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Learning at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
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Fourth year Imperial Medical Student - Ask me things!

Hello everyone!

I'm currently in my fourth year of studying Medicine at Imperial. I'm doing a BSc in Neuroscience and Mental Health this year.

I have just applied to be on the interview panel (so I might see some of you at some point!) and I've been browsing the forum, so I thought I would offer to answer any questions you guys have about Imperial, Medicine, uni life in general, intercalating etc. I'll do my very best to answer questions about applications but I can't promise anything as my own application was almost four years ago now!

Hope I can be of some use to you all :biggrin:

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Original post by dochalfwaythere
Hello everyone!

I'm currently in my fourth year of studying Medicine at Imperial. I'm doing a BSc in Neuroscience and Mental Health this year.

I have just applied to be on the interview panel (so I might see some of you at some point!) and I've been browsing the forum, so I thought I would offer to answer any questions you guys have about Imperial, Medicine, uni life in general, intercalating etc. I'll do my very best to answer questions about applications but I can't promise anything as my own application was almost four years ago now!

Hope I can be of some use to you all :biggrin:

Your GCSES,AS levels and A-level grades?
Learning at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
London
Original post by Skill Twix
Your GCSES,AS levels and A-level grades?


Remember that the application requirements are likely to have changed but my grades are as follows:

10A*s at GCSE
4As at AS (Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Geography)
2A*s + 1A at A2 (Chemistry, Biology and Maths respectively)
Original post by dochalfwaythere
Remember that the application requirements are likely to have changed but my grades are as follows:

10A*s at GCSE
4As at AS (Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Geography)
2A*s + 1A at A2 (Chemistry, Biology and Maths respectively)

Wow you really worked hard.Even though I am not applying for Medicine,I was just curious to know(since Imperial is really hard to get in).P.S I am applying for Economics!
Original post by Skill Twix
Wow you really worked hard.Even though I am not applying for Medicine,I was just curious to know(since Imperial is really hard to get in).P.S I am applying for Economics!


Haha thanks! Medicine was something I had my heart set on a long time before I started my A levels so yes I guess I did work quite hard :rolleyes:

I found my Imperial interview the easiest of all of them to be honest. I think once you get the BMAT out the way, it's not too bad. Obviously this part wouldn't apply to you :tongue:

Best of luck in your application! If there are any other non-course-specific questions you have, feel free to ask!
Reply 5
Avatar for Macky16
Macky16
How easily did you find a place to live / people to live with after your first year ???
Original post by dochalfwaythere
Hello everyone!

I'm currently in my fourth year of studying Medicine at Imperial. I'm doing a BSc in Neuroscience and Mental Health this year.

I have just applied to be on the interview panel (so I might see some of you at some point!) and I've been browsing the forum, so I thought I would offer to answer any questions you guys have about Imperial, Medicine, uni life in general, intercalating etc. I'll do my very best to answer questions about applications but I can't promise anything as my own application was almost four years ago now!

Hope I can be of some use to you all :biggrin:


Thanks alot for making this thread!!
I have applied to imperial for medicine, just quite worried about my bmat tbh... i got 4.6 5.4 3A (if u can remember the bmat scales lol). AS - AAAA bio chem phys maths, predicted A2 - A*A*A*A* GCSE - 7A* 3A (not as gd as urs lol)...
I was rlly just wondering my likelihood of gettin an interview? would imperial look at all ur stats for giving interview or will they look at ur bmat and if thats not gd enough then ur rejected?
any info would b much appreciated as i guess ur probably not rlly into the admissions side but rather the interview part
Original post by Macky16
How easily did you find a place to live / people to live with after your first year ???


Well, most people make plenty of friends very quickly in first year halls so the majority of people stuck with their groups of friends and found a place together. I was quite lucky to find a lovely group of girls to live with in second and third year. This year I've moved out to live with my other half :smile:

It was pretty easy to find somewhere to live - you're based around the Charing Cross campus in second year so all the medics tend to congregate around there. It's great only having a 3 minute walk to lectures!

