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Please don't let my posts put you off, It's very warm and i can be a dick at times.

The reason i would like to get into a good university and obtain a good degree is because i am really passionate, about medicine...

What would make a candidate stand out from the rest, when applying?
Original post by eco2bottle
Carry on the way you are, and you'll get no more help from TSR.


He's a young'in, lots of seasoned members of this forum said similar things when they first started out :wink:

Original post by Danny786
I would like to obtain the same degree as someone who would be going to Cambridge?

I want to one of the top 10 medical schools in UK, atleast!!


Don't ask anymore questions until you've read this:

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

:smile:
Original post by Danny786
I would like to obtain the same degree as someone who would be going to Cambridge?

I want to one of the top 10 medical schools in UK, atleast!!


There is no ranking with medical schools they are all equal. You're not going to get into the "prestigious" unis because your GCSEs are lacking and as a general rule, those are the ones that ask for high GCSEs. Plus Cambridge probably required the least work experience out of any medical school because the selection process is academic based.
Well my dream University would be;

Barts
Manchester
Newcastle

Am i being TOO AMBITIOUS?
Original post by Danny786
Well my dream University would be;

Barts
Manchester
Newcastle

Am i being TOO AMBITIOUS?


With those GCSEs, I think so. On the other hand Medicine is not all about GCSEs and academics. I had interviews this year with good academics and I still got rejected based on that performance.
''With those GCSEs, I think so. On the other hand Medicine is not all about GCSEs and academics. I had interviews this year with good academics and I still got rejected based on that performance. ''

So pretty much, I'm ****ed?.. might re-consider FML :/
really feel dishearted, if i cant get into them Unis, i might aswell not try, because no uni = no medicine = no doctor
You just need to learn the admissions processes inside and out. I'm in a similar GCSE situation to you, so I'm applying to Imperial and Glasgow as they care little about GCSE'S after the minimum requirements then UCL as other parts of my application are strong and Exeter as while they Peninsula paid attention to GCSE'S they don't do so as much as other uni's.

But first ask people who aren't close friends whether they'd be ok with having you as a doctor. Medicine is as much if not more about suitability to clinical duties as it is academia.
Reply 8228
When you volunteer at like a hospital, is there a certain number of minimum hours work experience you need? Or do you need to ask them to fill in some kind of form or give you a reference or something as proof to show universities?
Original post by monica95
When you volunteer at like a hospital, is there a certain number of minimum hours work experience you need? Or do you need to ask them to fill in some kind of form or give you a reference or something as proof to show universities?


I think most hospitals have a minimum amount of hours you need to volunteer per week and also a minimum length of time overall in order for them to give you a reference. The hospital I volunteered at required 2 hours a week for 6 months but I think the best way to find out is just to e-mail the person responsible for volunteering at the hospital :smile:
Reply 8230
Original post by zhang599
I think most hospitals have a minimum amount of hours you need to volunteer per week and also a minimum length of time overall in order for them to give you a reference. The hospital I volunteered at required 2 hours a week for 6 months but I think the best way to find out is just to e-mail the person responsible for volunteering at the hospital :smile:


Ahh thank you very much :smile: Did it take ages for them to like actually organise for you to start?
Reply 8231
Original post by zhang599
I think most hospitals have a minimum amount of hours you need to volunteer per week and also a minimum length of time overall in order for them to give you a reference. The hospital I volunteered at required 2 hours a week for 6 months but I think the best way to find out is just to e-mail the person responsible for volunteering at the hospital :smile:


Oh also, did u tell them straight at the start when you were organising it with them how many hours you'd need to get a reference? Because I do want to know, but don't want to sound rude or anything like that's all I want haha :rolleyes:
Original post by monica95
Oh also, did u tell them straight at the start when you were organising it with them how many hours you'd need to get a reference? Because I do want to know, but don't want to sound rude or anything like that's all I want haha :rolleyes:


From the time I sent off my application for volunteering to me actually getting a place took like 6 months for my hospital...took so long! :P And yeah I told them I wanted to do medicine and when I started I asked them if I would get a reference at the end of my placement and they told me how many hours/length of time I needed to do :smile:
GCSEs: 1.5 A* 9A 2B 1C
AS Levels: AABBB but resat to get AAAAA
A2 predictions: AAAB with a B in Biology but I'm hoping to lift this up to 4 As.
Work Expo/Volunteering/Extracurricular:
-1 week Chemist, volunteering in nursing home for elderly/stroke victims/those suffering from Dementia, volunteered as clinical assistant in Hospital Clinics, shadowed nurses, cardiologist, orthopaedic doctors, general surgery, EMT, maxillo facial, etc.
-3 weeks in South Africa volunteering in schools and orphanage with infants affected by HIV/AIDS crisis.
-1 week in Bosnia volunteering as part of interfaith work and visited hospital, spoke with senior cardiologist of hospital.
-DofE Bronze, Gold in 50,000m rowing challenge twice, organise charity events, Social Committee member, Prefect, Sixth-form Magazine co-editor, V50 award, Level 1 and 2 Womens Community sports leadership award, Level 1 Volunteering award, School sports leader, assisted in running girls community youth club, Open University Module.

