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Medics and Applicants Profiles - NO DISCUSSION

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Deferred?: nope

GCSEs: 6A* 4a
AS Grades: aaad (Biology, Chemistry, French, Physics)
A2 Prediction:AAA*c (Biology, Chemistry, French, Physics)

UKCAT (if applicable): 2810 (702.5) VR: 680 QR:740 AR:740 DA:680 Band 1

BMAT (if applicable): N/A

Work Experience/Volunteering: Weekly volunteering at retirement home and specialist primary school, 1 week cardiology, 1 week GP, 1 week O&T, 1 week at hospital (each day was different ie 1 day paediatrics, 1 day general surgery, 1 day plastic surgery etc)
Extra Curricular: Community service committee, sixth form committee, run a science society, badminton, literature, writing

Universities applied to and decisions:

Manchester: Offer AAA
Newcastle: Offer AAA
Plymouth: Offer AAAc
Nottingham: Rejected pre interview

Advice: Apply to your strengths! I avoided unis that wanted a particular grade in my fourth seeing as I didn't do so well but my ukcat was decent so I applied to quite ukcat heavy unis. As for interview advice, just be friendly and yourself!

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 701

Med_Diablo

Hi, what subjects did you take for national 5 & higher? thanks

Reply 702

kmedicine2016

Year of Entry: 2016

Deferred?: No

GCSEs: 7A* 6A 1B

AS Grades: abbb (in Business Studies, Chemistry, Biology and Maths) a in EPQ

A2 Prediction/Results: A*AA in Business, Chemistry and Biology with AS Maths

UKCAT (if applicable): 635.5

BMAT (if applicable): n/a

Work Experience/Volunteering: 1 week Hospital, 10 months in a hospice, 6 months teaching Spanish.

Extra Curricular: Football Refereeing for 4 years, ran a science club, swimming, going to the gym.

Universities applied to and decisions:

Bristol- rejected pre interview
Manchester- rejected pre interview
Keele- rejected post interview
Liverpool- OFFER AAA

I nearly died when I actually got an offer. As you can see my academics and UKCAT aren't amazing but still, I had faith and it happened, just got to get the grades now.

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Reply 703

caoshuo

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No
GCSEs: 7A1 2A2 (Singapore Olevel)
AS Grades:NA(No such a thing in singapore)
A2 Prediction/Results: AAAA (for H2) A for General Paper A for H3 chemistry (no A* in singapore)
UKCAT (if applicable): 2910 band 3
BMAT (if applicable): 6.2, 8.0, 3c
Work Experience/Volunteering: 2 year volunteering at institute of mental health
occasional peer tutoring

Universities applied to and decisions:

UCL - pre interview rejection
KCL Interview offer firmed
Barts Interview offer declined
Manchester Pre interview rejection(personal statement does not reflect the requirement of the course)

Reply 704

Jehaan

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No
GCSEs: 7 A*s 4 As
A2 Prediction: A*AAA in Bio, Chem, Religious Studies and EPQ
AS: AAABC Bio, chem, RS, Critical Thinking and Maths
UKCAT (if applicable): 2710 Band 2
Work Experience/Volunteering: 1 week in GP, 2 days in Paediatrics, 1 day in Blood Transfusions and Transplant Unit, 2 days in Cardiology. Achieved a v50 after various volunteering
Extra Curricular: Cake Decorating, Reading, Badminton, running various clubs in school and watching TED Talks
Universities applied to and decisions: Cardiff: Rejected Pre-Interview
Bristol: Rejected Pre-Interview
Nottingham: Rejected Pre-Interview
Leicester: Rejected Post Interview
(Although I was 1 point below cut off for both Cardiff and Nottingham)

Reply 705

5u5m1t

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No
GCSEs: 8A* 3A (A's in Geography, German and Spanish)
AS Grades: AABB (Maths, Geography, Biology and Chemistry)
A2 Prediction: A*AABa (Maths, Geography, Biology, Chemistry and EPQ)
UKCAT (if applicable): avg. 732.5 Band 2 - 2930 (600,760, 870, 700)
BMAT (if applicable): N/A

