Graduate entry medicine courses are competitive to gain entry to.  Below, Laura Aldridge (Careers and Employability Consultant) gives her top ten tips for students who are applying for a place on a graduate entry medicine course, which is the first step in training to become a doctor.

1. Start your planning and research early!  Currently the deadline for applications to graduate medicine courses, via UCAS, is 15^th October of the year before you wish to start the course.
   
2. Research academic requirements of these different courses carefully, as they can vary considerably between universities.  Not all university admissions departments consider your A-level results when reviewing your application for a graduate medicine course, and some focus more on your predicted degree result and other attributes.  However, if there are A-level requirements for these courses, check them carefully and also find out which degree subject or result is required.
   
3. Find out if the universities you are applying to require you to take any additional tests.  Some of the universities also ask candidates to sit the BMAT, GAMSAT or UCAT tests.  In many cases, you need to sit these tests the summer before you apply to the courses, so check deadlines carefully.
   
4. Obtain work experience.  The work experience requirements will vary for different universities; however, all universities require some experience.  If you are interested in medicine, it is useful to gain voluntary work within a hospital setting.  However, other types of experience, for example volunteering in a care home or hospice can be just as valid and rewarding.
   
5. Work on your UCAS personal statement.  It is important to show evidence of your motivation for a career in medicine, within your UCAS application.  Work experience is also crucial in substantiating your personal statement.
   
6. Be aware of competition.  There can be as many as 10-20 applicants per place for graduate medicine courses.  Therefore, it is important to submit the strongest application possible and to obtain the best degree result which you can.  Please bear in mind that some candidates may have to reapply the following year, if their application to a graduate medicine course is rejected.
   
7. Have a back-up plan.  There are a number of other health professions which offer an accelerated route for graduates.  For example, it may be possible for science graduates to train in some of the allied health professions (such as speech therapy, dietetics and occupational therapy) via a two-year Masters course.  Similarly, there are accelerated courses available in nursing, which science graduates may be able to apply to.  There is also the option of the physician associate role.  Therefore, make sure you consider the full range of pathways open to you.
   
8. Check out funding sources.  Currently, it is possible to access some NHS funding towards the cost of the four-year graduate medicine course.  To find out more information about the funding available, please refer to the Health Careers website.
   
9. Remember that medicine is a vocation.  Although these careers can be incredibly rewarding, remember that the four-year course in medicine is very intensive.  Furthermore, following this course, it is necessary to complete a two-year foundation programme (which includes rotation around different medical specialities).  Following this, it can take many more years to train in some medical fields.  Therefore, due to the commitment involved, it is important to think about whether medicine is the right choice for you, and to research this career area as much as possible.
   
10. Find out about the range of different specialities within medicine.  This can help with future career planning and may also be a topic which you could be asked about at an interview for a place on a medicine course.
    

A table, which gives an overview of the academic entry requirements for different Medical Schools, can also be viewed here.  Please note that as universities can change their academic entry requirements, at any time, students are advised to also check these requirements directly on individual university websites.  All information contained in this Blog piece is correct as of April 2022, but please remember that some facts may be subject to change.

To book an appointment with Laura or another member of the Careers, Employability and Enterprise Team please go to Byrom Careers Zone, telephone 0151 231 2048 or email: careers@ljmu.ac.uk

An online workshop about applying to graduate entry medicine ran on Wednesday 6 April.  You can access Laura’s slides from this workshop here.  George Bibby, an LJMU biomedical science graduate who is now studying medicine at the University of Warwick, gave a presentation at this event.  You can access the recording of his presentation here. Further details of other upcoming careers and employer events can be found here.