I couldn't apply for 2012 entry as my predicted grades weren't high enough (Damn you Biology -.-) and does anyone think I have a decent chance- I'm worried if I do apply for the next cycle my GCSEs will pull me really down. Any ideas on what to do? :/ Danke Schon!
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 8234
Original post by AroosaHashmi2010
GCSEs: 1.5 A* 9A 2B 1C
AS Levels: AABBB but resat to get AAAAA
A2 predictions: AAAB with a B in Biology but I'm hoping to lift this up to 4 As.
Work Expo/Volunteering/Extracurricular:
-1 week Chemist, volunteering in nursing home for elderly/stroke victims/those suffering from Dementia, volunteered as clinical assistant in Hospital Clinics, shadowed nurses, cardiologist, orthopaedic doctors, general surgery, EMT, maxillo facial, etc.
-3 weeks in South Africa volunteering in schools and orphanage with infants affected by HIV/AIDS crisis.
-1 week in Bosnia volunteering as part of interfaith work and visited hospital, spoke with senior cardiologist of hospital.
-DofE Bronze, Gold in 50,000m rowing challenge twice, organise charity events, Social Committee member, Prefect, Sixth-form Magazine co-editor, V50 award, Level 1 and 2 Womens Community sports leadership award, Level 1 Volunteering award, School sports leader, assisted in running girls community youth club, Open University Module.

I couldn't apply for 2012 entry as my predicted grades weren't high enough (Damn you Biology -.-) and does anyone think I have a decent chance- I'm worried if I do apply for the next cycle my GCSEs will pull me really down. Any ideas on what to do? :/ Danke Schon!


What was the C in? As long as you apply carefully (avoid universities which have higher GCSE requirements) you'll be fine. You have a wealth of experience and extra curriculars but bear in mind that none of us are admission tutors so we can't really comment on your chances based on that :tongue: Just make sure when it comes to writing your statement, you are reflective on your experiences.
Reply 8235
Original post by zhang599
From the time I sent off my application for volunteering to me actually getting a place took like 6 months for my hospital...took so long! :P And yeah I told them I wanted to do medicine and when I started I asked them if I would get a reference at the end of my placement and they told me how many hours/length of time I needed to do :smile:


Thank you so muchh! :smile: Arghh, I better start now then :L
Im a reapplicant and last year i think that one the main errors in my application was that i was not careful enough in choosing my universities. My grades are as follows
GCSE: A*AAAAABBBBB
As levels: AAAA (maths, bio, chem, physics)
MY predicted grades are A*AAA (A* in bio) however i think that im on track to get atleast one more A* (if im lucky)

So yeah i guess im asking this a little early but i was just curious. Could anybody help pweez? :smile:
Reply 8237
Original post by bssjonny
Im a reapplicant and last year i think that one the main errors in my application was that i was not careful enough in choosing my universities. My grades are as follows
GCSE: A*AAAAABBBBB
As levels: AAAA (maths, bio, chem, physics)
MY predicted grades are A*AAA (A* in bio) however i think that im on track to get atleast one more A* (if im lucky)

So yeah i guess im asking this a little early but i was just curious. Could anybody help pweez? :smile:


Barts would be a good choice because they love lots of subjects at A level and even better if a few A*s are chucked in. Peninsula also always interview applicants with their achieved grades.
Your GCSEs aren't that bad, have a look at the GCSE requirements of medical schools
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_GCSE_Requirements

Just avoid those which blatantly have a high demand of GCSE grades (e.g. Birmingham and Oxbridge)
Reply 8238
Well, There are a few universities which dont really consider GCSE for medicine such as Brighton medical school..... However they do have basic requirements, which is minimum of 'B' grade in both english language and mathematics. Hope this helped you. Btw i am studying GCSE at the moment. next year i intend to study same subjects :smile:
Reply 8239
Original post by elsher
Well, There are a few universities which dont really consider GCSE for medicine such as Brighton medical school..... However they do have basic requirements, which is minimum of 'B' grade in both english language and mathematics. Hope this helped you. Btw i am studying GCSE at the moment. next year i intend to study same subjects :smile:


Some medical schools ask for a minimum but in reality only consider those with with much more competitive grades, BSMS is one of those :redface:

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