Work Experience/Volunteering:
· 2+1 weeks in a hospital (clinical and lab based)
· 1 year for the charity 'Kissing It Better'
· 1.5 years at a care-home
· 2 weeks at Mother Teresa hospice
· 2 years doing Community Action at a local primary school
· School prefect

Extra Curricular:
· Cricket – for school and club
· Hockey – for school
· School societies
· Bronze, Silver and Gold DofE
· Writing articles for a football website
· National Citizen Service

Universities applied to and decisions:
· Nottingham (rejected pre-interview – predictions didn't meet entry requirements)
· Leicester (offer – firm)
· Queen's Belfast (offer – insurance)
· Liverpool (offer)

Advice: Medicine is the type of application process where it's easy to give up. Many teachers told me I was done after I got a B prediction in chemistry but by making sure I did well on the UKCAT, chose universities that I was likely to get interviews at and prepare well for those interviews, I was able to bag a couple of offers. Remember, medicine is super competitive for a reason, leading to one of the most fulfilling careers you can have, so have faith in your abilities and hopefully a university will reward you with the offer you deserve.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 706

xioss

Note: international applicant

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No

GCSEs: 7A*s 3As 1B (Theatre)

Standard Grades Int2s (Scottish applicants): N/A
AS Grades: N/A but I did take AS German... (got a B)

IB Prediction: 42/45
HL: Biology 6 Chemistry 6 Math 7;
SL: Econ 7 German 7 Eng-lit 6

UKCAT (if applicable): 2770 (i.e. avg 692.5) band 3 (oops)

BMAT (if applicable): N/A

Work Experience/Volunteering:
- 1 week at a childrens' home in China for mentally and physically disabled children
- 1 year after-school tutor at an ethnic minorities centre
- 1 year at an elderly home
- Summer job: social media and delivery service for a health-food lunch service for 1 month (... not mentioned in PS but was declared in UCAS)

Extra Curricular:
- Y13 Prefect
- Cross country team for 4 years, basketball team for 2
- passionate about photography and illustration (raised money for charity through both)
Universities applied to and decisions:
University of Edinburgh (Biomedical Sciences) - Offer [Declined]
University of Nottingham - Offer [FIRM!] (Offer is 36, HL6-6-6)
University of Exeter - Offer [Insurance] (Offer is 36, 6s in HL Bio and Chem)
University of East Anglia - Offer [Declined]
University of Bristol - Post-interview Rejection (First choice.. :frown:

but oh well)

Advice:
I honestly had no confidence in myself when I first applied because I had absolutely 0 work experience, despite living in a relatively large city, and felt extra bad due to the fact that there are 5 other people applying to the UK medical schools in my year (who all had stellar grades and months of shadowing, of course)

But I hope my stats provide some hope for those of you who haven't been able to get work experience or fit in loads of ECs into your timetable. I would absolutely recommend getting work experience, but for personal benefit as much as for your application - work experience is to make you better aware of which career choice is for you, and I do regret not getting that experience. In that light, however, I would say that long-term volunteering is definitely valuable, and is also quite fun!

Please please please prepare for interview! I had a book of practice questions for interview and even though very few of them came up, just going through the questions and thinking of answers in my head helped me to figure out how to form coherent, natural sentences about my experiences. Be yourself :smile:

And lastly - apply to your strengths! Best of luck, friends.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 707

*ciel*

~ International Applicant ~

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No

GCSEs: 9A*s

AS Grades: 4A
A2 Prediction/Results: 4A*s

UKCAT (if applicable): 750
BMAT (if applicable): 5.3 5.6 3.5A

Work Experience/Volunteering:
- 1 year care home
- Academic tutor for lower form students
- 3 weeks at hospital (of which 2 weeks was at an overseas hospital)

Extra Curricular:
- School prefect
- Choir
- Orchestra
- Swimming
- Various school societies

Universities applied to and decisions:
- Cambridge: rejected post-interview
- KCL: offer (firmed)
- St. Andrew's: rejected post-interview
- Birmingham: rejected post-interview

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 708

Mehhhh

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No

GCSE: 3A*s, 6As
AS Grades: AAAB (Biology, Maths, Physics and Chemistry - in that order)
A2 Achieved: A*AAB (Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Maths - in that order - A2 Maths was taken a year early)

Work Experience/Volunteering:
1.5+ years working as a HCA
2 years volunteering at a hospital
1 week cariothoracic surgery
1 week GP
2 weeks Microbiology
*The bulk of my PS and answers at interview revolved around my work as a HCA and volunteering*

Extra Curricular:
Sixth Form Prefect
Reading
School sports
*clearly, I wasn't very strong when it comes to extra-curriculars*

2014 Entry

Spoiler

2015 Entry

Spoiler

2016 Entry

Spoiler

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Dedication really does pay off in the end!
Good Luck!

