Study Medicine in UK

[Admin]

Members studying or working in UK are requested to give any useful information to our members whom are willing to join them.
Any information you give here, will be helpful to your brother.
Regards
Dr.Mahdi

[Abdullahi!]

erm...am not studyin medicine in the uk currently although i mite transfer to it later..i used to live there and i know ppl that study medicine in the uk but nt a lot of them know this forum i think.. i know people that study in the uk, in leicester and sheffield. The leicester university is particularly good but kinda hard to get in..u need 2A's and 1 B in A level to apply but generally they only accept 3A's unless in special cases...they also require some work experience and knowledge of new/current medical issues within the uk as well as any new medical advances. this is determined seperately in an interview..

[Student of Knowledge]

Generally speaking, if someone wants to study medicine in the UK, they can get in through 2 paths.

Route 1. A-levels (school leavers): These students usually apply for the 5 year MB BS course, (or 6 years MBBS - including a foundation year that is provided by some universities like King's College for students with grades less than the entry requirements for the 5 year MBBS). Usually grades are not the only determining factor for one to be accepted into med school. Enough work exerience at a hospital setting or a GP is also required by most if not all universities (occasionally, working in a caring environment is accepted by some).

Personal statements with the UCAS application form are also very important. They need to show evidence of commitment to medicine and that one understands and has analysed a career in medicine. UCAS forms must also contain a reference from a personal tutor stating predicted grades. Finally, from 2006 onwards any one wanting to apply for medicine has to sit an aptitude test in a test centre (not at the University) and the results from this test are used to call students for interview at many universities. These aptitude tests are UKCAT, GAMSAT-UK, MSAT, BMAT... and im not sure if there are many more! - but i think these are it. Students that fulfill all the criteria above and score good at the aptitude test are then called for a structured interview. If they score well, they are admitted (but sometimes if they are unfortunate, they are put in a waiting list for deferred entry).

So overall for route 1:
Students need:
a) minimum AAB (in science A-levels), 5 GCSE'S A-C.
b) good work experience at a hospital/GP.
c) good/ unique personal statement.
d) your tutor must predict you will get the grades required on the UCAS form (i.e. reference).
e) good grades in the aptitude test required by the university.
f) Pass your interview.

Route 2: for Graduates of all disciplines: people who done any sort of degree Arts, BioSciences, Engineering, etcc.. and have decided medicine is their career after all... well, they can apply to study the 4 year MBBS through the Graduate entry peogramme (GEP) and become doctors in just 4 years.

Usually the entry requirements vary from university to another. They need to be predicted a good honours degree by their tutors i.e. 1st/ 2.1/ or sometimes even a 2.2 degree is accepted for instance at St.Georges University of London & Nottingham university. They also need to complete their first degree ofcourse before getting into med school. Just like route 1, GEP students also need to sit the aptitude tests and apply in the normal way through UCAS and produce top personal statements.

SO overall route 2:
a) tutor needs to predict 1st/ 2.1/ 2.2 reference (depending on what the requirements of the university are).
b) very good hospital work experience minimum 4-6 months exp, and better if it is for 1-2 years.
c)good/ unique personal statement (ofcourse convincing the reader why you have changed from *_____* to medicine).
d)Usually NO A-Level or GCSE's required (so its an advantage for those who got messy grades in A-levels)- some exceptions are UCL and Imperial that also require A-level or university level chemistry to accept any one on the GEP! - but majority universities dont need them.
e) good grades at the aptitude tests.
f) pass the interview.

NB: the GAMSAT-UK aptitude test only applies to Graduates who want to apply to Warwick, St George's, Nottingham, and another university i forgot? - yes and also for A-level students who want to apply for Peninsula Medical school only.
Also always go to university websites and check their individual entry requirements, these are only general guidelines for the process of entry but not specific to any school.

I hope this is useful & best wishes for anyone applying to study medicine.

[Muna1]

thank you very much.it is helpfull information. i wont to ask about mrcp exam and plap exam did it help to apply there and how we can apply for work's and postgraduation study .
thank you again.

[Kassim]

A/C  sis  Muna,
This is a topic that I was about to post.
Regarding  working  in the UK, it’s not like as it use to be(i am from Manchester but now in USA), things have changed, there is a lot of competition,  coz there 1000s of Eastern Europe Dr that are willing to work like a "XIMAAR", there don’t have to take PLAP or require visa.  To work or do PG in UK, first u have to be a British, EU citizen.  From March 2007 more than 10,000 Indian Dr are being asked to go back to their country after their contract. There cannot renew it.    Visit BMJ.COM where you will find all the details.
Regarding MRCP i think u can take the exam not only in UK, but in other countries.

