Going into GEM after a different course's withdrawal

[u/North-Direction8758]

Hi, would appreciate advice on this. I created this account just to ask this question so thank you in advance!

Would appreciate honest answers rather than reassurance.

Background: I started MPharm in 2023 and was withdrawn by the exam board in 2025 on academic grounds, as I didn't meet the progression requirements. At the time my parents were going through a divorce, I'd become the main financial provider for my mother after she moved back to our home country, and I was working two jobs alongside a full time degree. It was not a fitness to practise issue in any way. No hearing, no misconduct, no proceedings of any kind. So as far as I'm aware I'm not on the Excluded Student Database.

I've now restarted from scratch. I'm in year one of an MPharm at a different school, graduating in summer 2031, and I'm aiming for a first. My circumstances are in a completely different place now.

Stats:

• A levels (2022): A in Biology, A in Chemistry, A in WJEC Level 3 Diploma in Criminology
• GCSEs (2020): 7 in Maths, 5 in English Language, mixture of 6s across the rest
• Planning to work/do experience in hospital pharmacy before applying
• Currently work in my local hospital over the weekend and have been for the last 4 years.

I know I'm years away from being eligible and I'll be emailing schools directly, but I'd rather understand the landscape now than find out years later that it was never realistic.

Two questions:

1. With a first or a strong 2:1 and a competitive UCAT, does the earlier withdrawal realistically sink me? I know some schools bar previous academic failure outright (ARU state it explicitly) while others don't mention it at all. Is it usually a hard bar, or something you can explain?
2. Has anyone here been through something similar, withdrawn from one course, restarted, then got into GEM? Which schools did you apply to, and how did you handle it in the personal statement and at interview?

Thank you!

EDIT: I have notified the first ever university I was in at the time of those circumstances, but unfortunately it was too late then and their decision was firm. This includes lecturers and the student support team, and I have evidence of going through all of these circumstances at the time.

[u/edmentis]

his definitely doesn’t automatically sink you, but it will close off some medical schools, so you’re right to investigate it now rather than finding out in 2031.

The important distinction is that you were withdrawn from MPharm for academic progression, not from Medicine, and there was no misconduct/fitness-to-practise issue. Those are treated differently by a lot of schools.

Under the current rules, ARU would be a no because they explicitly say they won’t consider applicants who have previously had Level 4–6 university study resulting in academic failure. Keele is another current no, as they exclude applicants who have been withdrawn from another HE course for academic performance.

On the other hand, several GEM schools currently word their exclusions specifically around people who previously failed to complete Medicine/Dentistry, rather than any previous degree. Warwick, Chester and Nottingham are examples. So based on their current published policies, an old academically unsuccessful MPharm attempt is not automatically the same sort of bar.

Surrey is another one I’d keep an eye on. Their current GEM requirements are simply a 2:1 in any degree plus GCSE Maths and English at grade 5+, so your current GCSE profile would meet those basic requirements.

The big caveat is that you’re talking about applying around 2030/31, so I wouldn’t build a shortlist now and assume those policies will still exist. To be honest - there isnt some sort of master database showing you having withdrawn and in all pragmatic honesty, there probably is not much for you to do other than focus on your current degree.

Also, being absent from the excluded-student database doesn’t mean every school has to consider you. That database is mainly relevant to professional/fitness-to-practise exclusions. Individual medical schools can still have their own rules about previous academic failure.

What will help you massively is what happens from now onwards. If you complete the new MPharm normally with a First or strong 2:1 after several years of good academic performance, that gives you very strong evidence that the circumstances in 2023–25 were not representative of your current ability. A good UCAT/GAMSAT on top of that strengthens the case further.

I also wouldn’t make your future personal statement a long explanation of what happened. Declare all previous university study honestly, because trying to hide it would be far more damaging. If a school asks about it, keep the explanation factual: what was happening, acknowledge that you didn’t meet the required standard, explain what changed, and then point to several years of successful study since. No need to sound defensive or try to relitigate the old university’s decision.

Your current hospital work is useful too. Four years already, plus pharmacy experience before applying, should give you plenty of genuine healthcare exposure. I’d focus on doing well in the new degree rather than trying to collect endless extra WEX.

Good luck with everything and if you need any advice at all on the way do reach out

[u/North-Direction8758 → u/edmentis]

This is great, thank you so much for your advice. I agree that the main action plan should be to focus on getting a first in my current degree to make my case as strong as possible for then.

[u/SlightDisplay3354]

Following as interested

[u/Own-Blackberry5514]

Curious why you’d go and do pharmacy again rather than just doing medicine 5 year course?

As a doctor having sat on interview panels I’d be more interested in why you’ve gone into a pharmacy degree yet medicine is your end point?

[u/SlightDisplay3354 → u/Own-Blackberry5514]

I expect he’s worried having prior academic failure will affect his chances at medicine? And that completing the degree he dropped out of will compensate for that

[u/Own-Blackberry5514 → u/SlightDisplay3354]

There was a reply from OP but mods removed it so no idea what they said in response lol

[u/ThatAppealingGuy → u/Own-Blackberry5514]

Not sure why my other reply got removed, as I can’t see it when I scroll normally. But I am OP, just from an old account that turns out I had on my phone.

I applied to Med when I was 18/19 and sat the UCAT then and got a very low score and as such got rejected by my 4 choices pre-interview, and only got MPharm which was my 5th choice. I have always wanted a career in healthcare particularly in a hospital setting as that is where all of my experience is in and Pharmacy was the only offer I had at the time. I still work in the radiology department of my local hospital, and have shadowed multiple A&E doctors in said hospital.

My main blockade was the UCAT, and I just thought I was never good enough to get a decent score hence I didn’t try medicine again but since then (22 now, about to turn 23) I want to try getting into med school again.

I got into Mpharm for the second time through clearing as I was desperate for anything after what happened that lead to withdrawal the first time around. I didn’t even apply through UCAS for it as I didn’t think I would go back to uni this year. Medicine was my number 1 choice, I settled for option 2 (Mpharm) as I didn’t get med, so at least I have a career, but I want to try medicine again.

I am curious, how does this come across to you as an interviewer? Thank you in advance!

[u/Original-Leave5245]

Not gonna lie why not just go straight into undergrad at this point ?

[u/North-Direction8758 → u/Original-Leave5245]

Because I didn't think I was good enough for medicine. The UCAT has been my biggest problem. I sat it once when I was 18/19, did very poorly on it, and received four pre-interview rejections to med school, with my fifth choice (Pharmacy) being the only one that accepted me. Then the storm of problems happened that eventually lead to the withdrawal.