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UCL next year or Edinburgh this year (medicine)

Hey all

So on result day I got AAA (1 mark short off my UCL offer A*AA) so UCL have offered me deferred entry if my remark doesn't go up
And Edinburgh have said they'll take me if I don't want to go to UCL

My question is, does anyone know what medicine at Edinburgh is like, seeing as I live near London is it pretty hard to travel down regularly?

Also - anyone who has taken a gap year or deferred entry, did you find it weird being 1 year older?


Thankss

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Original post by keres
Hey all

So on result day I got AAA (1 mark short off my UCL offer A*AA) so UCL have offered me deferred entry if my remark doesn't go up
And Edinburgh have said they'll take me if I don't want to go to UCL

My question is, does anyone know what medicine at Edinburgh is like, seeing as I live near London is it pretty hard to travel down regularly?

Also - anyone who has taken a gap year or deferred entry, did you find it weird being 1 year older?


Thankss


I'm a current medical student in my 4th year at Edinburgh. Course-wise, it is very similar to UCL with a 2 preclinical years --> intercalated year --> 3 clinical years set up. I don't know much more about UCL medicine, but from what I gather from their website, the first 3 years are essentially comparable. The clinical years are a bit different. UCL has longer more general clinical placements, whereas Edinburgh sticks with the systems-based approach and you do placements to cover the main systems in 4th year = cardiology, respiratory, GI, orthopaedics/rheumatology, endocrine etc. 5th year picks up all the other specialties (haematology, oncology, paeds, ENT, ophthalmology, derm etc). And then 6th year is long general placements (medicine, surgery, geris, GP).

But honestly, the difference in course probably means **** all to you at this stage so just pick based on city. London is an expensive, congested, polluted shitehole filled with crime and Tory brexiteer ******s. Edinburgh is much smaller and cheaper to live in, has friendlier people, and is the gateway to the Scottish countryside.
Reply 2
I'd go to medical school this year if you have the choice - otherwise you'll be artificially holding yourself back (and losing a year's earnings - important to see this as a loss of end-career earnings, unless you'd retire a year later to make up for starting a year later ... unlikely!) and it's arguably better to use an 'extra year' to do a masters or a fellowship at some point during your career, rather than just sitting and waiting an extra year to get into med school.
Reply 3
OMG. Definitely go Edinburgh. I have heard from multiple people that it is a very good university. I am thinking of going there to study Veterinary medicine🙏🏽


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Original post by keres
Hey all

So on result day I got AAA (1 mark short off my UCL offer A*AA) so UCL have offered me deferred entry if my remark doesn't go up
And Edinburgh have said they'll take me if I don't want to go to UCL

My question is, does anyone know what medicine at Edinburgh is like, seeing as I live near London is it pretty hard to travel down regularly?

Also - anyone who has taken a gap year or deferred entry, did you find it weird being 1 year older?


Thankss


Go to Edunburgh. UCL's slightly higher prestige doesn't really account for a year of waiting.
Reply 5
If I could study medicine anywhere in the UK it would be at Edinburgh. Only because I love the city, plus the university is beautiful and in a fantastic location. Also, you have the fantastic Surgeon's Hall museum which I believe is used quite frequently by the university.
Original post by GradeA*UnderA
Go to Edunburgh. UCL's slightly higher prestige doesn't really account for a year of waiting.


Debateable whether UCL is more prestigious than Edinburgh for medicine. Not that it matters.
Prestige doesn't matter here, Edinburgh is a great uni in it's self really and offers just as great student life as UCL.
I'd say go to uni he this year and not hold back, after all all your knowledge from A levels is still relatively fresh.
Reply 8
Original post by Asklepios
I'm a current medical student in my 4th year at Edinburgh. Course-wise, it is very similar to UCL with a 2 preclinical years --> intercalated year --> 3 clinical years set up. I don't know much more about UCL medicine, but from what I gather from their website, the first 3 years are essentially comparable. The clinical years are a bit different. UCL has longer more general clinical placements, whereas Edinburgh sticks with the systems-based approach and you do placements to cover the main systems in 4th year = cardiology, respiratory, GI, orthopaedics/rheumatology, endocrine etc. 5th year picks up all the other specialties (haematology, oncology, paeds, ENT, ophthalmology, derm etc). And then 6th year is long general placements (medicine, surgery, geris, GP).

But honestly, the difference in course probably means **** all to you at this stage so just pick based on city. London is an expensive, congested, polluted shitehole filled with crime and Tory brexiteer ******s. Edinburgh is much smaller and cheaper to live in, has friendlier people, and is the gateway to the Scottish countryside.


