Anticipating DD not meeting her grades for medicine, need information about graduate entry.

[Tressy]

Hopefully she will but am wondering about graduate medicine. Trying to help her if the worst comes to the worst and if it would be better to retake A levels or go through clearing.

Due to the fee increases is it possible to still do a 3 year standard degree then apply for 4 year graduate medicine. Is it covered by student finance?

Also would a degree from any university, e.g Leeds Met, in a science subject be good enough to apply for graduate medicine?

Phew she did it and will be studying medicine in October.

It's been a rollercoaster year and she really thought it was game over.

I know it's a long road but all I care about is that she had the opportunity to fulfill her dream. Even if somewhere along the way she decides it's not for her. It will never be as disappointing as if she had never had the chance.

That's good to hear, well done her. It's so easy to assume you've done badly in exams.

I've been lurking on this thread (not having any practical advice to give ) and I'm delighted for you and your D.

Very well done to her!

It's so much more nerve-wracking when it's your DCs going through it than when you did it yourself IME.

Well done to your DD, I am delighted for her.

Brilliant. Have also been lurking.

Well done Tressy's DD!

Thanks everyone. The one exam she was worried about didn't go that well tbh but fortunately she retook one of the modules which brought the grade up to meet her offer.

The worst thing was that track didn't update before she collected her results and other people where coming on saying track had changed so we worried again this morning. I have taken 2 migraine pills this afternoon. Glad it's all over and time to celebrate this evening.

Great news, well done to your DD, exciting times ahead for her! She is v lucky to have such a thoughtful mum who plans for different scenarios, but this eve you can relax

(congratulations)

What a roller coaster but well done all. You are a fab mum and your DD sounds like a smart girl.

Without wishing to put a dampener on your fantastic news, that's the easy bit done (Have been following as we were in same position with DD last year worrying if she would get the grades) .

She has had a fantastic and enjoyable first year - but felt the first year exams made the A levels seem easy with the sheer volume of work and was relieved to get through them without resits.

Congratulations! Great news.

I wouldn't quite agree with leosdad. My niece was in much the same position as your daughter three years ago. She got in, but the scare she had had in her last year of A level made her realise that she couldn't afford to slack off, so she knuckled down straight away and has done well so far. Some of her friends who had absolutely breezed through A levels had a bit of a shock come exam time!

Hi, we don't know anyone who has been through the training at all. I think DD is very aware that the road ahead will be tough. It's her dream and has been since she was 11 so I'm so happy she has the chance to do it, whatever the outcome.

Thanks for all your lovely comments. I've shown DD the thread.

I often find her reading mumsnet and tell her to stop it as it's addictive.

21 years ago I narrowly missed the grades I needed for medicine because I was lazy as anything and did NO revision. I resat my A-levels the following year and received offers second time around from 3 Universities: Leicester, Nottingham (who had not offered a place the first time around) and Cardiff. I am now a Paediatric Consultant, plus I learnt a valuable lesson about the importance of working hard!!
Medicine has changed: in my day graduate entry was rare, maybe only 1 or 2 in each year group whereas now graduate entry courses are more widely available. There is also the issue of fees for graduate entry courses. You would need to check with universities whether resits were or weren't accepted. I think there is something to be said for having a tenacity and determination to follow your career goals and these characteristics are certainly required for medicine. Taking a resit year is most definitely not any easy option watching peers go off to have fun at Uni and staying behind with the year below...
In answer to Tansie above personally I have not encountered any sexism although that may relate to my chosen field. As much as I enjoy my job it is undoubtedly a very tough path to follow and I suspect will only be made less attractive by changes to work patterns (fancy being resident on-call in the hospital when you are 68 years old anyone???) I do find myself increasingly asking myself whether I would recommend my career to my 2 little boys...
Hopefully your DD will get the required grades and then you won't need to worry!

Hi Abby, she did manage to get the grades, thankfully. I do wonder about the funding for graduate medicine in the future too. It seem like no-one knows exactly how it will be funded in future.

We don't need to worry about it anymore. Just the massive debt that current year med students will qualify with!! It's actually hitting home to many of us with DC's starting uni this year, but like I say, what choice do they have. You cannot be a doctor or enter such like professions without going to uni and racking up a hefty future tax bill.

My DD is doing biomed in a RG uni as she chickened out to apply for medicine.
In her uni one cannot transfere to medicine after first year in biomed.
She got AAAa in her A-levels and looking back I should have just insisted that she tried. Now coming to her 3-rd year in uni she says she only wants to do medicine and nothing else! So it will have to be post-grad.
I think the problem with medicine that lots of people apply based on their academic ability becaus they think they "can". My DD actually WANTS to be a surgeon and nothing else..
All I know so far about post grad medicine that if you get a place, you will need to finance your forst year only?

although it is too late for pianomama's DD it is possible to apply to a small number of medical schools while in the first year of a degree elsewhere. The student room website will provide details. You do not have to stay at the same university if yours does not allow transfers.

I'm afraid I don't know about the funding for graduate medicine. No-one has seemed to know what is happening this year and I wouldn't trust the arrangements to stay the same next year. It may become a less competitive route into medicine if it is not funded.

Thanks already .. I suspect she really liked her course, uni, and then boyfriend to move . I dont know how anyone can afford post grad.
She will have to find a solution herself but it is so very frustrating to know she probably could have done it straight after school on 3K a year

Pianomama - afaik the NHS pays a bursary of £3375 for years 2+ of graduate entry degrees. However fees of £9000 a year plus living expenses have to be found, and students on such programmes will not be eligible for loans. I hope you have very deep pockets!

I wish..WHy doesnt she want to be a hairdresser :)

Congratulations OP and DD!

Thanks pianomama. Good luck to your DD with the rest of her studies. I think there may be help available hidden somewhere but not sure if this would apply to your circumstances.

Mine should be getting her tuitions fees at 6k per year, but not alot of consolation when she would have had a complete fee waiver had she gone in last year. This is providing I stay poor and single during her uni years.

Thats what I found on Imperial College website for graduate entry :

Students from England and Wales
Not eligible for tuition fee loans in Year 1 but can apply for a standard student loan (partially means-tested) and supplementary grants for specific costs e.g. childcare. In Years 2 to 4, the NHS will pay tuition fees and a means-tested bursary. During these years, the students can also have a non-income assessed reduced rate student loan.

Students from Scotland and Northern Ireland
Not eligible for a tuition fee loan in any year. Eligible for a standard student loan (partially means-tested) for each year of study plus supplementary grants for specific living costs, e.g. childcare.

Guide to funding - graduate funding information isn't available yet for those starting in 2015/16, I assume that's starting graduate medicine in 2015/16

www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/doctors/training-to-become-a-doctor/undergraduate-medical-education/financial-support-for-students-on-degree-courses-in-medicine/

Student bursaries aren't enough to live on. I think this is the student bursary calculator www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Students/3576.aspx