Nottingham A100 2014 Entry

OP

Original post by t()m

What ukcat score is require for notts for interview ?

There isn't a cut-off! They award points based on your scores in each of the 4 sections, which they use along with points for your 8 highest GCSEs, the PS, and the online questionnaire to rank all the applicants; the highest scoring 750 are then invited to interview :smile:

The exact weightings for the different sections, from the Notts website are;
21% GCSEs
16% personal statement
15% online questionnaire
48% UKCAT

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

t()m

Original post by alex193

There isn't a cut-off! They award points based on your scores in each of the 4 sections, which they use along with points for your 8 highest GCSEs, the PS, and the online questionnaire to rank all the applicants; the highest scoring 750 are then invited to interview :smile:

The exact weightings for the different sections, from the Notts website are;
21% GCSEs
16% personal statement
15% online questionnaire
48% UKCAT

Cheers I knew most of this I just wondered if people new the actually like average for interview and offers. Also which sections do they weight higher ?

Reply 5

OP

Original post by t()m

Cheers I knew most of this I just wondered if people new the actually like average for interview and offers. Also which sections do they weight higher ?

~~I believe that~~ they weight each section of the UKCAT equally? Edit - they do :smile:

As far as admission statistics go, I found this FOI request from the 2011 interview cycle which has a spreadsheet of the UKCAT scores and whether the candidate was successful or not - afraid that's the most recent I've come across! FWIW, I got 725 in the UKCAT, but I should think that anything above 650 would be pretty safe? Remember, it is only a part of the pre-interview process.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 6

Fission_Mailed

I refuse to believe that I am getting older. The applicants must be getting younger.

Don't ask me any admissions questions because I bet it has changed a fair bit since I applied (back in 2009 :ahee:

) but I can answer anything about the course up to 4th year, including the strange beast that is the BMedSci.

Reply 7

Original post by t()m

What ukcat score is require for notts for interview ?

Here's my profile http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=865511&page=29&p=41965083&highlight=AAC#post41965083
And I was interviewed right at the end of the cycle so they can't have wanted me too much.

Reply 8

OP

Original post by Fission_Mailed

I refuse to believe that I am getting older. The applicants must be getting younger.

Don't ask me any admissions questions because I bet it has changed a fair bit since I applied (back in 2009 :ahee:

) but I can answer anything about the course up to 4th year, including the strange beast that is the BMedSci.

What did you do your Y3 project on? I'm trying to endear myself to Doc Pratten and Natasha and get an anatomy-based one. Been doing some prosecting and stuff already.

Reply 9

Original post by Fission_Mailed

I refuse to believe that I am getting older. The applicants must be getting younger.

Don't ask me any admissions questions because I bet it has changed a fair bit since I applied (back in 2009 :ahee:

) but I can answer anything about the course up to 4th year, including the strange beast that is the BMedSci.

Original post by alex193

What did you do your Y3 project on? I'm trying to endear myself to Doc Pratten and Natasha and get an anatomy-based one. Been doing some prosecting and stuff already.

On the topic of BMedScis, how diverse are the projects, could you do something psychiatry related for example? I know I've not even got there yet but can't help being excited.

Reply 10

OP

Original post by Hippokrates

On the topic of BMedScis, how diverse are the projects, could you do something psychiatry related for example? I know I've not even got there yet but can't help being excited.

The basic options are biomedical sciences, community health sciences, clinical sciences and molecular medicine - Fission, can you expand? I vaguely remember finding a list of past projects somewhere on moodle, but I seem to have lost it :frown:

Reply 11

Fission_Mailed

You're right that there is lots of variety. Towards the end of 2nd year you have to apply to homebases. These aren't the projects, but the areas in which you can work. As well as your research project there will also be exams/coursework unique to each homebase. These should also factor into your decision making, as there are huge differences. My homebase, psychiatry, had no exams but we had to do 5000 words of coursework on top of the project. This compares to exams in early November for clinical sciences or in late December for biomedical sciences.

