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Medicine 2008 Applicants!

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Kquishir

Physics, mathematics etc. They always seem to have the perfect answers.

They seem to have perfect answers (Physics especially) at GCSE level because a 100% efficient, perfect world model in employed. Nothing else matters, that's why, when you move to A-level etc and Uni the perfect-ness might start to disappear when you are taking into account loads of different things.

Maths - yeah - that looks perfect - but looks can be deceiving. :wink:

Anyway, both are excellent subjects that can lead to so many possibilities from Actuarial Science to Engineering. Good choice!

Reply 21

Happyness

Cataclysm

Anyway, both are excellent subjects that can lead to so many possibilities from Actuarial Science to Engineering. Good choice!

yea, i dont know. I guess those are not so competitive as medicine, but it still is quite difficult to get an offer from a good uni for them.

Another side that i like is the finance one including economics. i guess that isnt really perfect though :rolleyes:

Reply 22

Excalibur

Heh, I seem to be severely under-work experienced here. :eek:

I have no chance at this rate...!

In terms of work experience I've had 2 weeks in an anaesthesia office/cardiac surgeon's office in Year 10, but mainly office work. This summer I'm starting voluntary work at a hospice, and along with 1 week at a GPs... but because of confidentiality issues it'll most likely be limited to paperwork as well (cataclysm - how did you get 6 weeks w/e? What did you do? How did you organise it?). I also have 1 week lined up for August in an heart centre lab, but that's not very clinical. Heh, my w/e seem very feeble... though next summer I may be able to get some shadowing.

In terms of extra curriculars, umm... about a dozen awards (gold awards, service, trophies...); House Captain, possible school council rep, Borough competitions, Maths Challenges, and helping out at a Disabled Childrens & Old People's Parties at Christmas. Oh and I'm at Grade 7 piano and Grade 5 clarinet... bronze DoE... may try for Millennium Volunteers.

Ideally I want to go for Cambridge (or Oxford...), Imperial, UCL and Kings (want to stay in London too). But those are extremely competitive and three of them require the BMAT, which I've heard is ridiculously difficult. I may also consider Barts, Manchester, and Southampton.

*faints* Gosh, I'd have no chance...

Reply 23

Cataclysm

Excalibur

(cataclysm - how did you get 6 weeks w/e? What did you do? How did you organise it?). I also have 1 week lined up for August in an heart centre lab, but that's not very clinical. Heh, my w/e seem very feeble... though next summer I may be able to get some shadowing.

Well I did 2 weeks initially at the GP Surgery for W/E that everyone does in Year 11 - it was just paper work, patient notes, updating the system, etc. but they liked me so much that they offered me a place during December holidays, which was fine for me because my mocks ended way back in November (before my w/e) so I went there again and this time they let me do a few sit-ins with patients that didn't mind - they were usually people with a cold and the only great thing was when I did a sit in with the nurse and she showed me how she gave vaccinations, shame I didn't get a go :p:

This made it 4 weeks of w/e (roughly with Christmas and everything) - I then went back and forth every so often for a few days and I did quite a bit in February and did the usual paper work. There was one great GP who let me shadow but that was just for 1 afternoon when there were only 10 or 11 patients, it's funny when 16 year olds come with STDs and are scared out of their mind :p:

So now it has accumulated to roughly 6 weeks. I might go there again over the summer - I'll think I'll end it at 8 weeks as two months seems adequate and I'll get a reference and switch over to a hospital.

I guess it was just my luck that I got offered another place, it seemed to me they were a bit short handed and could have used some free help. Overall, I did paperwork/ patient notes/ histories/ updating the system/ sit-ins/ (some) shadowing / meeting with Drug reps and service men who calibrate all the Blood Pressure Machines and spirometers. I even got a free pen from the drug rep :biggrin:

Reply 24

Cataclysm

I looked at the BMAT specimen papers, looks like common sense before knowledge but the time limit is a bit short, half an hour for 30 questions!

Reply 25

Cataclysm

In case you wondering about my super awesome free pen, it is for the drug Avandamet - I read up on the drug and it is used for type 2 diabetes.

Reply 26

belli

ok after being thoroughl scared i have written a letter (which sounds semi-ok) and will now endeavour to egt some work experience for the summer. Cataclysm as you seem to be an expert (and rather saintly i think) can u give me any tips, shall i just yellow page and send to all local surgerys or what?

Reply 27

Excalibur

Cataclysm

In case you wondering about my super awesome free pen, it is for the drug Avandamet - I read up on the drug and it is used for type 2 diabetes.

