How I Got Into Medicine With Bad A Levels (My Story) | PostGradMedic

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[@Kwippy]

A good friend of mine got into a London medical school with an E and 2D's at A level. Possibly the fact that his father was a leading medical professor at a London institution had something to do with it. As it turns out, my friend is now a leading consultant and researcher at a world-famous hospital in London. That just goes to show that A level results don't always predict who is going to do well as a doctor.

[@dlr.99]

not everyone has a father who’s a lead medical professor at a london institution

[@natoyle]

Lol I have those alevels

[@BallyBoy95]

Awh, that's a nice story. Glad you're in medicine now, you definitely have the maturity of a good doctor.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Thanks so much, reassuring to hear! Hopefully true

[@fabianwinston7371]

i know Im randomly asking but does any of you know a way to get back into an Instagram account?? I was dumb forgot my login password. I love any assistance you can offer me.

[@gavindecker5915]

@Fabian Winston Instablaster =)

[@fabianwinston7371]

@Gavin Decker Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and im in the hacking process atm. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.

[@fabianwinston7371]

@Gavin Decker it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy! Thank you so much, you saved my account :D

[@fahim6898]

Never have I related to something like this before, the same thing happened to me from GCSEs to A-levels. Got BBC first time round in my A-levels then did retakes and got A*AB (one mark off an A in biology- I’ll never forget DNA polymerase in in vitro cloning ever again 😭). Grades weren’t enough for med school so now I’ve applied for biomed, aiming for GEM or transfer

[@evelynmed]

I just missed my UCL med offer the other day (which your videos helped me get 😅) when I got BBB, I am heartbroken. My insurance Russel group has still let me in for biochem and I know I'm dedicated/intelligent enough to push through. This video was very inspiring and I will try my hardest in this degree to get to GEM. Many thanks Ollie.

[@osantiagues]

An inspirational story - I think AS levels were actually not a great idea, even if they seemed it. There was the possibility to do too many subjects (5 is way too much) and you get judged after just one year, which is hardly any time to adjust to the new environment/difficulty of work. Medicine is also particularly competitive! So pleased that you achieved your dream.

[@taffyterrier]

Medicine was competitive.

[@tatienouorest3358]

5 is whaaaat!? Bro you have only 5 subjects to read…wtf!?

[@bharathi2128]

​@tatienouorest3358 a level subjects are difficult and have a LOT of content, don't judge before you know the education system

[@JodieLouise98]

Crazy how we got the same a levels and got poor AS results due to the same reasons. I'm now studying biomed at Birmingham and I'm applying to medical school in October. This makes me super motivated to get my place now 😁

[@menace2819]

Did you mention your reason for your results in your reference?

[@quran_n228]

Did you managed to get into medicine??

[@mania.v]

I went on an Erasmus exchange before Brexit and found myself in an English speaking program full of English and Italians. Apparently, some European med schools do have programs in English and accept students based on an entrance exam! You have to pay for the uni, but the fee isn't that bad (about 6000£ per semester)

[@shilpamanoharan8381]

Really proud of you. It was really encouraging video. I have forwarded it to my daughter who aspires to be a Doctor but gifted with Art, Speech and drama, she is expected 6 but needs 7 in GCSE.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

There's always a way! I went to medical school with a guy who had been a concert violinist for years beforehand!

[@shahidaperveen6908]

highly relatable ! I am currently giving accelerated physics and chemistry (which is basically As +A2) and biology (A2). Had CCAA in AS level (Cs in phy and chem) and As in psychology and biology. Dropped psychology in A2. Aiming to apply for medicine which requires 3As to guarantee your admission here in Pakistan. Looking for someone who have gone through the same and found this one. Really boosted my morale.

[@godisared117]

Inspiring to hear how you didn’t let a poor showing in your AS-levels define your ability, or dampen your career aspirations. That decision takes courage (and support) and is a good lesson for today’s crop of students.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

It made a huge difference having supportive teachers at that time. I think if they hadn't believed that I was capable of better it wouldn't have worked out.

[@whiteguyplays6229]

A levels don't mean anything to becoming a Dr as they don't measure your medical knowledge/ passion towards medicine. I didnt get the best A levels but in my Med school I'm one of the top marking students cuz iv always wanted to do medicine. So don't be Disheartened if you don't get the best A levels as it doesn't mean you aren't worthy of doing medicine!

