Medicine(?) conversion - Questions!

**hannabanana** · 05-04-2008, 10:01 PM

Hiya,

I am a 2nd year current undergraduate at University of Manchester, studying development and economics. Whilst I am interested in 'development' and wish to work in the 'development' sector as a future career (ambiguous I know!) I have become more and more disillusioned with my current course. I seem to be learning theoretical rather than practical tools to deal with encouraging development - and have started to think about my future career prospects.

Medicine has always been in the back of my mind and I've pretty much decided that medicine of some sort is the route that I want to go down, with a view to working in 'developing countries' providing support, training and healthcare - possibly with organisations such as VSO, BRC and Medicins Sans Frontiers. I'm not entirely sure what area of medicine to go into or whether i want to be doing something to do with healthcare: nursing-midwifery-physiotherapy, i'm just not sure, so have organised various meetings with administrators at Manchester so I can pick some brains...

However - I have no real background in science. I did IB and chose environmental systems as my (tenuous) science subject (level 7 - 38 points overall) - and got B's for science GCSE double award, so am worried about my prospects for applying with unsuitable grades. Do I need to be getting myself A-levels in Chem and Bio, taking a year out after i graduate in 2009 to do them? Does anyone have any advice with regards to a medicine conversion - or indeed working in medecine in the developing sector? What work experience do I need to get that would help my application?

ANYTHING that you have to say would be great, I'm just putting the 'feelers' out there and seeing what I come back with!

**agneishd** · 05-04-2008, 11:35 PM

some work experience in hopsitals with doctors, or in the GP is essential i think

GCSEs are so much looked at for graduate entry, although doing the chem and bio A-levels i feel would certainly help, albeit be a challenging task to complete them to A standard

**Madimi** · 06-04-2008, 02:23 AM

Hi there,
My friend studied Economics at Manchester, finished the degree, did an Access to Medicine course at Mancat and is now back at Manchester studying medicine.
If you are wanting to meet medicine's entry requirements in one year, I'd definitely recommend Mancat.
And of course, the work experience is a must too!