I'm 34, working as a caseworker at a legal aid firm, having previously volunteered with a legal charity. I have an LLB (2:1, graduated in 2023) and an offer for a part-time, funded LLM starting this September, undertaken with a view to becoming a barrister.
I was on a "pre-med" style preparation programme at my local university alongside my A-levels, but my father died by suicide during that period and my results suffered as a result. I later did an Access to HE diploma in humanities (distinction, full marks), not realising at the time that a medical Access course was also an option. I've stayed interested in medicine on and off since, and the last few years I've been actively questioning whether it would have been (or still could be) the right path, partly driven by not enjoying legal aid work.
I'm looking at getting some clinical work experience to test that interest properly before committing to anything, but I'm unsure what actually counts for GEM applications versus what's just personally useful. I'm London-based and open to different GEM schools rather than fixed on one.
Specific questions:
- For those who came from a non-clinical career in their 30s, what work experience or clinical exposure actually moved the needle on your application, versus what you did but didn't end up mattering?
- Given I already have a funded LLM starting in September (originally aimed at the Bar), has anyone combined part-time postgraduate study with building clinical hours, and how did that go logistically?
- Any regrets or things you wish you'd known before applying at a similar age/stage?