r/premeduk

I have an offer from brunel, uclan, UCD which I am really grateful for and I am currently on the waiting list for HYMS(I have no idea about my probability of getting off the list, since there are only 11 seats for international students). I would much rather go to brunel than uclan, because I have heard quite a large amount of complains from international students at uclan, and preston is not the right environment for me. My dilemma right now is that I plan on moving abroad after Specialty training or after fy2, worst case scenario, the competition rates increase by the time I leave med school and I would have to apply abroad, and brunel's prestige might become a disadvantage. If I end up getting 2300+ before brunel's deposit deadline, is it worth taking a gap year considering the possibility I might end up with no offers next year? And is there a chance or any success stories where they were able to defer brunel's offer and still apply to other schools through ucas? The only way my parents would be 100% supportive of me taking a gap year is if I have a solid back up plan for the gap year, since they aren't quite comfortable with the idea of 2 or more gap years.

Any advice or success story will be appreciated 😄

I’ve wanted to study medicine for a couple years now. I’m starting university in 2027 because I’ve decided to take a gap year to work in healthcare as a HCA in operating theatres.

My GCSES were not good at all, nothing higher than a 6, however I did pass maths and English at a grade 5. My A levels consist of three Level 3 courses in Health and Social Care, Psychology and PE at Distinction*, Distinction, Distinction, I originally applied for Science A-Levels but my sixth form didn’t let me do them because of my GCSE grades.

In 2027, I am going on to study either Biomedical Sciences, or Biological Sciences, I have found a few universities that’ll take my subjects for this, which gives me hope. After my undergrad degree I plan on applying for GEM, however, I’m not too sure if this is unattainable because of 1. My grades at GCSE and 2. The subjects I had to choose at A-Level (not necessarily the grades). I have always wanted to be a doctor and I’m not sure if I should be looking at more achievable careers instead.

Any tips or advice would be great thank you!

Hi there! Just a question for current doctors or medical students who may have experience in this area. I’m about to start medical school in September and have plans to get a tattoo on my forearm (floral tattoo nothing to big or crazy). Do I need to cancel or delay this? I have the mindset i’m kind of in it already now (I have a small quote just below the crease of my elbow already so already have a visible tattoo) so does it matter? I obviously don’t want to jeopardise my future or make life any harder than I am anticipating the next four years to be😅. Also just to note I don‘t plan on heading into surgery but also who knows what the future holds until placement! Thanks :)

Does anyone have any advice on choosing between SGUL for Med or Leicester for Med or Liverpool.I am not I am currently on a gap year.
I really like a city vibe and enjoy London as it is quite busy with lots of cafes/shops. I also really liked Leicester on the offer holder day as I liked the group work perspective. I liked Liverpool as a city and the vibe.
Also, do you know which one has better prospects for research later down the line for applying to specialities lol.
I am quite divided between all 3
Thanks

Hi, my friend’s medical work experience (Y12) was pretty much cancelled due to the doctor she’s shadowing going on maternity leave - does anyone know anyone who can help/be her replacement in England? she’s willing to travel for it as going into the medical field is something she is extremely serious about. We’ve looked online and she has emailed people in the doctor’s department but has yet to hear anything back unfortunately so any help will be greatly appreciated including any subs that this can be cross posted to!

Hi, I’m currently studying access to HE science and I have got my biology and chemistry GCSE in grade 6 and I have English GCSE exam this may. I planning to do Maths on September.
My predicted grades are 39 D and 6 merit. Planning to apply medicine for 2027 entry.
My question, is there anyone else who got this route and received offers from universities?
P.s: I came to the Uk on 2024 so I didn’t have enough time to take all GCSEs. And as mature student I am not able to do A level.

guys i managed to get BCD...
what the hell do i do now i cant apply and there's no way i can be predicted above ABB. do i just have to take the gap year or what??

Hey everyone,

Looking for some friendly, honest, non-judgemental advice from people who know the medical school application process well. I hope this is the right place to ask.

I’m a mature student, over 30, and I’m planning to apply to study medicine. Over the last year or so I’ve completed A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and Psychology, achieving AAA, alongside an AS in Maths at grade A.

I’m currently preparing for the UCAT and have been scoring well in practice tests so far. I’ve also been gaining work experience in both a hospital and GP surgery ahead of applications.

One thing I’m really concerned about is my older academic history. I already have previous GCSEs, A-levels and a degree from more than 15 years ago, and honestly the grades weren’t great. I was in a very different place mentally and personally back then, and I don’t think they reflect who I am now or what I’m capable of.

