r/GraduateEntryMedicine

I genuinely don’t know what to do anymore, and I’d really appreciate advice from people who have been through something similar.
I worked incredibly hard throughout the IB Diploma Programme. Medicine was always the goal, so I took Biology HL, Chemistry HL and Psychology HL and put so much effort into getting the grades I thought I needed.
When results came out, I got 32 points overall, with 5/5/5 in my HLs.
My original plan was to take a gap year after IB, sit the UCAT and apply to medicine. I had actually planned my UCAT for after results day. But when I saw my IB score, I felt like the whole plan collapsed. I knew 32 with 5/5/5 wasn’t going to make me competitive for standard undergraduate medicine, so I cancelled my UCAT and basically gave up on applying.
Since then, I’ve decided to apply for Therapeutic Radiography instead. I do think it’s an interesting healthcare career, especially because I would still be working with cancer patients and be involved in their treatment.
But the problem is that my heart just isn’t fully in it.
I keep coming back to medicine. I genuinely cannot picture another profession that I want in the same way. It isn’t about the title or money. I want the responsibility, the medical knowledge, diagnosing patients, making treatment decisions and actually being a doctor.
Just to mention that I am on a dependent visa in uk and spend 3 years here so I can’t even leave the country to study medicine abroad because I could have done that.
So now I’m thinking about doing a radiotherapy degree, hopefully getting a good classification, and then applying for Graduate Entry Medicine.
But that scares me too.
GEM is incredibly competitive. What if I spend three years doing radiotherapy, apply to GEM and never get accepted? I know radiotherapy would give me a real career to fall back on, which is one reason I’m considering it, but I’m scared that I’ll spend years thinking, I should have been a doctor.

At the same time, I don’t know whether I’m being unrealistic by refusing to let medicine go because of one set of IB results.

If you were in my position, what would you do?
Would you do radiotherapy and later try for GEM? Would you take a different route? Or would you accept that medicine probably isn’t going to happen and focus on building a career in something else?
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who got disappointing school-leaving grades, went on to do another degree and eventually got into medicine, or from anyone who planned on GEM but ultimately didn’t get in. I want to understand what this route is actually like rather than convincing myself that GEM will automatically work out.

I’m about to start Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) this September and wanted to hear from current students or graduates.
If you could go back to the start of first year and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

It can be about studying, managing the workload, placements, making friends, maintaining a life outside medicine, or just something you wish you’d known before starting.

Hello! I have one final dilemma on my plate: should I do pharmacy or biomedical science if I ultimately want to get into GEM/GED?

I already accepted Kingston University for Biomed, and just today got a Pharmacy Clearing offer from Greenwich University. The deadline to accept this is tomorrow 8:40am and I am so beyond lost

Kingston Uni - Biomed

• Have already visited the campus, loved it so much + could imagine myself studying there
• More straightforward & enjoyable commute + chance to explore new area of London while being closer to home
• More flexibility with building dental/medical experience alongside degree (less rigorous than MPharm). Also already thought about how I'll plan my extracurricular commitments
• Slightly closer to me
• I LOVE biology, has always been my favourite subject since ALevels + content of Biomed course genuinely interests me & I feel I'll be more motivated to work my hardest to get a 2:1 needed for GEM/GED
• Biomedical scientist is my backup career incase GEM/GED doesn't work out, but Idk if I see myself working in a lab, job prospects less secure, lower salary, wouldn't be as happy as one compared to a pharmacist
• Applied for 4 years with placement - if I don't get it, can transition to 3 year standard Biomed course & graduate quicker + build more dental experience after
• General sense of how uni works, what societies are available, times of a typical day etc. More opportunity to be proactive to find my own dental experiences. Also have a friend there too which reduces unfamiliarity, which is great for introverted me

