Redoing GCSE's as an adult?

[Spuddy]

Has anyone had to take GCSE's as an adult, either for the first time or a resit?

If so did you do it online/distance learning or at college, such as evening classes? Why did you choose that method of learning, pros and cons you discovered with it?

Basically the situation is, Im 24 and in my final year of a BioMedical science degree but need to retake a couple of GCSE's.

I've had a change of heart career wise and rather than pursue a life in research I'd like to pursue a career in medicine. However due to quite frankly very odd entry requirements I need GCSE maths and English at grade B, currently I only have them at grade C.

My degree in BioMed cancels out the need for chemistry and maths A-levels (which I don't have anyways) BUT I'm still required to have the GCSE's one grade higher, oddly..... The entry requirements are all very odd!

I could do the accelerated 4 year medicine degree with no problems and just use my degree but would mean moving away from my hometown which Id rather not do. Strangely the undergraduate 5 year courses have stricter entry requirements, even for a graduate.

 

[Spuddy]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses.

Have you approached them to see if the entry requirements can be flexible given your current position and impending much higher level qualification?

Yeah I've already spoken to the chosen institute, its Hull York Medical School (HYMS). The admissions tutor on the phone said it is one of those odd formal requirements that they have, even though I clearly can and do work at GCSE B grade or higher in English and Maths due to the nature of my degree.

He recommended I do those and my application will be quite strong based on my degree and 7 years work experience in a hospital.

Yes - I did this about 7 years ago (after graduating from Uni), so roughly the age you're at now. At the time it was also for potential career choices (which funnily enough haven't come about)

If I remember correctly, I paid roughly £200, which included evening classes. Though I didn't attend many, there was coursework involved, so you had to go in for experiments (science related). In the end, I came away with a B, so similar to what you require.

In regards to English, I'm sure you could just arrive at the exam and find it relatively easy, just brushing up on the basics. Though again, there will be coursework involved.

Hope it helped.

Glad to see its not too expensive though at night school. I detest the thought of having to go back to college, during the day and sit with all the 16 year olds though so glad night school is an option.

Yeah Im sure English wouldn't be a problem, strangely enough Im often praised at University for my great writing skills in assignments. I guess I was just a late bloomer having only scraped a C in GCSE.

It's probably the Maths that I will have to re-familiarise myself with as Im sure there is a lot of content that I don't have to use for my degree that I would encounter on the paper and be sat there with a bewildered look on my face.

Do talk to admissions staff at your target institution. But if they insist, possibly have a look at https://www.nec.ac.uk/, if evening college isn't doable?

You can also self-study for some syllabus, paying your local college or school to put you in for the exam; which is the cheapest option, I think. With the NEC, you pay for the course, and the for each exam entry.

Thank you, just had a really quick scan on that NEC page before I dash off to Uni and it looks promising. Seems like its all study from home and they arrange the exam for you? I'm hoping to sit English and Maths in January rather than wait until summer 2017. As apparently I'm too late for this years summer exams.

 

[Spuddy]

yet you might end up having to move away from your home town anyway once you need to get a job...

I'd go for the 4 year option - you're costing yourself a low six figure sum by not taking it... you'll lose a year of your career not as a junior but a year as a consultant or fully qualified GP at your final salary...

I already have a job now in a hospital part time, which is going to help fund the 9k a year tuition loan as I cannot get a tuition loan for this (due to it being my 2nd degree). I can get graduate accelerated medicine (4 year course) funded though, its such stupid rules as you don't pay for the final year in undergrad anyways.

I know I'll likely have to move away at some point, it just doesn't make that much financial sense to do it at the moment whilst studying.

Yes, you have a choice of either sitting the exam at one of their exam centres or a list of local schools and colleges, for which they'll give relevant contact details. They send you the chunk (one big binder): their own set of materials covering the syllabus, plus guides for exams and admin stuff; and a tutor will be there (phone/email/snail-mail) for marking homework, coursework, advice, etc. Because you don't have to do lab work, Maths and English is easy via distance learning, and IGCSEs, I think, just require the exam -- no coursework.

NEC was the precursor to the Open University model, so the way they handle things is very similar.

Apparently, these guys do what you need too: https://www.icslearn.co.uk/

The advantage of night school is that you get taught live, and there's your peer group for help and support. With distance learning you have to be organised to avoid letting it slip.

Thanks, yeah I guess there is pro's and con's to both, I've had a look and my local college offer both english and maths night schools and would be handy to have someone right there for help and support if I get stuck, don't imagine I will (or hope not too) very often.

The english is 60% coursework and Im hoping that maybe regular "feedback" with a tutor at night school can see me achieving a good 50-55% of that potential 60% to ensure I achieve a good grade overall.

