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Original post by Orangeflower6
HYMS and Liverpool! Trying to decide between Aberdeen, Leicester and Keele for my last:s-smilie:


Good choices :biggrin:
Which of the three are you leaning to at the moment?
Original post by Gogregg
Huh, that's bizaar. They don't seem to suggest that they use it at all on their website other than just to check it's suitable? The page itself doesn't really say how it uses it toward interview selection also. I thought it was only used at interview.
I actually didn't realise that, thank you for telling me, though :h:

Oh yeah, definitely, Their UKCAT puts them in great stead, I was just trying to add some extra information, sorry for any miscommunication issues :colondollar:

EDIT: I also edited my response before your reply which you may have missed, not sure if it changes anything but oh well :colondollar:




UEA own FAQs state:

'33. How will you process my application?Briefly, all on-time applications proceed to Primary Screening, where checks are made to see that applicants meet, or are predicted to meet, our minimum academic entry criteria, have a satisfactory personal statement and reference and have taken the UKCAT test in the summer prior to submitting the application.Those meeting Primary Screening requirements progress to Secondary Screening, where academic qualifications (achieved and predicted, including UKCAT scores) are assessed and ranked against the applicant cohort, with the strongest applicants invited to interview (from December onwards). Please Note: we do not operate a minimum UKCAT cut off score, but from our experience, it is unusual for an applicant with a UKCAT score of less than 2400 to be invited to interview.Following the completion of interviews, interviewed applicants are again ranked (by interview and UKCAT scores) within the applicant cohort. The top ranking applicants will receive offers. For 2016 entry we made approximately 300 offers.'



I would be more inclined to believe this is accurate than the MSC document, and it makes no mention of using PS assessment to select for interview, other than that it, and the reference is "satisfactory". I hadn't realised that UEA also use UKCAT score with interview score to rank post-interview!
Original post by Gogregg
Good choices :biggrin:
Which of the three are you leaning to at the moment?


Aberdeen is a traditional course so I'm unsure of it. Plus its at the other end of the country, but if I had a chance there I'd take it.
Leicester I was above the points cut off last year but only just, so its a risk.
Keele may be good as I have the 7A* at GCSE which people were being invited with based on academics alone last year. The R and R form is subjective so if I don't get invited based on my academics it could be a risk, but I have almost 200 hours of volunteering and still counting to put on the form and the maximum credit for duration of work experience is given for more than 160 hours. However, I'm unsure of the location. I'm in a bit of a mess!
Just want to go where my chances are best though!
Original post by GANFYD
UEA own FAQs state:

'33. How will you process my application?Briefly, all on-time applications proceed to Primary Screening, where checks are made to see that applicants meet, or are predicted to meet, our minimum academic entry criteria, have a satisfactory personal statement and reference and have taken the UKCAT test in the summer prior to submitting the application.Those meeting Primary Screening requirements progress to Secondary Screening, where academic qualifications (achieved and predicted, including UKCAT scores) are assessed and ranked against the applicant cohort, with the strongest applicants invited to interview (from December onwards). Please Note: we do not operate a minimum UKCAT cut off score, but from our experience, it is unusual for an applicant with a UKCAT score of less than 2400 to be invited to interview.Following the completion of interviews, interviewed applicants are again ranked (by interview and UKCAT scores) within the applicant cohort. The top ranking applicants will receive offers. For 2016 entry we made approximately 300 offers.'



I would be more inclined to believe this is accurate than the MSC document, and it makes no mention of using PS assessment to select for interview, other than that it, and the reference is "satisfactory". I hadn't realised that UEA also use UKCAT score with interview score to rank post-interview!


I'll have to agree with you. But, it's better to be safe, so I've sent an e-mail anyway.It's a great thing that they use UKCAT score with Interview score! Or, at least it is for me :lol: I was unaware of it also, turns out there's a lot to be learnt from reading these things :colondollar:

Original post by Orangeflower6
Aberdeen is a traditional course so I'm unsure of it. Plus its at the other end of the country, but if I had a chance there I'd take it.
Leicester I was above the points cut off last year but only just, so its a risk.
Keele may be good as I have the 7A* at GCSE which people were being invited with based on academics alone last year. The R and R form is subjective so if I don't get invited based on my academics it could be a risk, but I have almost 200 hours of volunteering and still counting to put on the form and the maximum credit for duration of work experience is given for more than 160 hours. However, I'm unsure of the location. I'm in a bit of a mess!
Just want to go where my chances are best though!


