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Higher education

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

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Original poster

Sorry, another medicine question! Personal experience please.

197 replies

Mindgone · 06/09/2014 16:12

DS is stuck for a fourth choice, here are his stats:
GCSE. 8A* 3A
AS. AAAB in maths, chemistry, biology and psychology
UKCAT 725 SJBand 1

He doesn't fancy PBL, London, or the BMAT unis.

I was just wondering, bearing all this in mind, where others' DCs have been happy? Any personal experience and/or advice would be gratefully received. Thanks.

OP posts:

Original poster

Mindgone · 21/10/2014 23:31

Thanks alardi, will take a look at that.

OP posts:

Decorhate · 22/10/2014 06:57

That's interesting Alardi. Mindgone, is that the non-medical 4th option? Is nice to get an offer even if not first choice.

Decorhate · 22/10/2014 06:58

5th even!

smashboxmashbox · 22/10/2014 07:11

Can I offer a slightly different perspective?

DS1. Wanted to be a doctor since he could talk. His dad went to uni, I hadn't even gone to uni at that stage :) no experience of medicine at all. We were guided by his school. Naive fools. They advised him very badly - oh how I wish we had had mumsnet then :) All he had on his form was med schools as well, no backup.

He got AAAAB at A-level, the B was in Chemistry which his firm and insurance both needed an A. He didn't get in. He had to phone round the two unis and beg for a place. Very dispiriting and still a no at the end of the day. And was stuck in a situation of his med schools not accepting resits.

He took a gap year, worked, saved like crazy.

And went off to to Biomed. Got his Biomed degree. Applied to Med school as a graduate and is currently doing great. And he LOVES it. And his primary degree will give him more choice or better choices when it comes to F1 (I think!! Or something like that anyway)

Mind you, he will be about 123 before he graduates and there's no loan for his fees so we are helping him out but it'll be worth it in the end (I hope!)

Carriemac · 22/10/2014 17:19

DSs did not put a 5th option, which I think is chancy but he is determined. He know I'm not prepared to support him through graduate entry, just an undergrad degree.
Birmingham have emailed hop I'm to say his application has gone to admissions tutor, don't know if everyone's does do anyone else know?

wigglybeezer · 22/10/2014 17:28

A friend's son who didn't fancy PBL and did not have the world's highest UKAT is really enjoying medicine at St.Andrew's. He didn't get any other offers.

Oyster2 · 22/10/2014 17:50

Carrie, I think that email means they have passed the academic screening and the application will now be considered further. My dd got that email and has just found out she has an interview - yeh! Hope your DS has good news soon.

Decorhate · 22/10/2014 18:08

My dd also had the email to say her application had been passed to the admissions tutor. Fingers crossed for all our children. Smashbox I know graduate entry is an option (and I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes graduate entry only eventually) but there's no guarantee they will get a place then either & the expense is prohibitive for many.

smashboxmashbox · 22/10/2014 19:24

Oh I agree :) it's desperately expensive and there's no guarantee of a place, I only posted to give a bit of an alternative perspective and a bit of hope to anyone whose child doesn't get the grades first time round.

My other bit of advice would be make sure you put down at least one uni that takes resits. Some only take resits if you had them down the first time round.

(DS didn't know this, school didn't tell him)

peteneras · 22/10/2014 19:46

Fact of the matter is, hardly any UK schools accept resits in modern day medicine. Also, graduate entry to medicine is even more difficult to succeed.

smashboxmashbox · 22/10/2014 19:48

Thanks for that supportive post peternas. I feel just great for DS now.

peteneras · 22/10/2014 20:08

Better be realistic than to delude yourself, smashbox.

Must say your child did great in succeeding through graduate entry. You’re right of course, when he comes to F1, his biomed degree will help tremendously. Many medic undergraduates are taking a year off to do a medical-related degree to improve their chances at F1.

Carriemac · 22/10/2014 20:11

Graduate entry has a high failure rate as well, although they are really rated by hospital staff once they hit the wards

Decorhate · 22/10/2014 20:15

My d has decided to do her best to get the right grades so that if she doesn't get any offers at least she will have a chance to reapply next year. Do you think it was a mistake your d's doing 5 A levels with hindsight?

Carriemac · 22/10/2014 20:15

Well done decorate's DD! I assume that's birmingham ? I won't tell my DS! He is obsessively checking his UCAS as it is.

Decorhate · 22/10/2014 20:20

No it's not mine who has the interview! It's oyster2's

Decorhate · 22/10/2014 20:22

Now that her friends who are not applying to medicine are getting actual offers I suspect my dd is wondering if she's really done the right thing...

Carriemac · 22/10/2014 20:36

Sorry oyster 2 congratulations to your DD.

smashboxmashbox · 22/10/2014 20:47

peternas I don't really know what your problem is with my DS and why you seem determined to imply that he will fail his medicine degree and I really don't understand why you are having a go at me and him when I was trying to be supportive and offer an alternative view?

smashboxmashbox · 22/10/2014 20:50

And yes, I think it was a mistake to do 5 A-levels. He did Maths (in L6), Further Maths, and the 3 sciences. That was what the school expected - if you did Maths, you did it in L6 and did Further Maths in U6

He would have got offers with only 4 A-levels and he might (MIGHT) have got an A in his Chemistry with less pressure.

And well done to all those who are getting interviews :)

AllMimsyWereTheBorogoves · 22/10/2014 21:31

smashbox, I think what peternas was trying to say was that getting onto a medical degree as a graduate is even harder than doing it straight from A levels, so not a good idea to rely on that working out. Your son has made it, so all the more credit to him!

smashboxmashbox · 22/10/2014 21:34

Well, in that case I apologise, that's not how I read it. I read it as "graduate entry to medicine is more difficult to succeed" as being that my son, as a graduate, would find it more difficult to succeed.

And I had only been trying to post a positive story

peteneras · 22/10/2014 21:45

Smashbox, I don’t have any problems at all but on the contrary, I honestly think you are the one who has a problem and is being sarcastic. All I wrote this evening was to state a fact that hardly any UK schools these days would look at resits and it is even more difficult for a graduate to apply for medicine.

There was nothing anywhere referring to your son negatively but instead, I actually paid you and your son a compliment saying your son did great in succeeding to enter medical school as a graduate (already said it is very difficult) and his biomed degree would stand him in good stead when he comes to do F1.

One question - would anyone be coming to do F1 if he/she had failed his/her medicine degree?

Why then do you say I’m having a go at you and him and implying he’d fail his medicine degree while I am already assuming that he’s going into F1 with an advantage in due course?

We are all here to give everybody support. Whilst your son’s case gives good moral support to prospective medics, I take another approach in warning them not to be too complacent i.e. going for graduate entry which is actually much, much more difficult.

peteneras · 22/10/2014 21:51

Thank you AllMimsy. You hit the nail on the head!

Original poster

Mindgone · 22/10/2014 23:28

Decorhate, yes, the interview is for his 5th choice, chemistry at Sheffield. He thinks at the moment that if he gets no medicine offers he will take a gap year and try again, grades dependent. But will go along to the interview as both practice and a back up plan.
Oyster2, well done! Is your DD's interview for medicine? Would love to know where!

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