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*MEGATHREAD* - Hyper Awesome mega thread for simple applicant questions!

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Reply 60
is it statistically more difficult to get into a london uni?
Reply 61
Woody.
My insurance (UCL) has higher grades than my firm (Aberdeen)!


Can I ask what factors influenced you to firm Aberdeen?
Reply 62
Mickyy
is it statistically more difficult to get into a london uni?


Not that I'm aware. They're a lot of competitive non-London unis for Medicine, Soton, Bristol, Edinburgh etc.

http://www.medschoolsonline.co.uk/index.php?pageid=78

Some of the stats maybe dated.
Reply 63
Sakujo
Not that I'm aware. They're a lot of competitive non-London unis for Medicine, Soton, Bristol, Edinburgh etc.

http://www.medschoolsonline.co.uk/index.php?pageid=78

Some of the state maybe dated.

hmm yh ive checked out that website but things seemed to have changed alot this year and that was last updated in 2008/2009
Thanks anyway
Reply 64
Mickyy
hmm yh ive checked out that website but things seemed to have changed alot this year and that was last updated in 2008/2009
Thanks anyway


I suggest reading the stalking thread to see what the cut offs and such were but they're deffo competitive non-London unis.
Reply 65
1 Formula
Can I ask what factors influenced you to firm Aberdeen?

Both are great institutions, it was a tough choice and I finally chose Aberdeen over UCL for a few reasons. Firstly I preferred their course structure more - the way it was laid out over the 5 years really seemed to make sense and there are a fair few SSCs (student selected components) so you can go and study a topic you like in more depth. The new Suttie centre in Aberdeen is amazing, and they've just opened a new library and more sports facilities. Aberdeen also has a 'Remote and Rural' option, which basically means you can go and visit rural places like the highlands and islands in Scotland and study there for a while - which is great because I'm a bit of a country person at heart and that's one of the reasons I wasn't so keen on London.

However one thing that really shone out is how nice and friendly the staff were at the uni - even the interviewers seemed like great guys. Aberdeen is more personal than UCL and apparently the lecturers are happy to speak to you after a lecture and clear things up - and you also get assigned a 'regent' who is a practising doctor who you can speak to and s/he helps you out with your studies whenever you need it. Aberdeen runs a 'culture of care' which was highly rated by the GMC (They said the staff were very enthusiastic and committed and they complemented the excellent student support offered) which I found very comforting as uni is doubtless going to be a difficult time and will be hard to settle into initially. UCL has one of the biggest medical schools (and is generally a huge uni) and while that has its advantages, I think there will be more anonymity there than there would be in Aberdeen. Hope that helps!

/sales pitch
Fission_Mailed
One root involves using the search function, this gets asked a lot.

Do you have 2 science A levels? If not, is it too late for you to pick up chemistry AS level? Because if you do then you can take the standard route into some med schools. Otherwise, there are 6 year medical programmes with a foundation course for people without enough science A levels.

You can always do a different degree (Biochemistry is a popular one), get a 2:i and apply for a graduate entry programme, but this route is arguably more competitive than entry for school leavers, and it takes at least 3 years longer.

Not much detail here, but a few minutes googling or searching TSR will help you flesh it out.

You don't need a chemistry A Level to do a Biochem degree? :unsure:

How strange.
Reply 67
Do you suggest researching ethical issues such as euthuansia or other stuff like that? do we have to have an opinion or can we just be sit on the fence about it?


P.S just one more thing:P to all those UCL Medics, how great is the night life?
J DOT A
Do you suggest researching ethical issues such as euthuansia


yes, even if it doesn't come up at interview, the arguements are quite interesting and i would always reccomend a dabble in philosophy!

J DOT A
do we have to have an opinion or can we just be sit on the fence about it?


well one day you'll probably have an opinion, but know both sides then weigh it up for yourself as to which you think is 'right'. i tried to sit on the fence in one of my interviews which they didn't take to very kindly :p: so be prepared to give an opinion if asked.
John Locke
yes, even if it doesn't come up at interview, the arguements are quite interesting and i would always reccomend a dabble in philosophy!



well one day you'll probably have an opinion, but know both sides then weigh it up for yourself as to which you think is 'right'. i tried to sit on the fence in one of my interviews which they didn't take to very kindly :p: so be prepared to give an opinion if asked.


I'd agree they have a tendency to push for an opinion. At all of my interviews they always asked, but if you were forced to choose, what would you do? Every single time. They make it nigh on impossible to remain indecisive without looking like a tool.
RollerBall
I'd agree they have a tendency to push for an opinion. At all of my interviews they always asked, but if you were forced to choose, what would you do? Every single time. They make it nigh on impossible to remain indecisive without looking like a tool.

