No medical degree? No problem!
The graduate medical degree was introduced around seven years ago to combat the shortage of doctors and to give those who didn’t opt for a first degree in medicine the chance to become a doctor. The course covers the same information as an undergraduate medical degree but there is a difference in the way it is taught. Courses vary in content but the most innovative are structured around problem-based learning (PBL), which involves being presented each week with case histories, which you explore with your tutor before researching the problem and looking for a way to treat it. You also get to experience work in hospitals and general practice from an early stage in your training.
Qualifications and skills needed
To apply for the fast-track medical degree, most courses require a 2.1 or a first in a biological science degree but there are a few courses that will accept candidates with a 2.2 in any degree discipline. In addition to the right class of degree, some universities will also require you to sit an entrance exam, such as GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test) or MSAT (Medical School Admissions Test). Both of these exams test problem solving and communication skills. In addition, GAMSAT examines reasoning in biological and physical sciences. Candidates would need to study science independently in order to do well in this section of GAMSAT.
Relevant work experience is vital, although it does not necessarily have to be technical. The most important thing is seeing illness or disability from a patient’s perspective so working as a healthcare assistant, working with older people or with children with physical disabilities are the most common forms of work experience. To experience the more technical side of medicine, go on hospital visits and to GPs’ surgeries, and talk to staff to learn what their job entails. This experience should be in the year before application and those who dedicate a few months to gaining experience will be viewed more favourably when it comes to the application stage. You should also show admissions tutors your awareness of the qualities required to be a good doctor. These are:
- good intellectual ability, problem solving and critical skills with an understanding of lifelong learning
- honesty, integrity and conscientiousness
- helpfulness and a willingness to co-operate
- interpersonal skills, empathy, reflectiveness and an awareness of your own limitations
- ability to deal with stress
- attitudes necessary for good medical practice and patient care, such as not being judgmental, cultural awareness and sensitivity to life-cycle stages.
Finding a course and applications
The best place to find out about courses and their entry requirements is to search the UCAS website. It’s then useful to get a university prospectus and attend a scheduled open day. Applications are handled through UCAS and must be submitted by 15 October in the year prior to entry. You then have to apply to sit GAMSAT or MSAT by the end of October. The exams take place in November and January and the results are available in December and March. If you pass your exam, you will be asked to interview between January and April and offered a place if successful. Competition for courses can be fierce.
Advice for prospective candidates
A few universities don’t have upper age limits. However, applicants over the age of 35 need to seriously consider the implications of embarking on such a demanding career. It takes a minimum of nine to ten years to complete training in any specialty and some specialties may be reluctant to allow a late starter to begin specialist training. You need to show your commitment to the medical profession through relevant work experience, which will also help you to get a better insight into what a career in medicine involves. It is also important to demonstrate that you have researched the course when you come to interview. Finally, even if you have a scientific background, you should study hard for the entrance exam and not take your knowledge for granted – for GAMSAT non-science graduates often do better because they have to work for it.