I thought their course was integrated? They have clinical skills teaching in the first few years, don't they?
I guess I should have paid more attention at their open day :lol:

If you like Leicester, though, it may be worth the risk?

Sounds like you have a really good chance at Keele, although I agree on the location, it just seems to be in the middle of no-where!
Are you going to take the BMAT, or do you not want to bother? :smile:
Original post by GANFYD
The strength in your application is your UKCAT score, so you should really be looking at Med Schools that select on UKCAT: Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton, Plymouth, Glasgow, and to a degree, Kings. Check fine points for GCSE criteria, but if you meet them, you would be more or less guaranteed interviews, barring big swings in UKCAT averages.
UEA, Leicester, HYMS, QUB, SGUL, Birmingham use GCSEs and UKCAT and you can score your application on their websites, then check old threads on here to see if you would be competitive
Nottingham, Liverpool use GCSEs, UKCAT and PS to rank applicants, so brings in a level of subjectivity, and you have not mentioned your PS?
Barts uses UCAS score and UKCAT 50:50 and your UCAS score would not be particularly high, though your UKCAT may compensate for this.
Seems to me that you can fairly well guarantee yourself interviews by applying to your strengths, which means apply to UKCAT heavy Unis as above.
Good luck


Thank you GANFYD.
My PS is reasonably strong but I have no way of measuring this.

I have shadowed doctors in two NHS hospitals in the UK for 5 days in total and spent 2 weeks shadowing doctors in South india as well as volunteering in a care home on a long term basis for a couple of hours a week.
In addition, I have been playing rugby and cricket since I was 7 and also have a Grade 7 in singing and grade 6 in trumpet which should add to the UCAS points for Barts.
I'm applying for hull York, Leeds and Sheffield.
I'm stuck between Manchester and Leicester for my last choice. I like both universities and both cities. I don't have a preference when it comes to pbl vs integrated. So I don't know which one to choose. Manchester is closer to home but I have a weak personal statement and so I think the non-academic form they ask for would put me at a disadvantage. I have good GCSEs (7A*s 1A 1B) and a good UKCAT (740 avg) so I am more likely to get an interview at Leicester because they look at gcses and UKCAT combined. But Manchester is closer to home (I live in Bradford).
Which medical school is better in your opinion? I'm a Muslim so the "night life" is irrelevant. Which city is better and more 'homely'?
Thanks for any advice.
Original post by GANFYD
The strength in your application is your UKCAT score, so you should really be looking at Med Schools that select on UKCAT: Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton, Plymouth, Glasgow, and to a degree, Kings. Check fine points for GCSE criteria, but if you meet them, you would be more or less guaranteed interviews, barring big swings in UKCAT averages.
UEA, Leicester, HYMS, QUB, SGUL, Birmingham use GCSEs and UKCAT and you can score your application on their websites, then check old threads on here to see if you would be competitive
Nottingham, Liverpool use GCSEs, UKCAT and PS to rank applicants, so brings in a level of subjectivity, and you have not mentioned your PS?
Barts uses UCAS score and UKCAT 50:50 and your UCAS score would not be particularly high, though your UKCAT may compensate for this.
Seems to me that you can fairly well guarantee yourself interviews by applying to your strengths, which means apply to UKCAT heavy Unis as above.
Good luck


GCSEs: 9 A* 1 A
A2 predictions: A*A*A (A in AS level not taking through to A2)
UKCAT: 747 (average) Band 1
Lots of extracurriculars and w' experience
UCAS Tariff: 234 (equivalent to 620 last year)
Thinking of Manchester, QMUL (is my Tariff ok?), Kings, and Bristol/Newcastle/Sheffield

Please help
Original post by Gogregg
I'll have to agree with you. But, it's better to be safe, so I've sent an e-mail anyway.It's a great thing that they use UKCAT score with Interview score! Or, at least it is for me :lol: I was unaware of it also, turns out there's a lot to be learnt from reading these things :colondollar:



I thought their course was integrated? They have clinical skills teaching in the first few years, don't they?
I guess I should have paid more attention at their open day :lol:

If you like Leicester, though, it may be worth the risk?

