[McMedic]

Hi

I'm just about to start college and I've heard about MedLink. I was wondering if any of you guys ahve previously been on it and could tell me more about it and how you found it? Or if any of you are thinking of doing it this year?

Thanks! X

[MJK91]

I personally found it a waste of time -- nothing you'll learn there that you can't on here and with some decent shadowing experience. Hugely expensive, and the only good thing I found was the stethoscope which is fun enough to play with, but you probably won't use it when you actually go to medical school.

I wonder if others disagree with my opinion?

[Steerforth]

I also went. At the time I found it really good fun, however looking back, that's all it was. Fun. Yes it taught me a little about the medicine application process, but nothing that I couldn't find from doing a quick bit of research on the web. The stethoscope is nice and as an HCA I do actually use mine every single day to take blood pressures.

Overall I would not recommend it. There are many companies trying to make money off desperate wannabe medics, and I was one of those taken advantage of. Unless money isn't an object, avoid.

[WanaBdoctor]

Although most of the info you could probably find out yourself on the internet I found it helpful to be around actual lecturers so that I could ask more specific questions. I also think it's a great opportunity to make new friends and to get a perspective of what it's like to go to uni.

Though I think the price was a bit steep for what it was, and the food is awful, I thought it was a beneficial experience. However, at the time I had very little work experience and knew no one who was even considering medicine. Also, no one from my sixth form had applied for medicine for the past 5 years so my head of sixth form was a bit out of date.

If you go though, be warned that a lot of people who go are very over confident and have millions of A* at GCSE and go to private school. Just beware that a lot of people will try to put you down and there is a lot of competition. However, most of the people who tried to intimidate me did so because they were from an area near to me and knew my school to be failing.

So yeah, sorry that last point makes it sound awful- believe me it's not. I think that if you have the opportunity to go then you should definately go!

[Kidneyjean]

(Original post by McMedic)
Hi

I'm just about to start college and I've heard about MedLink. I was wondering if any of you guys ahve previously been on it and could tell me more about it and how you found it? Or if any of you are thinking of doing it this year?

Thanks! X

I did Medlink in 2010, and while most of the lectures consisted of stuff you could find on the internet for free, I got a lot out of talking to the lecturers after they had finished (I hardly did any hospital work experience, and talked to more hospital doctors on Medlink than I did on work experience!). I ended up including some Medlink stuff on my personal statement for this reason.

Like an above poster said, there will be a lot of academically high achieving students there, and if your experience is anything like mine was, they won't be afraid of shoving their amazing grades in your face (I'm aware that this is a generalisation, and certainly doesn't hold true for everyone there).

Also, something I found amusing: I spend most of my time at Medlink with a group of 9 or 10 people, and only two of us actually ended up applying for medicine Don't worry if you're not super engaged by everything they have to offer; at the end of the day, their primary goal is to make a profit!

[McMedic]

Thanks to everyone who has replied I'm still thinking of going I think due to the people that have posted how you can ask questions and I like to hear it from someone in person rather than on the Internet.

I think I can deal with the over confident people - I hope! Haha :P

Any more posts will be gratefully received. X


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[DarkAndTwisty]

(Original post by McMedic)
Thanks to everyone who has replied I'm still thinking of going I think due to the people that have posted how you can ask questions and I like to hear it from someone in person rather than on the Internet.

I think I can deal with the over confident people - I hope! Haha :P

Any more posts will be gratefully received. X


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As good as this is, it's not really worth paying £200+ just to talk to people and ask questions. Get some work experience and then you can ask doctors for free, and there's plenty of opportunity to ask questions at open days (also free). I mean, at the end of the day it's your choice but I'd rather spend that money on something else if I can get the information elsewhere for nothing.

[*...smiling away....*]

I agree. I went on the extended course, bought the stethoscope and did the test thingy (Medsomething??) you do afterwards at home- all such a waste of money!
I had loads of fun at the time but you can have fun for much cheaper. I spoke to lecturers after their talks but they didn't tell me any thing I didn't find out again at open days or by emailing admissions. The 'patient' interviews were done by rubbish actors and my stethoscope still sits in its box. And in the end I didn't even bother to mention it in my personal statement because I couldn't truthfully say I had gained any skills from it.
All in all looking back I'm really disgusted at what they delivered for our money. I was younger back then and didn't appreciate just how much they were taking advantage of teenagers desperate to reach their dreams. Its ultimately your choice but my advice; please don't waste your money it is just not worth it.

[McMedic]

I know it's a lot of money and so many of you have said its not worth it that I might do some more research.

It all looks so good and helpful though! Well I suppose it would on their website...

Do you think it helped you prepare for university and filling out the forms? Were there any things that stood out to be worth the money?

