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Asked by faheem011 to Adil on 2 Mar 2018.
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Adil Rashid answered on 2 Mar 2018:
For my GCSEs I got a mixture of A* and As. At Level, I took Biology, Chemistry and Physics and I the got 3 A*s (my offer was 3 As).
When applying to Medical School, most universities will make you an offer of 3 As. Also some universities look at GCSE results and some don’t so it’s a good idea to check out the entry requirements of different universities and apply to the ones that you fit the criteria for. Some universities run Widening Access schemes which means they would reduce your entry requirements if you got an offer for them (there’s certain criteria you have to meet to be eligible for these schemes).
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Comments
Jamie commented on :
I did my GCSEs in the 20th Century… 🙁
I got 5 As and 5 Bs, and then for A Levels I got an A, two Bs and a C, which wasn’t enough ‘points’ for my University offer (back then AAB). When I rang through to ask they said I’d got through on the strength of my interview, which was nice of them! My school would definitely be part of the ‘Widening Access’ approach which at Birmingham is called A2B- Access 2 Birmingham. It wasn’t running in the 1900s.
I’m going to have a hot cocoa now, I feel old!!
Gail commented on :
I went to a school that didn’t really worry about exam grades and when school league tables came out as it was third from the bottom!
I only did 8 GCSE’s and got 5 x A and 3 x B. By choosing the right 6th form and finding inspiring teachers I did much better at a’level and got 3 x A grade.
If you put the work in and study hard, you can all do well in your exams. Nothing in life is easy. You have to work for it.
Tuxford commented on :
I did my GCSEs in 1992 (9 As, no such thing as A* in my day!) and A-levels in 1994 (2 As in Biology and Chemistry, 2 Bs in Physics and General Studies, but we won’t mention the E in Maths!) These days, I wouldn’t have achieved a place at Med school with these grades, but I was lucky to be offered 3 Bs at 4 different medical schools so I had a good choice. I chose Leicester due to the course, and it being just far enough from home, but not too far to get home at some weekends to get my washing done and get a good Sunday lunch!
I was inspired by a fantastic biology teacher who encouraged me to believe in myself. The other quality that got me to where I am is inquisitiveness and a thirst for knowledge. I never want to stop learning something new. Being a doctor is the best job for a nosey, talkative, friendly person! If you ask the right questions, you will get the answers you need!
WP/Admissions Officer commented on :
Have a look at the Entry Requirements booklet that Medical Schools Council publish each year https://www.medschools.ac.uk/media/2032/msc-entry-requirements-for-uk-medical-schools.pdf This organises every medicine course into four groups – standard (mostly 5-yr), widening access (with an extra foundation year), etc. All widening access courses ask for lower A levels and GCSEs, e.g. Bs in chemistry and biology. In addition quite a few medical schools will reduce the grades they require for entry to a standard course if you are eligible (eg come from an underperforming school, live in a postcode area with low progression to uni, or your family qualify for benefit support, or you have been in care or a refugee).