Hmmm checked the NHS site. UK medical school require "A" in levels in science, and they stressed high scores in chemistry. I'm thinking the fact that she got in means her academica skills were exceptional, as med school, is also competitive. Anyway in my private canon, she has, as the Daleks said: Superior intelligence, but it depends on the viewer. Martha would need a first or second hounours degrees. I'm thinking Martha started college around sixteen or seventeen--I started at 17, my grandson and cousin at 16--so at twenty three she's been in school for at least 6-7 years, more than enough time to complete Grad school if she unlike me, didn't interrupt school to get married and have kids.... Also among the requirements: Trainee doctors are now required to complete a two-year Foundation Programme in an NHS hospital. Foundation Year 1 (F1) is equivalent to the old pre-registration house officer (PRHO) year, and Foundation Year 2 (F2) is equivalent to the first year as a senior house officer (SHO). Because Martha was working in a NHS hospital, I think she was in her F1 and UNIT allowed her to skip her F2 due to her experince with the Doctor. But as it appears Mister Davies did far less research into NHS physcian requirements than any of us, we can imagine any scenario here.
People don't really start university before 18 in the UK. It would be a huge deal for someone to start before 18, it definitely would've been mentioned. It would be even more unlikely for medicine considering the subjects and grades she'd have to achieve, plus most universities prefer to take 18+ for legal reasons.
It's worth remembering GCSEs and A-Levels, which she would've been required to take, are taken in certain years no matter the intellectual ability. Occasionally grammar and religious schools will start one GCSE a year early, but the rest are started a year later and take two years to do because of the depth of material. The same with A-Levels. Only a home-educated child would probably have a chance of finishing before 18. Fast tracking students a year, has always been rare, and especially so in the last few decades.
Plus if Martha was so intelligent, that she went to uni early, she probably would've gone to Oxbridge. Which also would've been a huge deal.
really? They don't let you in college until you're 18? Might be a good idea. Do we have any idea where Martha attended undergrad? I know Liz went to Oxford and worked there. Maybe they kept the tradition? But still she's at five years at the most at twenty three.
It does happen, but it's not that common. Universities have been very reluctant to admit under 18's after several relatively high profile cases of children being forced in by over-ambitious parents and having mental breakdowns. Those that do get in, have ridiculously high IQs. And most are home-schooled. Under the UK anti age discrimination laws, under 18s can't be banned from going to university. Students in the normal school system would struggle to take exams through schools early and taking exams privately is very expensive and finding a place to sit the exams is extremely hard (I should know, I'm currently in the process!). If Martha had gone, it would be a huge deal especially for medicine.
Under UK law, under 18s are considered children and therefore it can get quite problematic. All staff members would have to have criminal record checks and it would be a lot of extra work. In the UK many universities have onsite bars and pubs, and unsurprisingly there is a huge drinking culture. Some universities would not allow under 18 students to live on campus, this means students would probably have to commute from home, as most landlords refuse to give housing to under 18s and council housing would probably not be given.
There may also be problems, especially if the student is under 16 in the first year, as I presume that to start placements at hospitals you would have to be 18+. Considering the high volume of applications for Medicine, it would be unlikely that a under-18 would be given a place over an 18+ applicant.
She appears to be living in London, so she's presumably at one of the London Universities. Considering they don't make a huge deal out of her university, it probably wasn't one of the 'top' ones in London. Oxbridge, King's College, UCL and Imperial (the last three of which are located in central London) are the top UK universities and would've been mentioned if she attended any of them.
She would have started residences after five years. Other medical courses such as occupational therapy for instance actually have placements in the first year, so Medicine is quite strange in that students have to wait longer to gain any practical experience.
I don't think they mentioned college because we don't see her in a class room but working at the hospital.