Sometimes people had difficulty getting houses and I would say this was with bigger groups of people. It's easier to find a 4 bed house than a 7 bed house.

And if all else fails, you can let everyone know you're looking for somewhere to live on the many facebook groups and I'm sure you will find somewhere.
Original post by Master219
Thanks alot for making this thread!!
I have applied to imperial for medicine, just quite worried about my bmat tbh... i got 4.6 5.4 3A (if u can remember the bmat scales lol). AS - AAAA bio chem phys maths, predicted A2 - A*A*A*A* GCSE - 7A* 3A (not as gd as urs lol)...
I was rlly just wondering my likelihood of gettin an interview? would imperial look at all ur stats for giving interview or will they look at ur bmat and if thats not gd enough then ur rejected?
any info would b much appreciated as i guess ur probably not rlly into the admissions side but rather the interview part


No problem - I used this forum when I was applying and got lots of help, so I thought it was time for me to give back a bit :smile:

As far as I know, I think Imperial release their previous BMAT cut offs - have you had chance to have a look at them? You can probably get a good idea what this years will be as I doubt they will change a huge amount. I wouldn't really be able to say if that score is good enough to get in as I don't really have access to any admissions info! Sorry :frown:

Like I said, it's such a long time ago that I apply so I would hate to give you wrong information, but from what I can remember they go on your BMAT first. Now, there are probably exceptions to this i.e. if you have good grades (like yourself!) but because it's so over subscribed, they some sort of method to quickly cut the numbers of applicants down. Remember - I'm not 100% on this!!

If I were you, I would try to forget about it for a little bit, concentrate on getting those great predicted grades, and Imperial will get back to you eventually. I know how hard the wait is but you'll get there! Once you're in, it gets a bit easier :biggrin:
Original post by dochalfwaythere
No problem - I used this forum when I was applying and got lots of help, so I thought it was time for me to give back a bit :smile:

As far as I know, I think Imperial release their previous BMAT cut offs - have you had chance to have a look at them? You can probably get a good idea what this years will be as I doubt they will change a huge amount. I wouldn't really be able to say if that score is good enough to get in as I don't really have access to any admissions info! Sorry :frown:

Like I said, it's such a long time ago that I apply so I would hate to give you wrong information, but from what I can remember they go on your BMAT first. Now, there are probably exceptions to this i.e. if you have good grades (like yourself!) but because it's so over subscribed, they some sort of method to quickly cut the numbers of applicants down. Remember - I'm not 100% on this!!

If I were you, I would try to forget about it for a little bit, concentrate on getting those great predicted grades, and Imperial will get back to you eventually. I know how hard the wait is but you'll get there! Once you're in, it gets a bit easier :biggrin:


Got it, thanks a lot!!
If I get an interview im comin straaaaight back here lol! Yh the wait is killin me, even if i get a rejection i just want to know! Hard to revise for A2 because I have a cambridge interview at St catharines (i applied as an open and got assigned there) on 9th Dec and it takes a lott of prep considering its my first interview... (got it like 3 weeks ago lol otherwise i probs wouldnt hav got it in the first place with a BMAT like mine, hiiiiiighly doubt an offer....). Do u happen to know anyone at cambridge who you think could give me advice etc?
If u dont mind me asking and if u can remember, how were ur BMAT scores? im guessing u got 4 offers (I know someone else at imperial medicine who got in and he got 4 offers so...) Y didnt u consider cambridge cuz im pretty sure with those stats u wouldve got in?!
Original post by dochalfwaythere
Haha thanks! Medicine was something I had my heart set on a long time before I started my A levels so yes I guess I did work quite hard :rolleyes:

I found my Imperial interview the easiest of all of them to be honest. I think once you get the BMAT out the way, it's not too bad. Obviously this part wouldn't apply to you :tongue:

Best of luck in your application! If there are any other non-course-specific questions you have, feel free to ask!

