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Leicester, Newcastle or Aberdeen for Medicine?

I've been extremely fortunate to have received offers from Leicester, Newcastle and Aberdeen for medicine; at the beginning of the application process i had hoped for just one offer, so I'm very grateful!

But now i really can't choose where to go. I chose universities i new I'd love to study at, with courses that i thought i'd enjoy, so i really haven't got any idea. I live in Cumbria, so Newcastle is about a 4hr 30min train journey, Leicester is about the same, and Aberdeen is about 6hr. I'm not sure i plan on coming home all that often so the journey time doesn't put me off Aberdeen opposed to the other two.

I found a friendly atmosphere and early clinical exposure at all 3 uni's on the open days and interview days, which i was really looking for, but it makes it no easier to decide!

So if there are any current medical students at any of the uni's, or even students starting in 2012 that have firmed one of the uni's, I'd really appreciate your thoughts, pros and cons, and why you chose that uni in particular.

Thank you! :smile:

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Where the hell do you live in Cumbria that it takes 4 and a half hours to reach Newcastle?! It's only a bit over an hour to get there from Carlisle lol.

If you're looking for pros and cons of the med schools try this sticky:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=812998

The front page isn't totally up to date, but if you look on page 16 i put my post for Newcastle there.

PS. If you want to save some time you can just take my word for it that Newcastle is the best of the 3 :cool:
Reply 2
Original post by mel608
I've been extremely fortunate to have received offers from Leicester, Newcastle and Aberdeen for medicine; at the beginning of the application process i had hoped for just one offer, so I'm very grateful!

But now i really can't choose where to go. I chose universities i new I'd love to study at, with courses that i thought i'd enjoy, so i really haven't got any idea. I live in Cumbria, so Newcastle is about a 4hr 30min train journey, Leicester is about the same, and Aberdeen is about 6hr. I'm not sure i plan on coming home all that often so the journey time doesn't put me off Aberdeen opposed to the other two.

I found a friendly atmosphere and early clinical exposure at all 3 uni's on the open days and interview days, which i was really looking for, but it makes it no easier to decide!

So if there are any current medical students at any of the uni's, or even students starting in 2012 that have firmed one of the uni's, I'd really appreciate your thoughts, pros and cons, and why you chose that uni in particular.

Thank you! :smile:


Congratulations on all your offers - that's a pretty amazing position to be in.

I don't know much about Newcastle nor Aberdeen, but I'm heading to Leicester later this year. Leicester has consistently ranked highly in the league tables (whether that means anything to you.) In my opinion the course is well structured and I heard from older medics that the support the academic staff give you is second to none - which is one of the major selling points of their medical school. I fell in love with the place when I visited, for me personally - it just sorta felt right.

All of the older medics I've spoken to you can't sing Leicester's praises high enough, so I'm pretty stoked to have firmed my offer. I think you should go for the place you connected best with, a medical degree is a medical degree - all 3 places will adequately prepare you for life as a junior doctor, so ultimately it stems down to your preference with regards to the curricula/social scene if that's what you're after.

All the best choosing :wink:
I grew up in Leicester, it's a nice place (certainly more so in the last 5-6 years). Newcastle's nicer though :colone:
Reply 4
Original post by hoonosewot
I grew up in Leicester, it's a nice place (certainly more so in the last 5-6 years). Newcastle's nicer though :colone:


Agreed. Both courses are similar in that they are quite lecture-heavy. However, in terms of the social life and the city, Newcastle wins hands down.

Can't really comment on Aberdeen as I had never considered it, but it's in Scotland so you may want to take that into consideration.
Reply 5
Original post by Panda89
Agreed. Both courses are similar in that they are quite lecture-heavy. However, in terms of the social life and the city, Newcastle wins hands down.

Can't really comment on Aberdeen as I had never considered it, but it's in Scotland so you may want to take that into consideration.


Actually Leicester integrates lectures with a lot of group (1.5 hours every day I hear) so I think that would be pretty enjoyable.
Reply 6
Original post by Davidragon
Actually Leicester integrates lectures with a lot of group (1.5 hours every day I hear) so I think that would be pretty enjoyable.


Indeed - I got told that there are lectures from 9-11 everyday, which is then supported by 1.5 hours of group work from 11.30-1.00. Medics are generally finished by 1 everyday.
I am at Aberdeen as a Zoology student and it is an amazinf university. I have many friends who do medicine at Aberdeen and love it. It is a great uni for the course!
Original post by fallenangel
Indeed - I got told that there are lectures from 9-11 everyday, which is then supported by 1.5 hours of group work from 11.30-1.00. Medics are generally finished by 1 everyday.


