Another advice thread...

[Happy Insomniac]

Hi all. I am new to the med school application process, and UCAS as a whole (applied for my undergrad through clearing on a whim). Some of you seem incredibly well-versed in the process and uni requirements, so I was hoping for a little advice.

I have rubbish A-levels (CDE).
I have an upper second class degree in Biomedical Sciences.
I am a current Masters student in Biotechnological Law and Ethics.
I took the UKCAT yesterday, and scored an average of 678 (VR - 680, QR - 730, AR - 590, DA - 710; Damn you, Abstract Reasoning!).

I have worked as an auxiliary nurse/care assistant full-time on an NHS acute medical ward for a year and a half, and now work part-time on the same ward since starting uni.
I have been registered with NHS Professionals for close to a year, and have worked bank shifts as a care assistant on a variety of different hospital wards through the agency.

I'm sitting the GAMSAT on the 17th, and assuming I feel ok about it afterwards, I plan to apply to SGUL.

This leaves 3 spaces. What would you advise? Where am I most likely to get accepted?

I would love to apply to Newcastle, and was considering the 4 and 5 year courses. Is this unrealistic?

Other options I've considered are Imperial (too much of a reach?), Barts, Bristol, Swansea and Warwick.

I've emailed all of the above universities' admissions departments, explaining my record and asking for advice, but I figured it didn't hurt to ask here too. Are any of them realistic choices? Any universities I should consider that I haven't?

I don't want to waste one or more of my four choices on applications that have no hope of success, so please be brutal with me!

Thanks for reading. Any help appreciated!

[ethaniha]

Hi, I don't know the specifics of those schools, but I would look for ones that specify particular degrees, such as Biomed as the people who have arts degrees or degrees not on the list will not be able to apply, thus cutting down your competition somewhat. Also, some schools do not look at A levels at all, just your degree and UKCAT or GAMSAT so it is worth looking at the requirements of each school. Medschoolsonline is a great website for comparing schools as to what they offer, what their requirements are etc, although it is slightly out of date so always best to check on the school's website too. Good luck - sounds like you have an excellent chance )

[millietwigg]

I think that the 5yr cut-off at Barts was 665 and 4yr was 680 this year. It would be worth double checking that with admissions. Weirdly, I got an average of 678 too. You might be in with a chance but no one can say what will happen with UKCAT scores this year. Good luck!

[AlaCourt]

You'd do well at looking at Leciester, as you'd be one of the (relatively few) that meets their requirement of a year of full-time paid work experience in a health care setting. Plus, it's a very good school (their hospitals are very well known).

[GEM2010KTF]

Warwick would be a good choice. I scraped through this year with a UKCAT score of 670, i understand the cut-off came around 667.5. Having great work experience is a feather in your cap providing you can write a strong PS about what you have learnt from your experience to date and how it has helped you make an informed decision that medicine is the career for you.

[Happy Insomniac]

Ok, Barts is out - UKCAT cutoff too high.
Bristol is also out - they take A-levels into account.

Warwick and Leicester are both looking good. Warwick could be a risk if their UKCAT cutoff is higher this year, but maybe worth trying?

How about Newcastle 5-year? Lower UKCAT cutoff than the GEM, so more chance of making it. And they seem to weigh everything, so my work exp and a good personal statement might get me an interview.

[persianmd]

Happy - Leicester do look at A Level grades also. Scoring methodology of 1-5 (for A levels marks) out of 35 points.

[Happy Insomniac]

Happy - Leicester do look at A Level grades also. Scoring methodology of 1-5 (for A levels marks) out of 35 points.

That's not too bad. At least the don't require grade cutoffs, like Bristol do.

[housemakesmelaugh]

Best thing about applying to SGUL 4yr course, if you can do ok on the GAMSAT your are guaranteed an interview, and with your work experience you'd have a very good chance passing the interview also. Thy don't look at A levels or your personal statement. Some people don't know how they do on GAMSAT, it isn't really the sort of exam where you can guage how well you have done so I would put SGUL down anyway.

[Happy Insomniac]

Thanks for the advice, guys.

I had an unfortunate family emergency last week, and unfortunately didn't end up taking the GAMSAT. So, SGUL is out for this years application. I can always apply next year, as I'm 90% expecting 4 rejections based on my UKCAT for this year, anyway. Anywho, it's worth a try, even if just for application experience. So!

I'm pretty certain on my first three choices:

Leicester 4-year.
Warwick 4-year.
Newcastle 5-year.

Now I'm stuck on a fourth. Where do you think I have the best chance?