The Student Room Group

HELP - Applying for medicine, scared and need advice

I am in sixth form and want to apply for medicine. I have been reading forums on medicine applicant advice on TSR, and I think my mind is overwhelmed looking at all the information. I feel kind of scared and initimidated looking at all the other forums :s-smilie:, so I would really appreciated some help right now.

I would appreciate if people could help me by suggesting things for me to do, in preparation for applying for medicine. Like, what things to read for wider reader of medicine, how to prepare for the UKCAT/BMAT, how to structure a personal statement, what things to include in the PS and what not to include in the PS.

Please include any useful advice, information, tips, things to do, work experience, skills, just anything you think will be helpful to share.

Thanks.
I assume your applying this October but if not then you have plenty of time. The main thing is work experience/volunteering which is pretty essential so id arrange that ASAP if you haven't already. Then based on your GCSE results find out which uni's you would get rejected from instantly and discard them. From what's left you ca start to narrow down based on a number of factors that are up to you. You also need to decide which test you want to take or take both as this affects where you'll apply obviously. In terms of PS id advise buying the book written by Oliver picard I think, its only £5 and it helped me loads. he takes you through it step by step and shows you what not avoid/include. Good luck and feel free to ask for any help
Original post by Phantomx60
I am in sixth form and want to apply for medicine. I have been reading forums on medicine applicant advice on TSR, and I think my mind is overwhelmed looking at all the information. I feel kind of scared and initimidated looking at all the other forums :s-smilie:, so I would really appreciated some help right now.

I would appreciate if people could help me by suggesting things for me to do, in preparation for applying for medicine. Like, what things to read for wider reader of medicine, how to prepare for the UKCAT/BMAT, how to structure a personal statement, what things to include in the PS and what not to include in the PS.

Please include any useful advice, information, tips, things to do, work experience, skills, just anything you think will be helpful to share.

Thanks.


OK so first things first, DO NOT PANIC! I know it seems overwhelming but dont get to flustered, there are so many people feeling the same!

So for now here is my advice:
UKCAT: make sure you have booked your UKCAT test. I would personally spend around 2-4 weeks preparing for the exam. Resources include 1000Q book which can be bought online, this is great for starting out and getting used to the question style. I would personally also invest in medify so you can practice your timings in a real exam-like situation, this is also the resource that I (and many others) found is the closest to the real exam. My advice for the UKCAT is do a bit each day, try to improve on your timing and scores and make sure you put more attention onto sections you seem to do worse in. This year the DA section doesnt count so be aware, this will be in the books and practice tests but will not count towards your final score in the exam.
BMAT: The medical schools which use the BMAT include: Keele, Imperial, UCL, Cambridge, Oxford, Leeds, BSMS and Lancaster. Before you decide to sit the BMAT ensure that you have done your research into whether you would make a competative applicant at the BMAT universities. Many people do not choose to do the BMAT, you dont have to if you dont want to apply to any of these medical schools. If you decide you want to sit it there are many resources online to practice, but it isnt sat until novemeber so dont start revising just yet. Also remember with the BMAT you sit is after you have applied to medicine meaning you will not know how you did before applying, making it a risky choice, hence it is recommended you choose no more than 2 BMAT schools to avoid applying to blind.
PS: the structure really differs for so many people, I personally structured it around what I included dependant on the criteria given in university admissions policies. If you go onto universities websites they have criteria which they are looking to be met in the personal statement (a set of bullet points), and it differs slightly dependant on schools. For example my medical schools is below:

Spoiler

Inside the personal statement its worth including your work experience/voluntary work experience and make sure you reflect on these. For example give some things you learnt and a good thing to also do is show how you will act on these by going to medical school (complex to do but when done well is impressive in a personal statement). Also include some extracurriculars to show teamwork, responsibility, extra interestes and a balanced life.
The PS is a strange thing, keep doing drafts and get tutors to review them and work from there.

Other things to do for medicine is once you have any results from the UKCAT and predicted grades/AS grades, try to narrow down your choices of medical schools. The best way to do this is go through each medicals schools admissions policy and see first if you meet the minimum requirements, if you do then go further. if you dont rule it out. Then look at how likely you are to get an interview based on the selections process (this may be found on the admissions documents of the universities website or can usually be found on TSR in older threads), make sure you are applying to places where you are likely to get an interview. For example dont apply to Cardiff with 1A*5Bs and 3Cs at GCSE because you will not get an interview even if you meet the minimum GCSE requirements, so do your research.

