Mature student seeking advice on plans...

**Purrr** · 15-04-2008, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by fsa3011

This what St Edmund's College's admissions officer had to say about finances:

'UK students this year have been asked to show our financial department that they have approximately £50,000 at their disposal to cover the cost of their studies here.'

I've asked for more details as to whether this sum can include LEA grants and loans, or if it has to be that much in the bank.....

Home students having to prove finances as such isn't something I came across before....

Scary...

No, sadly Cambridge do this. They like to know that you can pay. When I did a postgrad degree there a few years ago I had to prove that I had around £12,000 available for the one-year course. I had to show them bank statements (mine and my sponsors), and a signed document from a sponsor - my auntie - guaranteeing payment of my fees. I even had to get my auntie's bank statement *translated* into English. So yes, Cambridge do take their documenting procedures seriously. I have no idea how they manage to fill their medicine course...do all their school-leaver applicants have parents who can vouch for 50 grand?

I don't know whether the 50K could include loans etc. or whether it would have to be a lump sum sitting in a bank account. Fingers crossed for you that it's the former though!

**fsa3011** · 16-04-2008, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Purrr

No, sadly Cambridge do this. They like to know that you can pay. When I did a postgrad degree there a few years ago I had to prove that I had around £12,000 available for the one-year course. I had to show them bank statements (mine and my sponsors), and a signed document from a sponsor - my auntie - guaranteeing payment of my fees. I even had to get my auntie's bank statement *translated* into English. So yes, Cambridge do take their documenting procedures seriously. I have no idea how they manage to fill their medicine course...do all their school-leaver applicants have parents who can vouch for 50 grand?

I don't know whether the 50K could include loans etc. or whether it would have to be a lump sum sitting in a bank account. Fingers crossed for you that it's the former though!

They replied back and, thankfully, it can include any loans, grants and bursaries one would be eligible for... which is a relief because I can't think of anyone who has 50k sitting idly in one of their bank accounts!

That works out to £10k per year of the 5 year course......considering the tuition fee loan is approx £3k, maintenance loan for outside london £4.5k, maintenance grant £2.8k...which adds up to just over 10k......

At least their figures correlate with LEA support levels......seeing the line 'access to £50,000' would frighten anyone off!

**Purrr** · 16-04-2008, 10:32 AM

That's good to hear. Hey, it works out even cheaper per year considering that the Cambridge undergrad medicine course is 6 years long.

Also, I think you have to pay college fees, but not sure if your LEA pays these? I had to pay college fees by my own means (around £2500 if memory serves correctly), but postgrad rules are slightly different.

Another question: do you already have a degree from a UK uni? If so, you won't be eligible for the fees loan or the maintenance grant and would have to find those monies elsewhere

**fsa3011** · 16-04-2008, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by jodiekeyz

lol fsa i actually have managed to find voluntry work and most of my friends are doctors and i have managed to arrange some shadowing of them on a few days. With regards to reading i am planning on reading A-level and first year medical course texts that have been handed down to me from my mates

Talking to admissions i have been advised that their is no point in taking more a-levels as the ones i have are fine and my degree is recent evidence of study. For me it's more important i show evidence of work experince in a 'caring' field.

good luck

Thanks for that, jodie. Your degree works in your favour...the admissions seem to insist i show evidence of recent learning because 'the Cambridge system is very intense and we feel that you should have done some recent learning before coming here'.

So its either a year of Maths (id have to redo my AS, despite the A, because the syllabus has changed) or an NVQ in some form of health / social care...

Enough of worrying over what ill do in sep 2009....must focus on getting those three As in bio, chem, phy for now....

Thanks for all of your input!

**fsa3011** · 16-04-2008, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Purrr

That's good to hear. Hey, it works out even cheaper per year considering that the Cambridge undergrad medicine course is 6 years long.

Also, I think you have to pay college fees, but not sure if your LEA pays these? I had to pay college fees by my own means (around £2500 if memory serves correctly), but postgrad rules are slightly different.

Another question: do you already have a degree from a UK uni? If so, you won't be eligible for the fees loan or the maintenance grant and would have to find those monies elsewhere

Oh rats, of course...theres the college fees......if the tuition fee loan covers the tuition fee, then i imagine the maintenance grant should cover the college fees......which leaves the maintenance loan for everything else. I am under the impression that if i am eligible for full LEA maintenance grant, then there is the university bursary which can help out.....

Otherwise, its down to saving up as much as i can in the two years i have before i start, part time work during term time (which will be very hard and the deans dont like it).....or getting a helping hand from the missus who shouldve graduated by then.....

No degrees for me yet......UK uni or elsewhere.....

