Are my GCSEs good enough to get into med school?

[Truedak]

I would love to go to university in the next few years as a mature student and study medicine. I know it's extremely popular. I'd need to go back and study science a levels first because although I did well on my a levels originally, they're all in humanities subjects.

I've heard that you need to have got loads of as at GCSE to even stand a chance at getting in. I got 4 as, 4s and 2bs. are these good enough?

My experience is that unis are not that interested in GCSEs for mature students. Your predicted A-levels and what experience you have will be more relevant.

My DS did ok at GCSE but didn’t do very well at A’ Level. Ten years later, he’s been accepted on a degree course as a mature student. His experience has counted quite a bit. It’s not a medical course but they seem happy to have him based on maturity and work experience.

Look at the entry requirement on unis website.

I’d certainly look into it. From my experience I got straight A and A*s at GCSE then went on to get Chemistry, Biology and Maths A level A,B and C respectively. The jump from GCSE to A level in those subjects is big! My best friend got straight A’s in the same subjects and went on to study medicine, I did a Biology degree and now work in medical sciences.

Go for it, if medicine isn’t an option there’s plenty of other career paths.

Why don’t you look at the entry requirements?

Rather than spend 2 years redoing A Levels (at your own cost, and probably as a private candidate due to lack of funding) why not take a degree and then do medicine as a graduate.

Or look into doing a foundation year, this is a year before the actual medical degree and is aimed at people like yourself who have A levels but not in science.

www.keele.ac.uk/study/foundationyears/foundationcourses/medicinewithhealthfoundationyear/#:~:text=The%20Medicine%20with%20Health%20Foundation,requirements%20for%20an%20honours%20degree.

Did it as a graduate here. Despite a 1st class science degree from a redbrick, I still had to prove I had the requisite A level grades in biology, maths, chemistry, and GCSE grades (in other core subjects, particularly English). I remember being a bit suprised that they would go back that far but it makes sense to ensure people are up to standard.