After you have a list of medical schools you are likely to get an interview from have a look at the courses, location and university to see what you would like and then make your 4 choices!

If you would like anymore help or advice feel free to PM me on here, I can answer all questions as best as I can x Nat x
Reply 3
I'm guessing you're going to be applying for 2017 entry.

UKCAT/BMAT:
You'll most likely need to take the UKCAT, and only the BMAT if you are applying to one of Oxford, Cambridge, Leeds, BSMS (unless you're an international applicant), Lancaster, ICL, Keele (If you're an overseas applicant) and UCL.
You'll want to book the UKCAT soon for sometime in August probably, and you'll only need about 2-4 weeks preperation. It's not something you revise for, but you should do loads of practice. I'd suggest using the ISC 1000Qs book (this contains very difficult questions, but it's good at giving you tips and it's good if you don't bother with timing) and then Medify closer to the time.
For the BMAT, there isn't any need to get any extra resources, just use past papers and their assumed knowledge paper. This is more like an exam, so use your normal revision techniques.

Work Experience:
It's vital to have some idea of what the medical profession is like. This does not necessarily have to be formal work experience like shadowing. This can be volunteering at a care home or hospice also. It's also good to have any other work, such as volunteering at a charity shop or just part-time work which has some interaction with customers. It may not be linked directly to medicine, but you can easily link some of the skills required.
Having a load of work experience is not vital, but some universities will ask for minimum 2 weeks, such as ICL and Bristol, so if you don't have that, avoid those universities. Look closely at all the entry requirements, and if in doubt, email the admissions team.

Skills:
You obviously want some good interpersonal skills, which again, can be gained from volunteering or any hobbies you have. These would more be tested at the interview stage, though.
It's good to have a hobby, even better if it gives you skills that you can clearly link to medicine. Even if it's competitive wall-papering, if you can link it to medicine, such as it giving you good teamwork skills or shows that you are dedicated, then it's good enough.

Personal Statement:
I've always gotten the impression that this is less important for most universities than it would be on other courses. That isn't to say just write whatever, though. Some universities don't even bother reading it, i.e. Plymouth, whereas others will be highly based upon your PS, such as Bristol.
Most universities will have a guideline of what they want to see within the personal statement, such as a realistic view into the medical proffesions. Again, look on their websites. I'm probably not the best for PS advice, but, avoid cliches and don't say you always wanted to study medicine, because that is a blatant lie. Also, don't waste characters with elaborate words. A simple dictionary will do, and it will often allow more room for extra stuff about how sexy you are.

Wider Reading:
There's always wider reading, but you probably won't have enough space to talk about it in your PS. It could be good for interviews, though. Some good books could be 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time', and also 'Bad Science'. Just anything that could have any links whatever to medicine as a career, or even just the patients you may see. Books about psychology and sociology could also be good.

Final Tips:
Make sure you really consider where you can apply. Then decide where you want to apply. Be harsh on yourself as well. There will always be better applicants than you, and you want to have the best possible chance of getting in. So don't waste an option, as you only have 4 of these. So if a university is UKCAT heavy, and you only have a UKCAT of 650, then don't apply.

Good luck though, and I hope this helped :u:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Natalierm2707
OK so first things first, DO NOT PANIC! I know it seems overwhelming but dont get to flustered, there are so many people feeling the same!

