Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Getting to Medical or Law school

64 replies

bobnl · 16/04/2018 14:35

Friends,
I am new to UK school system. I have been reading/asking questions about Secondary schools in the UK.
Somehow I have a feeling that, if a kid wants to get into Medical or law school, he/she should go to Grammar school or Independent school. In my view, kids from comprehensive state school have very little chances of becoming a lawyer or doctor.
Is that true?
Can you please share your experience?

Thank you

OP posts:
Original poster
bobnl · 16/04/2018 21:00

Thank you all for your quick and helpful responses.

I got this information from several sources like the ones below

www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/22/medical-school-students-wealthy-backgrounds
www.bbc.com/news/education-14069516
www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/05/06/pupils-ten-private-grammar-schools-dominate-applications-top/

Some of my friends send their kids to independent school, I asked them why.. They say, the independent schools give personnel attention to kids, and they try to get best out of the kids... But this is not the case with most state comprehensive..

The other day, I was talking to someone about Medical School Interview, he said, preference is given to kids from a wealthy background, kids from doctor parents, kids from a rich neighborhood like oxford etc.. It makes me feel the education is commercialized.

Tell me how many outstanding comprehensives are there in buckinghamshire? one , two or may be three? why there are only 3 outstanding schools? when there are 100s of comprehensives with a good building, enough teachers, why they all struggle?

I have spoken to some of the kids from Buckinghamshire, they think, they have no good future if they cant get into a Grammar school.

OP posts:
LARLARLAND · 16/04/2018 20:04

Is the OP not coming back?

catslife · 16/04/2018 16:16

Where are you getting your info from?
Any research that says this is completely out of date given that since the 1970s most areas of the UK don't even have grammar schools.
This may have been true in the 1950s but not now!

Whatdoiladymcbeth · 16/04/2018 16:16

Utter bollocks.

justanothercreditissue · 16/04/2018 16:12

It's not true but it is prob accurate that the majority of senior lawyers / docs went to an indi.

nvcontrolfreak · 16/04/2018 15:39

Wrong.

For starters there is no such thing as "law school" per se in the UK (or at least not equivalent to law school in the US). There are law degrees but there are still lots of hoops to jump to become a lawyer and any other degree paves the route to being a lawyer with only slightly more hoops. And all of that is changing anyway in the next few years.

If you check medical school applications threads, you'll see lot of state school students applying and succeeding.

Needmoresleep · 16/04/2018 15:17

Absolutely wrong. Where did you read that.

SluttyButty · 16/04/2018 15:09

Erm my dd got 10 A*/A's at gcse and is predicted AAA at A level this year. She's going to law school and she goes to a comprehensive where at least two students each year go to Oxbridge. So it's a completely wrong assumption to make.

If a child has the ability, the school nurtures that ability and the parents are supportive then anything is possible.

LostInLeics · 16/04/2018 14:50

Its not true at all. The vast majority of children go to comprehensive schools, and if they are bright and hardworking, with supportive parents, they have every chance of getting into medical or law school. Many Universities will actually prefer candidates from comprehensives to those from grammar or private schools, since they will often be more self motivated, and have better independent study skills than those who have been spoon-fed and coached to pass exams at selective schools.

LARLARLAND · 16/04/2018 14:49

Not in the least bit true.

DairyisClosed · 16/04/2018 14:48

Well yes, but purely because the more able children a usually filtered into grammar of private schools and the resources in state schools are so poor that the less able ones don't get the chance to be pushed through the way they do in private schools. Obviously some law/medical schools are easier to get into than others. And here not all law degrees are equal so a first from country bumpkin University won't yield the same employment opportunities as much as a 2:1 from oxbridge.

PalePinkSwan · 16/04/2018 14:46

Not true at all.

There are plenty of comprehensive schools with better academic records than grammars or independents.

Most areas don’t even have grammar schools anymore.

Might be useful to google for a general overview of the school system here.

Snowysky20009 · 16/04/2018 14:44

Ummm no lol my friends consist of barristers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, architects, dentists, MP, and a whole host of other professions. We all went to state!

ReinettePompadour · 16/04/2018 14:41

No thats not true. Thats a very old fashioned wsy of thinking.

My doctor went to my DDs school which is a standard state school and all of the solicitors I worked with went to normal state schools too. It's the exam results and quality of your personal statement and work experience that will get you your place but students who go to Grammar/Private school may find it easier to gain a place because of their opportunities and confidence.