Sounds like you have a really good chance at Keele, although I agree on the location, it just seems to be in the middle of no-where!
Are you going to take the BMAT, or do you not want to bother? :smile:


I'll have to check, when I have used the medical school comparison tool on medic portal is says traditional. I'm going to be doing my research into these unis over the next few days! I hope you're right because I'm unsure of traditional courses. Yes its kind of off-putting! I haven't visited it either, just been watching youtube videos:colone: I'm not bothering with BMAT, I will probably do it next year if I have to reapply. I don't have time to revise for it right now! Are you?
Original post by Gogregg
I'll have to agree with you. But, it's better to be safe, so I've sent an e-mail anyway.It's a great thing that they use UKCAT score with Interview score! Or, at least it is for me :lol: I was unaware of it also, turns out there's a lot to be learnt from reading these things :colondollar:



I thought their course was integrated? They have clinical skills teaching in the first few years, don't they?
I guess I should have paid more attention at their open day :lol:

If you like Leicester, though, it may be worth the risk?

Sounds like you have a really good chance at Keele, although I agree on the location, it just seems to be in the middle of no-where!
Are you going to take the BMAT, or do you not want to bother? :smile:


Aberdeen's course is integrated. It is a really nice Med School, but bloody cold!
Original post by GANFYD
Aberdeen's course is integrated. It is a really nice Med School, but bloody cold!


Thought so :smile:
Aberdeen is a nice place, and cold means nothing to me at this point :lol:
That said, it is a very grey place :colondollar:
Original post by Orangeflower6
I'll have to check, when I have used the medical school comparison tool on medic portal is says traditional. I'm going to be doing my research into these unis over the next few days! I hope you're right because I'm unsure of traditional courses. Yes its kind of off-putting! I haven't visited it either, just been watching youtube videos:colone: I'm not bothering with BMAT, I will probably do it next year if I have to reapply. I don't have time to revise for it right now! Are you?


Yeah, Traditional courses just don't appeal to me either. I want to get right into it and I don't think I'm scientific enough to do a traditional course :h:
Youtube videos are better than no videos :colone:
I was going to do it and apply to BSMS, but then I just looked into Barts and I preferred it, and besides, my UKCAT score is definitely good enough :lol:
Original post by Worried abc
Thank you GANFYD.
My PS is reasonably strong but I have no way of measuring this.

I have shadowed doctors in two NHS hospitals in the UK for 5 days in total and spent 2 weeks shadowing doctors in South india as well as volunteering in a care home on a long term basis for a couple of hours a week.
In addition, I have been playing rugby and cricket since I was 7 and also have a Grade 7 in singing and grade 6 in trumpet which should add to the UCAS points for Barts.


PS assessment is still really subjective, and with a strong UKCAT score, you do not need to rely on this, so unless you are really keen on Med Schools that rely on it, I would avoid them. It is not about how much you have done, but about how you reflect upon it and show what you have learned from it. You would have to work out your tariff for Barts and compare it to past years', but your UKCAT score should balance things out, to a degree.
It comes down to how much you want to study medicine, so will apply to wherever you are most likely to get an interview, and how much you want to go to a particular place, in which case you may take a bit more of a risk!
Original post by Gogregg
Thought so :smile:
Aberdeen is a nice place, and cold means nothing to me at this point :lol:
That said, it is a very grey place :colondollar:


Yeah, Traditional courses just don't appeal to me either. I want to get right into it and I don't think I'm scientific enough to do a traditional course :h:
Youtube videos are better than no videos :colone:
I was going to do it and apply to BSMS, but then I just looked into Barts and I preferred it, and besides, my UKCAT score is definitely good enough :lol:


The other thing to bear in mind with Aberdeen is that accommodation is surprisingly expensive, given its location. This is because of the oil rig workers that push rental costs up. So research this carefully if cost is an issue.
Original post by Gogregg
Thought so :smile:
Aberdeen is a nice place, and cold means nothing to me at this point :lol:
That said, it is a very grey place :colondollar:


Yeah, Traditional courses just don't appeal to me either. I want to get right into it and I don't think I'm scientific enough to do a traditional course :h:
Youtube videos are better than no videos :colone:
I was going to do it and apply to BSMS, but then I just looked into Barts and I preferred it, and besides, my UKCAT score is definitely good enough :lol:


I just checked the website and it says intergrated, medic portal must just be a mistake as the website is more likely to be accurate! May consider it now, thanks for letting me know! Yeah if your UKCAT is strong there isn't really any point in doing it unless you're set on a BMAT uni:h:
Original post by GANFYD
The other thing to bear in mind with Aberdeen is that accommodation is surprisingly expensive, given its location. This is because of the oil rig workers that push rental costs up. So research this carefully if cost is an issue.


