The Student Room Group

Medics and Applicants Profiles: Discussion

Ok, we seem to be getting a lot of people discussing others profiles and commenting on them in the profiles thread so from now on any discussion will be moved here to keep the profiles clutter free.

Please use this thread to ask people about their profiles, comment on them and any other discussion to do with profiles.

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jonnyofengland
This thread is based on an idea me and Hygeia have been working on.

Basically, a lot of people seem every year to ask whether their grades/work experience/UKCAT etc. is good enough. The idea is for people that have been through the UCAS system to put up a profile of their application and what the decisions by the respective Unis were. This would hopefully give people a vague idea of what was good enough for certain Med Schools, and also that exceptional candidates can get rejections. Hence it'll be good if there is a wide range of profiles, from a lot of different types of circumstances.

Depending on interest and popularity, I may provide links from the first post for each profile filed under the Med Schools they applied to.

Now, obviously a thread like this can very easily turn into a cock-swinging contest, and it wasn't designed like that, as I think this could be something that is genuinely helpful to applicants. So there's nothing to stop you from simply posting your credentials and never coming back to this again if you want to.

Here's the template if you wish to post your details:

Year of Entry:
Deferred?:
GCSEs:
AS Grades:
A2 Prediction/Results:
UKCAT (if applicable):
BMAT (if applicable):
Work Experience/Volunteering:
Extra Curricular:
Universities applied to and decisions:

Feel free to let me know if you think I've missed anything, or have any opinions on improvements or anything.

how about how the interview went on a scale of 1-5 :smile:
Reply 2
My Tosis Is...?
how about how the interview went on a scale of 1-5 :smile:


The problem with that is that it's very subjective. Two people can have the same interview and have completely contrasting opinions of how it went, so I'm not sure how helpful that would be.
Can Biomeds post or not? :p:
Reply 4
snail_87
I added about a degree in there, maybe my post will be useful for people applying to GEP courses.


Good idea, I've added it to the first post.

crazylemon
Good Idea though I feel E/C (other than WE/volunteering) may be worth adding


Added it just before you posted. :p:
Reply 5
Tibbles168
Can Biomeds post or not? :p:


no!
This is a great help, thanks everyone!
Reply 7
crazylemon
:lolwut:
How much do they want?!


they want the best :frown:
i didnt have enough non-academics either... but meh my academics lacked a but anyway :frown:
Reply 8
crazylemon
:lolwut:
How much do they want?!


like hibear says :frown:

i think i would have been better off if i'd done a traditional sport, that was definitely lacking in my PS.
Reply 9
crazylemon
:lolwut:
How much do they want?!


In fairness, if you condense what he put down a bit it seems to be rather, music, and the things everyone does at school. Which isn't that much.

My guess is they wanted a whole new string to the bow so to speak.
It's weird.. You can't see any obvious pattern in offers/rejections based upon these profiles. I guess it goes to show how much rides on an interview or just simple luck. :dontknow:
GodspeedGehenna
It's weird.. You can't see any obvious pattern in offers/rejections based upon these profiles. I guess it goes to show how much rides on an interview or just simple luck. :dontknow:


I think a lot comes down to how you phrase things on the personal statement to suggest what you have got out of them.

nmm often has a lot of feedback forms posted up along the lines of 'you've said what you did, but not what you gained from it, if anything'.
Reply 12
WOW thanks this is so helpful, i was worried about the quantity and quality of work experience i've done (its all been volunteering with youth organisations and taking care of the disabled and elderly plus 2 days [yet to be finalised] shadowing a surgeon) and that i wont have time to get more before i apply as im going away on placement next year and as soon as i come back i have to sit the UKCAT and fill in my applications. Its reassuring as im struggling to find time to do work experience on top of a busy uni schedule.
Holsy
Birmingham - Rejection without interview (Only interviewed applicants with 8A*+ this year)


I know someone (in real life before anyone asks :p:) who got an interview, and a place, with 7A* this year. His interview was in March though and when he got in touch with B'ham they did say they were interviewing people with 8A* first.
Toiletpaper8
I know someone (in real life before anyone asks :p:) who got an interview, and a place, with 7A* this year. His interview was in March though and when he got in touch with B'ham they did say they were interviewing people with 8A* first.


apparently they raised it to 8A* this year. they still considered applicants with 7A* but they had to have a very impressive ucas form (including non academics).
Isometrix
apparently they raised it to 8A* this year. they still considered applicants with 7A* but they had to have a very impressive ucas form (including non academics).


Now that's just a ridiculous way of selecting applicants... :p:

I've declined Birmingham anyway - they failed to sell the university to me that well when I was there :p:
Toiletpaper8
Now that's just a ridiculous way of selecting applicants... :p:

I've declined Birmingham anyway - they failed to sell the university to me that well when I was there :p:


lol i don't think you had any intention of going there anyway!

admit it, you only applied there because it was a good safety net didn't you :p: :eyeball:
fatal


Extra Curricular:
SJA - NCO, First Aid and Care certificates, over 1000 hours duty.
Barnardo's Young carer's scheme youth rep.
Northern Ireland Youth board chair.
Duke Of Ed.
Hockey Team.
Prefect Peer


Out of curiosity, how have you managed to rack up over 1000 hours of duty? How long have you been doing it?
Really. I'm amazed at how much work experience and extra curricular activities most of you have. It's sad that peopel who show so much dedication are rejected. Shows how competetive medicine really is. I can be lucky i got in anywhere with my mere 3 hospital weeks (every single day though)
Reply 19
GodspeedGehenna
Out of curiosity, how have you managed to rack up over 1000 hours of duty? How long have you been doing it?


I'd been doing it for about 6 years, various courses, over 20 competitions, Duke of Edinburgh, but duty wise I did every duty under the sun. At that time some hours qualified as duty hours and some didnt and mine counted up to over 1000.

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