My dreadful situation at the moment :S HELP!! HELP!

**Tamxxx** · 12-10-2007, 10:12 PM

Hi guys thanks for the opinions i really do appreciate the advice and i do read all of the post and take them in. I have my heart set out on medicine, and at the moment ive been so much money to retake my chemistry exams, i brought a book for £65. All you guys seem really clever and i know you work alot harder then me,

What im worried is, if i want to choose to apply to medicine in 2008 entry, what if i did get AAA grades but i still did not get into a medical school wouldnt that be a waste of a year??

My second worry is if i dont be a doctor i will never be able to have a happy life, i will probally end up on income support :'( and i dont want that to happen, i will never be able to earn enough money to go to a hoilday, i will never do the job that i want. Oh well thats life.

I know i got crap grades so i deserve to apply for a crap university to suit my needs for now. I so dont want to go to the uni's that im applying for right now and my parents dont want to either, how ever if these grades remain the same what can i do?? i have to get a degree and i just have to face the fact that i am dumb because i didnt get into medicine. And im not telling any of my friends, or my aunts and uncles or anyone what univerisity i am applying to, because its embarassing, and people will talk that i am so dumb. Well thats what my mum said

My cousin is doing medicine at St georges university and im jealous of her that she is so clever and i am not. I know that sounds so bad, but at the same time im happy that she is achieveing what she wants.

**Dani9** · 12-10-2007, 10:49 PM

wow, tamxxx sorry to say this but you kind of sound ungreatful and alittle bit spoilt!
I have just applied to uni with a AAAB grades, even with those grades under my belt I would be estatic to get into any university that does medicine, Of course I care about the rep of the uni but I would spend 5 years in a box if i could come out of it being a doctor!
I really dont see how you or your mother can say that any university is dumb, i dont know if you realised but there may be people on this forum who attend that uni, how do you think they now feel?

If you want to be a doctor (and by that i mean you, not your parents) then taking an extra year to resit and study hard to get those grades will never be a waste of a year.

I also think you are applying for the wrong reasons, you will never be able to have a happy life and take holidays??? do i need to say any more? (plus, correct me if im wrong current med students, but i have heard that doctors dont even get paid THAT much)

If you really want to be a doctor then go for it, Im sure you can do it. I really believe that you get out of it what you put in , so really everything else is up to you.

good luck
Dani

**Loobylou** · 12-10-2007, 11:12 PM

Hey Tam,

First hun, I'll just reiterate what others have said. The deadline 4 medicine 2008 entry is 15th October. It is highly, highly unlikely that u would get in any other way and either if u were going 2 apply, with yr grades it is highly unlikely u would get offers. I think u first need 2 get clear in your head and accept that if medicine is what u really, really want then the earliest it is worth your while applying would b 4 September 2009 entry and in that case, only with AAB/AAA at A level.

Whether u waste a year is entirely up 2u. Ok, u can look @ it " I don't really want a year out but I'll grit my teeth and do woteva jst so I can get in2 medicine" and then look negatively at it if you don't get in or you can say " hey, I've got a whole year 2 gain some great life experience, meet new people and try new things and if @ the end of the day, I don't get in2 medicine then @ least I'll have learned a lot and seen a bit of the world." Its entirely up 2u.

I also think u need 2 think carefully and b realistic about wot happened with yr grades this yr. Buying a £65 chemistry book is not going 2 make any difference if yr not putting the work in or yr struggling 2 understand the concepts and 2b honest if yr struggling with the work itself, that £65 would b far better spent paying 4 a couple of lessons with a tutor 2 help u with the tricky bits. Taking loads of resits is always tough and there are disadvantages of it as well as advantages, which I think u need 2b prepared 4.

