A bit of everything - Entry Req - Tuition fees - general advice pleeeeease

**Rickharv** · 08-07-2009, 02:12 AM

Hi Guys,

I found this website this morning and I have spent literally all day reading the threads and I've found it extremely helpful! A big thanks to everyone that’s left their advice.

It seems like everyone’s situation is generally different therefore the advice given is quite varied. So if I could just explain where I'm at, to see if anyone has any advice for me.

I have a 2:1 degree in Acting (not too helpful really)
I did a BTEC diploma instead of A-Levels (again not useful)

I basically had no idea what I wanted to do when I was a kid so just did what I enjoyed the most at the time. Now that I've grown up a bit I have decided that a career in Medicine is for me.

Before reading the threads on here I was planning to go back to college and get 3 science A-levels, but after speaking to a couple of people it seems that an Access to Medicine course would be the best for me. Would you agree?

After reading up on the course it seems that some med schools don't accept them and some of the colleges offering this course are not comprehensive enough. Is this right?

Also with tuition fees (as I have to pay them this time round), I have read a few threads which say you only pay the first year fees. Please tell me this is not just a pipe dream?

Well that’s a long one... I would really appreciate any help.

Thanks

**Samwalsh** · 08-07-2009, 04:57 AM

If you do the GEM 4 year courses you only pay for the first year...

Dont some Uni's take any degree aslong as you have good GCSE's?

Check Medschoolonline, its a good site for all that kind of stuff.

**Dr.Thor** · 08-07-2009, 03:09 PM

I'd do an access if I was you. Quite a few unis accept access courses so you have been mislead.

As a word of thumb, do a 5 year - your out on your arse funding yourself all the way. 4 year - You pay for 1st year and the NHS pay the rest (tuition).

With your degree being non-biological, the only way you could get on a 4 year is buy doing the gamsat, which with your non-sciency background would be difficult. I think you can then apply to notts, peninsula, imperial and a few others, have a look on medschoolsonline as said b4!

Good luck.

**Spencer Wells** · 08-07-2009, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by Samwalsh

Check Medschoolonline, its a good site for all that kind of stuff.

Indeed it is. Medschoolsonline

**Rickharv** · 08-07-2009, 07:45 PM

Thanks for all your advice. I will take a look into Medschoolsonline.

**clemette** · 09-07-2009, 12:28 AM

My usual note of encouragement again - it is entirely possible to pass the GAMSAT with a non-science background. My background is in history with only GCSE Biology. I have a great deal of catching up to do once I get started, but it is a route that is open to you...

**petemg** · 26-07-2009, 12:15 AM

Hi all,

Im sorry if my questions have already being answered but would really like your advice. im 26, left school with decent GCSEs and started my As levels but after 8 months i decided i needed a break from education and took a year out and went over to ireland. i began working part time in a toy superstore and one thing led to another and i ended up staying for 7 years (working my way up from part time sales assistant all the wat to store manager), through out this time my wanting to do medicine was always there but i guess i got too comfortable. This summer however i decided its now or never for me and left my job and begain looking at my options to get into medicine. Kings would be my prefered choice and im in the process of applying to lambeth for access to medicine and also have applied for the UKCAT. So far i have my personal statement but not 100% happy with it and i have 1 days shift shaddowing at GOSH (at this mo i want to go into paeds) so need advice on getting more work ex/voluntary work, and any other advice for getting into kings or just advice on getting into medicine would be appreciated. Thanks all
Peter

**Nurse_to_doctor** · 27-07-2009, 03:52 PM

Rickharv,

If you can afford it, go for the A2M. Quite a few med schools like it, but I think realistically you need to get a distinction - go on the A2M forum to confirm. As to GAMSAT, it’s really, really, REALLY hard (hope that’s enough “really” words to emphasise how hard I think it is

).

N2D

**Poppy7** · 27-07-2009, 06:20 PM

Having completed the CoWA/Kings Lynn A2M course I can confirm that the majority of medical schools ask for a distinction (> or = 70%) in all six subjects, although a few such as UEA and Keele ask for an overall distinction with a distinction in either chemistry or biology. I think that about half the students in my year finished the course with distinctions, although a lot of people left part of the way through, either because they had received no offers, or because they had received an unconditional offer and did not need to finish (lucky them  )!

I would agree with the post above – the Access to Medicine course is specific to medicine, shows commitment to medicine (as you completely changed your life and moved across the country) and offers very valuable help and advice in preparing your personal statement and application.

Re: the King’s course – I know that the undergrad and grad interviews are very different, but I found the competition at the graduate interviews extremely intense…I believe that the Kings/GKST course is one of the most competitive courses in the country in terms of applicants per place, possibly because of it’s location, and the fact that unlike many other medical schools you will find strong applicants who consider Kings as their first choice (e.g. with non-London schools as their 2nd, 3rd and 4th), and strong applicants who consider it their second or third choice (e.g. with Imperial and UCL as their 1st and 2nd). You also have graduates competing for undergraduate places, as around a quarter of the students interviewed for the grad course are offered places on the undergraduate course.

In short, if Kings is your first choice then go for it! …You may wish to choose some less competitive schools for your other choices - I ended up choosing Brighton and Sussex (a really lovely place) as my 4th choice, even though I was reluctant to get into massive debt on the 5 year course, because two of my other choices (Oxford & Kings) were so intensely competitive that I knew it was very possible that I would not get a place at either of them.

…Good luck! The Kings forum has some very useful tips on interview prep, although it took me a long time to sift out the useful posts!

**latestarter** · 27-07-2009, 08:36 PM

Newcastle will look at you with a 2:1 any subject and a high UKCAT... was my random choice and am now realising that it came to my rescue... I was heading for a 4th application!