[@babilmathew9518]

how did you get into med with a levels that weren't that great?

[@shambhavivats6435]

marks do not matter that much...my aunt had bad a levels but still she is more sucessful than toppers of her class...getting great marks is not a big deal but being determined and ultimately satisfied with your efforts is what matters..

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Absolutely agree, great way of putting it!

[@DivinityDying]

I don't have chem or biology at A-Level (although I have A*A*A), and I didn't do a life sciences degree (although I did Computer Science at Warwick!). I'm pulling my hair out over the GAMSAT currently because Warwick is my only option if I don't take it, and I'm not sure I should put all my eggs in one basket... but it's so hard :-( Are you enjoying the course at Warwick? I miss Warwick, I'd love to come back tbh!

[@jdothman8575]

UCAT for Warwick not GAMSAT

[@OllieBurtonMed]

I don't know how I missed this comment, but absolutely loving the course! It's definitely challenging but it's exciting to go in every day, which is more than can be said for most things :)

[@govand7]

How did you get in? Did you try and negotiate with them? I want to study economics at warwick and I intend to resit my a levels but I don’t do maths and their website says they want maths

[@zetch972]

Joanna Florence Laikin lol you might as well tell us what subjects you did at a level?

[@robertah2353]

So happy for you!

[@physiosheffield7554]

Ollie you are so lucky. I have a Physiotherapy Bsc 4y and The University of Sheffield said this is not acceptable for Graduate Entry medicine..... Send me your Positive Energy. Hopefully I will find elsewhere 🙏 #StillLooking

[@impulzbolt2271]

Hi, I was wondering did they heavily look at your A levels ? or did they focus more on your uni degree? Thanks

[@Dylski.]

Warwick dont focus on A levels at all. It's all completely based on ur degree, experience and ucat score Edit: and ur interview too

[@beastkaybyt2865]

Some universities, look at it, some don't

[@olaybim]

Thank you for this beautiful video. my daughter just got her A level result. it was very disappointing. she had ABBB in four subjects, Maths, Chemistry, Biology and economics. She wanted to study Medicine but with the result, it's like a dead end. Even though she had 5A* 6A in gcse. But with your video I now know she could do Molecular Biology and transition into Medicine later with hard work. Apart from Molecular Biology, what other routes (courses) could lead into studying Medicine please?

[@adewonuolaalase4454]

She can also do biomedical science or clinical sciences. Any biological or medical science courses really.

[@thomasbuxton2648]

Great video straight to the point

[@taliakerry5624]

Hello! I am in a very similar situation as you seemed to be in. GCSE’s I excelled with 7 A* 4 A and 1 B, but then it got to A levels and just went downhill from there. After a predicted AAA I ended up only getting BBD so just gave up all hope and took a gap year. I am now going on to study biomedical science at Manchester Met Uni, and am hoping to go on to post grad medicine once graduating. Do you know of any other situations like this, or are there many other people in this situation. If so, what do you think is the likelihood of me being able to do this?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Studying graduate entry medicine after a biomed degree is really common (probably the most common pathway people take!) - if you hunt on my channel I've done a few interviews with people who have done this!

[@JUsTz4FUNZ]

@@OllieBurtonMed Hey Ollie , Im in a similar situation as the person above but I study Adult Nursing at University of Manchester, is post grad med a pathway for me also if I was to ascertain above a 2:1 as per the entry requirements?

[@sonderstudies2560]

Hey ! I’m studying biomed at uni rn and I also got BBD at alevel after being predicted A*AA but like you im looking to go into medicine or dentistry post grad. Good luck!

[@malikAli-ud6qo]

I have cjemsitey and maths almost failed in both of em ... need help ...

[@lofwfde693]

Also who did you pick for your reference?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

My university tutor wrote my reference!

[@ghgghhggghhh]

Hi there, I failed my A levels and went into the trades. I feel like this is a mistake and have been looking at trying an access course to get to med school. Is this an unrealistic goal? I've done some research and it seems like a very small chance. If you think it would be better to go as a post grad, what degree would you suggest for medicine?

