MEGATHREAD - Hyper Awesome mega thread for simple applicant questions!

Reply 1780

username570224

11

thanks wilzman for the HCA info :smile:

Reply 1781

Student28061

Original post by Boom533

thanks wilzman for the HCA info :smile:

My pleasure. Good luck in searching for a job. :smile:

Reply 1782

username570224

11

Haha

Just started Year 12, today, no actual job for me yet! I just wanted to find out what exactly a HCA was and how you could become one out of general interest :smile:

Reply 1783

Student28061

Original post by Boom533

Haha

Just started Year 12, today, no actual job for me yet! I just wanted to find out what exactly a HCA was and how you could become one out of general interest :smile:

Ah, okay.

Well good luck for your first year of A levels then! :tongue:

Reply 1784

Messi3

1

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if a personal experience is a good reason for wanting to do medicine for example if, when you were 11 years old your brother had a car crash and was in intensive care for a while, and you would be in hospital quite a lot, watching the doctors and how they treated him, to help him become fully fit.

Sorry for the long sentence, but yeah... your opinions would be much appreciated.

I would also say other reasons for example I'm interested in the sciences and people, also want to help people etc.

So my question really is, would that personal experience be a good reason for wanting to do medicine or would it not?

Thank You (:

Reply 1785

purplefrog

18

all the reasons you gave in your OP are fine. Rest assured, there have been many many many applicants who have used personal experiences of close ones in hospital as well as the fact that medicine is a combination of science and helping others as their reasons for wanting to study and practise medicine :smile:

Reply 1786

This Honest

3

From what my tutors have told me, it can be useful but it could also be bad. It's how you word your personal experience.

I also had a personal experience but I've been told it's risky so I've left it out of my PS for now.

Reply 1787

Messi3

1

Oh right, hopefully I can word it correctly.
How can it be a risk/bad thing to put in your PS?
And are there many unique reasons why people want to do medicine, because I've asked many doctors, med students and people who are applying like me, why they wanted to do medicine and all the reasons are very similar!

Reply 1788

Anna2392

I used a personal experience in my PS and got an offer and an interview. However, don't make it sound like a sob story so be careful how you talk about it. I used it to say how it made me realise how important qualities such as good communication skills are in a doctor, and also explained it was the event which first inspired me to want to study medicine.

Reply 1789

potentialmedicalstudent

You have to be very careful! I'm guessing this is for your personal statement?
What you have to remember, is so many patients/ family members go through long stays in hospital, due to serious conditions, but not many of them become inspired to pursue the profession.
I can just hear the question now, why do you think that out of all the family members that walk through hospital, you are of a small minority who feel medicine is for them?
if you do manage to make it through to the interview round, you may be seriously probed about your experience, and considering you were 11......
However, the use of personal experiences is certainly a well established form of starting a personal statement, just be aware that it doesnt sound like the sole basis of your decision and that you give evidence for your ambition
Heres another interesting question to reflect about, you said you were inspired at 11, so that means you've had a lot of time to learn about the career,(going on the basis that u must be 17) so what have you done since 11 to substantiate that claim?

Reply 1790

potentialmedicalstudent

In addition to writing a personal statement and using an experience, know that you have limited space to write...and a personal experience is going to take up a lot of characters, as you have to explain what happened and secondly how it influenced you....so you've written all of that, and haven't got on to what u got up to during your work experience

Secondly a key phrase to remember is DO NOT put all your eggs into one basket, if you put all your gems into PS, it may be harder to convince your interviewers with material they have already heard.....ask your self "will my personal experience, be better received/ phrased in an interview than in my PS?"

You may be thinking, I'm just writing my PS to get an interview.....WRONG! You write a PS to get in to the medical school!!! Plan ahead (but b realistic) be confident but not arrogant
Good luck, lol sorry for the essay

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1791

The_Writer

My head of year wants me to find universities that allow AAB predictions. I would really appreciate it if someone could let me know which ones do so.