So you rank all of the homebases and allocations are made using a best fit model. Most people get something they at least don't mind, but a few prime specimens will always forget to fill in the form and get sent to molecular pathology. Then, after 2nd year exams you go to your homebase and get allocated a project. Each place will do it slightly differently, but most will essentially ask you to rank all of the available projects and they will do their best to avoid giving too many people their 10th choice. I got my 3rd choice.

The types of projects, and the level of input that you can have into defining your research parameters vary wildly. More sciency homebases will have predominantly lab projects, with literature reviews thrown in for some. Clinical sciences have patient data studies, audits, surveys of clinicians and some device/treatment testing. One that seems to crop up every year involves getting lots of people to cannulate chickens under ultrasound guidance.

Psych seems to be one of the most varied areas to work in; it's a very small homebase (about 18 people) and the types of projects on offer seem a little more heterogenous than lab or lit review. The research interests of the department mean that ADHD and dementia are the most common areas, and people do everything from qualitative studies of art therapy in Alzheimer's disease to gaze direction based studies of attention and reaction times in ADHD and schizophrenia. Other people did surveys in schools or even high security hospitals.

My project was a Cochrane systematic review of a particular antipsychotic drug used in schizophrenia. This was pretty different to the rest of the homebase, and as far as I know I was the only person in the year as a whole working with the Cochrane collaboration. There were quite a few issues with the project and some of the support I was able to get, but if you're an EBM geek like me, the chance to be involved with something as important as Cochrane was too good to miss. The downside is that I am still working on the bloody thing to get it published.

Reply 12

Original post by Fission_Mailed

You're right that there is lots of variety. Towards the end of 2nd year you have to apply to homebases. These aren't the projects, but the areas in which you can work. As well as your research project there will also be exams/coursework unique to each homebase. These should also factor into your decision making, as there are huge differences. My homebase, psychiatry, had no exams but we had to do 5000 words of coursework on top of the project. This compares to exams in early November for clinical sciences or in late December for biomedical sciences.

So you rank all of the homebases and allocations are made using a best fit model. Most people get something they at least don't mind, but a few prime specimens will always forget to fill in the form and get sent to molecular pathology. Then, after 2nd year exams you go to your homebase and get allocated a project. Each place will do it slightly differently, but most will essentially ask you to rank all of the available projects and they will do their best to avoid giving too many people their 10th choice. I got my 3rd choice.

The types of projects, and the level of input that you can have into defining your research parameters vary wildly. More sciency homebases will have predominantly lab projects, with literature reviews thrown in for some. Clinical sciences have patient data studies, audits, surveys of clinicians and some device/treatment testing. One that seems to crop up every year involves getting lots of people to cannulate chickens under ultrasound guidance.

Psych seems to be one of the most varied areas to work in; it's a very small homebase (about 18 people) and the types of projects on offer seem a little more heterogenous than lab or lit review. The research interests of the department mean that ADHD and dementia are the most common areas, and people do everything from qualitative studies of art therapy in Alzheimer's disease to gaze direction based studies of attention and reaction times in ADHD and schizophrenia. Other people did surveys in schools or even high security hospitals.

My project was a Cochrane systematic review of a particular antipsychotic drug used in schizophrenia. This was pretty different to the rest of the homebase, and as far as I know I was the only person in the year as a whole working with the Cochrane collaboration. There were quite a few issues with the project and some of the support I was able to get, but if you're an EBM geek like me, the chance to be involved with something as important as Cochrane was too good to miss. The downside is that I am still working on the bloody thing to get it published.

Thanks a lot, your project actually sounds really interesting, I talked to someone on the open day that did his on homicide in medicine (not sure why). Is it relatively easy to get a psych one? If I don't get the grades I'm not sure I'll survive, way too excited to move out and get going. Where are you looking at getting it published?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 13

Fission_Mailed

Original post by Hippokrates

Thanks a lot, your project actually sounds really interesting, I talked to someone on the open day that did his on homicide in medicine (not sure why). Is it relatively easy to get a psych one? If I don't get the grades I'm not sure I'll survive, way too excited to move out and get going. Where are you looking at getting it published?