[@OFFICIAL_FBI]

I recommend doing an access course but in something other than Medicine because firstly, medicine is extremely hard, secondly, it isn't very realistic to get into medicine without qualifications. My dad did an access course for business Management when he was 39 before starting a bachelor in management when he was 40. He is now 47 and an assistant project manager in a big company.

[@cwilson1300]

Congrats. Good determination

[@shambhavivats6435]

sorry,in india arts,science and commerce streams are there

[@mbi-anyouterry1732]

Hi,I have 2:2 GPA in Microbiology minoring in medical laboratory technology with two years working experience,do you think I can get into graduate entry MBBS. I AM FROM CAMEROON AND REALLY LOVE YOUR CHANNEL.

[@shambhavivats6435]

in india, to be a doctor physics,chemistry and bio are compulsory in years 12 and 13 competition is really tough...to get into a prestigious govt med school, students have to get an all india rank between 1 to 100 out of 3,00,000 candidates... i am preparing for NEET national eligibility and entrace test and for AIIMS all india institute of medical science..how is the weather in the uk？

[@OllieBurtonMed]

That does sound really tough! One of my teachers at medical school went to the Armed Forces Medical College in India and that sounds very difficult

[@Yleano]

Would you suggest to retake A Levels?

[@tophopeboy8167]

Where are you from?and where are you studying?what's your university?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

From North Yorkshire originally - Scarborough/Whitby area, studying at Warwick University in the West Midlands!

[@randomvideos4296]

Hey what sort of stuff does warrick look at when selecting you for an interview I know they look at ucat and if you got a first or 2:1 degree but do they consider your alevels if so do you think I should retake the alevels I did poor in as I'm currently in my first year of university for compsci. Do they also consider what university you got your degree from and what degree you got as in will a biomedical science degree be more favourable than a compsci degree. Thanks for this video man I literally had no idea medicine could still be an option for me. I face severe trauma in sixth form and flopped alevels and kinda just settled for compsci but it's good to hear my dream can still come true thanks allot man I would never have known this your a Lifesaver 🙂

[@OllieBurtonMed]

The answer to the A levels and degree stuff is all No - they don't care about the specifics of any of it, and there are no A level reqs. As long as you have at least a 2.1 degree that's all that's needed - they will not look in any way at what it is, as there's little evidence that biomed students will do any better than students from other disciplines. A biomed degree would give you more choice for other medical schools to apply to, but comp sci is fine for Warwick itself.

[@randomvideos4296]

@@OllieBurtonMed may I ask what your term dates were like. Like how long was your summer Easter and Christmas holiday in medicine at Warwick?

[@chrisstevens2706]

I dread to think what the students loan will be when he finally ends his studies! Also, medicine will be his 2nd undergraduate degree. Will this attract a student loan? Surely not.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

It did I'm afraid - I'm now into my second postgraduate year, I've got something like £83,000 of debt. will basically be paying it off for 30 years until it expires.

[@chrisstevens2706]

Your you tube channel should be made required material prior to interview. The entire junior doctor system is being reshaped by, or rather modernised by an unassailable monopoly. But I can see it from all angles: . More junior doctors = more competiion= lower pay. Since the motivation for the majority of 6th form applicants is not money, in the main, but Kudos , the NHS exposes and abuses the naivety of each applicant's interview pleadings once they become qualified. The UCAT as a method of selection convinces only the naive applicant of his/her worthiness: the NHS uses each successful applicants' requirement for continued self congratulation, and fear that it might dry up or stop altogether to manipulate. It is a bad mother. You are right to criticise. But you will be marked out as a troublemaker, as will your colleagues. Whether the BMA can assist, Im unsure.

[@AKMarch01]

Did you enjoy your molecular bio degree?

[@olaybim]

She's offered Bio-medicine at Kings. is this any good, could she use this to enter post grad Medicine later on ?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Hi there, if you drop me a message using the contact form on my website I'm very happy to speak to your daughter

[@aestheticallyayomide682]

I did a BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science, equal to 3 A levels would that be sufficient for GE medicine

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Totally depends on the medical school - Warwick doesn't care about your A levels or equivalent, only your degree. Best thing is to check the websites of the GEM courses and see what they each say, as the guidelines change every year

[@aestheticallyayomide682]

PostGradMedic Yhank you for your swift reply. What Bsc do you recommend I do for GEM? What would you say is closest in content to medicine and that would be accepted widely?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

@@aestheticallyayomide682 Genuinely I would say pick whatever you're going to enjoy! You've got to last 3 years and do reasonably well. You don't necessarily need to jump to Medical/Biomed Sciences, but something human biology related is probably best bet if the goal is purely to do medicine afterwards. I did a Molecular Biology degree which was a mix of genetics, evolution, zoology etc etc. Don't feel the need to choose a degree that's got the same content as medicine either, because you'll have to relearn it all in the 'medicine-appropriate' way anyway!

