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Student Blog - Part 2: My Journey to Tooting via Gradmed

It took me 2 years to turn my life around, and many personal sacrifices, to be here (like so many others on the course). As anyone who is reading this will know, the competition to get into medical school is fierce. To get in on any kind of graduate entry programme is nigh on impossible. I had a 10% chance of success (now if someone prescribed you a drug with only a 10% success rate you’d have to be pretty ill to consider taking it wouldn’t you?). I realise just how privileged I am to be here.

 My graduate entry course is flawed but amazing. Having to timetable 2 years worth of study into 11 months must be a nightmare. It means the pace and volume of work is relentless. There are extraordinary people on the course (from diplomats, journalists, musicians and opera singers via nurses, physios and paramedics through to pilots and parents). Many of the younger students on the course have just gained excellent degrees from eminent universities. The course is competitive. Perhaps this will settle in time. Or perhaps this will remain as we battle for jobs at the end of the training.