Graduate student doing undergrad medicine

welcome to all readers,

I currently have a first class degree in biomedical science. I have an offer for undergraduate medicine, as my postgraduate applications were not successful this year. As someone who relies on student finance to pay for tuition fees and living costs, alongside part time employment, is undergrad medicine something I should consider? If so, what are the funding opportunities, and is it better if I just take a gap year to reapply?

Thank you so much for your time (hoping someone replies) :smile:

Reply 1

Redbear097

Original post

by Connorb1116

welcome to all readers,
I currently have a first class degree in biomedical science. I have an offer for undergraduate medicine, as my postgraduate applications were not successful this year. As someone who relies on student finance to pay for tuition fees and living costs, alongside part time employment, is undergrad medicine something I should consider? If so, what are the funding opportunities, and is it better if I just take a gap year to reapply?
Thank you so much for your time (hoping someone replies) :smile:

Hi, I’m also a graduate student with offers for undergraduate medicine - I actually didn’t even bother applying to any postgrad medicine programmes because I’m in Scotland and postgrad options are limited (only ScotGEM which focuses on rural gp mainly - although it would’ve been free :’)). I can only assume you’re in England, and I understand wanting to wait a year for funding reasons (9k is a lot for an extra year). I suppose that’s something you’ll have to decide if you’re willing to do - you’ll be graduating the same year if you decide to take a year out anyway. If you are indeed in England, you have the benefit of the nhs bursary scheme thing, where you get I think around 4 or 5k each year for every year you agree to work for the nhs. In undergraduate medicine that isn’t available (I think) until fourth or fifth year, whereas if you do graduate medicine I think it’s available from a much earlier year (I could be wrong about this, feel free to fact check me. I think it’s an English thing we don’t have it in Scotland). So perhaps that’s worth considering as well if you want to minimise debt. I guess also if you wait until next year for grad medicine, you run the risk of not getting in a second time. At the end of the day, it’s going to be an expensive endeavour either way. It’s up to you whether you want to take the safe expensive route or the slightly riskier less expensive route! I hope I’ve made some kind of sense, and good luck, I’m sure you’ll be a fantastic doctor either way :smile:

Reply 2

Aaron Hornbeam

Original post

by Connorb1116

welcome to all readers,
I currently have a first class degree in biomedical science. I have an offer for undergraduate medicine, as my postgraduate applications were not successful this year. As someone who relies on student finance to pay for tuition fees and living costs, alongside part time employment, is undergrad medicine something I should consider? If so, what are the funding opportunities, and is it better if I just take a gap year to reapply?
Thank you so much for your time (hoping someone replies) :smile:

One believes that institutions that do 6-annum undergraduate courses(eg Cambridge) offer 5-annum undergraduate for graduates (not the 4-annum graduate course).