Who cares about A levels when u can get in via clinical sciences?!

[nap]

I have also emailed then and no replay yet.

[Tahira]

Originally Posted by CatherineT

alrighty - guys I'm gonna admit to being confused- I'm a hist grad- 2.1 from Ed, with Arts A Levels, ABB - I applied to GEP courses last year, and for various reasons, I'm not there now and am going back around the track again! This is the first time I've heard of this Clinical Sciences route- and to be honest i'm intrigued- I was already thinking of applying for some 6 year Med courses, since this is my 2nd year, I don't really want to risk going all out for 4 year courses again and missing the boat- what you reckon - any thoughts? I dont' really know how this Clinical Sci would work- would it be in addition to my 4 choices- I emailed people on the course web, but no reply yet- please help!!

Hi

I'm currently a 3rd year studying Clin Sci so feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Clinical Sciences is not a medicine degree so you can apply to 4 med schools plus clinical sciences. Hope that helps!

[nap]

Originally Posted by Tahira

Hi

I'm currently a 3rd year studying Clin Sci so feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Clinical Sciences is not a medicine degree so you can apply to 4 med schools plus clinical sciences. Hope that helps!

Thank you for this information.

[Muffin2]

Originally Posted by CatherineT

alrighty - guys I'm gonna admit to being confused- I'm a hist grad- 2.1 from Ed, with Arts A Levels, ABB
I dont' really know how this Clinical Sci would work- would it be in addition to my 4 choices- I emailed people on the course web, but no reply yet- please help!!

Hi
I did year one clin sci and transferred over into medicine yr 2 at leeds. To get into year one clin sci you need A level chemistry at a grade C. To get into foundation year you don't need science A levels and the point of the foundation year is to teach you all the science.
If you go into foundation year clin sci and transfer over, the medical degree will take you a total of six years. You need 70%.
If you go into year one clin sci and transfer over, the medical degree will take you the ususal five years. You need 65%.
Clin Sci would be in addition to your four choices. You could not use it then apply through clearing but this option is becoming more risky as more and more people know about the course. The year i got in there were 600 people trying to get about 20 places through clearing.
I think i've answered everything, any more questions please ask.
hope this helps

[Dr_Potato]

I am a little confused here; wasn't the Clinical Sciences Course at Bradford designed to allow students who live in yorkshire who come from not so secure and underprivelaged backgrounds an opportunity to eventually study medicine and become doctors.

For students to come from deprived ares and obtain a place for Clinical Medicine at Bradford is a major achievement, taking into account the disadvantages they have to overcome to obtain lets say BBB or BBC, once those hurdles are removed when they have obtained a place at university it allows them to excel, they then are in a position to advance onto a Medicine course in year 2, is this not the actual purpose of the course and allowing students from certain backgraounds who would otherwise be excluded from contributing to the field of medicine and also bringing their rich experiences with them to serve a population better.

The fact that there were 600 applicants for 20 clearing places seems to be a mixture of opportunism and desperation and perhaps an abuse of an opportunity created for those underprivaged yet bright individuals who need it most.

[Muffin2]

Hi
Have to admit I'm a bit offended by this. I worked extremely hard for my A levels as did everyone on clin sci. And for us getting into clin sci was a major achievement.
The Bradford course is open to everyone. To discriminate by where a student lives is illegal. I'm from the Wirral. There are people on clin sci from liverpool, newcastle, london, birmingham even the isle of wight. Also most of the people on clin sci, including myself, have no family background of medicine. I am the first in my family to go to university.
The year I was in was full of very intelligent people for whom this was their last chance to get into medicine due to a mixture of circumstances. There were those like myself who didn't get any offers for medicine and didn't get the grades, those who got offers but not the grades and those who got the grades but no offers.
And what you say about "opportunism and desperation", yes clin sci is a fantastic opportunity for people to grasp who have wanted to do medicine all their lives but have fell at the last hurdle. And i don't see it as an act of desperation but determination to have a career you've always dreamed of. Like i said in my previous post, determination is the key to medicine, a student who isn't determined and doesn't take every opportunity given to them, isn't going to get very far.

[Dr_Potato]

Hey Steph

Chill man; I didn't mean to offend anyone; just writing down wot I thought was the main purpose of introducing the Clinical Sciences Course at Bradford. Obviouly it appears those who do get on the course come from further afield; but consideration seams to be given to those who do not have "favoured" backgrounds and have had to fight against the odds to get into medicine....called "widening participation" I believe or something of the sort.

Your comments are enlightening and I am so glad to see that studying medicine is at least now a better reflection of society.

Maybe after five years I will be able to communicate with less "hostility"; although I sincerely didn't mean any malice; after all hey man, I am a sort of "soul bro" from the same broth; just happened to strike lucky and get in first time, for whci I have said previously I am eternally grateful.

Friends ? ...............LOL

[yeliab_cram]

For what its worth, as far as i was aware the original plan for the Bradford intake was as part of Leeds Medical Schools widening access programme to get "underprivilaged" students from the region into the medical school. I dont think it was ever strictly limited to local applicants only, but it has definately taken a while for awareness of the course to migrate down south. When the first 20 came over in 2003 they were all Yorkshire born and bread. Not the case any more. I dont think the medical school realised that this scheme would attract such a wide audience.

Initially it was met with a little scepticism from students already at Leeds, but it is now widely accepted as just another route in. It is an incredibly oversubscribed course and is definately not one of the easier ways of getting in. But its definately a good bet if things go pear shaped at the last moments. One more throw of the dice.

[yeliab_cram]

Originally Posted by Dr_Potato

I am so glad to see that studying medicine is at least now a better reflection of society.

what does that even mean?

[Muffin2]

Hi
Yeah the course was originally designed as a WAM scheme in yorkshire (it says in the prospectus) but as more and more people found out about it i would imagine they had to relax the strings a bit. And yeliab cram is right, the clin sci course is often wrongly thought of as being as easy way to get into medicine. Ask anyone who's been on clin sci and they will tell you how true the opposite is. The course is demanding and having to compete with your friends for a place at Leeds makes it harder.
Congrats on getting in first time Dr potato. And yes the course leaders still do give preference to students from non healthcare backgrounds. There are very few people on clin sci who's parents are doctors.