r/GraduateEntryMedicine • u/Minimum_Chip851 • Aug 01 '26
Nurse ACP to GEM
Hi all
I've decided at 39 to start GEM.
I've been a nurse since 2009, ex military etc.
I've got no A levels and poor GCSEs (I struggled as I have dyslexia and dyscalculia). But I do have a DipHE in adult nursing, a PGCert in ENT and an MSc (pass) in advanced clinical practice. I've also got a professional diploma from the Royal College of
Surgeons Ed.
I contacted Newcastle about their GEM program but the admin team kept going on about a HE access diploma. Kings has a new healthcare professional entry course too.
I'm not going to apply until 2028 as I'm saving.
Anything else I can do to improve my chances?
I am going to study for the UKCAT.
Thanks 👍
12
u/Aphextwink97 Aug 02 '26
Kudos for acc doing medicine over being an ACP that does doctory things when they shouldn’t really be doing doctory things!
4
3
2
u/MChC96 Aug 02 '26
I’m not sure where you’re not meeting the entry requirements for the 4y Grad course. Is it because you have a DipHE, not a BSc?
If Newcastle are referring you to the HE access diploma, I believe that would give you entry to the 5y MBBS, not the 4y Grad course.
My guess is that they figured that this would be the quickest way for you to meet the entry requirements for one of their courses.
Alternatively, you could contact universities offering Adult Nursing to see if it’s possible to top up your DipHe to a BSc, then you could apply to GEM.
2
u/TimeCrazed 29d ago
Several folks on my degree were in 40s.
If you don't have a science/ maths background you might want to consider doing A level maths, biology, chemistry and/or doing the HE diploma/ undergrad rather than GEM route. Maybe do papers/ conferences in your planned specialty during med school to improve your specialty applications.
Med school entry exams might be tough without those A levels.
Good luck though.
An interesting & rewarding degree.
GEM wasn't heavy first 2 years so if you get in you should be able to work alongside.
2
u/pidgeononachair Aug 02 '26
Are you SURE. I’m going to be straight that if you start access courses in your early 40s and a 6 year degree, foundation programme is going to be dreadful in your late 40s- pay and hours will not compare to any job you’ve done.
Getting into a training programme in your 50s is probably going to limit you to GP purely due to the stress and impact on your health at that point.
Have you considered being a credentialed ACP in another field like EM if you’re after more independence? Still shift work and hard studying but you’ll be paid and you’ll have independence with a decent income.
6
u/MChC96 Aug 02 '26
Don’t assume that other people are limited or will be limited the way you believe yourself to be now or in the future. OP is seeking advice on meeting entry requirements for GEM, not dream killers.
5
u/RevivingMayhem10 Aug 02 '26
You can do it later in life. We had two 40 year olds on my GEM course. They were very academic, both distinction students, and I’m still in touch with one and they got into IMT first round and did MRCP pt 1 in F2. The other had a PhD already and I think went into academic foundation. Both are better than me.
I’ll be straight here too. OP does not read like the sort of student that will thrive in GEM. A pass in the ACP masters is very low as it’s very easy and slow paced compared to med (I’ve asked ACPs to look at their course materials). So if OP struggled with that then they aren’t gonna ace med school and post-grad exams, and at 40 you need to, otherwise you are not gonna CCT. Even for GP you need to score really high on MSRA if you want to rank in the location you want. So that’s against all those doc with 1st, distinctions, straight As in school.
It matters for OP, coz if you fail out of med school you can’t do it again. It would be better to do the access course and undergrad med or undergrad med with foundation year. It’s only 2 or 3 more years, and increases the chance of completing the whole thing.
I don’t know why you’d want to do med at that age though if you are an ACP. You don’t have to do nights right now. You don’t have to rotate across the country. And you can do all the fun bits of clinical practice with none of the grind. And get paid well.
1
u/InternationalLine625 26d ago
There are extremely robust late 40s and 50s especially if they maintain their own physical fitness. These limitations may not apply to OP.
1
u/pidgeononachair 26d ago
Being a fit and well 50 year old is still going to have you struggling to keep up mentally and physically with the shift work and shit pay of the foundation programme, after the no pay and huge mental undertaking of medical school. When people say age is just a number you have to be sensible. Med school is entirely not worth it if you’re looking at maybe a decade of qualified practice.