[@aestheticallyayomide682]

Thank you so much, PostGradMedic I’ll take that into consideration’

[@pleasewait8124]

I’m doing my GCSEs this year and I’m predicted a grade 5 also known as grade B .can this still get me into medical school or nope

[@okitasoji4683]

sc-MoRxhim yes its fine.

[@pleasewait8124]

Jon Snow Oh thanks 😊

[@timebomb7641]

dont worry man!

[@lx1615]

As GCSE’s are cancelled this year and if you get predicted 5 it’s going to make it harder so if you can choose to do the exam and are able to get higher then please do! everyone told me GCSE’s didn’t matter but most med school want grade 6/7 in maths and English as a requirement.

[@wealthykind7382]

i thought 5 was a C, and 6 is a B

[@awais3443-w2v]

Do you feel doing your undergrad helped enhance or teach you skills that make you a better doctor? And if so, what sort of new skills?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Yeah definitely! I picked up so many other skills during my undergrad, like academic writing, delivering presentations and for me personally things like graphic design and lab techniques. I also did a bit of teaching during my degree too so I'm used to that process which will be really useful when I need to do it as a doctor!

[@williamli7928]

Hi Ollie, can you let me know what was your undergrad degree grade? Thanks! That would be a nice reference for me when applying for Warwick!

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Hey William! No problem, I got a first class degree - but really don't worry about it too much for Warwick, from what I understand the effect it has is fairly minimal.

[@williamli7928]

@@OllieBurtonMed ohhh That's a flex! Even if you had bad a levels 😂

[@williamli7928]

@@OllieBurtonMed Thank you for your reply my G. Is there a majority of people with first-class degrees in your cohort? as far as you know

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Very welcome! Not that I know of - most have either a 2.1 or a first I believe, then quite a few with Master's degrees

[@abdiabdi2576]

Do you think I have a chance applying to med school I retook year 12

[@saqibimran9342]

Hello Ollie, how come you didn’t get the A Grade in chemistry that year I am worried I will fall in that scenario with my a levels

[@guyclark8133]

is it possible to get into med school with ABB

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Usually not without some sort of access scheme or Foundation year I'm afraid

[@guyclark8133]

@@OllieBurtonMed what about as a graduate after doing an undergraduate degree - does it matter so much then? and thank you for the reply

[@OllieBurtonMed]

@@guyclark8133 As a graduate it really depends on the school! At Warwick for example your A levels don't matter, but some places still want an A in A level chemistry for example. But rest assured there'll be plenty of choices even without the 'right' A levels for medicine!

[@guyclark8133]

@@OllieBurtonMed Thank you so much!! this video was really helpful - Keep doing what you're doing!

[@silanbozkurt3654]

hi i really want to become a dentist but due to the fact i am not doing science alevels i will have to enter post graduate way is it possible to enter for dentistry with a high 2:1 in a non science degree then enter the standard dentistry course.is there anything you could recommened me or know any unis that accept me on the dentistry course. sorry this was very long:)

[@shambhavivats6435]

how do you choose subjects for a levels im the uk？in india students are suppossed to study science , or commerce where physics and chem are compulosory and there is option between maths and bio...after year 11

[@OllieBurtonMed]

In the UK after our GCSEs/Year 11 we just choose 3 or 4 subjects we want to take, there are no compulsory subjects at all - this means you have a lot of freedom to make the choices you want! However we have a problem where not enough people are choosing subjects like maths, so our general population is not very good at it compared to other countries

[@malanhemal6574]

In Graduate Entry to Medicine do I have to finish the 3 years in the Biomedical degree of can I apply to Graduate Entry to Med in my 1st year of the degree?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

You can apply between the second and third year of an undergraduate degree, because that's the point at which you'd have a predicted degree outcome to apply with, but not before that.

