Any Thoughts On How Realistic My Application Would Be?

[nath99]

Hi everyone!

Im on my gap year at the moment having left college in september '08. I am volunteering a lot at Manchester Royal Infirmary, and for my entire second year at college i volunteered one day a week. I also do regular voluntary work for St John ambulance. I hope to continue, and expand, all of my voluntary work whilst at University.

I will be starting at the University of Manchester in september of this year on their Anatomy degree, and i hope to gain a 2.1 or 1st.

My a-levels were ok-ish i suppose, i got:

Biology - A
Chemistry - B
Physics - B
Maths - D (as-level, still painful)

and 3A's and 7B's in my gcse's.

I hope to apply to graduate entry medicine in the final yr of my undergrad degree, but im worried that my grades aren't good enough!

I have lots of extra curricular activities that can go on my personal statement, including coaching an under 15's sports team, in addition to my hospital work and st john ambulance work. In fact at my manchester interview, before asking any questions, the interviewer said i was a very interesting applicant and that i would recieve an offer anyway, and then let me leave the interview room! and all of my other choices gave me unconditional offers!!!!!!

Does anybody out there hav any advice for me? Should i still consider graduate entry medicine as a realistic possibility or am i not strong enough academically?

Thanks in advance guys

[giella]

Carry on doing what you're doing.

[yazoo]

Get a 2.1 and you sound like you should be ok. But aim for a 1st. That will help you after you become a Dr.

[georgiegirl]

By all means apply for graduate entry medicine, but don't rule out 5 year courses. They are less competitive than 4 year courses. If you apply for only 4 year courses and don't get in, you have to reapply and it takes a year longer overall anyway.

IMO, applying for ONLY 4 year courses is a high-risk strategy. Sounds like you are getting good work experience and your academic qualifications are OK. Put a lot of work into your personal statement, and try and do some prep for any entrance tests (UKCAT, BMAT etc) you would need to take and you should be in with a reasonable chance of success.

Good luck.

[chicken66]

Make sure you write a good personal statement, all your hard work and voluntary work will go to waste if you can't put it across properly. People on here, myself included, will help you with this if you ask for help.

[Soul and Onward]

Your a-levels shouldn't be a problem, as long as you get a 2.1 you'll be fine. Just make sure you keep up with your voluntary work etc, when you come to apply you'll need recent work experience, what you've done prior to university will probably be largely discounted due to it being so long ago.

[nath99]

hey hey

thanks to everybody who replied, there is some really great advice here and it is much appreciated

i have always wanted to study medicine but knew i wouldn't have the stellar academic record needed to apply as an undergrad.

Its so reassuring to know that i've not blown my chances and that there are friendly, like minded applicants out there willing to help and offer advice, its such a confidence booster!!!

I hope you all are successful in the graduate entry business

thanks guys,

Nathan

[Nerrep]

Go for it. With an anatomy degree there are loads of not excessively competitive places to which you can apply (those of us who did less relevant degrees are left applying for places like Kings and Newcastle, which have something in the region of one place per sixty applicants).

Most of them aren't all that bothered about A-Levels (some require Chemistry, but not a specific grade), and I've yet to hear of one that puts emphasis on GCSEs.

Work hard, get a 2:1, acquire loads of work experience in the mean time, and good luck!

[Chulalongkorn]

You sound on track for all that is needed for graduate entry medicine. I got in with a 2.1 non-science degree and just two A levels at grades D&E in History and Classics so you will have no trouble!!

[nath99]

btw has anybody had any trouble finding shadowing work, i wrote to my own gp a month ago and ive still had no reply!!!!!!

im just worried that the uni's i would apply to, such as warwick and others which place a heavy emphasis on the ukcat, would hav abandoned this approach due to an increasing number of applicants and the supposed a-level 'grade inflation'.

its interesting that i would not even be considered for undergraduate medicine with ABB, and yet my doctor said that his HIGHEST offer for medicine back in the mid 80's was ABB.

How times have changed!!!!!