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Hom e » Courses » A Level » Medical School » What if you don't Get into Medical School?
A Level
What if you don't Get into Medical School?
Subjects
AS Levels
AS to A2 Transfers
Course Length
There are two stages at which you may not succeed in getting
into medical school: you may not obtain the offer you want, or
you hold an offer but do not gain the grades required to fulfill that
offer.
Head of A Level
How to Apply
Medical School
Introduction
What is Medicine?
Typical Course Structure
Career Paths in Medicine
The NHS
Would I be a Good Doctor?
Making your Decision
Choosing A Medical School
How To Apply
What Ashbourne Offers
Financial Commitment
Alternative Careers
What Happens If I Fail?
Resits
University Entrance
GCSE
Easter Revision
It is important to remember that not getting a place at medical
school can often simply be a reflection of medical schools in the
UK being vastly oversubscribed, with competition for the limited
number of spaces being very tough indeed.
Do you still want to Study Medicine?
Medical schools try to select the people that they think will make the best doctors and who
have the correct ability and motivations for studying medicine, but even some students
choose to leave mid-course and some will fail exams. The selection panel has a
responsibility to make the right decision for the medical school, and you have a
responsibility to yourself and to your potential future patients to make sure that you are
making the right choice.
Examine your reasons for wanting to study medicine carefully. If in doubt, or if you have felt
pushed in the direction of medicine, it may be better to look at alternative courses or
careers (see section on alternatives to medicine).
In this case, your choice in the 5th space on your UCAS form may provide a suitable
alternative. It is worth researching this option well so that you are well prepared to make a
decision if you get no offers from medical schools.
Think ­ Why was I not Successful?
You may wish to approach the medical school that you applied to and ask for some
constructive feedback. You may also consider reviewing your personal statement.
If you are convinced that medicine is the correct career for you and you want to persist in
your applications, you have several options:Look into overseas medical schools that may still accept applications for the
forthcoming year. These often accept candidates with slightly lower grades;
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Take a "year out" and re-apply the following application round. This gives you time to
polish your application: gain more work experience, re-write your personal statement,
practise your interview technique, etc. The extra time should be used constructively to
boost your next application as you will need to convince a medical school that you are
a better candidate than you were in your first application. If you are using the time to
re-take some A-level modules, you need to check which medical schools will accept
this.
Be aware that if you reapply in later years, you must retake the UKCAT/BMAT as this is only
valid for university entry in the year that you take the test.
Not Obtaining the Right Grades
As a medical applicant, you will have been a high achiever academically, so your A-level
results are likely to be good even if they are insufficient to gain a place at medical school.
If you have received an offer and your grades are only a few percentage points off those
required and you are a strong candidate otherwise (extra-curricular, work experience, a
good interview), it is worth discussing the issue with the admission tutor at the Medical
School in question.
If you did achieve good grades, it is worth contacting the medical schools you applied to,
to see if they have unfilled places.
Clearing is another option, although it is rare for medical places to appear in clearing and
you will almost certainly need to have applied before to the medical schools you contact.
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