How I Got Into Graduate Entry Medicine (UK) *with bad grades

Summary

In this inspiring video, Danela shares her unique journey into graduate entry medicine in the UK. Despite initial setbacks with her A Levels and a brief stint in nursing, she pursued a degree in Biomedical Science and later worked as an Apple technician. With perseverance and hard work, including volunteering and shadowing experiences, she eventually secured a place in medical school at the University of Warwick. Danela's story highlights the importance of dedication and the possibility of achieving one's dream, regardless of background or age.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Danela is a third-year graduate entry medical student in the UK, sharing her journey into medicine.
• 🏥 Born in Colombia, she moved to London at a young age and was always inspired to become a doctor due to her innate desire to care for others.
• 🎓 She chose A Levels in Spanish, Biology, and Maths, achieving ABB grades, which initially shattered her dream of studying medicine as an undergraduate.
• 👩‍⚕️ Unable to apply for undergraduate medicine, she pursued a year of nursing, but felt unfulfilled and quit after realizing she wanted more responsibility.
• 🔬 She then switched to a 3-year Biomedical Science degree, graduating in 2018, and applied to graduate entry medicine but was unsuccessful due to a rushed application and lack of preparation.
• 💼 After failing to get into medicine, she worked full-time as a technician for Apple for 4 years, gaining valuable skills and life experiences.
• 🏛️ She received an offer from the University of Buckingham but couldn't afford the high tuition fees, which reinforced her determination to try again for graduate entry medicine.
• 💪 Danela decided to give it her all, working hard on the UKCAT exam, gaining work experience, volunteering, and shadowing to strengthen her application.
• 🏆 She applied to multiple universities, secured interviews, and ultimately received an offer from the University of Warwick, proving that persistence pays off.
• 🌈 Reflecting on her journey, she emphasizes the importance of not giving up and encourages others to pursue their dreams, regardless of setbacks or age.

Q & A

What was the original background of the speaker?

The speaker, Danela, is originally from Colombia but moved to London at a young age where she was raised and completed her primary and secondary education.

Why did Danela initially choose to study nursing instead of pursuing undergraduate medicine?

Danela chose to study nursing because she couldn't apply to undergraduate medicine due to her A-level grades of ABB, which she considered pre-average and not competitive enough for medical school.

How did Danela feel after completing her first year of nursing?

Danela felt unfulfilled after her first year of nursing, as she wanted to be the person responsible for making decisions and solving problems, which she felt she wasn't getting to do in her nursing role.

What did Danela study after leaving nursing?

After leaving nursing, Danela studied Biomedical Science for three years, hoping it would open doors to medicine in the future.

What was the outcome of Danela's first application to graduate entry medicine?

Danela's first application to graduate entry medicine was unsuccessful. She did not get any interviews or offers, which shattered her hope and reinforced the idea that she was not good enough to become a doctor.

What job did Danela take after graduating from Biomedical Science?

Danela worked as a technician for Apple for four years after graduating from Biomedical Science.

What was the turning point for Danela in her pursuit of medicine?

The turning point was when Danela received an offer from the University of Buckingham, which boosted her confidence, even though she couldn't afford the tuition.

Why did Danela decide to reapply for graduate entry medicine despite thinking it was too late?

Danela decided to reapply because she realized that if she didn't try her best, she would regret it for the rest of her life, even if it didn't work out.

What steps did Danela take to improve her application for the second attempt at graduate entry medicine?

Danela worked hard on the UKCAT exam, gained lots of work experience, volunteered at a hospital, worked as a COVID responder, and did shadowing to have more to talk about in her personal statement and interviews.

How did Danela's journey into medicine affect her perspective on her own abilities and the process?

Danela's journey made her realize that she had to put in hard work and effort to achieve her goal, and that it's never too late to pursue what you want. She also learned that having diverse experiences can make one a better medical student and potentially a better doctor.

What advice does Danela give to others who may feel it's impossible to get into medicine?

