[sas86 (OP)]

As many did, I greatly enjoyed Gabriel Weston's BBC series Incredible Medicine.  What is also interesting is her education. She studied for an MA in English Literature at Edinburgh University. Afterwards, she studied at medical school in London in 1993 and qualified as a surgeon and ENT specialist.  She has an O Level in Biology.

Could someone be accepted in medical school now if they had an GCSE subject in Biology and an unrelated university degree?

[alancalverd]

Yes. Aptitude is more important than history. My favorite oncologist had A level music (I played her compositions and accompanied her solos, in a brass band) plus enormous enthusiasm and what can only be described as "doctor attitude".

In my day the medical schools weren't worried about prior qualifications in biology since they taught human anatomy and physiology from scratch anyway, but advised that the undergraduate course could be hard work for anyone who didn't have A level physics and chemistry.

[sas86 (OP)]

An undergraduate course at medical school?

[alancalverd]

https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/medicine-graduate-course describes both the graduate and undergraduate entry requirements.

That said, we have a retired doctor friend whose mother simply wrote to the Mistress of a certain College saying "My daughter will be coming up to Cambridge next term to study medicine. Please enrol her."  That's how to get things done. 

[sas86 (OP)]

I don't know which medical school Gabriel Weston went to. Could someone get a place at Barts,  or anywhere else with the qualifications she had?

[alancalverd]

AFAIK Barts does not have an undergraduate entry (it was the preferred clinical placement for Cambridge graduates before  Addenbrookes was expanded) but Kings, UCL/UCH and Imperial/Hammersmith probably do.

[Bored chemist]

https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/medicine-graduate-course describes both the graduate and undergraduate entry requirements.

That said, we have a retired doctor friend whose mother simply wrote to the Mistress of a certain College saying "My daughter will be coming up to Cambridge next term to study medicine. Please enrol her."  That's how to get things done. 

That's Cambridge for you...

I don't know which medical school Gabriel Weston went to. Could someone get a place at Barts,  or anywhere else with the qualifications she had?

It's likely that her most important qualification was how she came across at interview.

[sas86 (OP)]

Her path to medicine is really interesting. She qualified in 2000 so it took her seven years.

[alancalverd]

About the same as my musical oncologist.

[sas86 (OP)]

A oncologist who originally had studied music?

[Colin2B]

A oncologist who originally had studied music?

Musical ability is very common among medical folks. My wife plays ‘cello, one of our daughters studied virology and immunology, but went on to become a professional musician. When my wife was on the selection board for new registrars the initial review of CVs would be punctuated by someone asking ‘do we think grade 6 violin is good enough?’ or ‘do we need a bassoonist?’

[alancalverd]

My oncologist friend plays percussion and piano. 

[sas86 (OP)]

Sorry I don't mean to sound silly. Had your oncologist friend studied music before changing career and studying medicine? Gabriel Weston is interesting for the reasons I've written; English Literature MA and an O Level in Biology and she was accepted to study medicine in 1993. I like her programmes.

[alancalverd]

She left school with A level music and geography and entered a clinical laboratory technician training scheme, dissected rats for a couple of years then got a medical school placement.

Warwick University medical school recruits mature students from any background if they have sufficient aptitude.

[RobertTery8]

This is a great person for me who achieved everything on his own. I am now in college and have no time to do anything. I use uk.spamwriter to order my essays. An excellent service that does everything in a row and does not fail.

[Origin]

I am now in college and have no time to do anything

I guess you are going fail out or die since you don't have time to study or eat.

[alancalverd]

and, unlike those who use it, does not fail.

My italics. When someone has bought his coursework, it is hugely satisfying to question him at a viva and watch him crash and burn, burying his bank balance and any future career along with the charred corpse of his aspirations.

[Bored chemist]

and, unlike those who use it, does not fail.

My italics. When someone has bought his coursework, it is hugely satisfying to question him at a viva and watch him crash and burn, burying his bank balance and any future career along with the charred corpse of his aspirations.

I don't always agree with Alan, but I think I would buy tickets for that.