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 709

millieprime

Year of entry: 2016
Deferred: No

GCSES:
9A*s 2As

AS:
AAAA
maths geography chemistry biology

A2 Predictions:
A*AAa
Chemistry biology maths EPQ

UKCAT: 705 Band 2

Work experience:
1 week fracture clinic
1 week GP
6 months volunteering in Age UK care home admissions service
Paid job waitressing

Extra Curricular:
Debate club
Academic Challenge
Duke of Edinburgh
First aider

Decisions:
Sheffield - pre interview rejection
Nottingham - post interview rejection
KCL - post interview rejection
Liverpool- Offer AAA

Also applied for universities in ROI but decisions haven't been made yet.

Reply 710

notyous

Year of Entry:2016
GCSEs: 10A*s 3As
AS Grades: AAAA
A2 Prediction/Results: predicted A*A*A*, I think it'll be AAA if I'm lucky lol
UKCAT (if applicable): 2690 Band 2
BMAT (if applicable): 4.1 4.6 3.5A
Work Experience/Volunteering: job at a charity shop, volunteering at a care home, volunteering in Kenya for 1 week, oxford summer school
Extra Curricular: duke of edinburgh, first aid
Universities applied to and decisions:
Nottingham - Offer AAA
Belfast - Offer AAA
Oxford - pre-interview rejection, my BMAT score wasn't high enough
HYMS - post-interview rejection

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 711

RedNebula

Year of Entry: 2016 - now 2017 hopefully
Deferred?: No
GCSEs: 7A* (Maths, English lang, Bio, Chem, Physics, Music, Geography)
5A (Eng lit, RS, French, Business, Citizenship)
AS Grades: AAAB
Maths, bio, music and chem
A2 Prediction/Results: A*AAA
UKCAT (if applicable): 692.5

Work Experience/Volunteering:
2 Week placement in a trauma/orthopaedics ward including shadowing lots of different staff and some other departments
1 week elderly care hospital placement
10 months volunteering at care home
5 months volunteer teaching assistant
Part time job in Nando's

Extra Curricular:
Medical related EPQ
Grade 8 standard piano and clarinet
Section leader in school band
Prefect
Running club and parkrun
PGL/NCS
2 years in drama group
10 years weekly dance group
Flying start challenge

Universities applied to and decisions:
Rejections from Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Cardiff.

Reply 712

AnnekaChan173

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: no, gap yah, resit squad
GCSEs: 2A*s 7As 2Bs
AS Grades: AABB
A2 Prediction/Results: AAB - predicted A*A*A, achieved A*AA
UKCAT (if applicable): 687.5 Band 1 (760, 690, 670, 630)
BMAT (if applicable): 4.9 3.8 2.0A (I applied with special circs since I had tonsillitis at the time - see notes)
Work Experience/Volunteering: 1 week GP, 1 week Opthalmology, worked as a HCA for three months. Volunteered at a hospital for a few months and at another care home.
Extra Curricular: Self-taught Japanese (lost a lot of it now aaaaah!), Ran Japanese society, Medic Society, various sports teams.
Universities applied to and decisions:
Exeter A100 - Rejection pre-interview - not tier one.
Liverpool A100 - Rejection pre-interview - personal statement not competitive enough, not caring enough.
UEA A100 Rejection pre-rejection - GCSEs too low
BSMS - Interview, hold list, offer on results day woooo

* Advice:
Now since my school more or less didn't allow me to apply in 2015 (they wouldn't predict me an A in maths, although I was 7 UMS away from the boundary - if you're in the same position and you have a decent UKCAT, fight for that grade. My UKCAT was kinda embarrassing (590 hahaha) so I didn't, and I believed them when they said that people with low UKCAT scores do badly in the BMAT, so I didn't try. They also said that I couldn't apply for medicine with resits, which is incorrect - 7 schools (Exeter, Liverpool, UEA, BSMS, Plymouth, Lancaster and Keele, though after achieving AAA in the case of the latter) allow you to. Moral of the story is do your own research, kids.) I was forced to take a gap year. Which is okay, because I can honestly say that I've become a lot more mature, independent and had a whole lot of fun this year, minus the pain of rejections. Also meeting the members of the resit squad was lovely too. A gap year is really what you make it.

