graduate entry advice: am i too late?

**Eira** · 10-08-2006, 07:42 PM

Hey guys

I hope you can give me some advice.

I have just graduated with a 2.1 degree in Geography and having decided to take a gap year I am considering applying for graduate med school but I am not sure of my chances or whether I am too late in terms of getting everything together before hand.

I didnt do chemistry at a level (A levels: Geography (A), Environmental Science (A), Maths (A) and English language and literature (A)) so I know in terms of Graduate entry medicine I am only eligible for: Newcastle, Notingham, St Georges and Swansea, with the first requring me to sit the UKCAT exam and the last three requiring the Gamsat

Also I dont have any specific hospital/GP related work experience although I have done lots of work with a charity for disabled young people. I have a friend who may be able to get me some work ex with her mum (who is a gp) but am not sure if this would be enough?

Do you think I have a chance of getting in for 2007 entry? And if yes, what should I do to improve my chances at this late stage?

Hope you can help and sorry if i am being completely stupid but i am so confused and not sure who to ask for help

**rachele** · 10-08-2006, 07:56 PM

ideally if you could get in the gp placement and really a placement at a hospital...(these placements dont hav to be long, jus a week) before u fill out ucas form (late sept) ..then i personally dont think ur too late to apply for medicine 2007..

good luck!

nb its better to do placements which have patient contact ie shadowing a gp or sitting in on an operation is far better than working for a week in a hospital as a porter, or working in a hospital as a lab assistant, where u dont really observe patient doc communication.

**DH2005** · 10-08-2006, 07:56 PM

Eira - hello, and welcome.

Do you have a chance? Yes, I think so... but you should know that all four of those courses are fiercely competitive.

I'd say, on the basis of experience, that you've next-to-no chance of getting into Newcastle - the majority of people they take have degrees in healthcare disciplines... but, if you can make the cut-off score for the GRIMSHAT, no reason why you might not get an offer from any of the other three.

What's your strategy for preparing for GAMSAT? If you've not looked at hard science in a few years, you'll need one.

**Jiny** · 10-08-2006, 08:08 PM

There is no downside to applying this year and you have over a month to get your entry sorted out. I hadn't done my hospital shadowing placement when I wrote my personal statement but said that I would be doing it (I had already booked it for November it by writing to a consultant at a local hospital.) The really urgent thing would be to get some A-level science textbooks for GAMSAT and get going on them. Then you need to write your personal statement, find a referee and arrange some work experience.

If you don't make it this year, you will find that you have gained valuable experience for the following year. I couldn't believe how much better my personal statement sounded the second year and I had worked out a much better referee. I'd also learnt a lot about entrance exams, interviews and what medical schools were looking for.

Good Luck!

**Jiny** · 10-08-2006, 08:11 PM

If you are doing GAMSAT, and thus covering the A-level chemistry syllabus, perhaps you could sit the Chemistry A level this year to broaden your options if you do end up re-applying next year? I found that the biggest problem, if you do the work on your own, is locating a centre to do the practical exam. Obviously that is solved if you do the chemistry at some sort of college.

**ManFromTheJam** · 11-08-2006, 01:32 AM

I applied for the exact same four Uni's too, last year, before joining Access to Med at Kings Lynn. Entry is more than a little difficult. Newcastle has 41 applicants per place, swansea were only taking First graduates...

I have two years of work experience in a hospital, I was President of my students union, I have worked on projects for Headway and MGA in the UK and (soon) abroard.

My gamsat however was just too weak. Make sure you prepare for this exam, and I mean really really prepare! You can do it, but don't commit your life to it, I did, and came out very disapointed. Luckily I found another way; Consider an Access course if you can. You can get it if you really really want, just expect the worst, however prepare for success!

**rachel_fran** · 11-08-2006, 03:01 AM

I would agree with Jiny in saying that you have nothing to loose (except 15 quid ucas entry fee!) and possibly everything to gain by applying this year. I was in a fairly similar position myself this time last year as I only did few days shadowing a consultant a week before I submitted my ucas form and I hadn't been in my job as a care assistant in a nursing home for very long.

Something to remember is that Notts and Georges decide who to interview on the basis off GAMSAT alone (at least I think they do!)- so if you can make the cut off mark for interview you have about 6 months to build on the experience you already have and will be able to really impress at interview. I can't stress enough how having worked full time as a care assistant and then a senior care assistant helped when it came to interviews.

Also not sure about this but I think its possible to apply for four medicine courses and to access courses at the same time but could be totally wrong here.

Good luck!

Rachel

**pipedreamer** · 11-08-2006, 02:42 PM

I've got a 2:1 in Geography and I'm on the Swansea GEP - I'm not the only geography grad here either!

I would say, as many above have, that you should go for it. Although the UCAS deadline is only a couple of months away, interviews won't be until Feb/March/April so you've got quite a bit of time to prepare for them. I think you have a good chance of getting a place if you put everything into it now.

GAMSAT is valid for two years so if I were you I'd work really hard for that and get the best score I possibly could - that way if you didn't get in this year you'd be in a strong position the following year. You could consider doing a part time chemistry A-level to widen your choices for next year but that might be be the best use of your time, particularly if you get in this year!

As far as work experience goes, clinical work experience is great but voluntary work is also good. The charity work you've done is great. If you've finished that, you could consider starting now doing maybe an hour or two a week volunteering in a hospital or anywhere else that involves caring for or helping vulnerable people. It would give you something to put on your UCAS form and by the time interviews come around in the spring you would have been there enough to be able to talk about it in depth. Volunteering shows commitment and hands-on experience so don't underestimate its importance!

I would also start now trying to do some general reading e.g. the health section of a broadsheet or bbc.co.uk/news, maybe a medical-related book or two. Pick things that you find interesting and want to learn more about as that will then come across at interview. Another good tip is to practice interviewing as much as possible. You can often find examples of past questions in the individual medical school forums.

Hope that's helpful. Good luck!

~ Melanie

**pipedreamer** · 11-08-2006, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by ManFromTheJam

...swansea were only taking First graduates...

This isn't true: the majority of Swansea GEP students have a 2:1.

I think the confusion stems from the fact that undergraduate applicants who said they were predicted a first were given offers conditional on achieving a first. This was because their applications had been scored as if they had already got a first, so that they weren't disadvantaged by not having graduated yet. Not getting a first didn't automatically lose them their place - it just meant that their application score was recalculated and reranked.