So for now here is my advice:
UKCAT: make sure you have booked your UKCAT test. I would personally spend around 2-4 weeks preparing for the exam. Resources include 1000Q book which can be bought online, this is great for starting out and getting used to the question style. I would personally also invest in medify so you can practice your timings in a real exam-like situation, this is also the resource that I (and many others) found is the closest to the real exam. My advice for the UKCAT is do a bit each day, try to improve on your timing and scores and make sure you put more attention onto sections you seem to do worse in. This year the DA section doesnt count so be aware, this will be in the books and practice tests but will not count towards your final score in the exam.
BMAT: The medical schools which use the BMAT include: Keele, Imperial, UCL, Cambridge, Oxford, Leeds, BSMS and Lancaster. Before you decide to sit the BMAT ensure that you have done your research into whether you would make a competative applicant at the BMAT universities. Many people do not choose to do the BMAT, you dont have to if you dont want to apply to any of these medical schools. If you decide you want to sit it there are many resources online to practice, but it isnt sat until novemeber so dont start revising just yet. Also remember with the BMAT you sit is after you have applied to medicine meaning you will not know how you did before applying, making it a risky choice, hence it is recommended you choose no more than 2 BMAT schools to avoid applying to blind.
PS: the structure really differs for so many people, I personally structured it around what I included dependant on the criteria given in university admissions policies. If you go onto universities websites they have criteria which they are looking to be met in the personal statement (a set of bullet points), and it differs slightly dependant on schools. For example my medical schools is below:

Spoiler

Inside the personal statement its worth including your work experience/voluntary work experience and make sure you reflect on these. For example give some things you learnt and a good thing to also do is show how you will act on these by going to medical school (complex to do but when done well is impressive in a personal statement). Also include some extracurriculars to show teamwork, responsibility, extra interestes and a balanced life.
The PS is a strange thing, keep doing drafts and get tutors to review them and work from there.

Other things to do for medicine is once you have any results from the UKCAT and predicted grades/AS grades, try to narrow down your choices of medical schools. The best way to do this is go through each medicals schools admissions policy and see first if you meet the minimum requirements, if you do then go further. if you dont rule it out. Then look at how likely you are to get an interview based on the selections process (this may be found on the admissions documents of the universities website or can usually be found on TSR in older threads), make sure you are applying to places where you are likely to get an interview. For example dont apply to Cardiff with 1A*5Bs and 3Cs at GCSE because you will not get an interview even if you meet the minimum GCSE requirements, so do your research.

After you have a list of medical schools you are likely to get an interview from have a look at the courses, location and university to see what you would like and then make your 4 choices!

If you would like anymore help or advice feel free to PM me on here, I can answer all questions as best as I can x Nat x

just wanted to say your advice is amzing and i really appreciate you helping others!!
Original post by rehmanator
just wanted to say your advice is amzing and i really appreciate you helping others!!


Thank you! I really appreciate your thanks it means a lot.

The reason I know so much is im currently putting together a medical school 2017 guide for applicants because that is by far the most asked question of me. I am trying to compile information from all of the medical schools admissions documents so people can easily see at a glance where they have a chance at applying or not. Obviously it wont be comprehensive but will be a good first port of call for people. My aim is to release it on my blog by results day :smile:

If you have any questions of me personally contact me via PM on here for my email address or I can just answer questions here.

Always happy to help x
Original post by Natalierm2707
Thank you! I really appreciate your thanks it means a lot.

The reason I know so much is im currently putting together a medical school 2017 guide for applicants because that is by far the most asked question of me. I am trying to compile information from all of the medical schools admissions documents so people can easily see at a glance where they have a chance at applying or not. Obviously it wont be comprehensive but will be a good first port of call for people. My aim is to release it on my blog by results day :smile:

If you have any questions of me personally contact me via PM on here for my email address or I can just answer questions here.

Always happy to help x

I think you'd make an amazing doctor!! and your determination and knowledge is incredible!
Original post by rehmanator
I think you'd make an amazing doctor!! and your determination and knowledge is incredible!


Awww thankyou, Im 1/5th of the way there so far, and spending my very boring long summer trying my best to help people who were in my situation a couple of years ago :smile:
Original post by Natalierm2707
Thank you! I really appreciate your thanks it means a lot.

The reason I know so much is im currently putting together a medical school 2017 guide for applicants because that is by far the most asked question of me. I am trying to compile information from all of the medical schools admissions documents so people can easily see at a glance where they have a chance at applying or not. Obviously it wont be comprehensive but will be a good first port of call for people. My aim is to release it on my blog by results day :smile:

If you have any questions of me personally contact me via PM on here for my email address or I can just answer questions here.