I'll take a look at ICS too thanks, I may also take on a couple of extra GCSE's if they're cheap enough to try and get a couple of A's out of them to further improve my chances.

Have you considered graduate medicine elsewhere, like London?

I have but I imagine London will be far too expensive for me and imperial college have really high standards for entry to even graduate medicine, they would want me to take my A-levels this year before applying.

I think Conquer maths covers the full curriculum so you could join that then book the exam.

http://www.conquermaths.com/

Some info here -

http://he-exams.wikia.com/wiki/Maths

Thank you! I will take a look at that now

I did the GAMSAT(worst exam of life...) myself, I ended up not following through after a change of heart.

If I was in your shoes I'd just do the UKCAT (it's fairly straightforward) and go to another uni. It's also funded through graduate program I think or something, this was good few years ago when I was applying.

You live near leeds? leeds uni do graduate medicine and use the UKCAT I think. If that is close to you. All unis you are looking at who offer undergrad medicine will also have a graduate medicine course. You basically spend your first couple years with the undergrads anyway. You'd also save yourself an extra year and extra costs.

Yeah I've had a look at GAMSAT past papers/questions, they look awful! Especially random stuff like interpreting lyrics to a song with other songs, so stupid!

HYMS medical school require UKCAT not the GAMSAT thankfully, Nottingham require the GAMSAT for accelerated medicine.

Not all uni's do offer accelerated graduate medicine which is 4 years (UCAS code :A101), theres only about 10 in the country that do. Although all uni's that offer undergraduate medicine have 'graduate entry' onto the undergraduate degree. Thats what Im applying for at HYMS as they have no accelerated degree course.

 

[Spuddy]

What about places like St. Georges? http://www.sgul.ac.uk/

Thanks, St. Georges looks really nice! Entry requirements seem pretty lenient too only requiring 2:2 or higher.

I'll have to look into moving and living costs.

The only thing that puts me off is that dreaded GAMSAT test, arghhh.

Good luck with applications but think very very very hard about doing medicine especially with everything going on.

I would honestly spend some time talking to any doctors that you may know personally to make a balanced decision.

Thank you, yeah I've thought long and hard for several years now, it definitely is the career for me.

Worst comes to the worst I would have to leave the NHS/UK and move abroad somewhere to practise. Aiming to emigrate to NZ after my degree anyways if Im honest.

 

[Spuddy]

I'm in the same boat - have grade C maths and English however Physiotherapy wanted grade B.

So I redid them with ICS. Got another grade C in maths and had to resit which I'm waiting on results for although i'll be lucky if I pass this time as no time.
They turned me down for physiotherapy simply because I was acing the access course however I didn't have a grade B in maths....

It sucks doesn't it.

Did you find that you only got a C in maths because you didn't revise much at home in your own time? Because there was nobody pushing you/helping you such as what you would receive at night school?

Im going to pop into my local college tomorrow for some information.

 

[Spuddy]

This. You really need to be sure it is a career you'll enjoy. What have you done in terms of real hands on experience or shadowing?

7 years work experience on a general and plastic surgery ward.

also got to know a couple of the nurses very well during that time haha

In all fairness I aced the English because I can speak it properly and understand it. I did an Igcse with ICS but was difficult to find things on it as the syllabus is different for maths. I was getting Bs on the past papers I did but no good. I think a teacher would help me to understand it better as I can fire questions.

Ok thanks for your input man. I went into the college today and they're ringing me back next week as its half term and the head maths guy isn't yet back on campus. I can enrol for English though starting in September...

it doesn't make any financial sense to not do it - you're essentially costing yourself a couple of hundred grand or so

if you can get the grad course funded and you don't need to be distracted sitting GCSEs whilst completing your current degree then it seems like a no brainer compared with the undergrad option that you'll not get funded and will have to work part time... (maybe feasible in the first couple of years but medics tend to have a tough workload and you could easily regret being reliant on having to rely on paid work while studying)

I'd seriously consider this:



or a similar 4 year course at Leeds etc..

I wish I would be earning a couple of hundred grand a year. Moving away would also mean giving up things like my car, which I worked very hard for to be able to afford with zero finance so its mine. But living away from home without a job, no way could I afford to run it. Theres also family, friends and girlfriend all here too which I would be leaving behind.

I wish Leeds did offer a 4 year course as I would be applying instantly as its easily commutable.

The only way I can afford undergrad is if I stay in my hometown and continue working at the hospital on the weekends like I currently do and get a student loan (6k a year) to use against the fee's then make up the other 3k from my wages. The 5th year of undergrad is completely funded by the NHS, so I would only need to continue to work for the next 4 years if I wanted.

I am going to applying for HYMS undergraduate and then 3 graduate placements also when the applications open. Probably St George, Nottingham and Newcastle.