Danela advises that if medicine is one's dream and they haven't given it their best shot, they should consider trying again, as many people have applied multiple times before succeeding.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Journey to Graduate Entry Medicine

Danela, a third-year graduate entry medical student in the UK, shares her unique journey into medicine. Born in Colombia and raised in London, she always had a passion for helping others and science. Despite obtaining ABB in her A levels, which initially shattered her dream of studying medicine, she pursued nursing for a year before realizing she wanted more responsibility. She then switched to a biomedical science degree, which she completed in 2018. After an unsuccessful first attempt at applying for graduate entry medicine due to a rushed application and lack of preparation, she worked as an Apple technician for four years, saving money and gaining life experience. Despite feeling it was too late, she decided to give it another shot, applying to graduate entry medicine again and eventually receiving an offer from the University of Buckingham, which she couldn't afford. However, this experience boosted her confidence, leading her to apply again and ultimately securing a place in medical school.

05:01

🌟 Overcoming Obstacles and Age Concerns

In this paragraph, Danela reflects on her decision to apply for graduate entry medicine again despite feeling it was too late due to her age. She emphasizes the importance of giving it her best shot to avoid future regrets. Danela worked hard on her application, gaining extensive work experience, volunteering, and shadowing to enrich her personal statement and interview responses. Her efforts paid off with interviews and an offer from Warwick University. She dispels the myth that it's too late to pursue medicine, highlighting classmates over 30 and 40 with families and different backgrounds who are thriving in the program. Danela also mentions the diversity of her course, with students from non-science backgrounds excelling in medicine. She encourages perseverance and dedication, sharing her story as proof that it's never impossible to achieve one's dream of becoming a doctor.

Keywords

💡Graduate Entry Medicine

Graduate Entry Medicine refers to a pathway into medical school for individuals who have already completed an undergraduate degree in a field other than medicine. In the video, the narrator discusses her journey into this program, highlighting the challenges and unique path she took to become a medical student. This concept is central to the video as it represents the ultimate goal the narrator is striving for.

💡A Levels

A Levels are advanced level General Certificate of Education qualifications in the UK, typically taken by students between the ages of 16 and 18. They are often used as a benchmark for university admissions. In the script, the narrator mentions her A Level results (ABB), which initially deterred her from pursuing medicine due to her perception of not being 'smart enough'.

💡Personal Statement

A personal statement is a written document that is part of a university application, particularly in the UK. It allows applicants to express their motivation and suitability for a particular course. The narrator mentions rushing her personal statement in her first attempt at applying for graduate entry medicine, which contributed to her lack of success initially.

💡UKCAT

The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is an admissions test used by some medical and dental schools in the UK. The narrator discusses her poor performance on the UKCAT due to insufficient preparation, which was a setback in her initial application process for graduate entry medicine.

💡Nursing

Nursing is a profession focused on the care of individuals who are ill or in need of medical attention. The narrator initially pursued a year of nursing as a stepping stone towards her goal of becoming a doctor, reflecting her desire to work with patients and in a healthcare setting.

💡Biomedical Science

Biomedical Science is a field that combines biology and medicine to enhance the understanding of health and disease. The narrator switched to studying biomedical science after leaving nursing, hoping it would open doors to medicine in the future. This decision was part of her strategic approach to eventually entering the field of medicine.

💡Work Experience

Work experience refers to the practical knowledge and skills gained through employment or internships. In the video, the narrator emphasizes the importance of gaining work experience in healthcare settings, such as volunteering at a hospital and working as a COVID responder, to strengthen her application for graduate entry medicine.

💡University of Buckingham

The University of Buckingham is a private university in the UK. The narrator received an offer from this university but was unable to attend due to the high cost of tuition fees. This experience was a turning point for her, boosting her confidence and motivating her to continue pursuing her dream.

💡Application

In the context of the video, an application refers to the process of applying to a university or a specific program, such as graduate entry medicine. The narrator describes her multiple attempts at applying, emphasizing the importance of persistence and dedication in achieving her goal.

💡Interview

An interview is a formal meeting where a candidate is assessed for a position or opportunity. The narrator discusses her experiences with medical school interviews, which are a crucial part of the admissions process. She mentions that her improved preparation and experiences led to her securing interviews and eventually an offer.

