I don’t think I want to do medicine

11

I did bad in my GCSEs getting grades 766665544 which is not enough for medicine (one of the 6’s is a GCSE English retake)
The issue is it’s not like I don’t want to do medicine it’s the fear that i won’t be able to do the course due to my bad grads and the fact that im not doing the correct A-levels this year and will need to resit the year- I'm already in my first year of A-levels doing filler subjects ( Applied science) which I'm not planning on doing next year.
I’m clueless on what to do,
I was then thinking of taking philosophy, politics and economics next year but I don’t know what possible jobs I could get or uni degrees. I’m just scared for my future
Any advice

Reply 1

McGinger

20

Can I ask why you originally wanted to do Medicine.
Parental pressure?

Reply 2

Elexa278

OP

11

Original post

by McGinger

Can I ask why you originally wanted to do Medicine.
Parental pressure?

Quite literally at first I wanted it but then I didn’t but they wouldn’t allow me to stop

Reply 3

McGinger

20

Original post

by Elexa278

Quite literally at first I wanted it but then I didn’t but they wouldn’t allow me to stop

The purpose of most degrees is 'brain training' - its not the actual subject of the degree that employers want, its more the intellectual breath/depth and thinking skills that that level of study gives you. This is why. you see job ads for 'graduate - any discipline'.

So, a degree in social sciences isn't vocational in the same way as something like Medicine and doesn't lead to an obviously related career. BUT, soc-sci grads are wanted by employers and in a thousand different career areas.

PPE at Unis like Oxford may be out of reach for you - but there are plenty of other Unis that offer this where lower grades are not going to be a problem. Reading and Sussex for PPE, Kent and Leicester for Economics and Politics, Swansea and Essex for Politics and Philosophy etc. Or Law, International Relations, Sociology, American Studies etc etc at a wide range of Universities.

Don't panic. Most people don't have a clue what they want to do at 17/18, and its important that you don't rush into, or allow yourself to be pushed into, something that you don't actually want to do.

Reply 4

Szara_SOAS

9

Original post

by Elexa278

I did bad in my GCSEs getting grades 766665544 which is not enough for medicine (one of the 6’s is a GCSE English retake)
The issue is it’s not like I don’t want to do medicine it’s the fear that i won’t be able to do the course due to my bad grads and the fact that im not doing the correct A-levels this year and will need to resit the year- I'm already in my first year of A-levels doing filler subjects ( Applied science) which I'm not planning on doing next year.
I’m clueless on what to do,
I was then thinking of taking philosophy, politics and economics next year but I don’t know what possible jobs I could get or uni degrees. I’m just scared for my future
Any advice

Hi there! I study International Relations at university (which falls under Politics), so I’m happy to answer any subject-specific questions you might have!

If you’re exploring different courses, I’d recommend starting by looking through the module lists on university websites—this gives you a good idea of the topics you’d be studying. Visiting university Open Days is also a great way to get a feel for the teaching style and subject-content first-hand.

Some university websites will also list the companies that recent graduates have been hired by. This can help you get a sense of potential career paths and the variety that's available. For example, recent SOAS graduates from the Politics department (Politics/ IR/ PPE e.t.c) have been hired across different sectors, such as:

•

Media and Journalism (BBC World Service/ Bloomberg/ Financial Times/ Channel 4)

•

Diplomacy, Peace and International Relations (Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the United Nations, Centre for International Peace Operations, Global Policy Institute)

•

International Development and Humanitarian Aid (Department for International Development, Save the Children, British Red Cross, UNICEF Ethiopia)

•

Other sectors (Consulting, Law, Government)

I hope this helps and good luck!

Reply 5

Flamingo10

12

Original post

by Elexa278

I did bad in my GCSEs getting grades 766665544 which is not enough for medicine (one of the 6’s is a GCSE English retake)
The issue is it’s not like I don’t want to do medicine it’s the fear that i won’t be able to do the course due to my bad grads and the fact that im not doing the correct A-levels this year and will need to resit the year- I'm already in my first year of A-levels doing filler subjects ( Applied science) which I'm not planning on doing next year.
I’m clueless on what to do,
I was then thinking of taking philosophy, politics and economics next year but I don’t know what possible jobs I could get or uni degrees. I’m just scared for my future
Any advice

Do you need to go to university or could you get an apprenticeship with a company that leads to a job? There are a lot of advantages in doing this. First you won't have any debt. Secondly if you are doing a job you can wait to see if you need a degree for a promotion or whether you can progress without one.

Some people think that the only route is to go to university. However it isn't. There is a lot of information on here about people doing graduate apprenticeships. Why don't you have a look?

Reply 6

Kingston Jenifer

Official Rep

11

Original post

by Elexa278

I did bad in my GCSEs getting grades 766665544 which is not enough for medicine (one of the 6’s is a GCSE English retake)
The issue is it’s not like I don’t want to do medicine it’s the fear that i won’t be able to do the course due to my bad grads and the fact that im not doing the correct A-levels this year and will need to resit the year- I'm already in my first year of A-levels doing filler subjects ( Applied science) which I'm not planning on doing next year.
I’m clueless on what to do,
I was then thinking of taking philosophy, politics and economics next year but I don’t know what possible jobs I could get or uni degrees. I’m just scared for my future
Any advice

Hi there!

Firstly, I would recommend sticking with Medicine. It sounds like you are not too keen on Philosophy, Politics and Economics next year.

Secondly, have you considered post-graduate entry medicine?

Essentially, it means you do a standard 3 year degree in the life sciences. Upon graduation, you then complete a medicine degree however you skip the first 1-2 years and enter as a post graduate. Medicine degrees are 6 years and with post graduate entry, you end up doing an extra year or two of study. I have friends who did a degree in Biomedical Science and then went on to medical school.

Finally, please do not rush your future! Make informed decisions regardless of how long it takes to get there - otherwise you will end up with a degree you don't like in an industry you hate. Stay resilient and stay determined, you can and you WILL get into a medicine degree.

I hope this helps - any more questions let me know!

Kind regards, Jenifer (Kingston rep)