This is to all other Dr/Students

Has anyone of you considered working or PG in USA, well its not like UK, where there is many obstacles, nor is it easy, but there is opportunity.
My advice specially  to students are try to take USMLE part 1 while u r in the medical school, u can take it at any time after completing the pre-clinic. U can take the exam anywhere in world, except few countries (sorry not in Somali).
The other advice to the medical students are try to do ur ELECTIVE here in USA, coz it will make ur application strong when it comes to apply PG.  u can find  all the hospitals by searching through Google. Once they accept it doesn’t matter which passport u have, u can get a visa.
And some of the hospital  do provide free meal, accommodation.
If there is anyone interested taking the USMLE exam please do let me know, I have all the materials required for you to pass the USMLE for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,  . After passing the USMLE with a good score you can go any field.

[London_Medic]

Salam guys,


I am a current medical student at one of universities of london. To study medicine You either ace your exams and that is GCSE'S (passing with A's AND B's), A-levels (with AABB, ABBc, grades of that form). if you haven't achieved the offer you've been offered, then do a degree that triggers your interest again graduating with a first or a 2.1 and then try your luck again. Where there is a will there is a way. I hope no one is dismotivated by being rejected from universities because it happens, alot of people in my time with excellent grades haven't made it to medical schools. If you get an interview, thats your shot at convincing the college that you are the one they should accept.



w/salam 

[Penguin]

Swansea requires the GAMSAT as well.  Gamsat exam for 2008 entry was sat in september but anyone thinking of sitting it this yr get in touch and I can provide you with past exam papers or the UKCAT text book...for free of course

I also think Swansea is one of the best places to apply for.  As you only get four choices, its best to be wise, Swansea has one of the lowest number of applicants per place.  They also interview some applicants before GAMSAT results are out.

Good luck to all those applying.

[Amool]

Hey Everyone i was wondering if Biomedical is the samething like Medicine meaning having biomedical could be a doctor after 4 yrs of studying ... The thing is ins Allah i would be going Cardiff univ on sept 08 and after my degree i want to be a pathologist or even hematologist then go back to Abu dhABI if Allah wills
so my question is . IS Biomedical like medince

[Student of Knowledge]

Hey Everyone i was wondering if Biomedical is the samething like Medicine meaning having biomedical could be a doctor after 4 yrs of studying ... The thing is ins Allah i would be going Cardiff univ on sept 08 and after my degree i want to be a pathologist or even hematologist then go back to Abu dhABI if Allah wills
so my question is . IS Biomedical like medince

Hey Amool, welcome to the forum sis & nice to c u interested in Biomedical Science (BMS).

BMS is not like medicine in practice, but when you are studying at uni you more or less will study what pre-clinical medical students study... such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, cellular pathology, biochemistry, cell biology, endocrinology, disease control.... & many more..

Biomedical scientists are not doctors, but they can do a phD and obtain a doctorate or become research scientists. But if they choose to work in a hospital then it will be in the laboratory. There are multi disciplines you can specialise in like pathology, haematology, clinical chemistry, medical microbiology, immunology, and so on.

The main obvious difference between BMS and medicine is diagnosis and direct patient management/care. Biomedical scientists are not involved in direct management****, and not really involved in diagnosis that much in many of the disciplines (besides med. microbiology), instead biomedical scientists in the lab carry out the tests requested by doctors and forward the results back with some comments to the doctors, and it the doctors who then decide what is the best management for the patient.

You said you were thinking of becoming a pathologist maybe. You can specialise in cellular pathology with a BMS degree, and you can even do a Masters in it, but you cannot become a 'pathologist' with BMS degree. You need to study medicine to become a pathologist. You might be thinking whats the difference between specialising in pathology with a BMS degree, and being a pathologist. There is big difference. Pathologists diagnose the illness, whilst Biomedical scientists (that specialised in cellular pathology) dont. Pathologists decide what tissue sections need to be cut and what special stainning needs to be done, whilst BMS dont. In brief, biomedical scientists in pathology department prepare slides and pass them on for the pathologist to view, and it is th pathologist that makes the diagnosis. I was speaking to a biomedical scientist who did a Masters in cellular pathology, she was telling me that in a biomedical science degree they over teach you in a way and when it comes to the real lab work, you dont really have a direct say in patient care or simple diagnosis (in cell path). But then again, in the end of the day, many people like BMS and do not really like to be involved in direct patient management. So you decide whats best for you. 

And about going to abudhabi, I heard one needs to have a minimum Masters to be considered for work there now. A colleague of mine from London tried to apply last summer with a BSc boichemistry degree and was adviced to do MSc before her application would be considered.

Wish you all the best. 

This is a very sumarised answer to ur q'n. I hope fellow BMS & medics will contribute to answer your Q'n.
***Except in medical microbiology where biomed scientists can decide which is the best antibiotic the pathogen is susceptible to.  

[Mubarak]

hi Dr kasim
plz help me i am the one who want to study medicine in USA (postgraduate study) and to have USLME exam,, i am very eager to get more information about that
waiting for u

[Sacred]

hi kasim
 i also aspire to do pg in usa . what should i do ??
how can i apply??
  help me out bro............

[Supriyasonal]

Hey can you please help me, which exam i have to write so that in can study medicine in UK.

Plz
Supriya Sonal