• Question: I was wanting to pursue a career in Medicine. Could you give me any advice on how to get into Medical School and what I would need to do to be successful in a career choice like this. Thanks Adam

    Asked by AdamGreen21 to Angela, Claire, Ian, Robert, Sarah on 12 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Angela Stokes

      Angela Stokes answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      Hi Adam
      Great career choice – I hope you achieve your ambition.
      Medicine is usually oversubscribed at university level so it is often not enough to simply have 4 grade A, A levels in subjects such as chemistry, biology, physics, maths etc. My advice would be to try and find some volunteer work with patient groups or charities so that you stand out when the university is looking at your CV.

      I would try Alzheimers charities, hospices even work on local hospital wards as a volunteer. You could then get reference from people qualified to give opinion about your suitability for such a career.

      To be successful in this type of career it is essential you are happy to work hard and don’t expect to work a normal 9-5 day. It will be tough emotionally at times so you need to be able to switch off a bit from everything.

      Above all, if this is your dream, go for it, enjoy it, there will be setbacks along the way but don’t look at them as failures, consider them opportunities to try again. Good luck.

    • Photo: Sarah Harris

      Sarah Harris answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      I agree with what Angela said – it’s very important to have relevant work experience if you want a career in medicine. Getting a temporary job as a health care assistant in a hospital or care home will also stand you in very good stead. You can also find out about work experience abroad here: http://www.futuremorph.org/16plus/work-experience/opportunities-for-experience/

      It can be difficult getting in to medical school so try to be as prepared as possible. Once you’ve got work experience sorted and you’re on track with your grades, you might want to try practising for the UKCAT or BMAT test, which you’ll need to do to apply for medicine. These test skills related to learning medicine, such as verbal reasoning and identifying patterns. Try to get some practice interview too – ask your school careers advisor, teachers, or even friends and family to help.

      Good luck!

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