[@samrak3169]

Thank you for your video.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

You're very welcome!

[@lofwfde693]

what ukcat scores did you get?

[@smilebehappy722]

Well done to you. But now August 2020 and many students are algorithm victims their future has been taking from them by a computer 🖥 system of grading.

[@OllieBurtonMed]

For sure, it's an absolute mess

[@josie6291]

im currently applying for biomedical sciences as i didnt get the grades for medicine, do i write my personal statement for medicine or should i do it for biomedical sciences? im really not sure if theyll accept me with a medicine personal statement but i ultimately really want to do medicine

[@OllieBurtonMed]

If you're applying for biomedical sciences you need a biomedical sciences personal statement. There's no point submitting a medicine statement for a biomed course. Keep hold of your medicine one though because you can use it later if you apply for med as a graduate! ☺️

[@okitasoji4683]

I applied to Biomed at kings with a medicine PS as 5th choice and I got accepted. So maybe you might too

[@josie6291]

@@okitasoji4683 yep! i applied to plymouth with a medicine degree and i got in with an unconditional offer, however im going to try switch to nursing bc ive realised its not for me, i hate lab work hahaha

[@ArdawanKurdi]

Hello bro i'm from Kurdistan , i finished high school with very good marks , but here need more marks to apply in Med university . Is there anyway to study at med colleges abroad to be a surgeon ?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

You can certainly apply for schools abroad! In the UK medical school is 5 years but it's very competitive and it would be at least £20,000 per year to study here as an international student - have a look at med schools in Europe maybe and see what the options are

[@malikaalibdat7079]

@@OllieBurtonMed very competitive is an understatement 😭😭

[@mish1213]

Where do you study medicine?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Hi! I study at Warwick Medical School, which is graduate-entry only 4 year programme :)

[@but_is_it_art_6657]

When is the perfect time to apply for university as a current year 12? Please help

[@OllieBurtonMed]

You apply at the beginning of Year 13! The application deadline is the same for everyone, usually October 15th. Your college will know what to do!

[@aashinipatel7995]

what were your a levels if you dont mind me asking?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

I did Biology (A), Chemistry (B), Physics (A) and General Studies (A) - at my school we had to do Gen Studies regardless of what else you did

[@arwasaid1130]

what medical schools do you suggest that have low A level requirements, it doesnt neccesairly have to be in the UK

[@samrak3169]

Do you think it is really hard to get into GEM-compared to undergraduate?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

I would say it's harder to get into GEM than undergraduate due to higher competition ratios and requirements, but not so much harder that you shouldn't try. For me I wouldn't have been able to afford an undergrad course as a graduate so it was the only option. I always encourage everyone to apply for GEM if they can, particularly at places like Warwick where there are a large number of places available.

[@samrak3169]

Thank you for your reply,it is much appreciated :)

[@SimranKaur-xy7sr]

What did you get on ur UKCAT?

[@Bsh152]

I do one maths alevel and two btecs and i really want to get in to medical school awell as that i got c's at my gcs😕 i just want to if i could still be able to do medicine at any direction or way! It will be helpful if i get some response thank you!

[@saverasavera3652]

apply to medicine with a foundation year at leciester Bristol Plymouth

[@TEM8941]

Hey Ollie, thanks as always for your informative video! I have two questions When you apply postgraduate medicine, does A level results matter? I came to the UK four years ago and joined halfway year 10, at GCSES l got a C in English cos l did foundation that was the highest l could get. Do you think medical school would accept with a C in English when I apply postgraduate medicine?

[@OllieBurtonMed]

Hi Efrem, thanks for watching! At some universities it does matter but not all - you'll really need to check each school individually, at Warwick for example it doesn't matter at all, but at Cambridge it does. GCSEs it's unlikely will count for much at all, but again you'd need to check each school. Hope that helps!

[@ebere9078]

PostGradMedic Hey, also have a similar question. Were your A-levels grade important when applying to Warwick? I achieved a BCC in Maths, Biology and Chemistry respectively, then got a 2:1 at undergrad followed by a masters from Imperial College. Do you think my A-level grades may affect my chance of getting an offer? :/

[@OllieBurtonMed]

I don't think they matter at all for Warwick!

[@-seventh-dayadventistchurch685]

👍💐😇

[@harunasabo6902]

How can I have your email address