Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

The Ultimate Oxbridge Medicine Key Tips Thread

All you geniuses who got into Oxbridge Medicine, please post your best pieces of advice, BMAT results, GCSE results or links to relevant work experience placements, extra-curriculars, that you deem instrumental in your success.

On behalf of someone who is at Oxford doing medicine, the most important things in his opinion are BMAT, and having knowledge more advanced than A-Level work on certain topics, perhaps supplemented by an advanced book that you can talk about.

Have fun and don't hold back on the details.

p.s. Please post questions you were asked on the interview and interview tips. (Hopefully this will become a bank of knowledge)

p.p.s. Invite anyone you know who got in to post on here, the more advice the better!

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1

buzzcat

I didn't get in, but I'm pretty sure I failed the interview because I failed to show my interest - read up around the subject, whether it's learning a little about the major diseases or following bbc health news.

Reply 2

Helenia

Have a look at this thread to get a starting idea... http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=865511

Reply 3

7589200

hmm, well that profiles thread is pretty useful
BUT
even more useful is my thread

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1331767

Up-to-date statistics, loads of carefully thought out advice and best of all - pretty graphs - its a great thread

Post something like 'thanks vazzyb' just to bump it up

Cheers!

Reply 4

SephyStar

The statistics say most of it, VazzyB's tips about which out of Oxford or Cambridge to go for regarding GCSE's are worth thinking about. Things beyond the obvious of do as well as you can at GCSEs/ASs/BMAT are more important once you get to the interview stage (certainly for Oxford with only about a 1/3 getting shortlisted)

My advice is not to read massive books just to whack out at the interview but to read stuff you want to read because you find it interesting, and then your interest will come out naturally at the interview. They may well not pick up on something you've mentioned in your personal statement, because you'll have prepared about that, but if you mention something make sure you can back it up. Although my interviews didn't require actual knowledge beyond A level they asked things which having a general awareness of current advances rather than specific knowledge definitely helped.

With regards to work experience and extra curricular , think hard about what you've done and hat impact it's had on you but don't try and learn set things because with me they took all those things down an angle you couldn't prepare for so it helped more having reflected generally and the answers coming naturally.

That's only one experience but I'd be happy to answer any questions about the process I went through.

Good Luck :smile:

Reply 5

Hoopyfrood

Definitely avoid overthinking the interviews. I felt that I badly screwed up the first one, which made it easier to concentrate in those following it, being under the impression that I'd already failed. It's also worth noting that performance in all of the interviews is collated, so there's no need to worry if you completely balls one up.
Good luck and see you next year :smile:

Reply 6

medicines

Original post by Helenia

Have a look at this thread to get a starting idea... http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=865511

guys, i've not done well at my a/s level, but at GCSE i got 7A*'s in all relevant subjects, 2A's and distinctions

what uni's do you recommend?

not oxford, but i can't apply to cambridge because my ums are incredibly low.

=/ can i get into imperial?

ps, all of these uni's to me are equal.

i just want to apply to the course structures i like, which co-incidently are oxford, cambridge, imperial, kcl, ect....

=) any uni would be fantastic!

Original post by Vazzyb