so all of it is just: Grades Work experience Volunteering Extra curricular/ physical activity Personal statement including strong work exp reflection
Personally, I don't think grades and work experience matter "that" much. I would place more importance on the qualities that you poses and that you can give evidence for via your past experiences with people~
For instance, communication is one of the best attributes to have as a doctor, and one that the admissions team value quite a bit. So if you do some work in an elderly care home, it not only shows that you're an empathetic and caring person -but you can reflect on it on your personal statement saying something along the lines of "I learned that by actually listening to Lynda, I was able to create a strong bond between us and further developed my communication skills bla bla"
So I would place attributes (gained through reflection) much more important that work experience and grades
What do you mean by several elements of communication? Thanks
I think a lot of people view good communication as being able to articulate yourself well when you speak. I don't think this is the case, good communication should be based around good listening (which is important in medicine, so you can tell if your patient is showing signs that they're suffering from depression or that they feel troubled etc.) fluent body language, so you can "read" the patient and present yourself in an engaged and professional way and finally be able to articulate yourself well when you speak :3
After reflecting on work experience, explain how since a very young age you've always wanted to become it. They look for motivation and a thirst to learn.
Please don't. It doesn't make you any more worthy than someone who decided later on, and IMO makes you look naive - how can a young child have any realistic idea of what a medical career is like?
Honestly OP, there is no magic key to getting in. The grades and UKCAT/BMAT are the most important in my opinion, because if you don't have them then doors immediately shut in your face. Good work experience with sensible reflections is also very important, but it's the whole package that they make the decision on in the end.
Personally, I don't think grades and work experience matter "that" much. I would place more importance on the qualities that you poses and that you can give evidence for via your past experiences with people~
For instance, communication is one of the best attributes to have as a doctor, and one that the admissions team value quite a bit. So if you do some work in an elderly care home, it not only shows that you're an empathetic and caring person -but you can reflect on it on your personal statement saying something along the lines of "I learned that by actually listening to Lynda, I was able to create a strong bond between us and further developed my communication skills bla bla"
So I would place attributes (gained through reflection) much more important that work experience and grades
Good luck with an application without good grades.
Good luck with an application without good grades.
Haha, I'm already in uni (studying dentistry though) I applied last year and my grades were average. Admissions get a ton of students with excellent grades, but they're not looking for someone who can memeorise equations, they're looking for someone with demonstrable qualities that would be a great addition to their uni