Well when you think about it, in a real situation by being indecisive you are causing a decision to be made.
Phalanges
Well when you think about it, in a real situation by being indecisive you are causing a decision to be made.


In theory, but you are not deciding yourself. It's a cop out.
Phalanges
Well when you think about it, in a real situation by being indecisive you are causing a decision to be made.


true but arguably,as a lowly pre-med, i don't think i'm in a position to have an truly informed position on such a huge decision.
RollerBall
In theory, but you are not deciding yourself. It's a cop out.

I would question just how conscious a decision it is. By remaining indecisive you remain inactive, which results in a definite set of events taking place.

It's not as if you can claim ignorance that your indecisiveness would result in an event, so at some level you not only acknowledge that your indecisiveness is in itself a decision, but you choose it. So in theory I would say that being indecisive over any decision long enough for it to play out is an active decision.
Phalanges
I would question just how conscious a decision it is. By remaining indecisive you remain inactive, which results in a definite set of events taking place.

It's not as if you can claim ignorance that your indecisiveness would result in an event, so at some level you not only acknowledge that your indecisiveness is in itself a decision, but you choose it. So in theory I would say that being indecisive over any decision long enough for it to play out is an active decision.


I wouldn't say deciding your view on something would result in an event though.

For example, if I remained indecisive about euthanasia. No event would happen, because my personal choice is insignificant. All it means is the interviewers would think I'm a tool.
John Locke
true but arguably,as a lowly pre-med, i don't think i'm in a position to have an truly informed position on such a huge decision.

I can see what you're saying, and it's a humble approach that is common among many students of anything.

But I would never say that someone wasn't in an informed enough position to offer an opinion. You can only base your opinion on the information available to you, so you may well make a biased and somewhat questionable call retrospectively, but you should still have confidence in your opinions to express them, and if not then try and seek an opinion which you can justify to someone.

As an aside, I generally find that the more I learn about something the less I am able to form opinions based on it (because I become more aware of my relative ignorance to so many aspects of the idea). :p:
RollerBall
I wouldn't say deciding your view on something would result in an event though.

For example, if I remained indecisive about euthanasia. No event would happen, because my personal choice is insignificant. All it means is the interviewers would think I'm a tool.

To be undecided about euthanasia is the same as being anti-euthanasia. You do nothing, and therefore something happens because of it (in this case the person remains alive).

While you are right that your personal opinion is irrelevant in a lot of situations you will come across , I think that ethical questions in medical interviews are intended that you should assume that your own personal values will have a direct impact on the situation.
Phalanges
To be undecided about euthanasia is the same as being anti-euthanasia. You do nothing, and therefore something happens because of it (in this case the person remains alive).

While you are right that your personal opinion is irrelevant in a lot of situations you will come across , I think that ethical questions in medical interviews are intended that you should assume that your own personal values will have a direct impact on the situation.


I think I'd be inclined to agree, tbh. Especially with the do nothing is basically the same as disagreeing with a lot of the ethical questions you're asked about it.

I wouldn't want to try this out in an interview though, they could still end up turning around and being like yeah... But if you were forced to pick, what would you pick? Then you'd be a bit SOL if you hadn't thought about it. That, or you'd get bonus points for originality.
Phalanges
You don't need a chemistry A Level to do a Biochem degree? :unsure:

How strange.


Not at Exeter. They want Bio + one science.
RollerBall
I think I'd be inclined to agree, tbh. Especially with the do nothing is basically the same as disagreeing with a lot of the ethical questions you're asked about it.

I wouldn't want to try this out in an interview though, they could still end up turning around and being like yeah... But if you were forced to pick, what would you pick? Then you'd be a bit SOL if you hadn't thought about it. That, or you'd get bonus points for originality.


Yeah, I probably wouldn't recommend a bit of pop philosophy in an interview unless you were pretty confident about it. :p:

Although given the fact that a) it would probably take about the same time to research and reflect to prepare a good philosophical answer to an ethical question as it would to give a balanced, two-sided argument, b) there's nothing to stop you from exploring both avenues and switching depending on how well you perceive you answer to be received in an interview and c) I'd imagine very few people go down this route, I would say that given the right approach it's a style that could pay off nicely.

Fission_Mailed
Not at Exeter. They want Bio + one science.


Madness. Especially when you consider that most medical courses require a chemistry A Level for the relatively basic biochemistry you learn.

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