Medicine 2019 entry

[ocean2]

Hello,
My DS is doing the subjects that he is good at and is interested in for A/Ls and is in year 12, which are Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Economics. He decided to do medicine after attending a Medical seminar at a hospital and also after going to a few careers evening in his schools, such as engineering etc. He has also done some research into it. He was someone who did not know what he wanted to do in the future. However, now that he has decided he has arranged work experience at a hospital through one of his friends. He has been volunteering at a Primary school once every week during school hours from last year for work experience as well as he likes teaching children.
DS does not know his predicted results, but from his formative exams, he is predicted A, A and 2Bs which he says that he can get it to As or A prediction in the mock exams. He is hoping to sit the BMAT and UKCAT this year. Sitting the BMAT can be omitted if BMAT universities prefer higher grades as his GCSE results are 4A*, 4As and 4Bs. I would like some of your thoughts and advice on this, please.

I am sad to read advice here from current GPs saying don't do it and I do understand why, with friends who have spent their lives working for NHS, one NHS dentist, and one a GP - but to add balance the GP loves it. One friend is as cancer specialist nurse took a year out for travelling intending to change career and is back doing 3 days a week in breast cancer research, she has never been without job offers. She gets huge job satisfaction but will always moan about whatever government is in charge of funding - ce la vie. I tried to talk my DD out of applying, she spent a week in a London hospital intensive care and I think got a reasonable insight, from all points of view, the long hours, the copious amounts of coffee, aching legs and some very distressing cases. I hope changes are coming but the funding will always be an issue. I do hope she gets the three As she needs - if she is put off during the coming years and finishes a medicine degree but doesn't want to practice as a doctor, there are other directions to go in although competitive, but a degree with a job at the end of it is not a bad thing. Son with masters in Engineering from Russel group is working in retail on the shop floor.

Like SomersetS, we know each other from other thread, DD picked med schools according to how the course worked, lots of early contact and PBL - at HYMS someone asked about continuing with 4 A levels and admissions said don't, get three As, two A* and a high B will not get you a place. They also like to see humanities as do two or three other med schools. DD got interviews at all choices with no maths or physics at A level and drama at AS! Of course she had predictions in her three Chem, Bio & Geog - time will tell...... I recommend some of the websites, for info. on different Med Schools - DD used The Medic Portal for info. and for UKCAT practise online.

Like 2B1GMUM my DD did Biol Chem & French with History AS. Only GCSE Maths & Physics. She felt admissions were interested in her broader choice of subjects & it never held her back.

Cambridge I believe is the only one requiring Maths or Physics.

The spreadsheet allowed us, post UKCAT score, to discount Uni's where DD would probably not get an interview due to GCSE scores or UKCAT score. She chose 4 favourites from those she stood a chance & in fact got 4 Interviews. After that it's down to performance on the day, PS & work experience.

We discounted all BMAT for simplicity.

I really believe it's the only way to apply. By all means make one risky choice if you love it but play safe with the others.

Thank you all.

you guys need to read this thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3369522-To-leave-the-NHS

Choose your specialty very carefully

(posted too soon)

whilst it's wonderful to be idealistic, the reality when you have a family or still working at 65y is very different to when you are in your 20's.

At least a Medical degree as with many other types of degree gives you a number of transferable skills which many graduates use to their advantage in a different field altogether and there is always the option of moving abroad to usually sunnier climes where your pay , work life balance but above all the ability to do your job to the high standards you were trained to is provided for .