Mature Students

Gabby · 24-03-2005, 11:22 PM

Hello Vik - and everyone else on here......
I am now 46 - and very nearly got into Med School when I was in my early 30s - I was offered a place by the Free - but dropped a grade on my 'A's - and when I reapplied - I was considered too old....It was a devastating blow at the time - and I still tried again....took 'A' level biology in a year to add another one to my list - but was roundly rejected by all - a combi of having had to retake, and being 'mature' .
there was no Gamsat then - in fact very little hope for the over 30s never mind the over 40s! hence my title for this post...i really thought I had managed to give up my dream of studying medicine as a lost cause, and now I am not so sure again.
Certainly, my A level studies were complicated by the fact that I was a single parent of four young children - they are all lovely adults now - so that barrier has gone!!
Still - I have no idea how I would finance my studies even if I were to get in at this late stage...can any dream be worth this level of effort, i ask myself?
Maybe i will save up and take the Gamsat - just to see if it would ever have been possible.
I don't know - it's so hard to give up on something that you believed was meant for you!
Anyway - all the very best to all of you - I am absolutely sure that your life experiences will bring more to the medical profession than youth ever could!

Cheers, Gabby

Gabby · 26-03-2005, 02:06 PM

Hello all - reading all these postings has brought me back to the horns of a massive dilemma that I had thought was dead and buried!!
Way back in my early thirties - I was offered a place by the Free - but a combination of appalling exam nerves and naivety as to the amount of preparation needed to get the grades required meant that I dropped grades - and the offer was withdrawn. I was so desperate to keep trying that I then did an additional 'A' level in Biology in one year at night school - but to no avail. At that time I was considered too old by the vast majority of schools. I was devastated for ages afterwards!
As I was also struggling to bring up four children as a single parent at the time - I had to accept that it was not going to happen, and get on with my life.....but now - at 46 - with the introduction of Gamsat and the drive to encourage more mature students to med school - i am starting to have yearnings again - it's a nightmare!
I suppose the main thing stopping me now would be finances - how do any of you afford the four or five years of studying??
Maybe I will save up and do the Gamsat anyway - just to see if I could get in - I don't know.....anyway - you are all a complete inspiration - all the very best with your studies and future careers. warm regards, Gabby

Linda · 26-03-2005, 02:14 PM

Hi Gabby,

I empathise with how you feel. This has been the one thing in my life that I did not think would ever happen. Single parent, too old etc etc. Graduate Entry Programmes have given me a shot at it now. I thought long and hard for the best part of a year before applying - how will I live, how will I continue to support my own daughter at university, loads of money issues, etc etc. After talking with my boss, she said to me that "dreams are meant to be realised". So .. here I am. If it doesn't work out, at least I tried.

Explore the possibility. Find out about age cut-offs. Find out about different courses e.g. GEPs or 5 year programmes. Explore this site and find out about different people's experiences.

You only live once!

Linda

Gabby · 26-03-2005, 02:26 PM

Hi there, Linda - thanks for the reply - I don't seem to understand how to navigate/post on this board properly yet - I thought my first posting got lost - so did it again, only to find them both up there...so apologies to all for the duplication!!
I totally agree with you about dreams being there to be realised - but having tried so hard and for so long before - I just don't know if the fact that I didn't get there was telling me something!
If I do decide to do Gamsat - do you have any advice as to how best to prepare? I would hate to go through the misery of doing badly through lack of prep! Thanks again for your advice - much appreciated and all the very best with your applications. Cheers, Gabby

Thanks

Linda · 26-03-2005, 02:37 PM

Hi Gabby,

BEFORE thinking about GAMSAT, explore the different med-schools and their entrance requirements. For GEP courses, some use GAMSAT, some use MSAT, some use other exams and some use nothing. The best place to start is the Graduate Entry sticky post, which has all the info you need to get started. Look up each school - decide which ones whose criteria you would meet. I think the only real barrier for you at the moment is age - so look closely at that.

For five year courses - different entry requirements.

It is a lot of reading and research for you at this point, but you have loads of time before having to apply (September/October I think). I know there is one person at Barts who is 48 years old ... I am 43 and hoping to go to Barts as well.

Best of luck, and if you decide not to go for it, at least you gave it real thought!

Linda

Gabby · 26-03-2005, 07:51 PM

Thanks very much again, Linda - I will check out the Grad entry stuff for the various schools. I have seen a few postings about offers that are subject to financial status checks - do you have any answers about just how much one would need to have available as funds to get through the course - and how do most people manage to finance it - do they have independent means??
This is all really new again in some ways - none of these opportunities were around even 10 years ago!! I think it is brilliant - and long overdue - my argument for wanting to be accepted in my early thirties was that I certainly knew by then whether medicine was for me - and let's face it - the drop-out rate post qualification has always been pretty high....a risk they take with younger people some of whom may have been pushed towards medicine purely on academic grounds.
Anyway - i may as well look into it thoroughly once again - i guess if it is meant to be, I will find a way through this time!
Cheers, Gabby

canicula · 26-03-2005, 10:12 PM

Hi Gabby,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabby

If I do decide to do Gamsat

Just to let you know that 2 of the Med schools that use the GAMSAT (Nottingham and St. Georges) have introduced an upper age limit of 45 from this year going forward.

Cheers,

Ian

bilberry · 28-03-2005, 12:58 PM

Those lovely people at Peninsula have offered me a place! I can't believe it!

At the ripe old age of 41, I'm going back to school. Now I have to sit down and work out the serious bit..............................how to support self and spouse for 5 years. It's do-able, but she'll have to give up shopping!

Bilberry

Linda · 28-03-2005, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bilberry

Those lovely people at Peninsula have offered me a place! I can't believe it!

At the ripe old age of 41, I'm going back to school. Now I have to sit down and work out the serious bit..............................how to support self and spouse for 5 years. It's do-able, but she'll have to give up shopping!

Bilberry

Congratulations bilberry! It is so great to hear of successes, especially for us 'oldies'

Best of luck with your studies.