Always happy to help x

just a question, i wish to apply barts but i only do 3 alevels, as new spec linear a\levels only lets you do 3 :frown: do i still have a chace? many thanks :smile:
Original post by rehmanator
just a question, i wish to apply barts but i only do 3 alevels, as new spec linear a\levels only lets you do 3 :frown: do i still have a chace? many thanks :smile:


Of course you have a chance, Barts have just updated their requirements for A2 levels stating that for people completing Alevels in June 2017 they require AAA in 3 A-levels with no AS requirement. This information can be found on their admissions policy here: http://www.smd.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/A100/index.html

For barts your weighted pre-interview 50% UKCAT and 50% UCAS tarrif points. This means to be competative for barts you either need an insane UKCAT score with 3 A2 levels at Grade A. OR, More A2 levels, EPQ, music qualifications, extra qualifications which amount to UCAS tariff points and a UKCAT above decile 3 in the rankings (you will most likely not know this before applying so be aware).

Barts is a classic example of where minimum requirements (such as AAA at A2) is unlikely to get you an interview, so make sure you have a look at past threads and have a look at what UCAS tariff scores were getting interviews.

For UCAS tariff points at A2 (remember this will be done off predicted grades unless you already have achieved Alevels):
A = 48 points
A* = 56 points

hope this clears things up for you x
Original post by Phantomx60
I am in sixth form and want to apply for medicine. I have been reading forums on medicine applicant advice on TSR, and I think my mind is overwhelmed looking at all the information. I feel kind of scared and initimidated looking at all the other forums :s-smilie:, so I would really appreciated some help right now.

I would appreciate if people could help me by suggesting things for me to do, in preparation for applying for medicine. Like, what things to read for wider reader of medicine, how to prepare for the UKCAT/BMAT, how to structure a personal statement, what things to include in the PS and what not to include in the PS.

Please include any useful advice, information, tips, things to do, work experience, skills, just anything you think will be helpful to share.

Thanks.


Hi Phantox60

Firstly don't panic! It is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the information and by what feels like a long journey ahead of you. The thing to do is to take each step at a time and focus on just that step. Before you know it you'll be fully prepared and starting medical school!

I would suggest reading some blogs to give you a feel for what is important and get some tips from people who have gone from where you are now to starting, or even graduating from, medical school.

There are few blog posts on our website that spring to mind that would be good for you to read but I don't want to bombard you with information so my advice would be to start here with this one. This covers exactly what you are asking about and lays out a step by step guide to applying for medicine, so hopefully it will be pretty helpful for you.

With regards to getting prepared for the UKCAT/ BMAT and how to write a killer personal statement, these are all things that I am happy to advise on, but as I said before, I don't want to overwhelm you further and I think it is important to take it one step at a time.

What I would suggest is starting off by reading up on some blogs and maybe a look around our website, then let me know what specific questions you have and I will be more than happy to answer those for you.

I hope that helps... do give me a shout if there is anything more I can help with.

UniAdmissions
Original post by Natalierm2707
Of course you have a chance, Barts have just updated their requirements for A2 levels stating that for people completing Alevels in June 2017 they require AAA in 3 A-levels with no AS requirement. This information can be found on their admissions policy here: http://www.smd.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/A100/index.html

For barts your weighted pre-interview 50% UKCAT and 50% UCAS tarrif points. This means to be competative for barts you either need an insane UKCAT score with 3 A2 levels at Grade A. OR, More A2 levels, EPQ, music qualifications, extra qualifications which amount to UCAS tariff points and a UKCAT above decile 3 in the rankings (you will most likely not know this before applying so be aware).

Barts is a classic example of where minimum requirements (such as AAA at A2) is unlikely to get you an interview, so make sure you have a look at past threads and have a look at what UCAS tariff scores were getting interviews.

For UCAS tariff points at A2 (remember this will be done off predicted grades unless you already have achieved Alevels):
A = 48 points
A* = 56 points

hope this clears things up for you x

so does that mean my teachers have to predict me an A* to put me in a running position? thanks x
Original post by rehmanator
so does that mean my teachers have to predict me an A* to put me in a running position? thanks x


Ideally that would be more advantageous, sadly I'm no expert on Barts admissions and all the information I have is from their website and experience with their admissions department. It may be worth you having a look on their website and emailing the admissions department with any further questions you have x
Original post by Natalierm2707
Ideally that would be more advantageous, sadly I'm no expert on Barts admissions and all the information I have is from their website and experience with their admissions department. It may be worth you having a look on their website and emailing the admissions department with any further questions you have x


okay thanks for your help :biggrin:

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending