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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

help with bad results, please

23 replies

gaveitago · 07/03/2013 11:13

Hello, hope you can help. just had a big disappointment. Dd wants to study medicine, has been predicted A stars at A level at her outstanding school. She got The grades for all her mocks and any class work.
However she has just got her module results and has got two c grades.Will medical school accept her retakes of these modules.She is running around trying to find out at school, does anyone have any experience of this or any advise? thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
gaveitago · 07/03/2013 12:08

sorry if I'm being impatient, but I'm so worried that all her dreams are, if not over, then seriously wobbly.

OP posts:
alreadytaken · 07/03/2013 12:37

Do not panic. If taken within the normal 2 year period most will but possibly not all. If she has to retake after the normal 2 years then some will but will often require an A* in the subject she resits. I'm not sure if any will accept more than one resit after the normal period.

It may mean her application is not as competitive but it's always possible to apply after A levels if she gets 3 A grades.

Original poster
gaveitago · 07/03/2013 12:39

thank you so much for the reply and the words of hope.

OP posts:
Original poster
gaveitago · 07/03/2013 12:44

I hope I'm not being rude and I'm not asking for your cv but do you know from experience or are you just very kind.

OP posts:
Lilymaid · 07/03/2013 12:58

Can you discuss appeal possibilities with the school? I'm a bit out of touch on this as younger DC is now in 3rd year of university, but in his day there were various options of checking papers, remarking etc.

adeucalione · 07/03/2013 13:03

Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry says that you can resit modules without any disadvantage, as long as you ultimately achieve the required grades within the normal 2-year period here

Original poster
gaveitago · 07/03/2013 13:04

The school will ask for a photo copy of the exams, as they think it unusual.

OP posts:
bangwhizz · 07/03/2013 14:59

Is she in lower sixth or upper sixth? ie has she got an offer If she is in the lower sixth I think it will severly hamper her chances unless there were some extenuating circumstances

ajandjjmum · 07/03/2013 15:05

DS got an E in Physics in a January module, when he had applied to study it at university. He just screwed up, but came out with an A* in Physics several months later - although that module had to be re-sat!

There are some medical schools that are a little more flexible (from the experience of DS/DD's friends), although it's obviously a really tough subject to get in to.

One tip, UCAS does not have to be given the grades achieved in the first year of Sixth Form when you apply, although many schools include them anyway. So long as her predicted grades are good (and she's jumped through all the other hoops!), she should still be considered.

Try not to stress - I know it's easier said....

Original poster
gaveitago · 07/03/2013 15:31

thank, and well done to your son. she's in the final A level year, will she have to show the results of these modules, I hope she can just show her final grade, once we've found out what went wrong.
sorry about lack of capitals my key pad has mind of its own and I'm lazy, my D&D does not take after me.

OP posts:
Original poster
gaveitago · 07/03/2013 15:35

She has already applied, had two rejections and two interviews, were waiting for those results too. She was very lucky to get the interviews, her friends with same grades and experience got 4 rejections.

OP posts:
mindgone · 07/03/2013 15:53

My next door neighbours daughter is in her second year of medicine at Liverpool, and she had done some resits. It is definitely worth getting photocopies of the papers, if nothing else, to sit down with a teacher and find out exactly where she went wrong, instead of guessing, and to work out a plan to prevent it next time. Best of luck.

Xenia · 07/03/2013 15:57

It might also depend on her school etc. If she is at this outstanding one and her parents went to university she presumably will need higher grades than if she was at a local sink comp.

bangwhizz · 07/03/2013 16:50

I don't think it will hinder her chances OP .The Unis we have been to said they don't take any notice of January modules.Also, as they have to treat applicants the same whenever they apply, it would be unfair if they have already made any offersto other candidates before the results came out.

bangwhizz · 07/03/2013 16:51

what did she get at AS?

alreadytaken · 07/03/2013 16:59

no I wasn't just being kind but I was a bit rushed. Lets just say I've some recent experience of the medical application process Smile. You'll need to check each school's website as she's already applied and been interviewed but its rare for them to be bothered if she gets 3As in August. If she doesn't then it will affect a reapplication. The Student Room website is a reasonably accurate guide to the schools that will consider resits after the two years but there aren't a lot of them so she does need to work very hard to get her grades up in August. It's been done before, it's not impossible.

Xenia medical schools don't generally vary offers very much. There are moves to widen access but most just ask for 3 As, some for AAA and the odd Cambridge college for AAAA.

bangwhizz · 07/03/2013 17:39

The hurdle seems to be the BMAT and the application form and interview. Med students can, one would hope, comfortably get 3 As

Original poster
gaveitago · 07/03/2013 17:48

She got two As and a B at AS. her teachers have all predicted A stars, so I would hope she is capable. She is home now, she still can't understand, all past papers, weekly tracking and mocks have been As. still it's happened, she is determined to be a doctor, so will work harder and we'll
find a tutor to help with exam technique, perhaps this is what let her down.
Thanks for all help and suggestions

OP posts:
ssd · 07/03/2013 17:54

she sounds a hard worker and you are a caring parent, she;ll get there x

ajandjjmum · 07/03/2013 19:17

As long as she remains determined, and it doesn't hammer her confidence, I'm sure she'll be fine.

It's funny how January results always seem worse than May - even at uni in DS's case!

mindgone · 07/03/2013 23:14

Talk to your friends to see if anyone has a great tutor that they recommend. We did this, and have just had great results, a huge improvement. I have discovered that, especially in sciences, they have to know it, understand it, and most importantly, answer the questions in specifically the exact right way, using the pescise words that they're looking for! It's tough, but do-able! And if it takes an extra year, so be it, worthwhile in the end if that's what she really wants to do. Best of luck, it's so tough being the parent!

unitarian · 09/03/2013 01:08

I would think that if she's already been interviewed they'll either make an offer or reject based on what they make of her at the interview.

If they make an offer then she will have to sit down with her teachers and work out a strategy then work her socks off, assuming there's no caveat about resits.
If they reject then she'll still have to do the same and try again next year.

Is the situation redeemable without resits? If she's not required to get A*s then her overall averages might be good enough. The subject teachers should be able to give advice on this.

bangwhizz · 09/03/2013 21:14

Bit It but I am surprised that they predicted an a* in a subject she only got a B in at AS. My DCs school would not do that.

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