Greenwich Uni - Pharmacy

• Know absolutely nothing about the uni whatsoever, haven't visited nor trialled out the commute, would be walking in completely blind from day 1
• Slightly further from me
• Unsure of dental/medical opportunities uni provides unlike Kingston
• Still have to plan my outside life around uni (extracurricular/external commitments) as uni is further + rigour of MPharm
• No clue how I'll be able to build dental/medical experiences alongside such a demanding degree
• 4 year degree - longer to take into GEM/GED
• I HATED ALevel Chemistry (somehow did decent in the exams), but it traumatised me & things made sense when I sat down to understand, but a friend showed me her modules and they look hellish
• Concern that strong dislike towards chemistry might make getting a 2:1 harder needed for GEM/GED
• Not a fan of the lack of biology & how the little bio there is, is mostly human body, cardiovascular system etc, my weakest parts of Biology
• I like how later years focuses on giving out drugs to patients & is less science focused
• Have already done work experience in a community pharmacy & liked it, wanted it initially (applied to MPharm but didn't get in), & was my genuine backup career plan
• Like how it's also clinical so working as a pharmacist then going into dentistry is more familiar feeling with patients as opposed to biomedical scientist -> dentist
• Better job prospects as a pharmacist, higher pay & easier to find work right after graduating so if dentistry doesn't work out I have a strong safety net

I have no clue what to do, dentistry is ultimately my end goal, I've wanted it for 2-3 years now, pharmacy was my backup career in case it didn't go to plan, but now I have a chance for GED I am cautious of job prospects, employability, salary between a pharmacist & biomedical scientist. I prefer the course content of Biomed to MPharm way more, but I'd rather be a pharmacist than a biomedical scientist. I'm not sure if all GED schools accept MPharm as your undergrad (e.g. KCL), & it seems like Biomed -> GEM/GED is more common, but MPharm was also what I initially applied to & I liked it (plus Pharmacy + Dentistry would be a cool degree combo lol)

Do I pick the route which offers a stronger & more secure safety net incase GED doesn't work out, but has less flexibility around the degree to build up dental experiences & I dislike the amount of chemistry, or the route where I'm gonna enjoy the degree more, struggle potentially with job prospects + salary as a biomedical scientist after graduating, but gives me more flexibility to build up my dental experiences & I am more familiar with the uni? Pls help any advice is much appreciated

I'm 32F Canadian and living in the UK, and I'm trying to work out my realistic next steps after losing a Cambridge Graduate Medicine offer.

Background:

• BSc Biomedical Science (Canada)
• MSc Global Health & Public Policy (Edinburgh)
• Several years' experience in policy and health/clinical research
• Wanted to become a doctor since my teens

I actually got into medical school in my 20s after my Master's, but had to give up my place when my mum developed cancer. I needed to work to support my family and help care for her for the next few years. I subsequently built a career in health research, but medicine has always been the goal.

This year I received a conditional Cambridge Graduate Medicine offer, requiring A-level Chemistry and Biology because I did my high school and undergrad in Canada and Cambridge doesn't recognise a Canadian High School Diploma.

I only started preparing for the A-levels after receiving the offer from Cambridge in February, as only Cambridge required A levels with an undergrad degree.

I prepared for the A levels whilst working full-time as a research assistant. I was also dealing with a significant flare of a chronic health condition (which is medically documented) and, during the same period, my best friend attempted suicide and I was heavily involved in supporting her. I couldn't balance everything and my exam preparation fell apart. I eventually did quite the job in May to be able to write the A levels in June.

Unfortunately, I got C in Biology & Chemistry, so I lost the offer as I didn't meet the offer conditions.

I know the results are ultimately my responsibility and I'm not looking for excuses. I'm just devastated because becoming a doctor has been the ultimate goal, and I am now without my previous job and without a medical school place.

Just to note - I'm not considering returning to Canada for medical school. Canadian medical school admissions are even more competitive, and I would need to take at least a year out to prepare for and sit the MCAT before I could apply. Given my age and the amount of time I've already invested in pursuing medicine, I'm trying to understand whether there are realistic routes forward in the UK instead.

What I'm hoping Reddit can help me with:

• Is resitting Biology/Chemistry and reapplying to UK medicine realistically viable?
• How badly do the A-level results affect future applications if I resit? Including universities that don't require A levels when you have an undergrad.
• Could my documented health/personal circumstances be taken into account when I apply again?
• If you were in my position, what would you do over the next 1–2 years? Would you reapply?

I'm not looking for "medicine isn't everything" or generic reassurance. I've wanted this for 15 years and need to understand my actual options before deciding whether to let the dream go.

I'd particularly appreciate advice from mature/graduate-entry applicants, people who've resat A-levels, or anyone who's navigated a non-linear route into UK medicine.