Psych is "competitive" in that more people put it as a first choice than they have places, but it isn't something that the student has much control over.

My project was interesting, but never ask me about it in person because it causes me to drone on like a low-rent Ben Goldacre for at least 10 minutes. It will be published by the Cochrane Collaboration themselves, they put it all out for free online so that people can actually access the evidence.

I'm sure you've got the grades, but in the mean time you need to get a hobby or something because stewing until the 15th of August will not be fun.

Reply 14

Original post by Fission_Mailed

Psych is "competitive" in that more people put it as a first choice than they have places, but it isn't something that the student has much control over.

My project was interesting, but never ask me about it in person because it causes me to drone on like a low-rent Ben Goldacre for at least 10 minutes. It will be published by the Cochrane Collaboration themselves, they put it all out for free online so that people can actually access the evidence.

I'm sure you've got the grades, but in the mean time you need to get a hobby or something because stewing until the 15th of August will not be fun.

That's a bit rubbish, I hoped everyone at Nottingham wanted to be a surgeon and would go for all the placements and SSC that I didn't want.I love Ben Goldacre don't worry :smile:

That will be so good, be worth the effort, Yeah I'm starting at Asda on Friday otherwise I'll be broke next year, I just don't know whether it;s better to tell myself everything will be okay or prepare myself for the worst. Luckily we can see our results online at 6AM on results day so I won't have to see anyone if it's not good news.

Reply 15

OP

Original post by Fission_Mailed

One that seems to crop up every year involves getting lots of people to cannulate chickens under ultrasound guidance.

Heyyy, I took part in that one :smile:

It was a turkey breast with an olive in it :wink:

Your project sounds really interesting - how did you feel about the workload during the 6 months? You said you were still working on it now!

Reply 16

OP

Original post by Hippokrates

That's a bit rubbish, I hoped everyone at Nottingham wanted to be a surgeon and would go for all the placements and SSC that I didn't want.I love Ben Goldacre don't worry :smile:

That will be so good, be worth the effort, Yeah I'm starting at Asda on Friday otherwise I'll be broke next year, I just don't know whether it;s better to tell myself everything will be okay or prepare myself for the worst. Luckily we can see our results online at 6AM on results day so I won't have to see anyone if it's not good news.

There doesn't seem to be many aspiring surgeons in my year come to think of it, most o them are eyeing up cushy GP jobs in the countryside.
You'll be fine - try and put it out of your mind until the day before, when you'll invariably be utterly bricking yourself, but there's no point sitting and stewing all summer :smile:

Can't change it now, so best just go get on with it and wait and see!

Reply 17

Original post by alex193

There doesn't seem to be many aspiring surgeons in my year come to think of it, most o them are eyeing up cushy GP jobs in the countryside.
You'll be fine - try and put it out of your mind until the day before, when you'll invariably be utterly bricking yourself, but there's no point sitting and stewing all summer :smile:

Can't change it now, so best just go get on with it and wait and see!

I met a GP who went to Nottingham and she said they basically trained everyone to be GPs (this was probably 10/15 years ago). That is actually my life plan, Nottingham must be the right place for me, although I'm sure I'll change my mind a lot.

Of course you're right but try telling my brain that when I'm trying to sleep :P.

Reply 18

OP

Original post by Hippokrates

I met a GP who went to Nottingham and she said they basically trained everyone to be GPs (this was probably 10/15 years ago). That is actually my life plan, Nottingham must be the right place for me, although I'm sure I'll change my mind a lot.

Of course you're right but try telling my brain that when I'm trying to sleep :P.

Hmm, not sure I'd quite agree with that - we're certainly keen on communication skills and empathy is emphasised, but we're trying to make the anatomy teaching quite clinically orientated - Dr Rittig will certainly talk surgery to you if you give him the chance :wink:

SCRUBS, the surgical society, is also very active with teaching sessions, skills classes and talks, so it's not like they hand you your NHS-issue corduroy GP trousers and sideburns on day 1 :biggrin:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 19

Phteven