Now let's get cracking. I started preparing in July for my UKCAT and did it in the second week of August. Speed reading really helped me improve my verbal score - it went up 200 points from last year. Don't use the 600qs book, it's outdated and filled with true or false questions, which make up very little of the current test. The QR in there is challenging, so it's useful for harder questions. Medify and the Kaplan Score Higher book were I think the most useful resources in obtaining my score. So it's a bit of a pity that in the end although my score was high, I didn't manage to get an interview from my UKCAT universities. I applied for my HCA job in July and got the job in mid August, so I did have a bit of experience of working before I started filling out my application. It's a great thing to talk about in your personal statement.

Okay, picking unis. I thought I did a relatively good job of picking unis regarding my stats. It's okay wanting to apply for Medicine without a majority of A*s at GCSE. I emailed all the unis about my situation on results day and asked them their policies on accepting retakers. If you have extenuating circumstances, or you have less than AAA, make sure you do this. I did too, but I was lazy (I heard that getting your application verified took a while), so I chose retake unis only. Another mistake imo. Also, each of the unis have different requirements: Exeter wants you to at least have CCC, while BSMS and Plymouth want AAB. UEA and Liverpool want an A* in the resit, while BSMS, Plymouth and Exeter want an A. It's so important, so then you know what predictions you have to :beg:

ask your school to put on your UCAS form. It would be a shame if all your stats were up to scratch, but the lack of an A* is the reason why a uni rejects you. My biggest mistake this year on that front was not choosing Plymouth I think - I worried that my decision analysis score was too low, however seeing this year's cut offs, I would have been invited to interview. Again, do your research kids!

Make sure you try and enjoy your gap years too! Get out and meet people, do things you haven't done before etc. Making the medic group chat was probably my best decision this year, I spoke to so many people in the same position, we shared resources, advised each other on where to apply and were there to congratulate and console each other :') It made the gap year feel a lot less lonely. It will help the time pass. I heard back from my unis in January, so I felt like I was in limbo for a while. Four rejections does hurt, but do a bit of reading around and find out what other people did to bounce back. And if you get on a waiting list, hold out - you might be lucky!

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 713

lightwoXd

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No
GCSEs: 6A* 4A 1 Dist (OCR Nationals ICT). Also A and B in AS english lit and RS respectively (completed in year 11)
AS Grades: AAABD (chem, bio, hist, physics, maths respectively), A in EPQ
A2 Prediction/Results: AAB achieved (bio, hist, chem) - A* prediction for chemistry
UKCAT (if applicable): 727.5 Band 2 (790 740 740 640)
BMAT (if applicable): 5.2 4.0 4A
Work Experience/Volunteering: 1 week general hospital experience, dementia ward volunteering (once a week for 8 months), 6-8 weeks activity centre for people with learning disabilities/the elderly, 10-12 weeks primary school, 3 week expedition in South Africa, part time job in small shop (4 years), part time job in opticians (from late October onwards - made for some good anecdotes for 'tell me about a time when...' interview questions)
Extra Curricular: Various sports teams, dance, medical terminology club (tbh extracurriculars barely made it onto my PS)
Universities applied to and decisions:
BSMS: Offer (firm)
Exeter: Pre-interview rejection (wasn't tier 1 lmao)
Liverpool: Offer
Plymouth: Offer (insurance)

Reply 714

Yammy

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No
SQA Nat 5s: 8A
SQA Highers: 6A1
UKCAT (if applicable): 720 Band 2
Work Experience/Volunteering:
1 Week hospital
2 Week Immunology research lab
Hospice Volunteering
Charity Shop volunteering
Extra Curricular: Chess Club President, Violin, Orchestra, Tennis, Robotics, Comenius/Erasmus

Universities applied to and decisions:

Edinburgh-Waiting list->Offer (Firm)
St. Andrews-Waiting list->Offer (Declined)
KCL-Post interview rejection
Aberdeen-Post interview rejection

Advice: Lots of UKCAT prep during summer holidays. Also there's always a chance to get an offer from waiting list!