Hey there thank you so much
Btw, only thing im concerned about is patient diversity - won't London have much wider range of diseases/patients? xx
Original post by keres
Hey there thank you so much
Btw, only thing im concerned about is patient diversity - won't London have much wider range of diseases/patients? xx


Perhaps, but does that really matter? Edinburgh is hardly a dinky town where you won't get a mix of people. But so many applicants seem to get hung up on London as the place to see the weird and wonderful. Thats not what a medical degree is for. Sure it may be interesting to see someone with a weird tropical disease, but frankly you're unlikely to come across it again in your general career. Medical school is for learning the bread and butter of medicine, how to be a safe and competent FY1. The weird and wonderful can come later down the track, if you're so inclined.
Reply 10
Original post by ForestCat
Perhaps, but does that really matter? Edinburgh is hardly a dinky town where you won't get a mix of people. But so many applicants seem to get hung up on London as the place to see the weird and wonderful. Thats not what a medical degree is for. Sure it may be interesting to see someone with a weird tropical disease, but frankly you're unlikely to come across it again in your general career. Medical school is for learning the bread and butter of medicine, how to be a safe and competent FY1. The weird and wonderful can come later down the track, if you're so inclined.


What about the distance though - living in Scotland for 6 years when I'm from London, would I be missing out on nightlife/culture/research? And how bad is the travelling down? xx
Original post by keres
What about the distance though - living in Scotland for 6 years when I'm from London, would I be missing out on nightlife/culture/research? And how bad is the travelling down? xx
Where do you think Edinburgh is? The moon? The world carries on outside of London. Research happens outside of London. I'm pretty sure the Scots know how to party, just as much as the Londoners. Yes, moving away from London may be scary, but it might do you good. The likelihood is you'll have to move for fy1/2 anyway so why not try it out now. Its good to try somewhere new for uni.Yes, it may be a bit of a trip, but you can fly or get the train, depending on cost at the time. Its not that far really, and you might find you really love it there and not want to come back all that often.
Reply 12
Personally, I'd have loved the chance to go to UCL, and it sounds like you have a preference for London. It's not really any more prestigious, and the courses don't seem that different - it honestly depends on your preference of city.
Loads of applicants take gap years, so it shouldn't make you feel any different. Would you make the most of it though? You are holding yourself back a year if you choose UCL, would you make the most of the gap year?
Reply 13
Original post by keres
What about the distance though - living in Scotland for 6 years when I'm from London, would I be missing out on nightlife/culture/research? And how bad is the travelling down? xx


Lol, London isn't the only place with culture...

Also, Edinburgh have an extremely competitive research portfolio in many areas that London institutes can't even touch.
Reply 14
Ahh guys thanks for your replies
I'm now even more confused though haha
Original post by keres
Ahh guys thanks for your replies
I'm now even more confused though haha


The thing is, there really isn't a bad decision either way. The outcome will be the same, you'll have an awesome time either way. There isn't a downside to either, not really. If you're dying to start uni, go to Edinburgh. If you want a gap year to earn some money and go traveling, with a guaranteed place at the end (so a stress free gap year) go to UCL.

Go with your gut. I'm pretty sure you already know what you want.

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Original post by keres
What about the distance though - living in Scotland for 6 years when I'm from London, would I be missing out on nightlife/culture/research? And how bad is the travelling down? xx


Nightlife - every student city in the UK will have plenty of this. London will have more amazing club nights with big name DJs, but Edinburgh has as good cheap student nights, if not cheaper! Try getting a pint in London for under £3 :tongue:

Culture - Edinburgh is home to the biggest arts festival in the world so

Research - Edinburgh is on par with London in a lot of areas. Think dolly the sheep, creation of synthetic blood etc. A lot of main medical textbooks are written by lecturers eg davidsons, McLeods


Travelling down is easy, 4.5 hours in train and if you book far enough in advance you can get tickets for £15-20
Reply 17
Original post by keres
Ahh guys thanks for your replies
I'm now even more confused though haha


I'd be less diplomatic than others and advise that you go for Edinburgh. You can spend that extra year a lot better elsewhere - even if it's an F3 year in Australia or something exciting.
Reply 18
personally i'd go with edingburgh too. I went to UCL for my undergrad degree, and while I loved it there, the time out of study (while I worked before I knew I wanted to do medicine) meant that going back into study was daunting and tough!
Yes I survived but I still think that it would have been better to not take the time out.
Essentially, if you go to UCL, this would have been an unplanned gap year, and while you might get a job or might travel, I think you'll find that you'll end up just lazing around doing nothing most of the time (which is what most of my friends ended up doing).
Now if you're really up for taking a gap year, by all means, do it, but try to make good use of that time rather than wasting it!

And yes, I'm aware that both my universities are london based, but london isn't everything either, Edingburgh is a large city too and you'll definitely be able to have an enjoyable student life there, and even if you can't visit family all the time, that shouldn't be a problem, there's video calling, and you'll go home on holidays
Reply 19
Ahhhhh I'm leaning towards edinburgh now...

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