Two Undergrad degrees

[turnip09]

I am sure I have asked this question before but cant seem to remember when!

I have a 2.2 in law and I am about to complete a second degree for which I am predicted a 1st. Does anyone know how med schools will view this for the GEP entry?

I know most state that the expect a 2.1 from your 'first' degree,but I always took that to mean your undergrad degree if you were also a postgrad, not if you had two undergrad degrees.

Anyone had any experience of this?

[icecream]

best to ask the unis, but i believe it will mean your first degree in which case its the 2.2 in law. However, there are gep courses which will consider 2.2, i.e sgul and notts.

[Pammy]

I would actually have thought the opposite: I don't think you are stuck with the 2.2 if you now get a first! I would ring up to make sure. I started an undergrad for 1 year before I did my "real" one...not that it mattered. I think they are primarily interested in what someone is capable of achieving, and that would clearly be a 1st - but yes, ring up to be sure, rather than limiting yourself to 2:2-accepting unis (you don't just have a 2:2!).

[Pammy]

P.S. What is your second degree? If it is a science you neatly get around the problem as it is your first undergrad science degree, so definitely lets you apply to places that only accept science degrees :-)

[chiari]

Hello,

I have just had recent experience of this (2.2 in first degree, the 2.1 in the second) and it's really frustrating. However, I have just (yesterday!) got an unconditional offer from Warwick so it is possible!

My advice is to look really carefully at each uni's admissions criteria, as some places such as Bristol and Bart's you will automatically get rejected with a 2.2 regardless of what other qualifications you have. I managed to waste at least one choice by not doing this and taking a flyer. However, some places are prepared to bend their rules slightly if you look interesting enough - I managed to get an interview at Oxford even though I dont match lots of their enrty requirements exactly!

I think your best bet is to make your application as outstanding as possible, good work experience, brilliant personal statement etc, and really ace the UKCAT/GAMSAT if required. Contact all the places you want to go to and explain your case, and if they say no then forget them! If you cant find enough GEPs to apply to you could also apply to one or two standard courses as a graduate, just to increase your chances slightly.

Good luck!

[turnip09]

Thanks for this Chiari - thats good to know. Where either of your degrees science based, or do you have science A Levels? I have very little science background at all, except for a couple of OU courses.

[chiari]

Hi Turnip,

I did two BSc degrees - Sport Science (2.2) and Clinical Physiology (2.1). What really annoyed me is that some of the unis say they do not accept Sport Science for medical applications, but then also said they could not accept me as I had a 2.2! I think my A levels became irrelevant as they are 15 years old - just as well as I only managed 2 E grades!

[Nurse_to_doctor]

15 years ago - 2 Es!

That was a time when getting an 'A' at A Level was still very difficult. Getting 2 Bs and 1 C was considered to be doing pretty well, when I were' a Lad (1980s). So, 2 E's would be, under today's grade infaltion, at least 2 Cs

N2D

[scout]

Chiari, just out of interest, which unis said they wouldn't accept sports science degrees? I'm thinking of applying for grad entry medicine and I have a BSc 2.1 in Sports Studies

[chiari]

N2D: Two C's? I'll take that!

Scout: I think that it was only Bristol that specifically said no to Sport Science. You'd have to check with Imperial, Keele and Liverpool, and of course you would not be eligible for Birmingham as they only accept people with firsts. Good luck, and if you need any help with your application I am happy to oblige