Is this genuinely a dead end, or have I just taken a very painful detour?
Any help would be appreciated.

Hello, I have a dilemma I'd really appreciate some guidance on:

So I am currently deciding between 2 unis for Biomedical Sciences, to then later pursue GEM or GED. The first one is further away from me (1-2+hrs long), and as I've come to learn they don't seem to be as/very equipped with medical/dental opportunities or experiences as the other uni - the only support they seem to have is a society for students interested in GEM/GED, but I checked their website and it says it is inactive, and the society's Instagram page has been last active in 2022.

This uni seems better for Biomedical Science, in the sense that they advertise NHS placements & being a biomedical scientist is my backup career in case GEM/GED doesn't go to plan (I really want to do a placement). They are also number 1 for the IBMS accredited course.

Vibe wise I prefer this uni because it's in a much quieter area, the people were friendlier and I prefer the campus way more and can actually see myself studying there. Despite the long commute if I take train it takes me under an hour, and it is more straightforward (don't need to walk much between bus stops, bus drops you off in front of uni & I really like journey).

The second uni is closer (45mins-1hr long), but I dislike the commute and its location as it's too central for me. There's more traffic along the way & bus diversion is more likely to happen here which would interfere with my travel. There's also a lot more walking involved between bus stops and especially at the last stop to go to the uni, requires quite a long walk, which again could interfere with attendance/punctuality given the location. Public transport is busier here.

They have more facilities though e.g. clinical labs with fake patients as well as normal labs, which I didn't see in the other uni (just normal labs). This uni seems to have wayyy more dental/medical opportunities and experiences, they've got more connections to hospitals, health clinics and trusts & students have access to events, conferences, workshops, internships & also opportunity to go abroad, which they can add to their personal statements. I spoke to a course leader there who told me a student was going to go into GEM but couldn't due to personal reasons, but their CV was super long, filled with many experiences that would have made them really competitive for GEM. I've also spoken to some students from this uni and it seems that going into GEM/GED from Biomed is quite common, whereas the first uni I was told there are a small number of students (maybe less than 5) that are successful with GEM/GED applications.

Vibe wise the uni is nice, seems very resourceful & has lots of modern facilities which would aid me in my studies, but not sure if I can imagine myself comfortably studying there & the central environment just isn't for me

This uni also has a dedicated dental society for those interested in GED (me) and says they conduct conferences, workshops, sessions, and networking events, whereas the first uni is just more about generic personal statement/CV help & prep for interviews and UCAT; it doesn't seem to have much external opportunities to actually build medical/dental experience

For timetabling, in the first uni every week is different across the whole year and it is fixed, in the second uni every week in a semester is the same, and there's more flexibility/consideration if you have external commitments (can email the Student Union I think?) which in my case I do, and if I choose the first uni there's a high chance I'd miss out especially given how far it is, whereas second uni I might be able to continue my external commitments.

I have until tomorrow 9am to decide whether I keep the first uni or release myself into Clearing to accept the second.

Essentially the decision is between a uni that I prefer environment/campus/vibe wise, feel more comfortable at, but have to compromise my external commitments due to strict timetable and be limited with the lack of GEM/GED opportunities, whereas second uni gives me a significant chance to build up my portfolio for GEM/GED, acquire many experiences & have more timetable flexibility, but location and travel wise I'd struggle & don't vibe with the campus as much

GEM/GED is my ultimate goal so I'm not sure if it's best to go to the uni which will give me a proper shot at it but having to deal with uncomfort of the campus in order to reach that, because even though the first uni might be lacking in external opportunities there still have been GEM/GED students even if the number is significantly smaller, so it is possible in both, just a matter of prioritising future career or travel/personal comfort

Any advice/guidance would be much appreciated

So with the changes to degree funding, any form of medicine as a second degree is going to be fully funded by the government/NHS bursary, as opposed to only GEM with the current system. With funding no longer preventing us from doing undergrad med as a second degree, the question then is, which option is better? Sure GEM is a year shorter, but the degree is significantly more difficult to get into. Wanting to apply to medicine next year after my biochem degree but really not sure which is the better option now with these funding changes.

(please be nice!!!)