Like others and frm reading yr others threads, I also am concerned about the attitudes and reasons u have 4 wanting 2 go in2 medicine. They do appear 2 orientate a lot around wot yr parents want and money. Have u actually gone out and spent some time in a hospital/ shadowing a GP or consultant?? I think only then would u really b able 2 decide if u were wantin this career 4 the right reasons. 2 say yr going 2 end up on income support if yr not a doctor is completely unrealistic and immature ( Im sorry!). How many people in the general population are actually doctors? If every1 who wasn't a doctor lived off income support and was miserable we'd be in a pretty sorry state!! I know medicine might seem like everythg 2u right now- but there are so many other rewarding, highly paid careers out there. I can understand how u might feel like its medicine or nothing- I do that sometimes- but then the rational voice in my head says " yes, there are lots of careers that are equally as valuable as medicine, that I could enjoy nearly as much. I'm obviously going to be disappointed, but that doesn't mean I'm never going to be happy or satisfied or enjoy my work whatever career I end up in".

I also think labelling universities as "crap" is a bit disrespectful. I think university is a lot of what you make of it. There is only so much other people can do 2 guide u, the rest has 2 come from u. Some1 @ Cambridge who did no work, could come out with a fail and someone @ a uni which didn't have such a pretigious reputation and worked ther socks off could come out with a first. If u don't like the unis then that suggests 2 me yr hearts not really in it and u shouldn't bother. You need 2 bear in mind that you're going 2b spending 3 years @ this place and u can't c studying yr degree as a means of an end 2 getting in2 medicine bcos u hav 2 question yrself " If after doing all this, I still don't get in2 medicine, would I b happy working in a career in the field of my degree?"

Again it is completely ludicrous to say people who don't get in2 medicine r dumb. Ok, Im biased but myself, like many, many others on here, had 3+ As at A level and didn't get offers first time round, but without being big headed I certainly wouldn't put any of us in the category of "dumb"! Nor would I place all those people reading degrees in languages, law, sciences, humanties etc as dumb. Nor would I categorise all the people who don't have degrees as dumb- my dad doesn't have a degree but hes one of the cleverest people I know.

I think u need 2 sit down with yr parents and have a big discussion with them. like some1 said, I think u need 2 tell them that ther pressure is affecting u- bcos it obviously is. I also think that u- and them- need 2 face up 2 the fact that 4 the time being, its probably most sensible 2 put yr medical ambitions on hold and focus on yr A levels. I think u should try and do some realistic research- not just in2 what medicine actually is like ( bcos u come across like u don't seem 2 know much about it (sorry I dont mean that harshlY)) but also in2 some of the professions allied 2 medicine and sciences. Do u know what its like 2 work in a lab on a science reserach project? What about nutrionists/ medical physicists/ occupational therapists/ nurses/ speech and language therapists/ radiographers??I just feel u ought 2 get more of a clue whats out there and open yr mind 2 the fact that there are so, so many options. Keeping yr uni choices frm yr friends and family seems pointless, bcos wot happens if and when u get offers? They're going 2 find out. So if you're too ashamed 2 admit them now, then I really question why you're even bothering applying @ all.

I'm sorry if this has been long and quite harsh. It hasn't meant 2b! I do know that its really hard 2 set yr heart on somethg and feel like you're never going 2 get there and nothing else will ever fill the gap- I was rejected last year but you just have 2 learn 2 keep things in perspective. The world isn't going 2 end the day u don't become a doctor and who knows what the future has in store 4u, so try and keep this in mind. And mayb u won't b able 2 go straight in2 medicine frm sch- but there is plenty of time and plenty more opportunities 4u if after a bit more life experience, u decide medicine is still wot u really want.

**blueberrypie** · 12-10-2007, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by Tamxxx

Ok so ive got 200 UCAS points and my careers advisor told me to, apply to universitys that have those points. So she recommended me to apply to : kingston, south bank, st marys, roehamptop (Uni's inside london ) basically all the dumb, low academic uni's omg im devastated. And i chose to do a biomedical's course, because she told me i can't apply to medicine because i havent got the grades.

So she told me to put down biomedical sciences for now, and choose those crap uni's just so i am in the UCAS system. She told me that after i have resitted some of my exam modules, if i get a better grade , a good grade that is good enough for medicine. Then i can discard all the uni's together and choose a good university such as Imperialm which i can apply to in march. But she told me that its not definite because i would only be able to apply if there is free available seats.