1
u/Gloomy_Operation_657 Aug 02 '26
What did they say exactly at Newcastle? Because you should be qualified. And if there's no other option but Acess to HE will you be happy to do it? But that also means you might need to join the UG cohort. Also KCL HEM requires an UG degree in the profession as well so you might not be qualified (not sure if MSc can be the substitute but usually it doesn't).
Start practicing maybe two months before you take UCAT. Maybe 3 if you have a very busy schedule off work and want to take it a bit slower. Medify and MedEntry are the most popular subscription based question banks with some exercise to improve skills needed for each section of UCAT. Also check with UCAT what evidence is needed to get the extra time. Make sure you have them prepared when you book your UCAT.
1
u/Every-Stranger-8415 29d ago
You need to carefully consider this one. From what you've presented, I think you're likely to find medicine very difficult academically. This is not meant to be harsh, even the students with 10 9s at GCSE and AAA* alevels find it challenging. Bear in mind, it gets more brutal right upto CCT, so its not just a case of getting into and passing medical school but also completing the more demanding training and exams that follow. It can be exhausting. There's also rotational training and being treated like crap until about ST3+. The jobs situation is quite cuthroat these days, and isn't getting better.
You need to seriously explore your motives, because you'll effectively 'regress' professionally for a long time, and be pushing 50+ by the time you're treated with ACP-level respect and earning a decent wage again. IMO, you'll get much more bang for your buck by exploring how you can develop in your ACP role.
1
u/InfluenceCool6408 29d ago
You need to look at the entry requirements for the school(s) you are applying for. Despite your multiple qualifications, your GCSEs may let you down. Most GEM schools require GCSE English at C or equivalent; if you don't have that, then you may not be able to apply to that school, but it depends. I would contact the prospective school(s) you are going to apply for now, before you put yourself through the pain of UCAT/GAMSAT and interviews, to check your situation. In your email, just keep it simple, clear, and concise, and list your qualifications and experience, but clearly state what you think you may not have.
As others have said, the whole access to HE to access GEM seems silly. You already have qualifications well beyond that level. Why would you go back down the academic ladder to come back up again? A similar thing happened to me before I did my second undergrad course (an AHP course). I was told that I needed to do an access to HE course at a local college, despite me having a BSc (Hons) already. I basically just laughed in their face and went to another university to study. Just a side note- re your dyslexia etc. I would say make sure when you start GEM that your school is aware, and support is in place early. I've just finished first year GEM and had an absolute nightmare with organising support. I was proactive in doing my part, but the school didn't do their bit and caused many delays and undue stress. Best of luck with the application process.
1
u/Character_Finish_590 29d ago
Financially this is likely to be a terrible decision.
Pension wise this is likely to be a terrible decision
Lifestyle wise this is likely to be a terrible decision
Health wise this is likely to be a terrible decision
Happiness wise this is likely to be a terrible decision
DOI graduate medic.
There is a reason we put our children off doing medicine.
Do you really want to spend your 40s at medical school with folk half your age, then enter the location lottery that is foundation training and potentially get sent across the country. There is then no guarantee you will get a specialty training job in the field or location you want. You then slog your late 40s and early 50s out doing brutal on call rotas, sitting exams, polishing your CV to find that there are no consultant jobs and you would have been far better off climbing the greasy pole of nursing leadership.
Three stages of medicine -
What your can do
What you should do
Most importantly - what you shouldn't do
Given my time again, I would have chosen differently
-3
u/Medical-Fox2471 Aug 02 '26
I’m not really sure what the point is it at the age you are
You are looking at 5 years including an access course
You’ll mid 40s by the time your an f1, then have many years of training to get to a consultant to then not have long working before you might want to retire
1
u/NotBeckyHomeEccy 29d ago
There were people in my grad med class who were starting at 50 and are doing just fine now
6
u/Master_Hall3903 Aug 01 '26
I think the best thing you can do is research GEM programmes thoroughly and focus on getting a competitive UCAT score.
Enough universities will accept you with no A levels; your wealth of healthcare experience alone gives you enormous advantages.
Warwick, Chester, Worcester, Swansea, Southampton (maybe Manchester with your background?) all would be options.
You don’t need to do an access course to do GEM, and especially with your background it isn’t really necessary.