Reply 715

cookiemonster15

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: Nope

GCSEs: 7A*,2A,1B

AS Grades: 4A's
A2 Prediction/Results: Uh, I think it was like 2A*, 1A

UKCAT (if applicable): 680 SJT Band 3

BMAT (if applicable): 4.0, 4.9, 3A

Work Experience/Volunteering:
- 15 weeks (once a week) volunteering at a hospital
-About 2 months at a charity shop
-Around about a month as a receptionist at an osteopathy
- A day shadowing a Surgeon
- About a month shadowing a GP

Extra Curricular:
- NCS
- Karate
-Tamil
- Music (singing and keyboard)

Universities applied to and decisions:

Imperial College London: Rejection (BMAT scores were too low)
Nottingham: Rejection ( Personal Statement was not good enough)
UEA: Post interview rejection - however I recieved an email about two months later stating that they sometimes take in additional people and offered me a place (Firmed)
Sheffield: Rejection (Again, Personal statement was a band B as opposed to the A that they wanted)

Advice: I think one of the biggest piece of advice I can give is to research your uni's and research them well, if applying to medicine it's less about which uni's you love and more about which uni's would give you a chance. As you can see I stupidly chose some uni's which were heavy on the PS and this cost me as obviously you never know if your personal statement is ever good enough.

Another thing is revise for the UKCAT!!! I cannot stress how important this is, many people are under the delusion that they can just 'wing it' on the day but this is not the case. The UKCAT is an extremely time constrained exam so you need to make sure that you are familiar with the layout and type of questions asked, I can tell you now, whilst it was disheartening slaving away in the summer whilst everyone was out enjoying the weather, it will pay off! You don't want to make the mistake of not being prepared for your UKCAT, especially since so many uni's require it.

I would advise you to only apply to one or perhaps two but no more BMAT uni's. This is because you actually take the exam after applying so you have no real indicator to show you how well you are going to do. When I was practising for mine, Section one was by far my strongest, and I was often getting into the fives for that but as you can see, one the day it is this section which let me down.

Work experience is also a must as it really shows uni's that you have an idea of what life as a doctor would be and really helps to shape your understanding. People often think that only hospitals and GP's would count but this is certainly not the case, especially since it's so hard to do any work experience at these places (I should know, it took me many months to find mine!) You can also try care homes, hospices, childrens nurseries, etc.

Last but not least, try not to loose hope, I mean, a few weeks ago I was sitting with four rejections and had opted to do my fifth choice. You never know what's going to happen, and remember, getting into medicine is extremely hard so even if you don't get in one year, don't let it affect you too much! Who know's, you could end up taking a gap year or even going down another route doing something else that you completely love!

Best of Luck to anyone whose applying.

Reply 716

jess.olo

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No
GCSEs: 10 A*s
AS Grades: AAAA (bio, chem, maths, physics)
A2 Predictions: A*A*A*A*
UKCAT: 2610 (652 average)
BMAT: 3.1, 5.2, 2.5A
Work Experience/Volunteering:
- 2 weeks in a hospital shadowing geriatrician in Orthopedics
- Volunteer at a disabled home
- Volunteered in school during sixth form (tutor for year 7s who did not speak/read English as their first language)
Extra Curricular:
- Grade 5 piano
- Drama/theatre school (Stagecoach)

Universities applied to and decisions:

Oxford: pre-interview rejection (definitely my BMAT - so terrible!)
UCL: interview, rejection
Imperial: pre-intervie rejection
Keele: withdrew (did not attend interview because too far)

going to take a gap year. Hoping to go to Tanzania and work at a hospital there with the Gapmedics programme. i have applied to phlebotomist and health care assistant jobs in NHS in my local area so I'm waiting on those! really want to do better in my UKCAT (which I haven't even booked yet) and my BMAT. want to get my predicted A*s this year though!!

