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

[Changednameadviceneededxx]

Please be nice to me 🙈

Name changed but I'm a mumsnet lover.

I've been thinking about studying medicine. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor. But I just never thought it possible.

I've got an english language degree and by the time i apply, would (fingers crossed) have a c2 cert in French.

But i only got a 2.2 😔, and I haven't worked since a corporate grad job that I did after uni, and haven't worked for close to a decade due to raising dc.

I'm a single mum so would study around raiding dc. I can't currently get work experience whilst I raise them, but would be able to study.

How crazy am I to think that a med school, somewhere in London, would accept me, with these circumstances.

I don't have science a levels either, just languages.

Tia x

Starting some study of relevant subjects (chemistry, biology, maths) seems a sensible place to start. Will let you see if you enjoy them and have an aptitude for them.

Don't worry about the 2:2. And I really mean that - put it out of your mind completely. I can't see it would be even considered (it would be your aptitude in subjects relevant to medicine that would be most important - I expect you would need strong passes in the sciences at A level or equivalent). Also, there has been such massive grade inflation in recent years that as an academic I take it all with a pinch of salt. Twenty years ago a first was a marker of excellence, and a 2:2 was definitely still viewed as an achievement (because thirds were the lowest grade given, and they were actually given - to about 10% of students in my degree). Also, some people reach their academic potential later in life. I have two senior academic colleagues who only began their academic careers in their 30s having left school with no qualifications.

I agree with PPs to really think about what aspect of medicine appeals to you so you can consider if there is another profession that might also suit you. And bearing in mind that many of the allied health professions have many different routes within them that you can specialise in (e.g. in speech therapy you could be working with children with language delays, adults who've had a stroke. As a nurse you could be in A&E or working as a research nurse on drug trials). So many options! But science is a good place to start for all of them.

I’m not going to repeat what has already been said op. I do think it’s normal to have dreams. Even ones that are unrealistic. I have certainly day dreamed about things that given my age are now totally off
the menu.

DS (17) was considering medicine. On paper he has what it takes, so I encouraged him to speak to other parents who work in both primary and secondary care. When he realised the work to benefit ratio compared to other industries he could work in, he backed away pretty quickly. Of course that also showed he probably didn’t have what it takes in terms of a desire to do the job despite all the disadvantages, which I’m glad he realises sooner rather than later.

It’s so incredibly tough, even for the most dedicated.

that's a shame. It's an incredibly valuable service.

Qualified 35 years here, went straight from school with science and math A levels.

I work in a city with a graduate entry medical school, when it first opened lots of the students had spent years working before deciding to persue medicine. These days many more have done biomedical science as a stepping stone then straight into medicine without any time in the world of work. Not all have strong science backgrounds (met a philosophy grad recently!) but I suspect they do have GCSEs.

As other have said course contact hours are variable but on clinical placements you are often working the same long hours as the resident or consultants if in hospital or GPs when in primary care.

The medical apprenticeship scheme has been scrapped but would also involve working shifts whilst studying. Physician and anaesthetic associates involve only a two year degree but entry criteria are a science degree or background as a health care professional I believe. These roles are massively controversial at the moment and I would not be keen to take on debt for them until the dust has settled.

The point has already been made that foundation years 1 and 2 follow the end of medical school. Currently this allocation is made on a nationwide basis so even if you study in London you might be allocated an F1 post in the West Midlands or Cornwall.

Please do a lot more digging into your options for allied professions such as speech and language or occupational therapy. Would doing some science GCSEs as an independent candidate be possible to scratch that intellectual challenge itch and potentially improve your chances if you do decide to go for one of the options?

Best of luck whatever you decide to do. Sounds like you have great determination and resilience which are very useful qualities in healthcare.

You have DC going to Uni in 5 years ? You must be at least 40. Have you any idea at all what the working patterns of resident Drs are ? 48 hours a week, nights, weekends, 3 13 hour shifts back to back. Do you really think you can do that at 45+ ?

quite a lot of us are still doing all of that at the wrong side of 45!

@Changednameadviceneededxx according to the BMA, there are avenues open for you.

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/studying-medicine/becoming-a-doctor/applying-to-medical-school-for-graduates-mature-and-foundation-students

A friend of my parents did this - he was working in the performing arts and had no science qualifications so had to go back to A level stage and do some kind of access course first of all. I think it must have been an enormous slog to say the least but he did do it (while in his 40s and with shared custody of his children although I imagine their mum did the majority on that front…).

Are you an intensivist or an obsertrician ? Those are the obnly specailties that I now are still resident on call as consultants. After 5 years to some extent it is a choice as you can then go into GP or other " desk specialty".

Do an Access course, and get some relevant work experience .
You may also need to take the UCAT , and bear in mind that application deadline is Oct 15
Best of luck

I went through a similar phase as an undergrad and decided I wanted to switch to medicine. I had some very wise med student friends who asked me why did I want to be a doctor? Was it an interest in science/medicine? Was it wanting to help people? Or (brutally) was it the kudos of being able to say I was a doctor? After some soul searching I realised it was a bit of a nerdy interest in the human body plus a much bigger desire to help people/do something meaningful. But actually all of that could be fulfilled in plenty of other professions.