My previous qualifications were:

GCSEs:
9 GCSEs A–C including:
Double Science: AA
English Language: A
English Literature: B
Maths: B

A-levels:
Fine Art: C
Design Technology: D

BTEC Diploma in Art & Design: Merit

Degree:
Film & Video Production, 2:2

I feel so embarrassed even writing that down now for people to see now, but the context is important to my post!
Since then I’ve completed training and worked as an intelligence analyst in the RAF, built a successful career in film/video production, worked in high pressure head-of-department roles, and run my own production company for years. I also completed these recent science A-levels in a fast-track timeframe whilst running my business full time.

My questions are:

• With my recent grades and background, do I realistically stand a good chance of getting into medical school?
• Will my older academic record seriously damage my application?
• Are the new A-levels enough, or would doing an Access to HE Medicine diploma strengthen my chances?
• Are there particular medical schools that tend to look more favourably on mature applicants or non-traditional routes? I've heard anecdotally from some firends who are medics that a lot of med schools are super snobby about anyone not from certain traditional backgrounds and educational pathways, or even anyone not privately educated.
• Has anyone here come into medicine later in life from a completely unrelated career?

I’m fully committed to doing this and understand it’s a difficult path. I've always wanted to be a doctor, my mum was a Nurse consultant in the NHS and I was always fascinated by her work and loved going to the hospital with her. I also feel strongly about doing a carrer that helps people and is making a positive contribution.

I’m mainly looking for constructive advice from people with experience or knowledge of the process. If you are some nasty, bitter, insecure lurking forum troll, who only has purely negative things to say, then please try and resist the urge, due to your craving for any kind of digital attention, to post here. Cheers.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help.

J

Hey guys - would really appreciate some advice/pov’s! :)

Info which may help
-finance not an issue
-not sure if I want to intercalate
-CSGUL is closer to home
-not the most independent person - not sure how I will last w/o family
-will be doing accom, ideally in uni halls (village if Leicester) (en-suite for both)
-preferred accom + facilities @leicester
-which uni has better networking and opportunities?

Thank you!
(Ps this post isn’t meant to offend anyone + is my first post!!)

I just saw that St Mary’s University London is opening a new medical school for 2026 entry and it got me thinking about how people feel about newer med schools in general. On one hand, new facilities and smaller cohorts sound really appealing. But at the same time they obviously haven’t graduated a cohort yet, so there’s less known about what the overall experience will be like. Would you guys consider applying to a brand new med school or would you rather stick with more established ones?

As the title says- my two top contenders are imperial medicine and kcl medicine. i’m a gap year student, and have my final grades, so it’s not like i can have one as a firm & the other as insurance. i feel really torn, but my main concerns are:

for imperial -fear that the intercalated year is wasted -worry about social life/fitting in, with imperial’s extreme academic rep

for kings -less prestigious/highly ranked for med -teaching supposedly is terrible in y1/2, course structure doesn’t make as much sense (from what i’ve been told) -i don’t know how accessible the ‘fun’ uni life will be to me anyway, given my course load

and of course, i have no idea about their associated hospitals: which has better teaching, the culture at each, and so on. i’ve looked at the cqc ratings for each trust but i don’t really have the context to understand their relevance.

i’d really appreciate any input, because im having an impossible time deciding 🫩

edit: i am an international student, so i may or may not be able to stay within the nhs, though i’d like to

Do you have to see bodily fluids,dissect cadavers and see broken limbs ? Is seeing pregnancies gross? Is everyone built for it or is it gross?

Basically I called up UCAS and they said I had 14 days to change my insurance/firm so I still have a few more days but I can't tell if I'm just overthinking now that I've firmed a uni

The uni I've firmed is a 6 year med course where you have to intercalate but I'm not sure if I actually want to and none of the intercalation options are seriously calling out to me so should I just change my firm to my other offer which is 5 years?

The unis are also at opposite ends of the country which doesn't really help as they're so different to each other

I apologize for lack of knowledge on this matter. My cousin did undergraduate biology degree in US and is wanting to do med school in UK (British citizen).
Has anyone here done this? Does he have to do the full 6 years? Are all med school 6 years in UK. Any and all advice is helpful.
Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I would really appreciate some honest advice from students or parents who have been through something similar.

My son is currently in S6 in Scotland. His original goal was Medicine, but he did not get the required A grades earlier, so he resetting Higher Chemistry and Higher Biology. He also did Advanced Higher Maths.

He has an unconditional offer for Computer Science at Heriot-Watt University, but he still does not want to completely give up on Medicine.

One option we are thinking about is:

- Start Year 1 Computer Science at Heriot-Watt

- Privately study A-level Chemistry

- Prepare properly for UCAT in 2026

- Reapply for Medicine through UCAS

I wanted to ask:

1. Has anyone started another degree first and later got into Medicine?

2. Do UK medical schools accept private A-level Chemistry alongside Scottish Highers?

3. Would Higher Biology, Higher Chemistry, Advanced Higher Maths and private A-level Chemistry be enough for some medical schools?

