Alternative Pathways to Medicine…Have you considered a Foundation Year?
Even though there seems to be countless guides out there on medical school and getting into medicine, it is still quite the enigma – especially for those who are the first in their family to go to university, or those who attend a school that doesn’t have much support for medicine applicants.
It is a common belief that there is only one straight path into medicine: as an 18-year-old who has just left sixth form with their 3 A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Maths. That is far from true. While yes, it may be the common pathway, it is certainly not the only one. There is postgraduate entry medicine, the opportunity to study medicine abroad, or even studying medicine with a foundation year. I will share with you how and where you can study medicine with a foundation year as well as tell you about my own experience!
I’m in my third year studying Medicine at the University of Southampton, I am on the BM6 programme which is the standard 5 year course with an additional foundation year. My foundation year equipped me for medicine in more ways that I can count. Firstly, the cohort is class-size, only 30 students, which means you can form great interpersonal relationships with both your fellow students, and your lecturers. Another benefit to the small class size was that it encouraged me to participate freely in class discussions, and I personally became much more confident and comfortable when sharing my ideas and perspectives (goodbye Imposter Syndrome)! I had observational placements throughout my foundation year, with my first ever hospital placement being on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) – lessons from which I still carry with me today. There are tutorials once a week, in small groups of around 10 students, and the assignments ranged from group presentations to essays and scientific reports. Again, all of this prepared me extremely well for the 5-year programme. At Southampton there is also a year-long module dedicated to professional practice, where you get the opportunity to learn all about professionalism as a doctor, ethics, and the importance of reflection (to name a few). This professional practice module taught me skills that any future doctor needs to use, and skills that I will continue to use for the remainder of my career.
For further information you may like to see this list of universities that offer Foundation Medicine courses. Check if you meet their eligibility criteria, they are quite specific, and if you apply without checking your eligibility it will result in an instant rejection from the university (not great when Medicine applicants are already limited to 4 choices)! I hope this post has opened your mind to Medicine with a Foundation Year as another entry into Medicine!
There is a wealth of information on the ALSA website about applying to medicine, ranging from personal statement templates to guides to interviews and UCAT preparation. Get in contact with us if you have any questions! Thank you for reading! :)
Download this PDF for a full list of links to foundation medicine courses:
Blog Written by Lorinda S
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