I didn't know this at all!
Original post by undercover65
GCSEs: 9 A* 1 A
A2 predictions: A*A*A (A in AS level not taking through to A2)
UKCAT: 747 (average) Band 1
Lots of extracurriculars and w' experience
UCAS Tariff: 234 (equivalent to 620 last year)
Thinking of Manchester, QMUL (is my Tariff ok?), Kings, and Bristol/Newcastle/Sheffield

Please help


The same applies as I said above, your strength is your UKCAT, though you have excellent academics too. The only bit of your application you cannot be sure of is your PS, as this is always subjective, and you do not know what admissions people are looking for-with stats like yours, why would you rely on this?
I do not know if your tariff would be high enough for Barts, compare it to previous years' on here, though your UKCAT would make up, to an extent, for any shortfall.
Manchester ranks on UKCAT then uses their version of the PS to score applicants.
Bristol is 70% PS. I do not think you need to put yourself through this type of lottery.
You are fairly well guaranteed interviews at Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton, Plymouth, Glasgow, Kings as UKCAT Unis and probably Leicester, HYMS, UEA, QUB, SGUL, Dundee, Aberdeen who use GCSEs/A2s and UKCAT.
Apply to one of those using PS if you like it a lot, but I would stick to safer choices for the other three.
Good luck!
Original post by Orangeflower6
I didn't know this at all!


Yeah, people assume it will be cheap as chips because it is in the far frozen North, and can get quite a shock when they get there! It is actually a really good Uni town, not too big, beach, good walking, good student community and the Med School is really nice (my son applied here and we had a good look round when he went for his interview), but it is not cheap when you are out of Uni accommodation. Do a bit of Googling and see what you think!
Original post by GANFYD
PS assessment is still really subjective, and with a strong UKCAT score, you do not need to rely on this, so unless you are really keen on Med Schools that rely on it, I would avoid them. It is not about how much you have done, but about how you reflect upon it and show what you have learned from it. You would have to work out your tariff for Barts and compare it to past years', but your UKCAT score should balance things out, to a degree.
It comes down to how much you want to study medicine, so will apply to wherever you are most likely to get an interview, and how much you want to go to a particular place, in which case you may take a bit more of a risk!


Thank you again. Will have to be Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton and possibly UEA ( based on their FAQ posted a few minutes ago.) May also research Manchester to see where they stand.
Original post by GANFYD
The same applies as I said above, your strength is your UKCAT, though you have excellent academics too. The only bit of your application you cannot be sure of is your PS, as this is always subjective, and you do not know what admissions people are looking for-with stats like yours, why would you rely on this?
I do not know if your tariff would be high enough for Barts, compare it to previous years' on here, though your UKCAT would make up, to an extent, for any shortfall.
Manchester ranks on UKCAT then uses their version of the PS to score applicants.
Bristol is 70% PS. I do not think you need to put yourself through this type of lottery.
You are fairly well guaranteed interviews at Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton, Plymouth, Glasgow, Kings as UKCAT Unis and probably Leicester, HYMS, UEA, QUB, SGUL, Dundee, Aberdeen who use GCSEs/A2s and UKCAT.
Apply to one of those using PS if you like it a lot, but I would stick to safer choices for the other three.
Good luck!

Thanks GANFYD,
Good advice which I will def' take. I am avoiding any med' school that is asking for an A* in their offer as I don't want to add to the pressure (lightweight!).
How are your applications going?
Original post by Natalierm2707
Cardiff would be brilliant for you, QUB, birmingham also. Have a look at BMAT universities such as UCL, leeds.


Hi,

Do you have any idea what the GCSE scoring system for UEA is?

I have 6A*s 4As at GCSE.
A*A*A as my prediction for A2.
UKCAT: 637 avg Band 2

Work Exp/Extra Curricular:
- GP
- Liver Unit at St Mary's
- National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery
- Peer Mentoring 1 Year
- Maths Tutoring 1 Year
- Royal College of Surgeons Conference
- Kings Outreach
- Lead Prefect
- Care Home ongoing

What should be my best BMAT university choice as I am only picking one?


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Original post by Worried abc
Thank you again. Will have to be Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton and possibly UEA ( based on their FAQ posted a few minutes ago.) May also research Manchester to see where they stand.


You can all find exactly the same information that I do, you know! :tongue: I have no special powers, I just read the websites and FAQs and old threads on here, and do a bit of Googling, initially for son #1, who is now at Med School, and now for son #2, who is contemplating applying next year. It is not black magic, just a matter of applying to your strengths!

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