That's ludicrously short hours for a medicine course.
Reply 9
Original post by hoonosewot
That's ludicrously short hours for a medicine course.


That's the first year timetable, afaik it's enough for them but I can't really comment as I'm a pre-fresher :confused:
Reply 10
Original post by hoonosewot
That's ludicrously short hours for a medicine course.


I wish I finished at 11 everyday.

I wish I finished at 11, ever.

:flutter:
Reply 11
Original post by mel608
I've been extremely fortunate to have received offers from Leicester, Newcastle and Aberdeen for medicine; at the beginning of the application process i had hoped for just one offer, so I'm very grateful!

But now i really can't choose where to go. I chose universities i new I'd love to study at, with courses that i thought i'd enjoy, so i really haven't got any idea. I live in Cumbria, so Newcastle is about a 4hr 30min train journey, Leicester is about the same, and Aberdeen is about 6hr. I'm not sure i plan on coming home all that often so the journey time doesn't put me off Aberdeen opposed to the other two.

I found a friendly atmosphere and early clinical exposure at all 3 uni's on the open days and interview days, which i was really looking for, but it makes it no easier to decide!

So if there are any current medical students at any of the uni's, or even students starting in 2012 that have firmed one of the uni's, I'd really appreciate your thoughts, pros and cons, and why you chose that uni in particular.

Thank you! :smile:


Newcastle :colone:
Reply 12
Original post by hoonosewot
Where the hell do you live in Cumbria that it takes 4 and a half hours to reach Newcastle?! It's only a bit over an hour to get there from Carlisle lol.

If you're looking for pros and cons of the med schools try this sticky:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=812998

The front page isn't totally up to date, but if you look on page 16 i put my post for Newcastle there.

PS. If you want to save some time you can just take my word for it that Newcastle is the best of the 3 :cool:


Haha i know it's ridiculous, I live near Grange Over Sands, so pretty much the very south of Cumbria. It's all the changes that makes it such a long journey :/

Thank you for that link! In your post you said you sit 3 exams in your first year, one in September, January and June... i take it the one in September is a year after you first go? It would seem a bit strange to make you sit an exam before you learn anything in your first term :L

You also said there are frequent dissection sessions, is it dissection or prosection?


Original post by Davidragon
Actually Leicester integrates lectures with a lot of group (1.5 hours every day I hear) so I think that would be pretty enjoyable.


This actually really appealed to me until a Leicester student at my interview explained you're in that same group in the same room for a year (might have been even longer), and that not all groups always get on so smoothly. Have to admit the 1pm finish sounds pretty amazing though.

Original post by hannah123123
I am at Aberdeen as a Zoology student and it is an amazinf university. I have many friends who do medicine at Aberdeen and love it. It is a great uni for the course!


Do you know how medical students get from accomodation at Hillhead to the Foresterhill site? Or from Foresterhill to the main University campus?

Thank you for all the comments! :smile:
Reply 13
Newcastle. I wish I wasn't leaving. I don't do medicine there, but I do biomedical sciences so I'm in the same building and school. It's amazing. I would live there forever if I could. :P I hope after medicine I can move back. :smile:

You won't regret moving to Newcastle, I promise you!
Original post by mel608

Thank you for that link! In your post you said you sit 3 exams in your first year, one in September, January and June... i take it the one in September is a year after you first go? It would seem a bit strange to make you sit an exam before you learn anything in your first term :L

You also said there are frequent dissection sessions, is it dissection or prosection?


Sorry, it's November, not September and it's in your first year, so 2-3 months after you start. It's not really worth anything, you can fail it and be fine, it's to familiarise students with the exam format before the important ones and to check where everyone is at so they can help anyone that's struggling early on.

It's prosection, which imo is far superior to dissection. I posted about it in this thread (post 1051):

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1723306&page=53
Why does everyone seem to like Newcastle that much?
Or is there just a disproportionate amount of happy Newcastle students on here.
Original post by fairy spangles
Why does everyone seem to like Newcastle that much?


Sinners.

Original post by fairy spangles
Or is there just a disproportionate amount of drunkNewcastle students on here.


Fixed :colone:



In all seriousness though, it's an awesome city with an awesome medical school and an awesome social scene. What's not to like?
Reply 17
I think i might, possibly, be firming Newcastle? It's an exciting thought, and it just seems like the obvious choice! I'll sleep on it for one more night :biggrin:
Original post by mel608
I think i might, possibly, be firming Newcastle? It's an exciting thought, and it just seems like the obvious choice! I'll sleep on it for one more night :biggrin:


I would say Newcastle for the social life, but I doubt you'll be on the club scene if you're doing medicine, sounds intensive. In that case, I'd pick Aberdeen, surrounded by Scots will keep you in your room :biggrin:

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