Hi guys

About to start first year of GEM in a couple of weeks and just found out I’m pregnant. I have come to terms with it but would really appreciate any support and advice from those who have gone through a pregnancy during medical school especially their first year. Will be due about a month and a bit before my final year exams which is my main worry.

I’m trying not to stress and trying to take it week by week. I have no clue how my university will react to this, no clue what the support from them will be like so if anyone has any advice on how to go about informing the university then much appreciated.

I’ve only come across medics pregnant in their final year of studies. So anyone who’s experienced this during their preclinical years, plz share anything that could help me!

Any study/coping tips from mums that have gone through this then plz do share!

Hi guys,
I am really struggling with UCAT at the moment! QR is my downfall, I just can’t seem to read the questions quick enough or translate the words into maths to work out what I need to do! It’s been a while since I’ve had to do any maths.

Was wondering which unis (London based) or 1-2hr commute MAX from London accept lower UCAT scores ? Background I have a 1st class biomedical science degree (non Russel group) and a distinction in physician associate studies, 1600 hours of clinical experience part of my masters degree.

Really don’t want be negative towards my ucat and need to try manifesting that I will get better! But want to be realistic and work out if medicine is actually feasible if I am to stay in London. My dream was KCL!

I’m considering applying for GEM this year. It was something I wanted to do originally but unfortunately the pandemic happened so I couldn’t do it. I ended up with mid A-Levels (BCC) and I did pharmacy. I’ve now graduated with a 2:1 MPharm degree from a non-Russell group university. I have been qualified for a year now and have experience working as a pharmacist including in a hospital environment. It’s been nice but I thought i’d give this a shot again because it’s still something I think about a lot and I know i’d regret it if i didn’t give myself this chance.

While I will be applying to other unis, KCL is the one I really want to go to. I’ve looked over the entry requirements and I believe I meet them but reason I’m asking is because I thought I also met the requirements for QMUL but apparently they have a reputation of prioritising those with a 1st? I know GEM is extremely competitive and people with all sorts of amazing qualifications will be applying. Considering my background would I be competitive enough as a candidate? (Also I have yet to sit my ucat but in my mocks I’m averaging around 2400 so if i were to score at that level would it be enough?)

Just turned 35 failed first year gem , might have to repeat the whole year need advice if I should do it ?

Hello! I want to do graduate dentistry & my plan is to do a Biomedical Science degree first, then apply for graduate dentistry after

I had a quick question to ask for graduate medics: how did/do you fund your graduate medicine degree? I heard that Student Finance only lasts for 4 years & it goes towards the Biomedical degree, & that you'd need to pay for the graduate degree yourself & I am not sure how I'll be doing this

I heard that it's best to find a job during the Biomedical science years, but as this is a 3 year degree I'm not sure how I'll make ~£36000+ at a regular job in that time to pay off for my 4 year dental graduate degree...

Another route I was considering was instead resitting my ALevels/take a year out & apply for pharmacy instead, then progress to graduate dentistry as I have more time (5 years: 1 resit year, 4 year MPharm degree) to save up & make money to fund for the dental degree, only issue is it's a route with more uncertainty; I retook Year 12 so I'm not sure how resitting ALevel policy would work for me, if I would need to pay for the resits myself & if I'd even get the grades the second time round (as I applied to pharmacy this year & didn't get in). But the end goal of graduate dentistry is the same, it's just a longer route to get there

The thing is I'd be more happier as a pharmacist than a biomedical scientist (enjoying the job more, better pay & easier to find work) because currently biomedical scientist would be my backpack career in case dentistry doesn't work out, but I am unsure if it's worth going back another year for pharmacy just to secure a stronger backup career I'd rather do, if ultimately I still wish to go down the graduate dental route & it's my main goal; should I pour all my energy into getting into dentistry via the quicker route, rather than prioritising a strong backup career, even if it means I could be slightly unhappy at said backup career (biomedical scientist, over pharmacist)?

And also financially speaking the pharmacy route is more advantageous if it does turn out I need lots of money to pay for the grad degree myself, so is it worth taking the year out or going straight into Biomed if ultimately graduate dentistry is my final goal?

Thanks in advance!

I’m starting a psychology degree next month and grad entry med is the end goal. I’m planning to apply during 3rd year uni. I’ll be aiming for a 2:1 minimum obviously but want to actually give myself a proper shot at getting in.