Because of the school laws in the fifties I started school at four, and when I was in high school I was in college prep. They changed the law around the time my kidBeds started, as they decided four is just too young and now they are question making kids start at five. But high school students can get into accelerated high school classes at public schools or special programs with excellent academic performance, but the administrations try to encourage the kids to remain at school by allowing them to take college prep until at least 16 so they will not feel out of place or pressured. Where do Oxford medical students do their clinical R=residential 1 and 2, as it did seem as Martha was on the floor. Because she was actually allowed to touch a patient-in the blog she says she and Oliver had tried to save and lost, I thought she was at least in her R!?
However, what the website said, would they let Martha in if she got first years honors as either first year or second year honours are required, but we don't have anything like that, so I don't know how much schooling that would require.
Oops, we've gotten away from talking about her family, haven't we. From the blog--whose canon is optional, and the books, it seems Francine encouraged Martha's ambition to become a Doctor, which she developed at around six years old. As th family had money, university would have been a choice, and she says Tish and Leo opted out. Wasn't Royal Hope supposed to represent a certain hospital in London? It looked pretty upscale, but I as you all have NHS, would that matter?
Because Martha was working in a NHS hospital, I think she was in her F1 and UNIT allowed her to skip her F2 due to her experince with the Doctor. But as it appears Mister Davies did far less research into NHS physcian requirements than any of us, we can imagine any scenario here.
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It's worth remembering GCSEs and A-Levels, which she would've been required to take, are taken in certain years no matter the intellectual ability. Occasionally grammar and religious schools will start one GCSE a year early, but the rest are started a year later and take two years to do because of the depth of material. The same with A-Levels. Only a home-educated child would probably have a chance of finishing before 18. Fast tracking students a year, has always been rare, and especially so in the last few decades.
Plus if Martha was so intelligent, that she went to uni early, she probably would've gone to Oxbridge. Which also would've been a huge deal.
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Under UK law, under 18s are considered children and therefore it can get quite problematic. All staff members would have to have criminal record checks and it would be a lot of extra work. In the UK many universities have onsite bars and pubs, and unsurprisingly there is a huge drinking culture. Some universities would not allow under 18 students to live on campus, this means students would probably have to commute from home, as most landlords refuse to give housing to under 18s and council housing would probably not be given.
There may also be problems, especially if the student is under 16 in the first year, as I presume that to start placements at hospitals you would have to be 18+. Considering the high volume of applications for Medicine, it would be unlikely that a under-18 would be given a place over an 18+ applicant.
She appears to be living in London, so she's presumably at one of the London Universities. Considering they don't make a huge deal out of her university, it probably wasn't one of the 'top' ones in London. Oxbridge, King's College, UCL and Imperial (the last three of which are located in central London) are the top UK universities and would've been mentioned if she attended any of them.
She would have started residences after five years. Other medical courses such as occupational therapy for instance actually have placements in the first year, so Medicine is quite strange in that students have to wait longer to gain any practical experience.
Sorry for the essay!
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Because of the school laws in the fifties I started school at four, and when I was in high school I was in college prep. They changed the law around the time my kidBeds started, as they decided four is just too young and now they are question making kids start at five. But high school students can get into accelerated high school classes at public schools or special programs with excellent academic performance, but the administrations try to encourage the kids to remain at school by allowing them to take college prep until at least 16 so they will not feel out of place or pressured.
Where do Oxford medical students do their clinical R=residential 1 and 2, as it did seem as Martha was on the floor. Because she was actually allowed to touch a patient-in the blog she says she and Oliver had tried to save and lost, I thought she was at least in her R!?
However, what the website said, would they let Martha in if she got first years honors as either first year or second year honours are required, but we don't have anything like that, so I don't know how much schooling that would require.
Oops, we've gotten away from talking about her family, haven't we. From the blog--whose canon is optional, and the books, it seems Francine encouraged Martha's ambition to become a Doctor, which she developed at around six years old. As th family had money, university would have been a choice, and she says Tish and Leo opted out. Wasn't Royal Hope supposed to represent a certain hospital in London? It looked pretty upscale, but I as you all have NHS, would that matter?
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