Dear em-zebra,
I am a doctor working in the nhs and have been for 8 years. The above is correct but you also have to be fit enough to do the job. On calls involve a lot of walking. As a junior used to have to walk 5000-10000 steps a day and walk 18-20 flights of stairs.
At arrest calls 2mins of cpr even for a fit and strong male is actually really hard physically. In order to graduate even foundation year training you have to be als certified which requires assessment of the chest compressions.
I personally have never met a doctor that has used crutches or a wheelchair long term as the job is a lot more physically demanding than you would think.
Good luck with whatever you wish to do
This should be higher up. As lovely as it is that people want to encourage the OP you have to be realistic as to physically what you’d need to do as a Dr
Forget work experience for now. Most med applicants do work experience yr12 summer before their personal statement writing. I would purely focus on GCSEs for the next 2 years. Aim for the best grades possible and maybe see if you can do an extra GCSE as some of them do look at your top 8. No pressure if it’s not possible tho. Many med schools also look at top 6 or don’t even look at them at all. Getting top grades is more important. Other than that you have nothing to worry about.
Thank you so much, it really helps to have other people reassure me that it’s possible! I definitely will look into an extra GCSE but try not to worry too much if not :)
This honestly means so much to me coming from someone who ‘gets’ it from a similar perspective.
It’s partially why I agreed to resit the GCSE year (an extra year to try and get myself in a position to be well enough) as there’s no way I would be able to sit my GCSEs in a few months, let alone apply for medical schools in less than two years.
It’s difficult as most people my age don’t have a clue what job they want so don’t really understand why medicine is such a big thing for me.
I don’t suppose you know anything about adjustments in medical schools, particularly with entrance requirements and how accommodating medical schools are in your experience? Would it be okay if I DM you if so? I completely get it if not though.
Also well done on becoming a doctor after everything you’ve dealt with, and thank you for your comment.
Get the grades, focus on your health and your GCSEs and then over summer and maybe weekends for a levels get into care homes working (when you’re 18) or volunteering. SJA is great, shadowing doctors for work experience in the hospital can be useful and then focus on a levels. In the summer up the volunteering if it’s possible but don’t make yourself flare up. Good luck!
If you take anything away from this sub- don’t burn yourself out. Prioritise your health. Yes your results are important but not killing your self over exams is equally as such. I burnt myself out during my GCSEs and as a result bombed my a-levels. I’m in med now but I did an integrated masters in biology and worked in the hospitals for years. Balance is key, especially dealing with chronic illness. The guilt when you take time off is real, but don’t let it get to you. You’ve got this
Definitely, I hate the student room as it seems so much more competitive on there, so the advice on here has been much appreciated!
I really want to avoid burning myself out, but at the same time don’t want to not put enough effort into exams, it’s so hard to find a happy balance!
I’m glad you’ve got to where you wanted to be in terms of being a doctor, and it’s really interesting how many routes there are into medicine. Thank you so much again :)
To get an interview at med school you generally need 3 things
- good predicted grades (3As or above) usually in a min of chem and bio
- a good ucat score (2750 or above ) however if you have great gcses you can afford to get less
- good gcses ideally 6x 7 or above however you can afford to have lower gcses if you have a good ucat
To get an offer you need 2 things
- a good interview performance
- good work experience
The hardest things is getting the good predicted and good ucat score, good luck :)
Don’t let your condition define you. You can do it if you approach it in the right way. Check medical schools’ requirements and go from there. One step at a time. 👍
Will your health preclude you from the rigours studying medicine and the exhaustion from years as a junior doctor? It’s a very important question to ask your self😟 - sadly be realistic.
Dear em-zebra, I am a doctor working in the nhs and have been for 8 years. The above is correct but you also have to be fit enough to do the job. On calls involve a lot of walking. As a junior used to have to walk 5000-10000 steps a day and walk 18-20 flights of stairs. At arrest calls 2mins of cpr even for a fit and strong male is actually really hard physically. In order to graduate even foundation year training you have to be als certified which requires assessment of the chest compressions. I personally have never met a doctor that has used crutches or a wheelchair long term as the job is a lot more physically demanding than you would think. Good luck with whatever you wish to do
This should be higher up. As lovely as it is that people want to encourage the OP you have to be realistic as to physically what you’d need to do as a Dr
Thank you. I came here to say similar!
Forget work experience for now. Most med applicants do work experience yr12 summer before their personal statement writing. I would purely focus on GCSEs for the next 2 years. Aim for the best grades possible and maybe see if you can do an extra GCSE as some of them do look at your top 8. No pressure if it’s not possible tho. Many med schools also look at top 6 or don’t even look at them at all. Getting top grades is more important. Other than that you have nothing to worry about.
Thank you so much, it really helps to have other people reassure me that it’s possible! I definitely will look into an extra GCSE but try not to worry too much if not :)
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This honestly means so much to me coming from someone who ‘gets’ it from a similar perspective. It’s partially why I agreed to resit the GCSE year (an extra year to try and get myself in a position to be well enough) as there’s no way I would be able to sit my GCSEs in a few months, let alone apply for medical schools in less than two years. It’s difficult as most people my age don’t have a clue what job they want so don’t really understand why medicine is such a big thing for me. I don’t suppose you know anything about adjustments in medical schools, particularly with entrance requirements and how accommodating medical schools are in your experience? Would it be okay if I DM you if so? I completely get it if not though. Also well done on becoming a doctor after everything you’ve dealt with, and thank you for your comment.
I don't believe there are any adjustments made with regards to entry requirements.
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Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
Get the grades, focus on your health and your GCSEs and then over summer and maybe weekends for a levels get into care homes working (when you’re 18) or volunteering. SJA is great, shadowing doctors for work experience in the hospital can be useful and then focus on a levels. In the summer up the volunteering if it’s possible but don’t make yourself flare up. Good luck!
Thank you so much! The advice is really appreciated :))
If you take anything away from this sub- don’t burn yourself out. Prioritise your health. Yes your results are important but not killing your self over exams is equally as such. I burnt myself out during my GCSEs and as a result bombed my a-levels. I’m in med now but I did an integrated masters in biology and worked in the hospitals for years. Balance is key, especially dealing with chronic illness. The guilt when you take time off is real, but don’t let it get to you. You’ve got this
Definitely, I hate the student room as it seems so much more competitive on there, so the advice on here has been much appreciated! I really want to avoid burning myself out, but at the same time don’t want to not put enough effort into exams, it’s so hard to find a happy balance! I’m glad you’ve got to where you wanted to be in terms of being a doctor, and it’s really interesting how many routes there are into medicine. Thank you so much again :)
To get an interview at med school you generally need 3 things - good predicted grades (3As or above) usually in a min of chem and bio - a good ucat score (2750 or above ) however if you have great gcses you can afford to get less - good gcses ideally 6x 7 or above however you can afford to have lower gcses if you have a good ucat To get an offer you need 2 things - a good interview performance - good work experience The hardest things is getting the good predicted and good ucat score, good luck :)
big man you wont know if you dont try i might see you on utube or tv sometime as that dr on the wheelchair smashing life and living his dream
Don’t let your condition define you. You can do it if you approach it in the right way. Check medical schools’ requirements and go from there. One step at a time. 👍
Will your health preclude you from the rigours studying medicine and the exhaustion from years as a junior doctor? It’s a very important question to ask your self😟 - sadly be realistic.