I’m glad I listened to them as I’m now in a well-paid career that works with people at their most vulnerable and I love what I do. It’s not medical though.

Before even considering this, I think you have to understand why you want to do it.

The thing that stands out to me in your posts isn’t your qualifications (which plenty of people have picked apart!), but that you say you think you could do a medical degree around your children and not ‘have to fork out for childcare’. You would absolutely need 8-6 childcare to do a medical degree, and for most courses now you’d need that throughout the school holidays too from the second or third years. And then if you qualified you’d have to be prepared to be sent anywhere in the country for your foundation jobs. Hopefully the current, totally insane, system will change, but it’s wildly unrealistic to expect that you’d be able to stay in one place.

It would also cost you an absolute fortune in university fees!!

Why not study chemistry A-level over the next year. See how you cope with it intellectually and in terms of time. Obviously it’s not the same as a medical degree, but it could give you an idea if you are cut out for it academically at least.

one of the best doctors I ever met had studied in similar circumstances (small children, not worked for a while) but had been a nurse earlier in her life. She was amazing, with 2 lovely and supportive daughters.

I interview at a London medical school. I’m always extremely impressed by the year 13s that I meet every year. However, the postgraduate applicants are off the scale in terms of intelligence, motivation, knowledge about the NHS, work experience and clinical and political awareness. They make mere mortals like me (hospital consultant of 30y) seem underqualified!

I’m just being realistic OP. A particular breed of person applies for postgraduate medicine and they are really of an impressive calibre. Maybe that is you, but I am just mentioning this to manage your expectations.

Watching this thread with interest as my DS had a mishap with GCSEs and now planing on a physics degree. Had wanted to study medicine and from a quick google it does look as though GEM would still be possible for him.

This is a totally unrealistic plan. There is basically a treadmill of training once you graduate from medical school. If you qualify but don't practice for years you would find it very difficult to get into training- there is currently a shortage of jobs for British trained FYs due to the government opening up job applications to people qualifying elsewhere.

To be completely honest if you only got a 2:2 in your first degree I would really question your ability to pass a medical degree.

How old are you @Changednameadviceneededxx ? Because I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that NHS won’t train someone after around 30 years old. If you are super desperate to study medicine you can buy yourself a place somewhere like in the Caribbean, but it’s expensive like £25k a year.

There's no upper age limit on UK medical training.

Have you considered midwifery? I really wanted to do medicine as a mature student (had a BSC in psychology) but spoke to some doctors I knew and realised that I’d missed the boat; the many years training, gruelling junior doctor years and being sent anywhere in the country every few years just wasn’t compatible with having young children. I qualified as a midwife at the age of 38 and there are so many options available to you! Specialist midwives, safeguarding, research, academia. Having worked in a hospital setting for 4 years I’m so so glad I didn’t do medicine, it’s insanely tough and unless you’re a consultant not particularly well paid. Admittedly doctors have scope to earn more than I ever will but it’s a long hard graft to get there and the pressure of the job is absolutely brutal.

No, there isn’t an age restriction.

It is absolutely not impossible. If you're prepared to knuckle down to meet the entry requirements (science subjects, GAMSAT, interview prep, etc.), you can do it. But it'll be a long slog to come out the other side, as others have noted, and med school is a breeze compared to the realities of being a doctor. Being a mother as well is going to make it even tougher. But still: not impossible.

As a humanities grad, I went through a similar phase and thoroughly researched my options. What I'll recommend you do ASAP, even before studying your science subjects, is to get ward experience in the NHS. Sign up for bank HCA roles. Make sure you'd be happy working in the NHS, because that'll be your future workplace. Speak to doctors. Are they happy? Do they recommend a career in medicine? Being on the wards will be enlightening and give a realistic, as opposed to romantic, view of both the NHS and healthcare professions.

So sorry to hear what you went through when younger. Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

There is really very little true chemistry in a medical degree. It's an entry requirement because it's the hardest A-level to get a high grade in. It lets universities screen for the highest-ability students.

If OP has children, she should be eligible for the pre-allocation scheme for foundation training to allow her to be prioritised for a local placement. Less than full time training is also a possibility although whether it is a good idea to do that considering she is already starting late is another matter.

If I were OP, I would research entry requirements for medicine, get some work as an HCA to get a feel for whether she really wants to pursue medicine and consider doing an access course anyway as it will be acceptable for other life science degrees.

Credit to you for your ambition @Changednameadviceneededxx

Your current qualifications won't get you on the course you want but you can do an access course that will help you.

However, my bil is a surgeon and the training is grueling. Unless you have a huge support network who can help look after your children overnight, at weekends, early mornings, late nights etc then I'm not sure how you plan to carry out the degree. You will do lengthy placements evey year, some courses require you to do this at different hospitals within the UK, some offer placements abroad.

Once qualified the process is hard going. You basically get 2 hats. 1 with names and 1 with jobs. They pick one from each and that is where you are posted. There is very little choice , how will you cope with kids and being posted potentially miles away? Is dad involved, because although 6 now, you would need a year of access course followed by 5-7 years training for surgery which would take them to GCSE age...

I am not sure you have thought through the practical side of this.