Sure.Where do you live in London?I am applying to Queen's Mary.Transport costs,food costs etc.
Original post by Master219
Got it, thanks a lot!!
If I get an interview im comin straaaaight back here lol! Yh the wait is killin me, even if i get a rejection i just want to know! Hard to revise for A2 because I have a cambridge interview at St catharines (i applied as an open and got assigned there) on 9th Dec and it takes a lott of prep considering its my first interview... (got it like 3 weeks ago lol otherwise i probs wouldnt hav got it in the first place with a BMAT like mine, hiiiiiighly doubt an offer....). Do u happen to know anyone at cambridge who you think could give me advice etc?
If u dont mind me asking and if u can remember, how were ur BMAT scores? im guessing u got 4 offers (I know someone else at imperial medicine who got in and he got 4 offers so...) Y didnt u consider cambridge cuz im pretty sure with those stats u wouldve got in?!


Good luck with your Cambridge interview! Don't be too sad if you don't get it - Imperial's better :wink: No seriously though, I hope you do great :smile: Going in for interviews was one of the most nerve wracking times of my life, but you have to remember they are trying to assess your personality. Be yourself, and don't memorise too many of your responses. Just be nice, polite and sell yourself!

I actually have no connections with Cambridge unfortunately! I'm sure there are plenty of people on here that can give you some more info though.

My BMAT scores were alright.. I think I got around 6 for the first two sections and maybe 4A for the last one? I remember staying to get my results and I was so stressed that I thought the last section was marked out of 10.. I'm pretty sure I just sat there crying for a bit until my mum came in and reminded me it was out of 5 :tongue:

I applied to Nottingham, Kings, Imperial and Manchester, and I got offers everywhere apart from damn Nottingham! I thought it was my best interview as well. Turns out I wasn't empathetic enough? In my interview for Manchester, they asked me about my opinion on homeopathy and I had absolutely no idea what it was. I told them that I wasn't entirely sure what homeopathy was but I had an educated guess that it was alternative therapy, and that I thought if the alternative therapy is safe, and if the patient feels it helps them, then it is down to them whether they use it. I definitely thought that was Manchester out the window for me. It just shows that even the best interview might not turn out so well, and an interview you thought went awfully might have gone great. If you genuinely don't know something in the interview - own up to it, please please don't lie because they will likely be able to tell and you will come off much worse. Try your best to make an educated guess and go form there :smile: Oh and I know people who's only offer was from Imperial so don't worry about how many you get - one offer is enough!!

I didn't apply for Cambridge because in all honesty I didn't think I would get in and I didn't think I would fit in there too well. I had always wanted to study in London, and I saw how awesome Imperial was on the open day/interview - so I ended up here! Wouldn't change it for the world :smile:
Original post by Skill Twix
Sure.Where do you live in London?I am applying to Queen's Mary.Transport costs,food costs etc.


In first year I lived in the halls in South Kensington. It was amazing while it lasted but it was expensive rent. In second/third year I was in Hammersmith which is a lovely place. Lots of shops nearby and lots of other students. I think non-medics also move around that area or stay around South Ken. Right now I'm actually living in East London which seems a bit out of the way but it only takes about an hour to get in to lectures and I've had much worse so I don't mind too much.

Transport wise, the best thing to do is get a travel card - ideally monthly but if the dates don't work out right, weekly is good too. You can get them for specific zones (mine is a monthly zones 1 and 2 which comes to £85 with student discount) and you can use them on any bus anywhere in London which is great! Food costs depend which shop you go to really.. try to avoid the little ones, go to the big superstores to get the best deals. We have an ASDA near us now which is pretty handy. Eating out/drinking out is pretty pricey so we would always drink before we went out to save a bit :tongue: I'm too old to be going clubbing now though so it's not too much of a problem anymore :wink:
Just a side note, I'm supposed to be writing an essay at the moment so if I don't get back to you straight away, I will tonight when I've got some work done!
Original post by dochalfwaythere
Good luck with your Cambridge interview! Don't be too sad if you don't get it - Imperial's better :wink: No seriously though, I hope you do great :smile: Going in for interviews was one of the most nerve wracking times of my life, but you have to remember they are trying to assess your personality. Be yourself, and don't memorise too many of your responses. Just be nice, polite and sell yourself!