Did anyone here come from a psych or humanities background and actually got onto GEM? I would like to know some specific things like what made your application stand out when you were competing against science degree graduates?

I studied A level psychology and I got an A grade. I really enjoyed it so I don’t mind doing it for undergrad and using it to apply to grad med. I’ve wanted to become a doctor for some years now. In my gcses i didn’t perform the best so I couldn’t pick the usually bio chem a levels and I had to pick something else so I can’t apply to undergrad med with my A-levels now.

How did you handle the science side of things like UCAT, interviews and gap knowledge as you’d come from not doing a traditional degree like biomed?

Id also appreciate some general tips on structuring the next 3 years so I’m not scrambling in final year trying to build a personal statement from nothing. Any advice appreciated, trying to get ahead of this early rather than panic in third year. Thank you

Title
Im going to do GEM but what makes it harder than undergraduate apart from less spaces available for medical school?

Im yet to start MPharm this sept and want to try my chances in GEM as its always been in my heart but couldn’t get into it this year.

And if anyone has any advice about applying in third year of MPharm to GEM?

I was adviced as followed since I’ve accepted an offer for MPHARM this September through clearing at KENT

But If it’s not a quick route into GEM, I’ll complete a biomedical degree through clearing again:
(MPHARM is 4 years)
Can someone advise if this is an accepted way of applying to graduate entry medicine? Or are they going to ask me that I must study all four years?
I have asked the pharmacy school if a BSC was possible and it is. But I’m only doing the 3 year GEM application if I’m successful

- Complete 3 years of MPharm degree and apply for GEM when starting third year. If I succeed i can graduate from pharmacy school with a BSC in pharmaceutical studies in July/June and go straight into GEM in September .

If I don’t succeed, I can complete 4th year and come out with a MPharm then reapply. Or even settle down with MPHARMACY

Let me know please any one here did biomedical medical science at Aberdeen uni as a primary degree and then entered to do medicine via graduate route or normal five year path .please share experience .i am so devastated thinking about it.this is for my daughter she obtained 3Bs for biology,chemistry and maths .

Id appreciate some advice.
I'm about to start uni and stuck between the two degree choices.

I’ve wanted to become a doctor for years now but back in GCSEs I didn’t perform well enough to do the usual bio chem a levels so I can’t apply to normal entry medicine with my a level subjects.

Occupational Therapy would ofc give me clinical experience and a fallback professional but locks me into OT specifically if I don't get into GEM. OT also seems interesting to me and you really have a rewarding career but idk if I’d enjoy it as I didn’t do any of WX for it.

Psychology counts as a science for many GEM unis and some allow any degree but I think this degree keeps my options much more open (corporate/other careers) if medicine doesn't work out, but I'd need to build clinical experience separately to get into GEM with it.

I've already done a week of hospital shadowing across several specialties and many different professionals.

I got offered a place for psychology at London university so I wouldn’t have to move away from home and save on some costs.

For occupational therapy degree I’d have to move away to University of Plymouth.

For those that did not healthcare or non science degrees how did you build up clinical work experience alongside your studies and how was it managing it?

Thank you

Hi everyone,
this is for my daughter. She’s planning to study Biomedical Science at Aberdeen first and then apply for GEM. For current GEM students in Years 1–3, could you share how funding works and how you manage living costs? Is it possible to manage without working part-time? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I've averaged like 55% in 2nd year and for GEM I've read even if your personal tutor predicts you a 2:1 (60%) unis ask for grade trasncripts?

But I was wondering if it is worth me applying as I have started ucat revision+ volunteering it's just my grades were not ideal because I got rlly depressed this year(which i guess I can tell my personal tutor?). Also in my uni year 3 is weighted more than year 2 so as long as I hit an average of 65% I can graduate with a 2:1 so its not tooo crazy of a reach idk. Just worried if i apply, and the grade trasncripts are like nope you didn't get 60%!! but also its a predicted grade so i dont know how it will work. Just would suck if I applied and got rejected for that rip.

And for people who've applied before their final year of graduating how did you go about getting a prediction? And if anyone could share what unis they applied to/ what 2nd year grades they had/how they went about asking personal tutor i'd really appreciate it thank you!!