Reply 1792

CpnCornetto

11

Keele.
That's it for medicine.

wait, predictions I don't know.
but the only place that gives AAB offers is keele.

Reply 1793

Magician

15

Original post by The_Writer

My head of year wants me to find universities that allow AAB predictions. I would really appreciate it if someone could let me know which ones do so.

a quick ucas search would show you!

Reply 1794

Anna2392

Original post by potentialmedicalstudent

In addition to writing a personal statement and using an experience, know that you have limited space to write...and a personal experience is going to take up a lot of characters, as you have to explain what happened and secondly how it influenced you....so you've written all of that, and haven't got on to what u got up to during your work experience

Secondly a key phrase to remember is DO NOT put all your eggs into one basket, if you put all your gems into PS, it may be harder to convince your interviewers with material they have already heard.....ask your self "will my personal experience, be better received/ phrased in an interview than in my PS?"

I'm not sure I agree with the second point. I know that at some universities such as Leicester, the interviewers haven't read your personal statement. Then, of course, they don't interview at all at Southampton so whether you get an offer or not mostly depends on your PS. Also, interviewers don't necessarily ask questions about why you want to do medicine (they didn't in my interview) so I wouldn't not include something just in case they do.

I do agree with the point about not using too many characters to write about it though. More recent things such as work experience would be more important.

Reply 1795

Student28061

Original post by The_Writer

My head of year wants me to find universities that allow AAB predictions. I would really appreciate it if someone could let me know which ones do so.

A level requirements for studying medicine at UK universities can be found here:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_A_Level_Requirements

I'm afraid in this cycle, as far as I'm aware, there are no universities that will accept AAB candidates for 2012 entry.

Keele were the only one I was aware of for 2011 entry, but they have now changed their admissions policy to accept a minimum of AAAb.

Reply 1796

oli_G

12

Which unis should I avoid with my GCSEs (7A*s, 4As)?

Reply 1797

theatrical

5

Original post by Messi3

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if a personal experience is a good reason for wanting to do medicine for example if, when you were 11 years old your brother had a car crash and was in intensive care for a while, and you would be in hospital quite a lot, watching the doctors and how they treated him, to help him become fully fit.

The above experience shouldn't be the reason why you want to be a doctor, it should be how you came to be interested in the career. The impressions you gained from the work experience you have undertaken due to that interest should then be the reason why you want to do medicine.

Do you get what I mean?

Reply 1798

Student28061

Original post by oli_G

Which unis should I avoid with my GCSEs (7A*s, 4As)?

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_GCSE_Requirements

Really only Birmingham, who want a minimum of 8 A*s from you. Everywhere else you should be fine. :smile:

Reply 1799

potentialmedicalstudent

Original post by Anna2392

I'm not sure I agree with the second point. I know that at some universities such as Leicester, the interviewers haven't read your personal statement. Then, of course, they don't interview at all at Southampton so whether you get an offer or not mostly depends on your PS. Also, interviewers don't necessarily ask questions about why you want to do medicine (they didn't in my interview) so I wouldn't not include something just in case they do.

Agreed, it does entirely depend on where you apply ....
However In an interview, a personal experience doesn't necessarily mean it can only be used in response to the "why medicine" question
The OP could use his/hers experience to answer multiple of different questions such as "why is communication important" or "what skills does a doctor require?" or for even more imaginative questions such as "other than actually treating a patient, what other responsibilities does a doctor have?"
The OP could explain his/her experience as a family member, and how a doctor has reassure and fully inform a family members (ESP. Parents) and answer their questions.... It's a skill to take control of an interview and to direct it in a way that you want it to go....

But definitely, When I say keep some info back to use on a later stage, I don't mean submit a rubbish PS...... Furthermore if you're eager to show off what done and include everything, your statement very quickly turns into a list (a major no no), the problem with lists are they have no substance or reflection and this links back to the point you agreed with ....you have limited characters!

So OP, treat this PS with absolute care and get it critiqued by teachers and friends to ensure it's perfect