Birmingham Medical School Applicants 2014

Third year isn't really a "bridge" as you spend the whole year in hospitals, so it's a proper clinical year. However, you're not really learning "medicine", you're learning the basics of history and examination and the teeniest tiniest bit of medicine (i.e. how to diagnose and treat)

In 4th year you do all the diagnosis/treatment stuff for most specialties.

In 5th year it's all about learning how to be a proper junior doc - clerking patients, ironing out the history and exam, learning how to treat ill people at a basic level so you could keep someone alive whilst you wait for a senior colleague and a bit of paeds/O+G/GP thrown in

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Ooops you beat me to it! How´s fifth year treating you?

Do you think you would have any chance of getting an interview if your fourth AS grade was a B? great GCSEs and predicted grades, this is the only thing letting me down. I love bham reaaaally want to apply!

So I just completed my AS year, starting A2 now. My grades at AS were ABBB, but I was extremely close to getting an A in each of them! The reason I got Bs was because I moved from a different country and have had extreme trouble adapting to the different education and exam system (was a straight A student before). I got DDC in January and went up to Bs and As in June without doing anything differently, so I know it's just a matter of adjusting! I'm retaking a module in each AS I got a B in, so that I end with an A. I also am not planning on applying this year, because I am taking a gap year to do lots of work experience so I am going to apply then. My question is, is there any point even applying to Birmingham because I didn't get AAAA my AS year first time? How will they even know I didn't get AAAA first time round?


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Hi there I'm a final year at Birmingham. In the previous applicants' threads I've given advice when asked and I'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the uni, the city, the course etc. Let me know! Also, with regards to the MMIs, I was involved in the interviews last year, and from that perspective I think they worked very well. Posted from TSR Mobile

Couldn't find one, so created this thread for anyone else thinking or certain about applying to Birmingham for A100 2014 entry, to discuss everything and anything relevant to this cycle. The course and teaching approach here look great. These are the teaching hospitals medical students visit on their clinical attachments.

Uni site with all the info on the course details, admission requirements etc.: Birmingham Medicine and Surgery MBChB

Last year the 8A* GCSE cut-off was removed and A*s are now only required for Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and English (double science being acceptable instead of triple science). MMI interviews were also introduced (four stations each lasting 6 minutes):

Good luck guys!

When you say " A*s are now only required for Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and English (double science being acceptable instead of triple science)." does that mean if you do not have A * s in English you have no chance of an interview.

Preference will be given to those applicants offering A* grades in Mathematics, English and Science subjects. Integrated Science (double certificate) is acceptable as an alternative to single sciences

Do you think you would have any chance of getting an interview if your fourth AS grade was a B? great GCSEs and predicted grades, this is the only thing letting me down. I love bham reaaaally want to apply!

When you say " A*s are now only required for Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and English (double science being acceptable instead of triple science)." does that mean if you do not have A * s in English you have no chance of an interview.

I went to the open day today, and the speaker said that since the GCSE grade requirements were dropped only people with 4 A's at AS have got in. He basically said due to the large amount of applicants with 4A's at AS only those people got an interview.

He also said that an A* in English or English Lit is a requirement without which you will not get in.

However he did mention that they use a system where if your school has a low GCSE or ALevel pass rate sometimes the grades can be relaxed for around 10% of students interviewed. Look to the website for more details on A Levels, but for GCSE he specified that the grade requirements may be relaxed if your school has fewer than 85% of people getting 5A*-C GCSE's.

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I went to the September Open day yesterday as well and it was fantastic! How did you find it? Definitely applying?

The website says that "additional and significant non-academic activities is also necessary.". What kind of activities would count as "significant" activities?I finished my A levels this year and am thinking of applying for 2014 entry. What kind work should I undertake in the gap year? I'm currently working in a hospital in an administrative capacity. Do you know whether they accept IGCSE's instead og GCSE's?

I loved it! Definitely applying where else are you thinking of and if you dont mind what are your stats?

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atm, Barts, St George's and York, as well as here, but could change soon with a couple more open day visits. GCSEs 11a* 1a; UKCAT: 718 (SJ Band 2); IB prediction 40/45 (btw no equivalent to AS with the IB )

You?

Here, Southampton, Nottingham and Leicester
9.5A*'s 1A and a distinction in additional maths at GCSE
4A's at AS and a distinction in an advanced English qualification.
780 average band 1
Prediction of A*A*AA

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I also went to the open day on Saturday and came back feeling pretty disappointed and annoyed
My GCSE's are 10 A*s 1A, and my A Levels are A*A*A (Chem, Maths, Bio)
But I was told I would definetely not get an interview due to my B in AS German,
I'm disappointed because 1) German really has no bearing on medicine, or one's ability to do medicine 2) Technically I've met their standard offer. If they wanted people with 4 A's at AS, why isn't their offer A*A*Ab
Sorry to have to rant about this. Just don't see why German AS is so important to medicine!