any advice re widening programmes for medicines?

[cleanmachine]

I mentor a young boy from a poor inner city area. I have been mentoring him for a few years and despite an exceedingly difficult life and some challenging circumstances he had managed to turn things around and is predicted A and Astar at gcse next summer. I am now helping him look at A level choices and have read about widening programmes some universities have with regard to advising those from less affluent backgrounds to access courses like medicine and dentistry.

Does anyone here have any advice? Should we wait until gcse results or second year of a level before making enquiries with unis? This remarkable young man will be the first in his family to ever go to uni. He comes from a very poor single parent family and I have to admit to having become quite attached to him and am hoping I can help him progress.

He had been unable to secure work experience but he volunteers and heads up a local youth group and he himself is paying it forward by mentoring younger people in his community. I'm hoping this kind of work will fill the experience gap in his cv.

[luckydip11]

Hope the following link is useful

www.medschools.ac.uk/AboutUs/Projects/Documents/BMA%20MSC%20Widening%20Access%20Guide.pdf

Medicine is a very competitive course. Make sure to have good amount of work experience in a caring setting and medical setting if possible. Keep TRYING to contact the hospitals, GP surgeries for work experience.
Not easy but keep trying.

Choose the correct A level subjects to study.The medical schools should provide information on the entry requirements on their own websites

Also, the Student Room is a good website to look for some relevant informations

Good luck

[cleanmachine]

Thank you lucky. I have advised him about the competitive nature of medicine but need to balance this realism with allowing him to aim high. I am hoping the widening access schemes will be able to better advise him.

[LadySybilLikesCake]

IIRC, St George's do a course like this.

[peteneras]

”Does anyone here have any advice?”

I have not so much an advice per se, but a great suggestion instead. You may think what I’m about to suggest is a million miles plus a million years away for this young lad but I seriously think at most it’s just a couple of hundred miles and less than a year away!

I am talking about the Eton Sixth Form Scholarship! This particular scholarship that Eton offers is designed precisely for people like the remarkable young man you told us about. By that, I mean this young man and his family will not have to worry an iota about money should he be successful in winning one of the nine scholarships on offer annually.

I very strongly advise you talk to this young lad and his parent immediately about the serious possibility of him going to Eton for two years to do his A-levels on the back of the Sixth Form Scholarship. You should not discuss about money at all. This is the last thing you worry about (if it’s any worry at all) should he win a scholarship.

Time is of the essence here because this year’s application cycle closes in just over two weeks! Ring the School if you have any questions no matter how important or trivial or ridiculous. I guarantee they are very pleasant people to talk to.

School Office Manager: Mr. Bob Hutton Tel: 01753 370 665

School Office: Ask to speak to anyone re Scholarships Tel: 01753 370 610

Needless to say, if successful, your young protégé would be in excellent hands to guide him into medical school(s) including possible work experience arrangements.

Thank you cleanmachine for mentoring him thus far. Please feel free to PM me if you need any further guidance/advise/info etc. For now, please do not lose sight of the GCSE's as he must have excellent grades in order to progress any further.

[Decorhate]

I don't know which city you are in but if London, Kings also do an access scheme & many universities in other cities also do. He should also look out for summer schools at the end of Y12 - Oxford & Cambridge both run these, as do other RG universities. All costs are covered including train fares. It's essential to keep on Chemistry for A Levels & Biology is also required by many places. His other 2 subjects should be good facilitating subjects.