💡Diversity

Diversity in the video refers to the range of different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives represented among medical students. The narrator notes that her course includes individuals from various ages, family situations, and educational backgrounds, illustrating the inclusive nature of graduate entry medicine programs.

Highlights

Danela's journey into graduate entry medicine with pre-university and A-levels that were not top-tier.

Born in Colombia and raised in London, Danela always had a passion for becoming a doctor.

Chose A-levels in Spanish, Biology, and Maths, resulting in ABB grades which initially shattered her dream of studying medicine.

Decided to do a year of nursing to be close to the medical field but felt unfulfilled and quit after the first year.

Switched to studying Biomedical Science for 3 years, hoping it would open doors to Medicine in the future.

Graduated in 2018 and applied to graduate entry medicine but was unsuccessful due to a rushed application and lack of preparation.

Worked as a technician for Apple for 4 years, gaining valuable skills and saving money, but still felt the call to medicine.

Received an offer from the University of Buckingham but couldn't afford the tuition fee.

Decided to reapply for graduate entry medicine with renewed determination and a better application.

Worked hard on the UKCAT exam, gained extensive work experience, and volunteered as a hospital worker and COVID responder.

Applied to multiple universities and eventually received an offer from the University of Warwick.

Shares her love for medicine and how her experiences made her a better medical student.

Encourages others with diverse backgrounds and non-science degrees to pursue medicine if it's their passion.

Mentions the commonality of applicants who have tried multiple times before successfully getting into medical school.

Reflects on the hard work and effort required to make her dream of becoming a doctor a reality.

Endorses the value of perseverance and the belief that it's never too late to pursue one's dream of studying medicine.

Invites viewers to share their stories, questions, or comments in the comments section.

Transcripts

if you are wondering how I got into

graduate entry medicine with pre average

a levels and how maybe you can too then

this video is for

[Music]