**jodiekeyz** · 16-04-2008, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by fsa3011

Thanks for that, jodie. Your degree works in your favour...the admissions seem to insist i show evidence of recent learning because 'the Cambridge system is very intense and we feel that you should have done some recent learning before coming here'.

So its either a year of Maths (id have to redo my AS, despite the A, because the syllabus has changed) or an NVQ in some form of health / social care...

Enough of worrying over what ill do in sep 2009....must focus on getting those three As in bio, chem, phy for now....

Thanks for all of your input!

fsa if you have ot already done so i would talk to other medical schools. My m8 who works with me who does not have a degree, but does have A-levels has talked to the same universities (listed below) that i have and the feedback has been as long as you can show relevant work experience you can apply. Now i don't know your personal situation but he has got a thumbs up. Off universities such as glasgow, aberdeen, oxford, cambridge, dundee, bute etc have said to him that they would like to see some sort of academic course being taken within the last 5 years and they would consider his qualifications 'out-of-date' (hes got 3 A's) but the others listed below including ucl have welcomed him, so speak to them all.

Good luck

**jodiekeyz** · 16-04-2008, 02:09 PM

I can't think of anyone who has 50k sitting idly in one of their bank accounts!

I can

**fsa3011** · 17-04-2008, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by jodiekeyz

fsa if you have ot already done so i would talk to other medical schools. My m8 who works with me who does not have a degree, but does have A-levels has talked to the same universities (listed below) that i have and the feedback has been as long as you can show relevant work experience you can apply. Now i don't know your personal situation but he has got a thumbs up. Off universities such as glasgow, aberdeen, oxford, cambridge, dundee, bute etc have said to him that they would like to see some sort of academic course being taken within the last 5 years and they would consider his qualifications 'out-of-date' (hes got 3 A's) but the others listed below including ucl have welcomed him, so speak to them all.

Good luck

Oh yes, I have emailed several...including the ones in your signature...the cambridge ones were just the first to get back to me.

I guess its because the more academically demanding courses, where its preclinical then clinical, want evidence of recent study.........as opposed to the courses with patient contact from the beginning, which would opt for relevant work xp.

**Singingdoc** · 17-04-2008, 01:11 PM

Hi - I have just skimmed over this thread so forgive me if i repeat what has already been said....good grades and work experience (and a realistic assessment of what funding you can get) are important factors, but I would add one more thing for you to consider: Extra-curricular activities - play in a social sports team, sing in a choir, do music grade exams or join a drama society - anything that involves social skills. Undergrad med courses often look for 'well rounded' individuals with varied interests to add to the life of the medical school.

Good Luck!

**fsa3011** · 21-08-2008, 02:42 AM

With my A2 level results out and having already started my interim job, I thought I would post an update here. I sat modules 5 & 6 for bio, chem and phy in June with module 4 earlier in Jan (AS modules were in 2004):

Biology
AS module 1: 84/90
AS module 2: 90/90
AS module 3: 112/120
A2 module 4: 94/100
A2 module 5: 100/100
A2 module 6: 100/100
overall: 580/900

Chemistry
AS module 1: 116/120
AS module 2: 80/90
AS module 3: 87/90
A2 module 4: 90/90
A2 module 5: 71/90
A2 module 6: 102/120
overall: 546/600

Physics
AS module 1: 100/100
AS module 2: 100/110
AS module 3: 84/90
A2 module 4: 90/90
A2 module 5: 90/90
A2 module 6: 105/120
overall: 569/600

These add to the two AS Levels I had already cashed in back in 2004:

Mathematics
AS 1: 93/100
AS 2: 87/100
AS 3: 92/100

ICT
AS 1: 74/90
AS 2: 81/90
AS 3: 120/120

The plan is to now carry on with the Health Care Assistant job I was lucky enough to land. This being a full-time, permanent contract, I should be able to stay on until Sep 2010, when I hope to start uni.

Sure, the work is dirty and smelly at times, but I am getting to see the human side to all the diseases and conditions Kumar & Clark likes to go on about. I am in a very hectic AAU ward, but the nurses are extremely friendly and always eager to explain ailments and treatment plans I express an interest in (obviously, not when we are in the middle of a resus).

I will be BMAT'ing and UKCAT'ing this September for deferred 2010 entry; if I am lucky, that will be the end of it, if not I will give it another go Sep 09.

In the meantime, I will also try gently persuading my ward manager into letting me take on some extra courses through the NHS training schemes they have here.....I am hoping this will be enough 'evidence of continued education to prove [my] study skills are up to scratch' as per the insistence of one of the Cambridge admissions staff.

-f