers straight away. Keep exploring, be kind to yourself. You’ve got this!

Reply 5

Original post
by OffUniRepRebecca
Hi, it’s completely understandable that you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to not have everything figured out right now. So many people change paths, it’s just part of figuring out what actually suits you.
Since you’re feeling burnt out, a gap year might still be a good idea—not just to reapply for medicine (if that’s what you still want), but to give yourself some breathing space to explore other interests. You might find clarity through work experience, volunteering, or even just stepping back from the academic cycle for a bit.
You can also spend some more time researching Universities and attending open days, this might give you a better insight into what University life could be like and if you think it might be something for you.
Remember, you don’t have to have all the answers straight away. Keep exploring, be kind to yourself. You’ve got this!

Thank you 💗💗

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