am i suitable

[joelhall]

hello everyone, first post here my name is joel and i am in a similar situation to dradam. sadly ive had a lot of personal upheaval between my teen years and now, which has played havoc with my goal of becoming a doctor.

i first decided on a medical career whilst at school. however i changed my studies at a-level to gear myself to what i hoped would be a promising career as an engineering officer in the royal marines. the subjects i studied were maths, mechanics, physics, technology and sports science (where my strengths were in anatomy, physiology, bio-chemistry, bio-mechanics, etc.). i was later to leave before my exams, planning to start afresh in different subjects. however due to personal pressures, such as being ill, and normal life pressures, i constantly had to put this on hold.

im now 26, with 2 sons, and have always studied subjects for my own interest such as biology, chemistry, anatomy etc. becoming fairly advanced especially for someone without a formal qualifiation, as these subjects have always been a passion of mine.

i am now studying for a bsc in molecular science, and would like to know if this background will affect my chances of study in the medical field? if a chemistry degree is not sufficient could you advise me what would be more appropriate. in addition to the above i am very good as learning concepts, using investigative methods, problem solving, and am of a caring and passionate disposition.

i was also thinking of studying a-levels in biology & chemistry along with the degree. the only qualifications i have are 10 gcses (4b, 6c) which although not fantastically graded, i only studied for 9/10 months rather than the usual 2 years of my gcse courses (the previous school i attended studied differently at gcse so almost all my subjects i had to do myself or else fail. i also only had the opportunity to study half of the courses (this was due to personal upsets whilst i was at school. i started half-way through year 10). however given my limitations (such as not books for english lit, not calculators for maths, both of which i gained b grades in), i do not feel i did as badly as the results themselves would suggest.

ok so... let me have it! what do you think my chances are of being accepted on a medical degree course?

thanks for your time

joel

[joelhall]

does anyone have an idea on this?

[Jimsta]

Hi Joel,
I reckon you're in a good position to go for medicine if you really want to. The admissions process is fairly complex, and you need to do a bit of research to see if your specific qualifications allow you to apply.

There are quite a few graduate entry courses, most which accept a 2.1 degree, some in any subject, others in more specific medical / biology ones. Check with individual unis to see if yours is ok.

I'm not sure on how not having a-levels is viewed. I think you'll have to contact the universities individually and see what they say and if they accept retakes etc. Where is your current degree and what did they say??

What would really help your application is good work experience. Become an auxiliary nurse or HCA in a hospital or volunteer at a nursing home or something. This will show your commitment and more importantly show you if you can cope with the unglamorous reality of hospital work.

You will also probably need to take the UKCAT exam - an 'aptitude' test - there is probably loads of stuff on it on this site.
You can also take the GAMSAT or BMAT exams which may open up your options so you can apply to more universities.

All your extenuating circumstances you can work into your personal statement when you come to apply if you feel it necessary, but you've got a year until the next application process so plenty of time to get work experience, research unis and revise for exams.

I'm not an expert on this at all, but I've been through the application and admissions process and know it's a right minefield!!

Good luck buddy!!

[joelhall]

thanks for the reply

the degree im studying is molecular science (chemistry basically) through the ou. im pretty confident ill gain a 1st (hon.). after all the course isnt especially difficult when you study this for fun! heh heh.

i have thought about doing a-level biology & chemistry along with the degree to make up the qualifications if need be. i know i can cope with the workload, the limiting factor at the moment is finances.

once my own health has improved i will be starting to work again, hopefully paid. ive an idea of the options open as my mother is an a&e staff nurse (she also has a bio-medical degree). though ive spent my fair share there as a patient so ive managed to see alot of the action (lack of it) during the long waits. i also manage to talk to a lot of doctors about the job

for me its not just about becoming a doctor though. i want to do it all - be a student, keep learning throughout my career, i even relish the dull monotony that is to come. its more of a living passion than a wish

anyway thanks for the input jimsta, youve been very helpful.

joel

[MissBunchlie]

Hi Joel!

I agreed totally with the post above. It totally depends on the Uni but the general gist of it is if your degree is science related some Uni's will accept you for an accelerated course - some also ask for A-levels PLUS a 2:1 or above in a suitable degree (they list what they'll accept) like Imperial, however applicants who do not have A-levels but do have the degree part, if they score highly on the UKCAT, may be offered a place...

I suggest you enquire with all the uni's you're interested in, and also I totally understand where you are coming from, I can't potentially start med school until I am 26 so join the club, you're not alone!

[joelhall]

thanks for the help

joel

[giella]

I would say there's probably no point in doing Chemistry A levels at the same time as your degree. It's extra work and a step backwards and you don't really need it if you're doing a chemistry degree. With education, I think there are only two directions you should go: sideways or forwards. A-levels in science are backwards for you.