Im so worried what if all the good uni's have been taken by march and there is no seat left

then will i end up going to a crap uni???

Can i still have a chance and apply through clearing when my results come out is that possible if i dont get a place in march

Can I just say, that I am really offended by what you have said here. I went to south bank (for a year) and it was the most helpful, enjoyable experience I have ever had in my life. Not to mention that as it says on the tube(!) they have one of the highest grad salary stats.

Also with regard to Kingston - St Georges Foundation to medicine course (this is one for matures - not immatures), which is the six year medicine course, not the five - is run at... wait for it... KINGSTON!

Stop bad mouthing universities you have no experience of. People like you make me cringe.

**simisims** · 13-10-2007, 12:16 AM

I agree with the previous posters. You say you have taken in what everyone on the thread has said about your situation yet, it seems you havent; you are still making disrespectful assumptions about universities, you still say that its being a doctor or no job at all etc etc.
Firstly; there are tons of Jobs which if money is the issue here, pay better than medicine. Like most courses are 3 years long and depending on the course you took you could be earning good money very quickly. Then there is Medicine, its takes about 5-6 years just to do the basic education followed by another 5 years of further training and all along this you are going to be in fierce competition with fellow medicine graduates to get placements at hospitals etc as well as paying money back from the course, the financial rewards are not as great as people think, doctors work harder than most other jobs but the pay doesnt always reflect that.They work longer and more difficult hours typically and working at unsocial hours, lots of unpaid overtime. That I think holidays are least of their worries. When I was admitted in hospital a while ago I spoke to a registrar who said that despite enjoying her job, she wishes that she could have more of a normal social life/daily life than being on for example night shifts and then feeling too tired to do anything in her time off.
Secondly, providing you pass your A Levels you should be able to secure a place on a course at a university somewhere. Which means you wont be on Income Support because some employers wont even consider you without a degree. Any degree can can get you into different things, eg my friend has just begun a Biochemistry degree @ Birmingham uni and she could go into research, teaching, law, hospital labs etc etc. Cos she gained skills from studying for a degree.
Ill reiterate what I said earlier, it is important that you do speak to your parents.It is unrealistic to think that you will gain a place on a medicine course for this year with those grades *AND* that attitude. I think it is definitely a good idea for you to retake your A Levels as you need that time for many reasons. Anyone who goes to a less prestigious university is not dumb, it shows they must have some intelligence to be able to gain a place on their course. There are limited number of places at most unis,while an applicant may be suitable to apply to places which are more prestigious they may not for many reasons.
Buying a book for £65 doesnt demonstrate anything apart from lol you might have more money than sense. It seems clear that you are struggling with Chemistry to such an extent to spend so much on a book which wont be of use if you cannot understand the foundation principles learnt in AS level.

**Arch_Angel** · 13-10-2007, 12:37 AM

Although I wouldn't say I was offended by what you've put I would say it makes you sound about 5 years old.

I can see how people would be offended at what you've said though.

Not usually being one to care what other people think of my posts it might be a bit big of me to say this, but you should be a bit more careful what you write. I can see why your situation seems so dire to you, but if you want help you should compose your statements in a way that's not going to upset people.

Anyway, sorry to say it but it looks like you've got two choices:

1. Pull your finger out now and work like you've never worked before

2. Take the year and work like a bitch after.

That is, if you don't want to give up.

Get some experience and do what you want to do. Tell your mother to keep her nose out.

Nik

**NorthernLight** · 13-10-2007, 12:45 AM

Tam,
Until you've actually made it through a university course of any kind, please refrain from calling places you know nothing about "crap."
Yr obviously quite young so I can't be too harsh, but you do need to do a lot of thinking and growing up before you post here again. I have terrible visions of the future....a year from now.....you saying the same things....despairing about your chances of becoming anything but a street sweeper....

