• You should carry out a realistic appraisal of your skills and values which you can do by talking to a careers/connexions adviser in order to do some self-assessment of your skills and interests. There are also some self-assessment exercises you can do on the ‘fast tomato’ website
• After you have done this, explore at least two other career paths that are open to you. For example, studying a different degree would open up a different world to you and it is important to keep your options open. Medicine is very competitive. You should also consider applying for a science degree as well as medicine at university If you feel that after doing all the research and discussing your plans with school and college advsiers that there may well be a chance that you will not be successful. This approach keeps your options slighty more open. It is possible to complete a science degree then enter medicine through the Graduate Entry Programme. This approach will maintain your interest in a scientific disicpline and if medicine does not work out for you you may well find you actually enjoy your science degree more which can lead onto a very enjoyable career.
• There are many other careers related to medicine that you may not have considered and that you may be more suited to. Areas that you may like to consider could be:

• Clinical psychologist
• Healthcare Scientist
• Dentist
• Nurse
• Optometrist
• Orthoptist
• Pharmacist
• Sports and exercise scientist

This list is not exhaustive and you can find out further details about careers in these areas on the NHS careers website and on the National Career Services website.

If you did not get the required grades and have heard that you have not got into medical school this time and your heart is still set on a career in medicine, you could take a year out to re-sit your exams. Most universities accept re-takes but it is strongly advised that you check this as some may increase their standard offer.

It is also worth reflecting on why you were unsuccessful. You could also consider other strategies such as undertaking a science degree at university which will be less competitive to get onto. On completion of a good science degree it is possible to enter the Graduate Entry Programme to medicine and many people do go down this route. By adopting this approach you are keeping you options open and you may find that you enjoy your science degree and then progress down a very rewarding career path using that.

Advice for those re-sitting exams and re-applying:

• You could combine re-sitting your exams with working in a part-time job within the healthcare sector, which would help you improve your work experience in your personal statement for next year!
• You should reappraise your UCAS application form, especially your personal statement. The medical school are going to want to know what you have done in the gap year to make you a stronger, more attractive candidate.

It is important to remember that it is not the end of the world if you do not get accepted into medical school. Although you may be very disappointed not to have been given a place, having a back-up plan is useful advice for anyone that is making a career decision. It is especially so for those considering medicine, as the competition for places in medical school is so high. If you can reflect back on what you did not do so well, you can learn something from the experience and it will help you cope better with disappointment in the future. Try to turn the experience around and look for some positive aspects about what you have learnt about yourself from the process.