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 717

Elliejo98

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?:no
GCSEs: 2A* 9A 2B A* extended project
Standard Grades Int2s (Scottish applicants):
AS Grades:AABC
A2 Prediction/Results:AAAa (bio, chem, psychology and geography)
Higher grades (Scottish applicants):
Previous Degree (if applicable): none
UKCAT (if applicable): 635 average score and band 2 SJ
BMAT (if applicable):n/a
Work Experience/Volunteering:
5 months volunteer at british red cross
2 months in a care home
1 week placement in a hospital
day experience at GP
clinical research placement
day at different hospital
volunteer at race for life
work with children in clarks.
Extra Curricular:
dance, self learn guitar, ex swimmer
Universities applied to and decisions: uni of sheffield> offer (reduced to ABB)
uni of liverpool> interview but withdrew application
HYMS> rejection pre interview
uni of manchester> rejection pre interview
newcastle uni boomed offer

Advice-
-do ukcat asap for your own sanity,don't leave it until the last date possible.

-also don't panic about our GCSE results, it really doesn't have that much of an impact, don't be put off if you don't have 10A* :smile:

-get as much work experience and voluntary work as possible and start early!

-don't panic about the interviews too much they're not as bad as you'd probably think,definitely scrub up your knowledge on GMC and ethics too.

Reply 718

blackraven

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No
GCSEs: 2A*s, 3As, 1B
AS Results: AAAA
A2 Results: AABB (maths, english lit, chemistry, biology)
Previous Degree: Biomedical science - 2.i (achieved)
UKCAT: 717.5 average and Band 1 in SJT
Work Experience/Volunteering: i've had multiple applications so there's been a lot. Volunteering at a hospice (6months or so), volunteering at a hospital (6 months), work experience placements in about 7 different hospitals in London etc.
Universities applied to and decisions:
King's College London (A102): Interview, then rejected, then later got an offer (apparently someone dropped out and my interview score was next on the list. PS: this rarely rarely rarely ever happens)
Barts and the London GEP: Rejected pre-interview
Warwick : Interview, then rejected
Southampton BM4: Rejected pre-interview, then later got invited to an interview in June

2013 Application So, my tutor at sixth form accidentally gave me the wrong predicted grades (someone else's) on my UCAS application. after being rejected by one of my choices in January and asking why, I was told that i didn't meet their grade requirements, which was how i found out that i had the wrong predicted grades. me, my tutor and some other key people at my sixth form, literally had to call UCAS up to change the predicted grades, and we had to call all of the universities i had applied to, to explain the mixup. Unfortunately, by that point it was too late. Most of the Uni's said that since we were changing it after the october 15 deadline, they couldn't take it into account. in a hilarious twist of fate, i ended up getting those exact same predicted grades. anyway, here are my stats for my first application
UKCAT: 637.5
Barts and the London A101: Rejected pre-interview (they were the first to reject me)
Manchester a101: Interview, then rejection
Leeds a101: Rejected pre-interview
Leicester A101: rejected pre-interview

