Year 13 med applicant
13
Hi, I hope you are all well ! I want to apply to med in September as I didn’t do so well in my UCAT last yr and so I did end up applying. I currently have offers for mpharm but I’m not sure if I’m passionate enough to do pharmacy like I only see it good for the money whereas for med I don’t see it like that.
The only issue is I got 8,7-7,7,7,6,5,5 and 4 (in French) in my gcse so I feel like it’s quite low and would have to re take my gcse. The issue is I live in London and my parents would want me to attend a London med school because it’s closer and accommodation and student life everywhere else is so expensive. But London med schools are so competitive and my GCSEs grades are low they just meet the entry requirements.
Could you guys who have applied or are in med give some suggestions whether it’s if I retake my gcse or just redo my UCAT and smash that, or just stick to my mpharm
The only issue is I got 8,7-7,7,7,6,5,5 and 4 (in French) in my gcse so I feel like it’s quite low and would have to re take my gcse. The issue is I live in London and my parents would want me to attend a London med school because it’s closer and accommodation and student life everywhere else is so expensive. But London med schools are so competitive and my GCSEs grades are low they just meet the entry requirements.
Could you guys who have applied or are in med give some suggestions whether it’s if I retake my gcse or just redo my UCAT and smash that, or just stick to my mpharm
Reply 1
Original post
by Hxsna_stHi, I hope you are all well ! I want to apply to med in September as I didn’t do so well in my UCAT last yr and so I did end up applying. I currently have offers for mpharm but I’m not sure if I’m passionate enough to do pharmacy like I only see it good for the money whereas for med I don’t see it like that.
The only issue is I got 8,7-7,7,7,6,5,5 and 4 (in French) in my gcse so I feel like it’s quite low and would have to re take my gcse. The issue is I live in London and my parents would want me to attend a London med school because it’s closer and accommodation and student life everywhere else is so expensive. But London med schools are so competitive and my GCSEs grades are low they just meet the entry requirements.
Could you guys who have applied or are in med give some suggestions whether it’s if I retake my gcse or just redo my UCAT and smash that, or just stick to my mpharm
The only issue is I got 8,7-7,7,7,6,5,5 and 4 (in French) in my gcse so I feel like it’s quite low and would have to re take my gcse. The issue is I live in London and my parents would want me to attend a London med school because it’s closer and accommodation and student life everywhere else is so expensive. But London med schools are so competitive and my GCSEs grades are low they just meet the entry requirements.
Could you guys who have applied or are in med give some suggestions whether it’s if I retake my gcse or just redo my UCAT and smash that, or just stick to my mpharm
The vast majority of med schools need 6's in English and Maths. So it partly depends on what those lower grades of yours were in. Were they E/M?
Do you have your A level grades?
Reply 2
Original post
by Hxsna_stHi, I hope you are all well ! I want to apply to med in September as I didn’t do so well in my UCAT last yr and so I did end up applying. I currently have offers for mpharm but I’m not sure if I’m passionate enough to do pharmacy like I only see it good for the money whereas for med I don’t see it like that.
The only issue is I got 8,7-7,7,7,6,5,5 and 4 (in French) in my gcse so I feel like it’s quite low and would have to re take my gcse. The issue is I live in London and my parents would want me to attend a London med school because it’s closer and accommodation and student life everywhere else is so expensive. But London med schools are so competitive and my GCSEs grades are low they just meet the entry requirements.
Could you guys who have applied or are in med give some suggestions whether it’s if I retake my gcse or just redo my UCAT and smash that, or just stick to my mpharm
The only issue is I got 8,7-7,7,7,6,5,5 and 4 (in French) in my gcse so I feel like it’s quite low and would have to re take my gcse. The issue is I live in London and my parents would want me to attend a London med school because it’s closer and accommodation and student life everywhere else is so expensive. But London med schools are so competitive and my GCSEs grades are low they just meet the entry requirements.
Could you guys who have applied or are in med give some suggestions whether it’s if I retake my gcse or just redo my UCAT and smash that, or just stick to my mpharm
Hi, thanks for sharing your situation. It’s great that you’re thinking ahead and being honest with yourself about your interests and options.
If you’re leaning more towards medicine, it’s definitely worth exploring, but there are a few things to consider. Most standard medicine courses require at least a grade 6 in both English and Maths GCSE. Since you mentioned having some lower grades, you may need to resit one or both of those GCSEs depending on the requirements of the universities you’re interested in.
That said, don’t overlook medicine foundation years or gateway to medicine courses. These are designed for students who may not meet the typical academic requirements or who come from underrepresented backgrounds. Some of these courses accept lower GCSE grades and have more flexible entry requirements, so they could be a great option for you.
Retaking your GCSEs or boosting your UCAT score are possible paths, but it really depends on what you feel ready to commit to. If you’re not passionate about pharmacy and only see it as a back-up, it might be better to take time and go for something you’re genuinely interested in. That could mean taking a gap year, working on your qualifications, and building a stronger medicine application.
On the other hand, if you do go ahead with MPharm and later realise you still want to do medicine, there are graduate entry options too, though they are competitive and the route can be longer.
Whatever you decide, make sure it’s something you see yourself enjoying in the long term. It may also be helpful to speak to your school’s careers advisor or the admissions teams at universities you’re interested in. They can give tailored advice based on your situation.
Good luck with your decision!
Tayba
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