Alternatives to Medicine after strong A level results and no interviews

[nomoreforks]

So my YP applied for Medicine with good predicted grades and 9s/8s and GCSE. Got no interviews (UCAT was not amazing) and withdrew application. Has received A*AA in A level. Has no idea what to study and does not want to sit the UCAT again. Is feeling really lost about what to study and where. I studied English at University so I am of no help at all. She does not want to be a pharmacist. Does anyone have any recommendations?

25+yrs ago I did biomed at Birmingham and was one of few who hadn’t applied to medicine originally. An update on what my course mates ended up doing in case useful ideas for your DD:

• about half went on to do medicine (post-grad med didn’t exist then so they went in at yr1 again)
• Allied profs (physiotherapist, radiographer, clinical geneticist, dietician)
• Academia (embryologist, neuroscientist, anatomist, microbiology - all profs now incl at oxbridge and MIT)
• Industry (pharma research, pharma commercial sales, biotech software design, research tech, med comms agency)
• Publishing and education (medical journals eg BMJ, OUP; funding charities eg Wellcome, Cancer Research; Royal College of Surgeons central team etc)
• Government (MHRA, NHS management, NICE, DFID).

I didn’t want to be a doctor but didnt want to study anything else. I adored my degree and have ended up in a career I love that pays just as much as medicine with none of the stress and lots of flexibility for family life.

If nothing else I hope this list shows the range of options open to your DD for when shes ready to make next decisions. I wish her all the best!

Nearly thirty years ago now but I know someone who missed out on medicine and did anatomy, then moved to medicine.

Remembered another important one as your DD clearly very smart. One friend did a law conversion afterwards and now works in medical-legal cases; shes v impressive woman!

Much easier to apply this year with grades already in the bag.

My son's friend did poorly in UCAT and while he had good final grades he assumed he would need to repeat UCAT but got into medicine at Brighton uni so worth asking there

Same thing happened to a friend’s daughter and she is doing Medical Pharmacology. Just did a years placement with GSK and never looked back. No longer interested in medicine after experiencing this.