you my name is danela and I am a third

year graduate entry medical student in

the UK and in this video I'm going to be

telling you everything about my journey

into medicine now it has been quite a

long process and it's very unique so I'm

going to start right at the beginning so

to give you some background I am from

Colombia originally I was born there but

moved to London when I was very young I

was raised in London I did my primary

school in secondary school there do my

gcses and I always knew that I wanted to

become a doctor ever since I was a child

I would like run towards somebody

whenever they got hurt I just wanted to

be there I wanted to care for people it

was just so instinctive to me I was

naturally very curious and I loved

science so I chose a levels that would

potentially open the door to medicine as

an undergraduate I did Spanish biology

and maths and I ended up getting ABB

overall as my great so that kind of

shattered my dream initially to study

medicine because I was never like the

smartest person in the room I was never

naturally clever I had to work really

really hard and I thought it took me

such hard work to get these grades I'm

never going to be able to make it into

medicine so I couldn't apply to

undergraduate medicine so I decided to

do a year of nursing instead I thought

that nursing would be like the closest

thing to being a doctor I really wanted

to work with patients and with other

people and within a team so yeah I did

nursing for a year although I think that

nurses are absolutely amazing and that

was a great experience for me to study

how to care for people I felt really

unfulfilled and I wanted to be the

person who was responsible and who made

decisions and who would like solve

problems and I just felt like I wasn't

really getting that with nursing so I

ended up quitting nursing after the

first year and I did biomedical science

instead hoping that I would enjoy

science more and that it would

potentially open doors to Medicine in

the future so biomedical science was 3

years in total I graduated from that in

2018 and I remember applying to graduate

entry medicine the year that I graduated

it was a very last minute decision

though I did not spend a lot of time

working on the application I totally

rushed my personal statement I didn't do

that well on the ukat exam because I

didn't prepare for it enough and I

didn't have a lot of work experience and

unsurprisingly I got no interviews and

no offers and I'm not going to lie that

kind of broke my heart and shattered

this hope that I would get into medicine

if anything it reinforced this idea that

I was not good enough to become a doctor

it's so funny cuz I actually had this

like weird notion that if it's meant to

be it was going to happen and it kind of

made me think that I didn't have to put

hard work or any effort into the

application because if I was just good

enough it was just going to be easy

which was just completely the wrong

mindset to have because if you want

something you have to work for it like

nothing is just ow to you which is kind

of the mentality that I had so yeah

didn't get into medicine so I decided to

work fulltime instead when I graduated

from biomed now I knew that I didn't

want to be a biomedical scientist

because I didn't just want to work in a

lab I wanted to work more with people

and again I wanted to be in a clinical

setting I wanted to be a doctor I ended

up working as a technician for Apple for

4 years and that was a great experience

I loved it I got to learn so many skills

I got to make some money and save some

money I got to travel quite a bit make

CL of friends and yeah overall really

great job but I still deep down you this

just is not for me this isn't right so I

then applied to the University of

Buckingham now Buckingham is a private

university and I kind of knew that but I

wasn't really aware of how the funding

works for it so I did my application I

did an interview it was an MMI and I

received an offer for Buckingham and

that moment for me was like oh my

goodness maybe I am good enough maybe I

can do this yeah I was so so so happy

and then I realized I have to pay

something like

£37,000 a year just for tuition I did

not have that amount of money just lying

around so sadly I couldn't end up going

there but that sort of push that sort of

confidence boost was enough to make me

think oh if I can get into Bingham then

maybe I can get into somewhere else so

that was when I decided I was going to

try and apply for graduate entry

medicine again by this point I was maybe

24 I think think and I had already

thought it's too late for me it's not

going to happen I'm too old I've just

missed my opportunity but I thought to

myself if I don't try if I don't give it

my best shot I know that in 10 20 years

time I'm going to regret this for the

rest of my life even if I give it my

100% And I don't get an offer at least I

will know that I gave it all of me and

it just didn't work out or it just

wasn't meant to be so I decided that I

was just going to give it my all do

absolutely everything that I could in my

power to make it the best application

ever I worked really really hard on the

UK exam I did loads of work experience I

worked as a volunteer for a hospital I

worked as a covid responder I did loads

of shadowing um yeah I did loads of

different things that would give me lots

to talk about in my personal statement

and in interviews and yeah worked really

really hard for about a year apped to to

quite a few different universities I

can't remember where else I applied

actually but anyway I applied got some

interviews and got an offer for war and

that is where I am now it feels a little

bit surreal that I'm here still I

remember getting that offer and thinking

surely there's been a mistake like

surely surely not but here I am and now

that I'm here I just absolutely love

what I do it is is exactly what I

thought that it was going to be and all

of those thoughts and those ideas I had

about it being too late just were not

true at all so many other people felt

exactly the same way and there are

people on my course now who are over 30

40 who have children who have families

who have mortgages who come from

completely different backgrounds and

they're able to make it work and they're

amazing medical students and will be

amazing doctors looking back I feel so

grateful that I actually had the time to

go away and do other things because as I

mentioned it gave me so many

opportunities to learn so much about

myself about what I wanted about who I

was and I feel like all of those

experiences and all of those lessons

make me better as a medical student and

will make me hopefully a better doctor

one day again so many other students on

my course come from completely different

backgrounds like non-science degrees

including things like law and languages

and Humanities and they're doing

amazingly well which should encourage

you if you are feeling like this isn't

something that you can do because if you

dedicate yourself and if you know this

is what you want to do then it is

entirely possible it is also really

common to hear of people who have

applied to medical school two three four

times before and have persevered and

have kept insisting and kept applying

and they made it in so again if you have

applied multiple times if medicine is

your dream and it just seems impossible

it really is not and I am a testament to

that and I'm such a huge advocate for

medicine and how amazing it is and so I

want to encourage you to really think

that if this is what you want to do and

you know that you haven't given it your

best shot then maybe you should so that

was my story of how I got into graduate

entry medicine in the UK I know that on

this side of it now looking back it just

seems super easy and like you know

everything just worked out for me but I

actually had to put so much work and so

much effort into it and it seemed really

impossible to me at the time but as I

say it is entirely possible and I love

it it's great so if you would like to

hear more about my story if you have any

questions or comments please leave them

in the comments below otherwise please

don't forget to like share and subscribe

and yeah thanks so much for being here

thanks for watching I'll see you next

time