To think I can apply for post grad med school with a 2.2 in languages from 15 years ago?

Honestly, your first step should be to buy a second-hand A level Biology textbook. If the whole thing flummoxes you, then think again.

The fact you are asking around here point to either of the following: you are really not that interested in pursing it, otherwise you would have googled it and found it, or you are not confident in yourself. If it is the latter, then stop having so little confidence in yourself and GO FOR IT. You surely must already know there are dozens of access to medicine programs where they give a leg up to single mothers and even elderly entrants - when I found out, I asked - when will this person, heavily funded by the state on this medical course, 'repay to the society' by working on the wards? He was literally 50 when he started the course. Yet they accepted him.

Look at ODP (operating department practitioners) careers... no one's ever heard of them but anaesthetists'd be pretty useless without them...may be another option.

I'm sorry that happened to you

Well if Pete Hegseth can be Secretary of Defence, I don't see why your son shouldn't apply now, even if he's still seven.

are you fluent enough in any of your languages to do translation work? The NHS a heavy user of telephone translation services... not a scooby what the logistics of that is (presume you can work from home) but it might be worth exploring as a way to find out more about medicine/make some cash out of the skills you already have.

Don’t worry, @KeenDuck 😂 They don’t learn on the job! The apprentices go to med school, they just spend their vacations working in non clinical roles for the trust that is paying for their degree eg as porters/ward clerks, discharge planners, admin assistants, clinical coding assistants etc.

How indeed! Everyone should get a first or a 2.1 or the system is meaningless! Imagine having 3 grades that people could get! 3!

It's as if there was any grade other than A or B at GCSE. Madness!

Yes but she specifically stated she has to remain in London
So other courses in other locations have different criteria,how’s that relevant to London based potential applicant?

Ok, but do you have the vision of graduating medical school and then the long hard slog of decades actually working and progressing as a doctor, especially later in life? You’ve said nothing in any of your posts about actually wanting any aspects of actually being a doctor or doing something with a medical degree. Are you just romanticising it because it’s the hardest degree you can think of or something?

It’s all a bit reminiscent of when my then seven year old with autism, vision problems, severe travel sickness and a fear of heights, not to mention sole British citizenship, was absolutely determined he was going to be a fighter pilot in the US Air Force. Sometimes you actually can’t be anything you want to be. There’s a lot of bravery in admitting that some doors are closed to you and considering if there are realistic alternatives that would satisfy you.

Well thats the thing, the access course is in the same space as A levels, done off the back of relevant GCSEs, The fact she hadn't done any formal education beyond school makes her very different from someone who went through the standard university route and didn't do terribly well, and has done nothing since.

A pp suggested Speech and Language Therapy - what about that? You could do an OU Access course first without needing science A levels.

Post graduate medicine is statistically more competitive than undergrad, since there are more people applying for fewer places.

I think as things stand now you don’t have a cat in hell’s chance of getting onto a course. As others have said, if you are serious you should consider an access course and obtaining relevant work experience.

What about looking at an access to healthcare course - so you’d get some science education, placements and exposure to different healthcare career options. It doesn’t close the door on medicine but is a start on the sciences while introducing possible more realistic career options.

I teach first year medical students. In my group of 12 each year, there's probably an average of 1 mature student. They are usually early-mid 20s and have recently finished a first degree (often with a science degree, but there was one with a law degree) or be slightly older and this is their first degree. Majority are still in their 20s but last year I had a student who I'd estimate was late 40s if not older.

Life experience is a huge benefit in the study and practice of medicine and all the mature students I have taught have been highly motivated and done well. But, and it's a huge but - the course is full on, and moves at a fast pace. You would have to be honest with yourself about the time you could commit over many years (it's not just the 5 years of uni, but the training years afterwards). It's a cliche but medicine is definitely a marathon not a sprint.

In terms of getting on to a course in the first place, you would need appropriate A levels or have done an appropriate access course. Universities will differ in their entrance requirements, check out their websites or contact them. Irrespective of qualifications, you will need relevant work experience, paid or voluntary. Again, check with the university what they require.

@Changednameadviceneededxx there is a dedicated Mature Study and Retraining board on MN - full of threads recounting people’s queries, doubts, experiences and outcomes. Really your first step into a new career should be to read about fifty of those threads to get an idea of all the issues people face when considering re-training as parents. There are plenty of triumphs there too - but they’re based on solid research, not daydreaming. I hope you’ll find something that inspires a viable route for you.

See here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students