4. Would he also need Advanced Higher Biology or Advanced Higher Chemistry?

5. Which UK medical schools are more flexible with this kind of background?

We are trying to make the right decision emotionally, academically and financially. We do not want him to regret not trying for Medicine, but we also want to be realistic.

Any honest advice, experiences or success stories would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I got 9 9s in gcse and 2 8s w 999 in triple science and 9 in maths. I am currently doing Ib with higher econ maths aa and Spanish predicted 40/45. However if I wanted to do med could I still do it despite lack of chem? Is there any foundation or longer courses that would accept me? Should I do it or do international business/economics instead at uni?

I really like the idea of facing patients and helping people however I am scared of bodily fluids and cadavers overall I’m just confused on the whether I want to do med or not I like the idea but I don’t know.

I got into higher education later on in life, completing a BSc in Psychology at 25, then going on to complete a masters. I've always wanted to be a psychiatrist (there was one in the family) but decided it wasn't the path for me, so I went to be a psychologist instead. Well, I didn't succeed in becoming a psychologist, which actually left me a little relieved. It's left me wondering if I might be able to go the GEM route, and become a psychiatrist after all?

The kicker is that I have kids, I know that will lead many people to say not to do it, but I do have a very supportive partner.

Hi everyone, sorry in advance for this being a long read.

I’m currently on a gap year with an unconditional offer but I’m considering another gap.

The reason I’ve taken this gap year and thinking of another is purely cause of financial reasons. Right now I’m classed as an overseas student despite living here since 2017 (don’t ask) and will only gain home status in 2027. I’ll have to pay one year of international fees which is coming out to be over 55k.

My parents have said they are fine with covering this instead of waiting another year. Their reasoning is that it’ll be difficult for me to get into the flow of uni work if I’ve been out of a learning routine for too long, and I’ll be almost 21 when I start (November birthday lol).

Earlier on, I was too excited by the prospect of becoming a doctor that I didn’t consider the fees aspect of it. Now that I think of it, it seems like such a waste to put in the amount a home student pays for the whole course, for just one year. In my opinion I’d much rather my parents save this money for the future. We’re not wealthy people so it’s not like this isn’t a major sum to pay.

Also, I’d have to commute ~90mins each way by train for first and potentially second year because we can’t afford student accommodation (can’t apply for loans cause I’m classed as an overseas student). I personally know a couple of people that have similar commutes to mine and say it’s fine but I’ve also heard horror stories of burnout and loneliness so I don’t know what to expect.

Another problem though is that I can’t defer the offer I already have because the university won’t allow it. Taking another gap year would mean I have to do the UCAT and interview process again which would be a bit of a pain but I’m confident that I can get another offer. My A-Level and GCSE grades are solid and I’ve done the UCAT twice already and have achieved scores in the top decile both times.

I would be working in this second gap year so it wouldn’t be time wasted. Plus I’m not fussed about the idea of being older than the rest of my cohort as I don’t think it particularly matters, especially for the career I’ve chosen.

I’ve tentatively brought up this idea to my parents but they’re against it because a) they don’t want me putting my life on hold for any longer and b) there’s always the possibility that if I could end up with no med offers if I reapply if I have bad interview performances. They’re very understanding people though so I’m sure I could convince them to support me in taking another gap if I told them that I really wanted to.

What do you guys think I should do? Suck it up and take the offer I have just to be safe + graduate earlier or wait a year and save 50k?

sorry i’ve posted about this before but i’m struggling to make a decision so pls bear w the word vomit. my mind and heart and gut feeling are all fully set on dundee, everything about the uni seems more appealing to me than aston. i feel like dundee’s method of teaching, tight knit smaller community would suit me a lot better. also i received my dundee offer 3 months ago so i only pictured myself there and then aston came into the picture a few days ago.

but the only thing that holds me back is that aston is much cheaper (about 9k less) than dundee as an intl student. i’m very grateful that my parents said they’re fine with either since the savings they’ve set apart for me can cover the fees at either uni. but my guilty conscience for choosing dundee when i have a significantly less expensive option bothers me because i think anyone would choose the cheaper option so i feel insane for even considering the opposite. but if i choose aston just for the lower fees i might regret it forever and won’t have anyone else to blame except myself 🫩 i’m kinda sparse with money when it comes to spending on myself cause i always feel guilty but there’s no better investment than an education in my opinion, and i wouldn’t want to use my parents money for anything else. any thoughts? 😭