[smcc]

I'm currently a 1st year medic @ Keele and I've got quite a lot of interests in science, outside medicine which I would be really interested in pursuing a BSc in as an intercalation. I was thinking of something like Evolutionary Biology at Edinburgh or Neuroscience and Philosophy at Kings. I haven't really given it too much thought as to where or what I'd exactly do, but a lot of the universities say that you need to have above average results to get a place on one of their courses.

Does anyone know exactly what 'above average' means and what the selection criteria is for these programmes?

[TooSexyForMyStethoscope]

(Original post by smcc)
I'm currently a 1st year medic @ Keele and I've got quite a lot of interests in science, outside medicine which I would be really interested in pursuing a BSc in as an intercalation. I was thinking of something like Evolutionary Biology at Edinburgh or Neuroscience and Philosophy at Kings. I haven't really given it too much thought as to where or what I'd exactly do, but a lot of the universities say that you need to have above average results to get a place on one of their courses.

Does anyone know exactly what 'above average' means and what the selection criteria is for these programmes?

It varies hugely.

[Spoonforknife]

it's like being the sperm and getting to the egg. Who knows, it's a tough race.

[Becca-Sarah]

(Original post by smcc)
I'm currently a 1st year medic @ Keele and I've got quite a lot of interests in science, outside medicine which I would be really interested in pursuing a BSc in as an intercalation. I was thinking of something like Evolutionary Biology at Edinburgh or Neuroscience and Philosophy at Kings. I haven't really given it too much thought as to where or what I'd exactly do, but a lot of the universities say that you need to have above average results to get a place on one of their courses.

Does anyone know exactly what 'above average' means and what the selection criteria is for these programmes?

Massive variation even within unis. Plus, average varies on who you're being compared to. King's take your class ranking and try and fit you into their own rankings, to see if you come above their cut-off. So being above average at one uni may make you below average at another - I got rejected from Kings, but got iBSc offers from Imperial and Barts.

If you're in first year now, I wouldn't worry too much about it for now. Just concentrate on getting decent marks and see how it goes - by the time you actually apply some of those unis might not take externals, such as how UCL decided this year to only offer to their own students.

[AkDo]

It all depends on the course you want to do as well as the year (more people wanting to do it one year to the next). Internal applicants are normally taken first.

http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/resources...01112guide.pdf

Here is the imperial's BSc list with the number of applicants and the number that got in listed. Overall it's surgery and neuroscience that tends to be oversubscribed. If you have any q's PM/write on my blog - I don't tend to check tsr that much...

[Kinkerz]

(Original post by smcc)
I'm currently a 1st year medic @ Keele and I've got quite a lot of interests in science, outside medicine which I would be really interested in pursuing a BSc in as an intercalation. I was thinking of something like Evolutionary Biology at Edinburgh or Neuroscience and Philosophy at Kings. I haven't really given it too much thought as to where or what I'd exactly do, but a lot of the universities say that you need to have above average results to get a place on one of their courses.

Does anyone know exactly what 'above average' means and what the selection criteria is for these programmes?

If you're at Keele, your best opportunity to do a BSc is after second year (you can do it after fourth year and in some cases after third, but it's a more arduous process; after fourth year they want you to do a masters).

Based on this, your application itself as well as the process of gaining permission to intercalate from the school will be based around your first year ranking score. I would advise you to do as well as you can if intercalation is what you want to do.

[GdotL]

King's Philosophy accepts EVERYONE that applies as their policy. I'm on the year right now.

[billet-doux]

(Original post by GdotL)
King's Philosophy accepts EVERYONE that applies as their policy. I'm on the year right now.

How are you finding it? I'm in second year at the moment and really unsure about what to apply for!

[GdotL]

(Original post by billet-doux)
How are you finding it? I'm in second year at the moment and really unsure about what to apply for!

Oh right, what are you thinking of doing?
Philosophy is very cool and relaxed, completely different to the sciencey courses. Personally, looking at some of my friends' lecture notes and the intensity of the BSc year makes me so so glad I didn't aim to do it. However, perhaps you like the idea of going in depth into a topic far beyond the standard medicine course!
We have 3 2 hour lectures a week and fortnightly hour seminars which require a short essay. That's it

[Schoolio93]

I wanna do Genetics - it's sooo amazing... But I need a 1st for that *sad*

[billet-doux]

(Original post by GdotL)
Oh right, what are you thinking of doing?
Philosophy is very cool and relaxed, completely different to the sciencey courses. Personally, looking at some of my friends' lecture notes and the intensity of the BSc year makes me so so glad I didn't aim to do it. However, perhaps you like the idea of going in depth into a topic far beyond the standard medicine course!
We have 3 2 hour lectures a week and fortnightly hour seminars which require a short essay. That's it

That sounds so good! If you don't mind me asking, are your lectures at Strand or at Guy's? How much reading is involved? To be honest, I have no idea what I want to do! At the moment I'm thinking about Psychology or Endo, but I'm sure I'll change my mind again

[graemematt]

(Original post by Schoolio93)
I wanna do Genetics - it's sooo amazing... But I need a 1st for that *sad*

You need a 1st to do Genetics? Thats not very fair...surely they should be encouraging interest rather than academia when considering selection for iBSc? Furthermore, I can't see why you'd need to excel in your year to study Genetics...something like Biochemistry would be more suited to such elitist criteria I would've thought?

[GdotL]

(Original post by billet-doux)
That sounds so good! If you don't mind me asking, are your lectures at Strand or at Guy's? How much reading is involved? To be honest, I have no idea what I want to do! At the moment I'm thinking about Psychology or Endo, but I'm sure I'll change my mind again

Lectures are at Strand so you become a proper Humanities student! It's really relaxed, there's a few pages to read before each lecture but if you don't do it, it doesn't really affect your understanding of the lecture and you can always very very easily catch up. Obvs the more reading you do, the further you'll be ahead of everyone else but it's so so relaxed. I've heard that Psychology is ok but Endo is one of the most difficult ones!

[lyrabelacqua]

(Original post by GdotL)
you become a proper Humanities student!

Hi, I know this is quite an old thread, but I'm intercalating in Philosophy come September, and was just wondering if you could clear a few things up for me.

How did you find the switch from med to philosophy? I've never studied it before, but really wanted a year off from science and have always enjoyed writing essays. Would you say I should do some reading over the summer to prepare?

Do you get a reading week at any point during the year?

Thanks!

[GdotL]

(Original post by lyrabelacqua)
Hi, I know this is quite an old thread, but I'm intercalating in Philosophy come September, and was just wondering if you could clear a few things up for me.

How did you find the switch from med to philosophy? I've never studied it before, but really wanted a year off from science and have always enjoyed writing essays. Would you say I should do some reading over the summer to prepare?

Do you get a reading week at any point during the year?

Thanks!

Hey
Do not stress about it at all, it's the most relaxed course EVER. 3 lectures a week and the occasional essay, seriously. Well, you could look up A-Level philosophy notes on the internet (they're useful) or read some Plato/Aristotle but you really really do not need to do anything!
Yes, we get reading weeks just like half-terms!
I was worried at the beginning then when I started I realised how unstressful it was (arts subjects are incomparable to science!!)

Good luck - also feel free to ask whatever questions etc xxx