**blueberrypie** · 13-10-2007, 02:21 AM

...or just go into computers if you want good money. My brother left school and started his A levels, but had to drop out due to a motorbike accident. Nobody could ever say he is a no hoper. He earns in excess of £60-70,000 per year, and has annual bonuses bigger than any annual salary I have ever earned - and I have worked for many years!!!

**simple** · 13-10-2007, 03:14 AM

tam, i think you need to really read carefully what alot of people have written on here. your comments are offensive to a large number of people (i do not attend one of th universities you listed, however i am disgusted that you could speak with so little respect about something you have no experience or understanding of.) personally i think a year out could be extremely beneficial for you because from your posts i do not believe that you are mature enough or suitable for a place to study medicine at the moment. (hopefully this will change). please think very carefully before you post again and bear in mind that most people are trying to help you, both in informing you of your options and with advice on your general attitudes. im sorry if this post has seemed overly harsh or of you view it as a personal attack, that is not how it was intended.
simple

**469er** · 13-10-2007, 03:58 AM

Originally Posted by Tamxxx

What im worried is, if i want to choose to apply to medicine in 2008 entry, what if i did get AAA grades but i still did not get into a medical school wouldnt that be a waste of a year??

You're not listening!!! Even if you do get AAA (and even you admit that you're neither working hard enough, nor sufficiently on top of your subjects for this to be likely), but even if you did, you still won't have a place at medical school for 2008 entry. Because your teacher has already told you that your prediction is CCC. Read my lips: you're not going to get an offer with a prediction of CCC. Everyone has told you this - and you know it's true or you wouldn't be posting agonised questions about what you should do, would you?

As for wasting a year, (a) you're very young - it doesn't matter; (b) it doesn't have to be wasted - it's up to you to do something worthwhile with that year; (c) you're *not* getting into med this time round, so there's no getting round the loss of that year; (d) perhaps the year you really wasted was the first year of sixth form, when, on your own admission (elsewhere) you spent so much time futzing round on the computer that you didn't do any work. Perhaps you should focus on not wasting the next one the same way, and then it may only be the one gap year you 'waste'.

Originally Posted by Tamxxx

My second worry is if i dont be a doctor i will never be able to have a happy life, i will probally end up on income support :'( and i dont want that to happen, i will never be able to earn enough money to go to a hoilday, i will never do the job that i want. Oh well thats life.

Not to presume, but this sounds like your parents talking to me, and here I do sympathise, tamxxx. If you have a parent dripping nonsense into your ears along the lines that if you don't cut it as a doctor all you can look forward to is life on the dole, misery, failure, the ridicule of all your family, friends and neighbours, and the ignominy of a 'crap' uni on your CV, then I can see that it would be hard to think straight and make good choices.

I think that you really need to get some serious support to help you cope with the pressure, ridicule and mockery that your parents are clearly subjecting you to. You need to speak to a trusted teacher, a counsellor, a phoneline, a radio chat host, whatever, anyone who can help you, or find someone who can help you, to regain some perspective on what appears to be a very skewed and unkind vision of yourself, your options and the world in general.

I think that you really have some problems, over and above your study record, which threaten to overshadow your whole life, and which, if unaddressed, genuinely *could* lead to a life of misery and low-level work. You say that you haven't worked, but I can see that it must be hard to knuckle down and try hard when your parents have instilled such a fear of failure in you - you must feel that if you don't get on with your work then you at least can't mess it up.

And finally, I do think that if you can just get through school in one piece, create some space between yourself and your family, by moving out and surrounding yourself with more supportive people, get sensitive specialised help, and pull yourself together a little, then it's possible that a medical school would consider you a couple of years down the line even with crap grades, provided you can explain what a bad effect all this had on your ability to study and achieve, and provided you've done all that's necessary in the meantime in terms of work experience, making sure this is for you, developing as a person, and perhaps consolidating your school record with some more successful study.

Originally Posted by Tamxxx

i deserve to apply for a crap university [...] i just have to face the fact that i am dumb [...] its embarassing, and people will talk that i am so dumb. Well thats what my mum said...

Nuff said.