Err... great? :p:

Sounds like you got lucky then. one more question, was it at your GPs, or at someone else's? And how did you get out of the confidentiality barrier?

And what are you going to be doing for your hospital placement? Questions questions...

Reply 28

Cataclysm

belli

That is your best bet, make a generic letter and ask very kindly for any work experience, you'll probably do something menial like paperwork at first but that is alright, it's a start. You won't be able to get work experience at the surgery where you are registered as they won't allow it due to confidentiality issues, try other local surgeries and even hospitals for work experience, it can take a long time at first and since it is the summer many people will be applying and doing jobs so you'll have to look around a bit. What you have said about yellow pages sounds great, send out 5-6 letter or more and wait for a reply.

Best of luck!

For better advice, try the Medicine forum, you will get a lot of help there.

Reply 29

Cataclysm

Excalibur

Err... great? :p:

It wasn't at my GP, they will never allow me to work their, it was a random GP that was chosen by the Brent consortium for my work experience placement that everyone does, I got Medical Admin, some got retail, you know.

As I said, I was only allowed to shadow once and do only a few sit-ins because of confidentiality. It took a lot of persuasive talking and I had to talk to the patients myself to see if they would mind if I was in the room, that's why I only got one afternoon as I called every person who had an appointment that were booked in advance and requested if I could sit in on their visit, if they didn't mind, the GP didn't mind (he was a young PRHO anyway and he was very helpful). Most didn't mind so I was able to get afternoon (all of it) and I spent 1 hour with the nurse whilst she vaccinated 10-15 people during Flu Clinic the next morning. It did take a lot of work to get organised but it was worth it because I got some valuable experience out of it. You have to show that you are mature and generally interested and don't laugh (it can get tempting) :p:

My hospital placement isn't final yet but it's admin, but I'm more interested in doing voluntary work at a hospital like at the Gift shop or making tea etc.

And as always, there is no need to be jealous of my super awesome free drug pen.

Reply 30

Couldxbe

I've considered doing medicine, but I really have no experience yet. I might try and volunteer at my local hospital, but I'm really trying to get a job at the moment. Next year I'm hoping to get on a summer school for medicine :smile:

I guess my medicine dreams might disappear and become a chemistry/ biochemistry dream :P

Reply 31

arpeggio

Cataclysm

And as always, there is no need to be jealous of my super awesome free drug pen.

Well I got given a free stethoscope after helping out at an ALS course :p:

(Sorry, I just wanted to rival your amazing pen!)

I'm definitely going to have to get my act together and get decent work experience... apparently only something like 1 in 20 people get into med school! :eek:

Reply 32

ExitMusic

You shouldn't be too concerned about racking up hours and hours of work experience :rolleyes:

After chatting with some of the Cambridge medics with offers, most only have a couple weeks of work experience (and other volunteering work). Universities know how difficult it is to get work experience in a hospital, and what they really want to know is what you learnt from your experience. Why did it make you want to do medicine more? Or more importantly, what was the glimpse of real world medicine like? They just want you to be fully aware of what you're getting yourself into.

Reply 33

belli

Thaks Cataclysm and can i jst say every pen/calculator/memory stick in my house was free from a drugs rep i swear they just throw them at doctors in the vain hope they'll buy their drug.

Reply 34

Cataclysm

xemmajanex

Well I got given a free stethoscope after helping out at an ALS course :p:

I'm sorry that is total bull, nothing can rival my totally superly awesomely pen - it can perform magic, beat that.

On a more serious note, these are the statistics http://search1.ucas.co.uk/fandf00/index9.html

40% of applicants got accepted last year that is almost 1 in every 2.5 people and considering that aren't .5 of a person, it is more likely 1 in 3 people will get accepted.

Reply 35

belli

erm no bull, and u won't be saying that when the ink runs out

Reply 36

Cataclysm

Optimistic

You shouldn't be too concerned about racking up hours and hours of work experience :rolleyes:

That is true but it is always good to have long term experience as that shows dedication and commitment, it is always about quality not quantity but it is always better to do more than to feel that you could have done more and will worry.

Reply 37

Jason_K

Well I have nothing, hoping to do something this summer.

Reply 38

ExitMusic

Cataclysm

Yeh but then some people have booked every week of their summer holidays with work experience in hospitals, and this seems a tad excessive.
Go for as much hospital work experience (and a lot of voluntary work) as you can but don't feel pressured into it.

Reply 39

Berto90

It ashtonishes me how narrowly the scope has been set for today's youth - so many people at my school seem to think there are two professions in the world - Medicine, and Law. Still, I don't want to rain on your parade here, so I'll be off :vroam: