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Private schools?

Hey guys, was just wondering is it true that private schools have 'contacts' with medical schools to get their students offers? :confused:

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Reply 1

Mechie

No, that is completely untrue :lol:

Reply 2

Penguinsaysquack

No, this is complete and utter rubbish.

/nonsense :tongue:

Reply 3

Jester94

Completely rubbish - my friends would have breathed a hell of a lot easier if it was true

Reply 4

resortini

Original post by Master.K

Hey guys, was just wondering is it true that private schools have 'contacts' with medical schools to get their students offers? :confused:

This isn't true, however, I do know there is evidence to show that a higher proportion of public school applicants get a place than those who do not attend public schools - this is not due to private schools having "links" or "contacts", simply due to more help and support may be provided to students from the schools in terms of interviews (my school didn't help, whereas I know a lot of private schools have specialised sessions dedicated to medical school interviews, etc), among other reasons.

Reply 5

supanogi

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/aug/05/medical-students-private-schools-education
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/aug/05/medical-students-private-schools-education

Reply 6

GMD

I dunno what crappy schools the above people went to, but yes at least mine does. Our school has connections with top unis and some colleges at oxbridge.

Reply 7

mementomori

I go to a private school and we definitely don't have anything in place to ensure we get in, that completely depends on how hard we work and what grades we get. We do, however, have the privilege of talks from admissions tutors from various universities that give really good advice. But you could find that advice yourself online and also by attending medical courses so yes I suppose it is easier for us to get valuable information but it's definitely available to everyone else too.

One thing that does work against us is our reputation... I know at Oxford they generate some sort of score for your GCSE results which takes into account the average grades at your school. So someone who got 7 A* from a school where 20 other people got that is nowhere near as impressive as someone who got 4 A* from a school where only a small percentage got any A*'s at all.

Work hard, do your research, and you have just a good chance as any private school student.

Reply 8

Madprof

I think it's unlikely. What would be the advantages to a medical school of favouring students purely on the school they come from? The power balance is very much on the medical school's side - some long-forgotten ex-pupil who's now a headteacher/a school with a shiny name etc etc probably doesn't have that much to offer the medical school to make it worth their while. Quite apart from the rather unethical nature of such an arrangement vs the ethics of the medical profession!

Anyway, don't medical schools trust their own application processes to find the best students?

I can see that trust is important when it comes to the reference. It could be that one school becomes known as writing honest references (although this is just as likely to be a state school as a private school), so (in the very hypothetical situation) of two pupils from different schools with identical references, the one from the trusted school might be preferred. Although I think this process is far more likely to work in reverse - in a huge field of applicants, schools are only noticed if they have written references that turn out to be falsely positive - future references are then treated with scepticism.

Certainly, schools often claim to have links with medical schools or particular unis. A couple of reasons for this could be:

•

One teacher or ex-pupil went there and has sent back glowing reports of the place. So then everyone at the school is encouraged to apply there over other medical schools. Some get in. They are no more likely to get in than applicants from other schools but because lots apply compared to the size of the school, lots get in.

•

Cynically, it suits the school to claim 'special links' and is pretty hard to disprove, esp. if statistics from the above set of circumstances are quoted!

So yeah, I think it's pretty darn unlikely that this actually happens!

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 9

digitalis

Apparently if your dad is in the Illuminati you automatically get a medical school place

Reply 10

123asd

'Contacts to get offers' I doubt.

Where I went did however have an extensive network of old boys practicing medicine who came in to coach for interviews, offer advice on what admissions processes in places they had dealings with looked for etc etc.

Reply 11

Conway20

Private schools may spend more time with their prospective medics, getting them up to speed with whats required both academically/work experience/ interview wise to give them the best chance to get in, accounting for the increased number pof students going from private schools but in terms of having "contacts" no chance!

Reply 12

thisismycatch22

Why would you ask here? It's not like the Dean is going to pop in and say "Yes, we do". It's just going to be a lot of guessing from 18 year old applicants. As if anyone would really know...

Reply 13

Jester94

Original post by GMD

I dunno what crappy schools the above people went to, but yes at least mine does. Our school has connections with top unis and some colleges at oxbridge.

That's because our 'crappy' schools believe in letting the students' talents speak for themselves, without resorting to the gentlemen's club tactics clearly still employed by some schools. I think it speaks for itself if a teacher feels the need to ring a 'contact'to secure a place for the student; not good enough to get in on your own merit?

Reply 14

digitalis

Original post by Jester94

That's life, unfortunately.

Reply 15

Jester94

I'm fortunate that I go to a private school where, even though all the senior staff have ample contacts, they prefer to keep us more grounded and make sure we work for our places and don't get them just because of where we go.

Reply 16

CpnCornetto

Original post by digitalis

That's life, unfortunately.

QFT.

Even if they did have these ridiculous contacts with people at medical school that OP is suggesting.
Who cares, It is still perfectly possible for people from normal schools to get in. So what if it's harder, Life's generally easier for people who went to private schools anyway, that's just the way things are.

Reply 17

Helloworld_95

no, the kind of ramifications which would come from it would be too big to make it worth it.

If anything like that happened and they were caught, then the headmaster would almost definitely be fired and charged with solicitation, along with the person at the target uni, the target uni would have a severely disgraced image, so less applicants, so lower entry requirements and so even less top grade applicants, or possibly even having its ability to award medical degrees revoked, and it would disgrace the whole UK healthcare system making medicine applicants look elsewhere.