I actually have no connections with Cambridge unfortunately! I'm sure there are plenty of people on here that can give you some more info though.

My BMAT scores were alright.. I think I got around 6 for the first two sections and maybe 4A for the last one? I remember staying to get my results and I was so stressed that I thought the last section was marked out of 10.. I'm pretty sure I just sat there crying for a bit until my mum came in and reminded me it was out of 5 :tongue:

I applied to Nottingham, Kings, Imperial and Manchester, and I got offers everywhere apart from damn Nottingham! I thought it was my best interview as well. Turns out I wasn't empathetic enough? In my interview for Manchester, they asked me about my opinion on homeopathy and I had absolutely no idea what it was. I told them that I wasn't entirely sure what homeopathy was but I had an educated guess that it was alternative therapy, and that I thought if the alternative therapy is safe, and if the patient feels it helps them, then it is down to them whether they use it. I definitely thought that was Manchester out the window for me. It just shows that even the best interview might not turn out so well, and an interview you thought went awfully might have gone great. If you genuinely don't know something in the interview - own up to it, please please don't lie because they will likely be able to tell and you will come off much worse. Try your best to make an educated guess and go form there :smile: Oh and I know people who's only offer was from Imperial so don't worry about how many you get - one offer is enough!!

I didn't apply for Cambridge because in all honesty I didn't think I would get in and I didn't think I would fit in there too well. I had always wanted to study in London, and I saw how awesome Imperial was on the open day/interview - so I ended up here! Wouldn't change it for the world :smile:


Thanks, haha.
No worries :smile: ! U had some solid BMAT scores! hahaha, Section 3....

Wow, surprised nottingham didnt offer u a place! I applied to Kings as well, my UKCAT wasnt the best (above avg but not by much, avg this yr was like 626 and i got 650 so...).

Agreed, 1 offer is enough lol, id be lucky to even get one since Queen Marys was my 4th choice and all of them r sooo competitive! What grades were the conditional offer for Imperial, 3A's at A level right?

A
Hi! Do you know if imperial will reject me for sure because i did not pass the cut off for one of the three bmat sections? the thing is i got above the average in the other 2, just did bad in the first one because i was so stressed..i got 4.4 and the cut off was 4.5 damn it! :frown: im feeling very low lately because the i feel that first section in the bmat, literally restricted me so much in terms of where i might get an interview (i put both imperial and ucl)...and its a pity because i felt like my application was pretty strong ?(9A* gcse and 1A and 45 point prediction for the IB).....
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by electra.b
Hi! Do you know if imperial will reject me for sure because i did not pass the cut off for one of the three bmat sections? the thing is i got above the average in the other 2, just did bad in the first one because i was so stressed..i got 4.4 and the cut off was 4.5 damn it! :frown: im feeling very low lately because the i feel that first section in the bmat, literally restricted me so much in terms of where i might get an interview (i put both imperial and ucl)...and its a pity because i felt like my application was pretty strong ?(9A* gcse and 1A and 45 point prediction for the IB).....


Hello electra!

First things first, take a breath! I know how stressful applying to medical school is, but remember that there are many more important things in life. Did you apply to other unis that do not reply on BMAT scores? If so, you still have a great chance at getting in with those grades. Now, I'm not saying you won't get into Imperial but keep this in the back of your mind - once you're in med school and living the lift, you won't care about which uni you're in!