Advice:
Applying to medicine is really difficult and is going to be a massive rollercoaster of emotions. being rejected is never a nice feeling, but always keep in mind how competitive the application process is, and remember that being rejected isn't a reflection of you, but rather just a consequence of the competitive process. The key step is picking yourself back up again. Plus, rejection is not always a bad thing, sometimes it can push you into really realising whether or not medicine is the right path for you and when you realise that it is, it strengthens your passion for the course, and makes you look better during the interview. After 3 years of studying Biomedical science and attending lectures and societies alongside medics, i truly believe that 18 is too young for people to decide whether or not they want to study medicine and i've met a lot of medical students, who regret their decision, so before you apply, make sure you've really thought about why you want to do it and be able to reflect that in your personal statement and during the interview. Another advice is to be practical with your application. I truly regret not applying to a foundation or an access course during my first time around because I was cocky and thought i was too smart for a foundation course. That experience actually made me realise how proud i was and how i needed to stop being prideful, and apply smart. This is going to sound contradictory, but if there is a place you really want to go, then APPLY to it, and don't let other people deter you. Follow your gut. I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Kings. I didn't apply the first time around because everyone, (including a few people at my sixth form) told me that my UKCAT wouldn't be good enough (even for the EMDP), I later met and found out about a few people with UKCATs lower than mine who got in that year. I would have probably gotten rejected anyway (especially with the mistake with my predicted grades), but i always regretted not following my gut and applying. This time around, I was told the exact same thing. My friends and other past applicants all told me that Kings rejected anyone with a UKCAT lower than 750 and that i was setting myself up for failure. but i didn't care, I applied anyway and now I'll be starting there in August. So trust your gut and if you fail, you fail but at least you tried and didn't spend life wondering 'what if'.
another thing is to never lose hope. If it's something you really want, fight for it and keep trying. This is technically my third application, and when i thought that i had been unsuccessful, i had already started to prepare for my fourth one. The reason i kept on applying, was because i was absolutely certain that this was what i wanted to do, and i knew that I would never truly be satisfied and happy if i gave up and chose a different career. Sometimes miracles do happen. As of 2 months ago, I had 4 rejections and was already buying books and other materials for the GAMSAT and UKCAT which i planned on taking in september. I had even begun applying for HCA work and other healthcare related jobs, basically preparing for my fourth application. Next thing you know I get an offer from my dream Uni and an interview invite at my second choice uni (Southampton), both things happened within a day of each other. Obviously, My situation is the exception not the norm and I honestly don't know if that has ever happened before, but never lose hope. Anything can happen. I also know of quite a few people who got places (after being rejected post interview) on results day. they called the uni's up, told them their results (which obviously had to meet the minimum offer) and sometimes were offered a place. Bear in mind that this is just down to luck and good timing. But it's something worth trying, especially if you get AAA or above.
Also be aware that there are many paths to studying medicine. There are access courses, some Uni's offer transfers e.g i know a guy who did very badly in his a levels (he got BDEE OR BCDE or something), went to the university of bradford through clearing and did the course where they allow some students to transfer to the university of Leeds for medicine, and now he is studying medicine at Leeds. some uni's allow you to retake your A-level exams, you can study abroad and then there's Graduate entry (which is ridiculously competitive and tbh you're better off retaking and/or taking a gap year than to go straight into an undergraduate course and apply for GEM, but it's still an option)
Lastly, and most importantly, ALWAYS ASK FOR FEEDBACK. This is something i have always done, whether applying for a place in medical school or applying for a job in topshop. always ask for feedback on why you weren't selected and your performance at interview. Sometimes you can get detailed feedback (e.g at warwick, i was sent a summary of my interview score sheet and saw all the areas i underperformed in and some that i excelled in). This lets you know what to improve, what to perfect and what to leave alone. Making you a better candidate the next time around

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 719

Hazard82

Year of Entry: 2016
Deferred?: No
GCSEs: 12A*s 1A (FSMQ) Additional Maths
AS Grades: AAAAAA (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths and Critical Thinking) (95% SUMS)
A2 Predictions: A*A*A*A*
UKCAT: 2800 Band 2 (700 average)
BMAT: 5.4, 6.9, 3A
Work Experience/Volunteering:
- 2 weeks in hospital
- Volunteered at my local care home for 6 months
- Volunteered at a school for disabled children for 16 months
- Mentored students in secondary school years
Extra Curricular:
- Self Taught myself the Bass Guitar
- Squad Football

Universities applied to and decisions:

Cambridge: Interview and then pooled, but no place
UCL: Interview and Offer: A*AAA [Firmed] (Yes that is not a typo)
Imperial: Post-interview rejection (Didn't have a great day, but was a little harsh)
Birmingham: Interview and Offer: A*AA [Insurance]

Advice:

Having good grades is NOT enough to get you into Medical School. You need to make sure at the interview you are calm and come across naturally - do not ever attempt to memorise any answers to any questions! Having a general idea of what you are going to say is a much better approach to interviews.

If you receive back to back rejections in a short space of time like I did - do not give up! If you have an interview coming up request for urgent feedback and practice some questions with a family member or a teacher from your school who is willing to help.

In terms of BMAT and UKCAT, I would recommend looking at both tests and seeing which one plays to your strengths. I found that I was much better at the BMAT than the UKCAT so I applied to 3 BMAT unis and only 1 UKCAT uni.

If anyone reads this and wants more specific advice feel free to PM me