Qualifications needed for Sandhurst. Medical degree not enough..advice please..

[ANDYYORKS]

Appreciated the useful comments.

 

[cloudbuster]

Just a thought, but perhaps the decision has been made because we're full at the moment, and the goalposts are of the five-a-side-down-the-gym version rather than the FIFA-standard ones?

Best of luck to you, if you decide to go down the RAF route. They're chokka as well.

 

[ANDYYORKS]

Thanks. It's not actually me.
If that's the reason, shouldn't they say? He's planning to get more A levels, which would be a waste of time, if full.
All the best.

 

[cloudbuster]

Thanks. It's not actually me.

Sorry, standard Arrse retort.

 

[Blokeonabike]

Let me see if I understand.

The individual concerned has a medical degree from a top university. And he wants to join the Army, presumably not as a doctor.

Two things spring to mind:

1. What a waste of a medical degree.

2. Maybe it is his sanity that is in question, not his education.

 

[cloudbuster]

Let me see if I understand.

The individual concerned has a medical degree from a top university. And he wants to join the Army, presumably not as a doctor.

Two things spring to mind:

1. What a waste of a medical degree.

2. Maybe it is his sanity that is in question, not his education.

Or level of commitment. Spent X years gaining a degree, then decides to dump the qual for something a little less esoteric.

 

[ANDYYORKS]

He'd agree to both those entirely!

 

[cloudbuster]

He'd agree to both those entirely!

Therein may lie the issue.

HTH

 

[ANDYYORKS]

Oh, I sense this wasn't the place to get helpful advice/ insight.

FYI Lots of people don't do careers based on their degrees. A four year medical degree does not leave you qualified as a doctor, or even paramedic, but this is going off on a tangent..BACK TO MY POINT - surely an indication of some level of academic ability.

 

[cloudbuster]

Surely you don't honestly expect a qualified answer from an internet chat forum?

Hey, we could save a mint by closing down all the ACIO, and the Army's well-publicised web-based careers portal at Upavon.

 

[Blokeonabike]

I agree entirely with your basic premise. Degree trumps A levels. I am equally certain that there is more to this than meets the eye.

 

[jarrod248]

Oh, I sense this wasn't the place to get helpful advice/ insight.

FYI Lots of people don't do careers based on their degrees. A four year medical degree does not leave you qualified as a doctor, or even paramedic, but this is going off on a tangent..BACK TO MY POINT - surely an indication of some level of academic ability.

Funny old world everyone I know who has a medical degree tend to be doctors and nurses. Couldn't you hack it?

 

[ANDYYORKS]

Very hard to know. He was advised if he got more UCAS points (more A levels to make up 160 UCAS : despite his degree worth 260 according to the university) they would welcome an application...

anyway, thanks and best of the best to you all.

 

[dizzy.chick]

Andy I hate to say it but even if the degree trumps A-levels he got a 3rd. When you take into account the poor preformance at A-level for whatever reason the accademic ability is obviously lacking. If he had done badly at A-level and excelled in his degree then that would show academic ability. No A levels and a low pass on a degree does not.

Good luck whatever he decides to do

 

[ANDYYORKS]

Andy I hate to say it but even if the degree trumps A-levels he got a 3rd. When you take into account the poor preformance at A-level for whatever reason the accademic ability is obviously lacking. If he had done badly at A-level and excelled in his degree then that would show academic ability. No A levels and a low pass on a degree does not.

Good luck whatever he decides to do

Yes, I see your point/ their point then. Appreciate your helpful, honest response. Many thanks and all the best to you.

 

[Speckled_Jim]

So it is a 4-year Medical SCIENCES degree that he has and he got a third (i.e. a bare pass)
Competition is incredibly high for posts at the moment and so a quality line being set above the minimum requirement is not surprising. I do however find it surprising that he hasn't been given the chance to at least be interviewed and AOSB'd to assess his qualities.
Good luck to him although with the current job market pinning it all on playing for England and getting a 3rd class degree may have been foolhardy.

 

[Filbert Fox]

which medical degree does 'your friend' have?

Oral health? medicine and surgery? medicine and surgery (pre-medical year)? Tropical medicine? preventative medicine? oncology? or any one of the other 20+ types of medical degrees?

Also, which 'Top British University' was it? and why doesnt he want to do medicine in the Army?

just seen Speckled Jims post, a Medical Sciences degree:

'This degree programme is designed for people with a broad interest in the science of human beings, from the level of molecules and cells, to individuals. It provides a solid foundation in core biomedical subjects such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and neuroscience, plus elements of microbiology and endocrinology.
BSc Medical Sciences is attractive to those who envisage careers related to healthcare, medical research, hospital laboratories, hospital administration, management in world or national health organisations, diagnostics services and pharmaceuticals'

So thats why hes not wanting to join as a doctor, he isnt one. Its basically a starting block in which he could move onto other subjects such as going back to uni to dodge soap for another 4 years, or with a third: shelf stacking or hospital house-keeping services.

 

[django_strikes]

If I am reading this correctly: the application was stopped AFTER ACIO interview, based on the reports written and forwarded. Was the actual reson given that his academic quals were not high enough (1 poor A, 2 AS and a 3rd in a degree), or that plus something else on his form?

I would have thought that what you describe was a "thanks for your application, but based on your paperwork, we're not offering an AOSB shot". Maybe it is the reduction in recruiting (although I didn't think there was any), maybe it is poor grades/lack of commitment/perceived lack of commitment/ability.

Is there an actual response that we can see?

On the face of it, I would agree though - done England level sport, has a degree (that should trump poor A levels, even if only a 3rd). If the interviewer at ACIO is "surprised" as he considered him a good candidate, there must be something else.

 

[birduk]

Erm, spanner for the works then- I assume he has not done a degree in medicine? In which case that would take 5 years minimum. 4 year medical degrees are for graduates (which you state he is not). He can have done a degree in biomedicine or something like that.

So yes, there must be more to this than meets the eye.....

Edit- just read the above, which you all replied as I was chatting and typing, so my comment is a bit behind the times!

 

[ANDYYORKS]

No, letter said he didn't have enough UCAS points for Sandhurst, they counted his A levels as 90 points. He needs 160. If he gets more, he could come back.

Anyway, thanks for those who have left useful comments. I think the "medical" degree was irrelevant really, my mistake: the point being it's the level of education and I know plenty of people who went to Sandhurst with a 3rd, but, perhaps that with poor A levels does not look good. I'll leave it at that now.