Anyway, as I'm sure you already know, I categorically cannot answer if you will get into Imperial. I know a few hints/tips about applying, but I have nothing to do with the admissions process unfortunately. If I did, I would let you all in :biggrin:

You have to remember that the admissions board are people too and I think if you did great on two sections with a score slightly below cut off on one section, they may look at this with a bit of sympathy - we know how stressful BMAT is. However, pleeeease remember what I said above - take everything I'm saying with a pinch of salt. The most important thing you can do now is concentrate on getting your IB done and try to put the interview to the back of your mind until you hear either way :smile:

Again, I'm sorry I can't give you a more precise answer. I really hope you get into where ever you want, and if you have any more worries/questions etc just give me a message!
Reply 17
Avatar for ETRC
ETRC
17
How much work did you do on average per day on (outside of lectures)
-first year
-second year
-third year
-currently
Original post by ETRC
How much work did you do on average per day on (outside of lectures)
-first year
-second year
-third year
-currently


Hello ETRC!

It's important to remember that there is huge variety in the amount that people work outside of lectures/firms (when you are shadowing drs in the hospital). Some people spend all their free time in their room or in the library working - this is great, but when it comes to spending time with patients, some (not all!) of these people find it harder to speak to them because they have not had as much exposure to social situations as other people. Some people spend a lot of time in clubs/societies/drinking - this is also great, but again, you have a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to revising at the end of the year.

I would say I'm probably somewhere in the middle and (in my experience) this is what the majority of people are like.

In first year, I'm going to be honest.. the first few months consisted of a lot of going out and very little work. As the year went on I started writing up lectures into my own revision notes and ended up doing this for most of my lectures throughout the year. This can take some time, especially as some of the info is quite new to you. But for me it was worth it - it's proven that reviewing your work at the end of the day can help it stick in your memory much more than if you leave it all to the end of the year before exams. That brings me onto another point.. in Imperial medicine, most exams are at the end of you year (although I think this may be changing..) so you don't really have much pressure to work until the end. I advise leaving work for the first few months so you can enjoy your new found independence but please don't leave revision til the last minute because, realistically, you are studying to be a doctor and because of this there is quite a lot of info that you need to know.

Second year is definitely harder than first year but pretty much followed the same pattern. I would try to write up lecture notes that day but a lot of the time I ended up doing something else instead and would leave all my work until the weekend. Again, there isn't really any tests or anything to revise for throughout the year so all the work you do if literally for your own benefit at the end of the year when you're revising.

Third year is slightly different because it is a clinical year. Instead of lectures 24/7, you're in the hospital having the time of your life (:wink:). So you can make the most of your time there, see as many patients/symptoms/signs as you can and practice your history taking and examination skills. There is one written exam based on ethics, one written exam based on knowledge, then you have OSCEs. OSCEs are the bane of my life.. You can't cram them. It's basically 12 stations involving taking histories, doing examinations, taking blood/stitching people up etc. Sounds daunting, but this will all be standard stuff to you by third year. This is the first practical exam most of you will have ever done so it can be a bit scary. This meant doing tutoring sessions with older years and practising on real patients. The more you do this the better. Work wise, there isn't really too much to do outside of the hospital.

Currently I've got quite a lot of work on. It's the first time I've had to write proper essays since GCSE english and it was a bit of a shock at first. The year is split into 3 modules with 2 in course assessment per module. Some are essays, some are presentations and my next one involves looking at slices of brain and identifying what's gone wrong... neuroscience is the best! So basically I've been working quite hard this year!

Sorry for the huge answer but I think that question needs a comprehensive and honest answer. If you have anymore questions just drop me another message!

Thanks!
Original post by electra.b
i think imperial cut off people who didnt pass bmat boundaries automatically, they dont even check the application..your message actually cheered me up a bit though, haha, so thank you so much:smile: yup i also have bristol and cardiff.. I will continue to try my best, thanks again for the support


Hmm you might be right but I wouldn't be so sure. There are always lots of rumours going round about admissions and you'd be surprised how much a good personal statement/grades can do. But anyway, it's all about the wait now!! Med school is one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. You learn and experience so much more than you could ever think you could, and at the end of it you're a doctor! What more could you want :biggrin:

If you get an interview, let me know and I'll let you know what worked well for me :smile: and if you get in, also let me know and I'll buy you a drink once you're here :biggrin:

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