A Level options panic... Chemistry!

[hamzahdabest]

Hii.. im in my first year of college duin AS in Biology, Psychology, Economics and Law. At first i wanted to go in to a business route; doing a business related degree, but ive had a sudden change in mind and now i want to do medicine.. but i havn't chosen chemistry, and its too late to change my course now. So im going to pick up chemistry AS next year, and drop law. My GCSE grades are 1A*, 1 Distinction* fr BTEC first diploma business, 4As, 2Bs and 3 C's. I got an A for core science, A for additional Science, A for sep biology, and A* fr sep chem, B in maths, nd A in eng. Also iv booked a weeks work experience at a hospital in july, and i wil probz do sum work ex for my local gp.

takin everyfn into consideration, and say i get AAB (A in bio), nd A in AS chem and A or B in AS law, would i be able to get in to medicine 5 year degree?? can you pleaase also give me names of universities that would allow this.. I herd getn in to med school is th hardest part so i dnt wna get ma hpes up or nyfn.. thank you fr helpn .

PS. ths is my frst thread lol

Hamzah

[giella]

Most universities do ask for A level Chemistry, although some accept it at AS as long as Biology is another. UEA doesn't require it, although they want GCSE Chemistry which you have.
Why don't you take a year to work as an auxiliary nurse or something and complete your A level Chemistry in that year? It would be fantastic experience for you, you could save some money and you could apply as a really strong candidate. You reduce your choices by taking chem only to AS.
This is just a suggestion. I know that you're just champing at the bit to get going and I understand that. But medical school isn't going anywhere and you owe it to yourself to give yourself the best possible chance.
The problem you'll have when or if you apply next year is that you'll have no background in Chemistry apart from GCSE for the med schools to base their decision. Most other applicants will have at least an AS and their predicted grade to go on. Med schools look for any criteria to trim the excess from their pile of applications. You'd have to be really competitive in order to stand out, and a week or two of work experience just doesn't always cut it these days. More and more people are coming in from non-traditional backgrounds or as graduates, who already have their grades. You have to compete with them as well.
I'm not trying to put you off, and I'm not just being pessimistically realistic. I'm saying you want to give yourself the best possible chance. Think about my suggestion or maybe talk with your careers adviser at school. Remember, you're not even 18 yet. You've got so much time to get it right.

[hamzahdabest]

wow thanks alot for that .. im glad you gave me a proper honest answer, and i wil deffo consider your advise.. and i do get you.. med schools not going anywhere so i might aswel realy get geared up for it before i apply. I think i will talk to my careers advisor. you said UEA doesn't require it... du know anything about what doing medicine is like there.. and can u tel me what other experience/volunteering i can get apart from hospital & GP?

Thanks

[giella]

It depends how much time you can give it. Local nursing homes are always a good place to try. It shows initiative and if you do it for 6 months or so it looks a lot better than shadowing a GP, which I know often translates as "making a nuisance of oneself for a week during halfterm."
Maybe try and find an area of medicine you're really interested in and do that. I know a friend of mine you got work experience with a speech therapist, because she's really interested in language and children's development. She went on to do English as her degree but she's now applying to do medicine again and she's got a job as a speech therapist assistant. That's good as it shows her career development as well, and shows how she combined two of her interests.
I know that one thing that was really interesting that I tried to get experience doing was medical photography. I never got around to arranging it but if you were able to shadow them for a week or two, you'd get to really see a lot of stuff. It would make you stand out.
That's the trouble with A-level students I've been told. No imagination. I'm not ranting here, I'm just saying what admissions tutors have told me. They have to let A level students in because they're undergraduate courses, but they don't bring an awful lot of experience to the role, and much of what they do is very samey. So try to show a little imagination. You've got about 10 months to find something really worth doing. Do one thing that shows a commitment to care, say a nursing home once or twice a week for six months. Do another thing which you find really interesting. Take the time to look, as you do have time. If you're interested in sports, try to see a physiotherapist. Maybe try a chiropractor, to see how complimentary medicine works alongside the NHS. If you live near York or in North Yorkshire, go to the Retreat and look into experience in a mental health institution. Heck, there are so many things you can do. The best thing is, you have time!

[hamzahdabest]

thanks again for that fantastic piece of advse .. yhh i hve a lot of time and i will research in to paticular fields of medicine, and get some good experience, thanks alot! wow this website is really useful. by the way can i just ask you what your doing at the momnt.. u current med studnt? or hve you done your degree...

[Little Miss Laura May]

Well if you are serious in going for medicine as soon as possible,ie not a gap year, the only university i can think of is newcastle they ask for AAA. It is possible that they may drop the grade if they like you but DONT really on this.

However, they will accept any subjects at A level, as long as you have either Chemistry (which u don't have) or biology (which u have). but the other has to be an A at gcse if not better, they accept science double award at AA if you don't do single.

But the best advice that I can give u is to research your options, nd i would suggest doing chemistry AS to keep your options open.
If you did do a gap year you could do chemistry for an extra year while you gain experience.

Apparently you like proper replies

xx

[hamzahdabest]

haha yhh i do.. rather get a honest reply rather thn one sayn 'ohh dnt wory ull b fynnnn' lol.. yhhh im deffo goin to pik up AS chem next year.. get work experience.. n volunteering dun dis yr also.. thn see wah options i have.. x

[Little Miss Laura May]

START appling now. A warning to you, took me 2month to get through to one place thought to organise it over the 6 weeks didn't happen. Still waiting for one place, ward duties, (volunteer coordinator off ill too many CRB checks to do ect.)... And some places don't like under 18s.

ooh don't worry u'll be fiiiiiiine
xx

[BeanOfJelly]

I would say:
-In your first year, you'll get AS's in Bulgy, Psycho economics and law.
In your second year, drop one that isn't Bulgy and take up Chemistry AS. Apply in this year to medical school (even if you stand little chance its worth a go) to schools which require only AS Chemistry
(Barts, BSMS, Cardiff, Keele, Imperial, Southampton- there's more, see: Medschoolsonline - Medical Course Guide for School Leavers - Standard Courses
If not accepted...
- Continue A2 chemistry (retake any others if you miss grades) and use your spare time to do some really cool work experience
- Reapply to unis which will accept quals outside of the two years of college (eg:I think BSMS maaaybe?)

Either that or you could apply to an access course, but it takes an extra year anyway, and your chances are less

[hamzahdabest]

haha fanks laura.. nd dnt wory i will.. iv alredy gt 1 placemnt in july fr a weeks wrk ex in a hospital whre il get to shadow dctrs nd look at all different departmnts.. im going to ask my gp fr sum experience, and also im going to talk to my work ex advisor at clge to gt me a volunteer plcemnt at a home.. x

Beanofjelly lol.. fanks fr dah.. dahs exctly wah my plan is.. if i cnt get in nx year.. thn il tke ma full a2 chem n apply again.. buh fngrs crossed.. il get in nx year ..

ny1 knw of ny uva work experience plcmnts i cn do? im frm lancashire..