Thanks for your help everyone X


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[MJK91]

(Original post by McMedic)
I know it's a lot of money and so many of you have said its not worth it that I might do some more research.

It all looks so good and helpful though! Well I suppose it would on their website...

Do you think it helped you prepare for university and filling out the forms? Were there any things that stood out to be worth the money?

Thanks for your help everyone X


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Nothing you learn there can't be learnt on here, that is the honest truth. It is not worth the money in my opinion.

[*...smiling away....*]

(Original post by McMedic)
I know it's a lot of money and so many of you have said its not worth it that I might do some more research.

It all looks so good and helpful though! Well I suppose it would on their website...

Do you think it helped you prepare for university and filling out the forms? Were there any things that stood out to be worth the money?

Thanks for your help everyone X


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The only positive I can think of is that I di dhave fun but like I said not any where near enough for it to be worth it. Good luck whatever you decide

[gozatron]

(Original post by McMedic)
I know it's a lot of money and so many of you have said its not worth it that I might do some more research.

It all looks so good and helpful though! Well I suppose it would on their website...

Do you think it helped you prepare for university and filling out the forms? Were there any things that stood out to be worth the money?

Thanks for your help everyone X


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Hey its your money to spend however you want but we're just looking out for you. I don't think there's anything you can ask at MedLink that you can't find out free via here, open days or through work experience. The only benefit i can see of MedLink is just the trip aspect of going away and meeting like minded people.

[g.k.galloway]

Heya, I've just booked onto it and am getting the pack soon (its in the post), I was wondering if you booked on?

[jamedz]

It's pretty much one big con. After you've forked out all of the money to actually get there they constantly try and sell you extra stuff you don't need. For example when I went they had a disc called "the source" which they said had invaluable information on all of the medical schools which you couldn't find in the prospectuses, which was a load of rubbish as it was essentially a few tables summarising each med school which is what UCAS does anyway. Then there was this card that cost £10 which they claimed gave you access to a load of medical journals, and guess what.. it just had a link on the back which took you to a website with a bit of healthcare news from around the world, you didn't even need to put in a code for it to work. Absolute con in my opinion, cannot believe people actually paid even more money for the med-sim later in the year. Get yourself down to a hospital to do some volunteering, I know my local hospital has an extensive volunteering service which you can sign up for.. http://www.leicestershospitals.nhs.u...oluntary-work/

I found this to be the most valuable thing I did which helped me decide whether I wanted to do medicine or not as you get to see what it's really like on a ward.

[HopefullyMedic]

I went with four other friends from my year and it was really fun, although I agree with everyone else that it was a complete waste of time. Also, I find myself staring at the thousands of other prospective medical students ( i.e. my competition ) and found myself irrationally hating many of them lol.
I don't wish I hadn't gone, but I really wouldn't bother unless you were going with your friends or something that might make it more fun!

[McMedic]

(Original post by g.k.galloway)
Heya, I've just booked onto it and am getting the pack soon (its in the post), I was wondering if you booked on?

I haven't booked yet but I think I will. I need to confirm with college I can have a few days off but it shouldn't be problem. What have you booked exactly?


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[McMedic]

(Original post by HopefullyMedic)
I went with four other friends from my year and it was really fun, although I agree with everyone else that it was a complete waste of time. Also, I find myself staring at the thousands of other prospective medical students ( i.e. my competition ) and found myself irrationally hating many of them lol.
I don't wish I hadn't gone, but I really wouldn't bother unless you were going with your friends or something that might make it more fun!

Okay, I think I'm going by myself at the moment but I think it's good to see what your 'competition' is like?!

I hope it will be fun meeting new people?!


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[McMedic]

(Original post by gozatron)
Hey its your money to spend however you want but we're just looking out for you. I don't think there's anything you can ask at MedLink that you can't find out free via here, open days or through work experience. The only benefit i can see of MedLink is just the trip aspect of going away and meeting like minded people.

Yeah that's what I was thinking and I'm always looking for hospital work experience - it's hard to find! Although luckily I have one week next week, yay!


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[g.k.galloway]

(Original post by McMedic)
I haven't booked yet but I think I will. I need to confirm with college I can have a few days off but it shouldn't be problem. What have you booked exactly?


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medlink 2 - (19th -22nd - school hols then ) 4 days, had to do it in staged payments....didn't go for any of the extra's at the moment, can always book them at a later date

[Hippokrates]

(Original post by McMedic)
Okay, I think I'm going by myself at the moment but I think it's good to see what your 'competition' is like?!

I hope it will be fun meeting new people?!


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It's looks like there's no persuading you that it's a waste of money. If you have money to throw away go but if you want to see you competition here we are on this forum. The people on here are the best of the applicants because they're the ones who have spent hours researching to make their application the best they can be. If you want any information, everyone on here is happy to help. I don't see why you would want to go.