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Birmingham Medical School Applicants 2014

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, campus and teaching approach here look great.

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 the MMI interview format was introduced.

Good luck guys! :smile:
(edited 10 years ago)

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Reply 1
Hi there, I'm thinking of applying! :smile:
Reply 2
Original post by Gogggg
Hi there, I'm thinking of applying! :smile:


Awesome - I know it's quite a long way off but what are you thinking of the new MMI interview format?
Reply 3
Original post by Gogggg
Hi there, I'm thinking of applying! :smile:


Original post by DrumChops
Awesome - I know it's quite a long way off but what are you thinking of the new MMI interview format?


Hi there :smile:

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.


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(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by DrumChops
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

From last year the 8A* GCSE cut-off got 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; there will four stations each lasting 6 minutes:

Spoiler


1200 will be selected for MMI interview taking place between November and March, and selection will be based strongly on AS grades (AAAA) and A-Level/IB predictions (AAA/36 points excluding core), typical offers being A*AA. Just as Birmingham are known for asking a lot academically, they also ask a lot in terms of EXCs, and the personal statement itself would be a strong factor in selection for interview.

Let's hope we do well enough to be admitted for Sep 2014! Good luck guys, looking forward to this cycle :smile:



At the open day last year we were told by Dr Spruce that they did not place too much emphasis on the personal statement as candidates could obtain a lot of help in preparing these. They placed more reliance on academics eg. 4A's at AS.

I was quite lucky in that I got an offer and will be starting in September
Reply 5
Original post by wanabee medic


I was quite lucky in that I got an offer and will be starting in September


It wasn't luck

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Reply 6
Original post by wanabee medic
At the open day last year we were told by Dr Spruce that they did not place too much emphasis on the personal statement as candidates could obtain a lot of help in preparing these. They placed more reliance on academics eg. 4A's at AS.

I was quite lucky in that I got an offer and will be starting in September


Well done on your offer! Oh really? I just assumed it'd be the case because they're a university also looking a lot at extra-curriculas from what I know.
Reply 7
Original post by My-My-My
Hi there :smile:

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.


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Were you asked any trick questions? :P
Reply 8
Original post by DrumChops
Were you asked any trick questions? :P


I wasn't asked any questions, I was the one asking them! But no, the questions aren't meant to trick you, they're meant to help the admissions team assess whether you have any of the qualities they're looking for (like any any other interview).

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Reply 9
Original post by My-My-My
I wasn't asked any questions, I was the one asking them! But no, the questions aren't meant to trick you, they're meant to help the admissions team assess whether you have any of the qualities they're looking for (like any any other interview).

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Oh I'm sorry, whoops, just reread your post - guess that this is something I'm always so keen to know about haha. I see. Were you randomly picked to be an interviewer?


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(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 10
Original post by DrumChops
Oh I'm sorry, whoops, just reread your post - guess that this is something I'm always so keen to know about haha. I see. Were you randomly picked to be an interviewer?


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We had to attend training and then sign up online. A lot of 4th years were invilved throughout the year.

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Good luck, starting in ~3 weeks at bham and cant wait. Might see some of you all nervous next year at interview :P

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Reply 12
How will Birmingham be looking at Post A Level Applicants academics?
Reply 13
Original post by AtomicMan
Good luck, starting in ~3 weeks at bham and cant wait. Might see some of you all nervous next year at interview :P

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Oh great that's fantastic! Good luck! Love everything about this university :smile:

I have a Q: from what I understand of the course structure, the first two years are purely just heavenly learning of human biology (expect from a few clinical visits and ethics), but no dissection? And the third year is supposedly the "bridge" to the clinical attachments in years four and five? Is that the way you view it?
(edited 10 years ago)
hi i just wanted to ask how much do birmingham depend on gcses? and what types of work experiance would you recommend doing??
Reply 15
Original post by Vashappeninkira
hi i just wanted to ask how much do birmingham depend on gcses? and what types of work experiance would you recommend doing??


No cut off, but you must have A* in Maths, English Lang/Lit and A*A* in double science (A*A*A* for triple science)

Any relevant work experience that will provide insight into medicine e.g. shadowing a doctor in a hospital, volunteering in care home/hospice, shadowing a GP, volunteering in centre for disadvantaged groups
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 16
Was wondering when this thread would appear... :tongue:

Second year medic at bham, if you have any questions happy to help :smile:
Original post by DrumChops
Oh great that's fantastic! Good luck! Love everything about this university :smile:

I have a Q: from what I understand of the course structure, the first two years are purely just heavenly learning of human biology (expect from a few clinical visits and ethics), but no dissection? And the third year is supposedly the "bridge" to the clinical attachments in years four and five? Is that the way you view it?


Yeah I think you're right on the whole. I think in 3rd year is a bridge, but we also do placements I think... cmk/my-my-my will give you a better answer.


Original post by cmkable
x
Reply 18
Original post by DrumChops
Oh great that's fantastic! Good luck! Love everything about this university :smile:

I have a Q: from what I understand of the course structure, the first two years are purely just heavenly learning of human biology (expect from a few clinical visits and ethics), but no dissection? And the third year is supposedly the "bridge" to the clinical attachments in years four and five? Is that the way you view it?


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
Reply 19
Original post by AtomicMan
Yeah I think you're right on the whole. I think in 3rd year is a bridge, but we also do placements I think... cmk/my-my-my will give you a better answer.



Original post by DrumChops
Oh great that's fantastic! Good luck! Love everything about this university :smile:

I have a Q: from what I understand of the course structure, the first two years are purely just heavenly learning of human biology (expect from a few clinical visits and ethics), but no dissection? And the third year is supposedly the "bridge" to the clinical attachments in years four and five? Is that the way you view it?


Saw that but didn´t want to butt in... oh well, now it´s legit :P First two years are pretty much biological, with some PBL (once every two weeks) and MIS - Medicine in Society, essentially humanities such as sociology being thrown in (... also what has been the bane of my existence on wednesday mornings for the past year along with the PBL). You also get to go to GP´s once a fortnight where you learn to take bp, talk to patients etc, so you do get early clinical contact, it starts like the second week of first year and is a module that goes right up to fifth year. From third year onwards you´re pretty much on wards, from what I´ve gathered, (My-my-my is probably more knowledgeable on this) except for a few weeks in the medschool at the start of third year and the odd friday. Fourth and fifth year are pretty much the same but with even less time spent at medschool. Haven´t done third year yet so am not aware of the specifics but from what I gather it´s mainly to do with getting used to wards, learning how to do basic clinical skills such as take a history etc and you do most specialty stuff in fourth and fifth year. We do prosection, not disection and that is held in a few (3-?4... Wilton, the head of anatomy was talking about increasing it) sessions throughout the year lasting about two hours each. So not a huge amount is spent with the specimens, though tbh its fine by me since half the time you don´t know what you´re staring at...

Sorry for that entire paragraph.... been on holidays since exams finished in the middle of May, bar a few days in June, and I´m bored to tears at this stage. Can´t wait to start back! Really really happy at bham and would deffo recommend you consider it as an option! :smile:

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