The GCSE results thread

mufcmark · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:21

bhavv said:
I suppose that GCSEs didnt teach you to realize when people are telling porkies to avoid the reality of why they were turned down

(He must have flunked his interview, thats all there is too it).

Didn't even get an interview. Must have flunked the ukcat.

bhavv · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:22

mufcmark said:
The game has changed a lot in ten years. People got in with lesser grades back then in their A levels as well but perhaps they were harder back in those days?

With the game changing so much, GCSEs are LESS important today than they were a decade ago (back then you still needed 5 A's at GCSE to get onto Medicine).

What were his A level subjects and grades, and which GCSE subjects did he have B's in?

ps3ud0 · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:25

mufcmark said:
The game has changed a lot in ten years. People got in with lesser grades back then in their A levels as well but perhaps they were harder back in those days?

No it hasnt - you still do GCSEs and A levels just like I did and they havent changed significantly in structure since they were formed. Only things like modular examinations and the disconnect between an AS and full A level...

Far more likely that, unlike your summation, GCSEs mean diddly-squat when it comes to Med entrance and quite a lot of other career paths, educational or not

.

EDIT: Plenty of time to make amends at GCSE age so all is not lost - far from it in fact...

ps3ud0 :cool:

bhavv · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:28

This somewhat reminds me of the least intelligent cousin I have.

She didnt do too badly, she got 3 or 4 C's then the rest were fail grades (both me and bro had 6 B's and a few C's, and two other sibling cousins had straight A's, one with a Law degree and good job now).

Then somewhere along the line a bad egg got ferti..... erm, wait thats too harsh, I mean, she prolly fell down the stairs as an infant :x

Anyway, she had a few C's at GCSE, but managed to get onto some kind of 'Applied Science GNVQ'. During her first year she was 100% fully convinced that she could still get onto medicine.

..... I have no idea what went wrong with that one. Her favorite hobby was pushing people over and laughing at them when they fell :x ... Oh yea, and she ended up becoming rather awesome at both rugby and judo too. She was scary, she could easily pwn people more than twice her size.

mufcmark · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:31

bhavv said:
With the game changing so much, GCSEs are LESS important today than they were a decade ago (back then you still needed 5 A's at GCSE to get onto Medicine).

Explain how they are less important today? If anything they have become more important due to the competition for places and it's use as a method of differentiating candidates.

Taken from Queens requirements for dentistry:

The scoring system used at Stage 1 will be based on GCSE performance and UKCAT results. GCSEs will be scored using a points system with 4 points for an A* and 3 for an A grade based on the best 9 subjects. The UKCAT score will then be added or subtracted from this total (see above). The combined GCSE/UKCAT threshold required to qualify for an interview varies from year to year according to supply and demand.
Additional grade As at GCSE and Year 13 AS performance (Year 12 in England and Wales) may also be used to distinguish between applicants on the same points score. Therefore where candidates have not cashed in AS-levels, it is helpful if equivalent grades are stated either in the school report or the personal statement on the UCAS form.

StriderX · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:34

mufcmark said:
Explain how they are less important today? If anything they have become more important due to the competition for places and it's use as a method of differentiating candidates.

Taken from Queens requirements for dentistry:

Important for the WRONG reasons, its not really about the exams per say, its more about the culture of teaching FOR exams rather than focusing on simply teaching.

That is about as simple as i can put it.

bhavv · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:34

He probably didnt do well enough on his UKCAT then.

bhavv · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:37

Erm, also ...

GCSEs will be scored using a points system with 4 points for an A* and 3 for an A grade based on the best 9 subjects.

So surely his B's wont have mattered then?

Oh right, he only had 7 A*s and A's ... Thats definitely gotten tougher for Medicine and Dentistry then :x

mufcmark · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:40

bhavv said:
Erm, also ...

So surely his B's wont have mattered then?

That's a 6 points lost essentially, that probably puts a lot of people higher up in the list than him.

bhavv · 26 Aug 2011 at 23:41

Yea I noticed after that he only had 6 A* and 1 A .... Thats rather harsh.

I suppose he could do Pharmacy or Chemistry instead? He sounds clever enough not to have to do Biology.

Basically, the value of science degrees is something like:

Medicine > Dentistry > Optometry / Physics > Pharmacy / Chemistry > Anything with Bio in the name.

Macky · 27 Aug 2011 at 00:02

Anyone got any idea when 6th form starts?

PermaBanned · 27 Aug 2011 at 00:03

Macky said:
Anyone got any idea when 6th form starts?

Well first thing i have is on the 6th, but it doesn't start 'proper' until the 9th for me.

Macky · 27 Aug 2011 at 00:23

Apparently the Autumn term starts on the 30th of August for my college. I checked another one around here and that starts on the 7th. Most things start on the 7th round here I think. That is bull**** if I have to start a week early.

PermaBanned · 27 Aug 2011 at 00:26

Macky said:
Apparently the Autumn term starts on the 30th of August for my college. I checked another one around here and that starts on the 7th. Most things start on the 7th round here I think. That is bull**** if I have to start a week early.

What, like this Monday coming? I doubt that, if people just got their results and most just signed up today (yesterday?) they wouldn't take so little time to even do the timetabling.

TheCenturion · 27 Aug 2011 at 00:27

mufcmark said:
True as long as you don't have any B's, they wanted A's in all subjects. I don't think many of you comprehend how competitive it is to get into medicine.

You can have B's and get into medicine though, it would be ridiculous if you couldn't.

Macky · 27 Aug 2011 at 00:28

PermaBanned said:
What, like this Monday coming? I doubt that, if people just got their results and most just signed up today (yesterday?) they wouldn't take so little time to even do the timetabling.

Well I've definitely got a taster day on the 30th and an interview on the 29th. I hope it doesn't start just after the taster day though.

I've got to admit, not quite ready yet, will be a big shock.

LiamJ · 27 Aug 2011 at 00:42

English - A
English Lit - A
Maths - A*
Physics - A*
Chemistry - A*
Biology - A (2 UMS marks off an A*)
French - A*
Geography - A
R.S. - A (3 UMS marks off an A*)
P.E. - B
Thinking and Reasoning Skills - Distinction

Bit disappointed tbh.

bhavv · 27 Aug 2011 at 02:54

TheCenturion said:
You can have B's and get into medicine though, it would be ridiculous if you couldn't.

You can, but they count your top 9 grades now - 4 points for an A*, 3 points for an A, and nothing for a B or less, then you have to sit an entrance exam on top.

They add the two scores together and determine places based on that for both Medicine and Dentistry.

If you have 9 A*s, then it doesnt matter what else you have as only those 9 count, but if you have 6 A*, 1 A, and 2 B's, thats only 7 grades counted out of the 9 max, leaving you 6-9 points short from someone with 9 A*s - As.

LiamJ said:
Bit disappointed tbh.

Well you didnt get 9 A*s, so no Medicine or Dentistry for you apparently :x

LiamJ · 27 Aug 2011 at 12:00

I know, so unfortunate! Still, my plan is to do something like Investment banking or Finance Management in the future, so hopefully it will be enough.

SubScape · 27 Aug 2011 at 14:34

I've never seen a sixth form with uniform either

don't think I could wear one for another 2 years