COWA Access to Medicine 2015/2016

Hey!
That sounds awesome! Good luck for your UKCAT! Yeah they've sent it to me, but it's not that helpful, I have found some on the same road as the college on spare room.com, which sound good!

I'll have to have a look on there later thank you :smile:

Reply 21

ys19

2

Hi guys,

im a newbie to student room so i have no idea if im posting this in the correct place.

i have been asked to attend an interview for this course on monday.

will anyone whose already been to the interview be able to tell me what to expect?
they have sent me an email telling me to bring evidence of any related work experience but I dont actually have any work exp in the nhs as ive been working in a customer service based role for the past 3 years :s-smilie:

so lost and confused?

also does anyone know how many spaces are roughly available? is it quite competitive to get into?

thanks! :smile:

Reply 22

PETE3546

Original post by ys19

Hi guys,

im a newbie to student room so i have no idea if im posting this in the correct place.

i have been asked to attend an interview for this course on monday.

will anyone whose already been to the interview be able to tell me what to expect?
they have sent me an email telling me to bring evidence of any related work experience but I dont actually have any work exp in the nhs as ive been working in a customer service based role for the past 3 years :s-smilie:

so lost and confused?

also does anyone know how many spaces are roughly available? is it quite competitive to get into?

thanks! :smile:

Hey,
There was a short presentation,
The interview lasts between 10-20 minutes mine was just all asking specific questions about me so can't really help there, I believe there are around 90 spaces everyone who was interviewed the same day as me was offered a place I believe

Reply 23

yalii19

Original post by PETE3546

Hey,
There was a short presentation,
The interview lasts between 10-20 minutes mine was just all asking specific questions about me so can't really help there, I believe there are around 90 spaces everyone who was interviewed the same day as me was offered a place I believe

Hey thank you so much for replying. Did you find it hard? Wow everyone was offered a place?! That's so good! I'm so worried because this is the last set of interviews they said. I really hope I get a place! Congrats to you on securing a place! :smile:

hopefully I can post good news on Monday!

Did they ask for much work experience?

Reply 24

SuperCat007

17

Original post by ys19

Hi guys,

im a newbie to student room so i have no idea if im posting this in the correct place.

i have been asked to attend an interview for this course on monday.

will anyone whose already been to the interview be able to tell me what to expect?
they have sent me an email telling me to bring evidence of any related work experience but I dont actually have any work exp in the nhs as ive been working in a customer service based role for the past 3 years :s-smilie:

so lost and confused?

also does anyone know how many spaces are roughly available? is it quite competitive to get into?

thanks! :smile:

It does say on the entry requirements you must have work experience. But I know of at least 1 person on the course this year with little or no experience. Though I don't think the course was what he was expecting, he didn't get any offers, even for biochem and is going to get experience this year and apply again for next year.

Without wanting to be really negative, you will be competing with people who have extensive experience so you will struggle to compete with these people when applying to med school, most med schools require that you have done at least x-amount of work experience before you apply. But hopefully you're planning on getting experience over the summer before you start access?

Good luck with the interview. In my opinion, having observed two years worth of access to Medicine and access to science students, that if you keep up the work and hand in work on time etc then it isn't a hard course to pass or do well in.

Try to be up to speed on GCSE maths, biology, chemistry and physics and ideally some AS techniques before you start in September and you'll find it really easy to get into the swing of it. If you're prepared to about GCSE level or just above and keep working at it you'll be fine. It's the people who assume the college will take them from where they are (essentially nothing, or very little experience in science) to AS/A-level. The college will assume you are already versed in basic, GCSE techniques.

Reply 25

yalii19

Original post by SuperCat007

It does say on the entry requirements you must have work experience. But I know of at least 1 person on the course this year with little or no experience. Though I don't think the course was what he was expecting, he didn't get any offers, even for biochem and is going to get experience this year and apply again for next year.

Without wanting to be really negative, you will be competing with people who have extensive experience so you will struggle to compete with these people when applying to med school, most med schools require that you have done at least x-amount of work experience before you apply. But hopefully you're planning on getting experience over the summer before you start access?

Good luck with the interview. In my opinion, having observed two years worth of access to Medicine and access to science students, that if you keep up the work and hand in work on time etc then it isn't a hard course to pass or do well in.

Try to be up to speed on GCSE maths, biology, chemistry and physics and ideally some AS techniques before you start in September and you'll find it really easy to get into the swing of it. If you're prepared to about GCSE level or just above and keep working at it you'll be fine. It's the people who assume the college will take them from where they are (essentially nothing, or very little experience in science) to AS/A-level. The college will assume you are already versed in basic, GCSE techniques.

I have experience but this was a few years ago. I should probably explain myself better :biggrin:

I think I'm probably one of the younger ones. I'm just about to be 21. I did okay on GCSE about 5 years ago getting all A*\A\B.. Then started AS where I got BCD in psych bio chem respectively.. Due to some difficult situations I wasn't able to complete a2.. Started working and have been doing so fit the past 2/3 years. Now last September I went back to try and complete levels but due to the massive break in between I redid AS this June. But I can't continue to do A2 due to my age and again the some complications.. All the colleges around my area only do vocational courses and btecs apart from some schools that teach alevels.. But again I can't go because of my age.

This is the reason I'm looking into access to med courses. I'm very much hoping to get a lot more experience under my belt this summer before I start the course (that's only if I get in in the first place)

I support myself too and there aren't any loans in place for people under 24 and over 18 (EEEEK) but against all odds.. I reaaaallly want to do this! I would love to do a2 somewhere if I could but I can't :/

Reply 26

yalii19

Ohh I just remembered.. I wrote to cwa explaining to them I don't have much experience in the nhs but have gained a lot of skills from my job? ( does this make a difference seeing as they offered me an interview or do they offer an interview to everyone? :/)

Reply 27

SuperCat007

17

Original post by yalii19

Ohh I just remembered.. I wrote to cwa explaining to them I don't have much experience in the nhs but have gained a lot of skills from my job? ( does this make a difference seeing as they offered me an interview or do they offer an interview to everyone? :/)

Really don't worry about it. If you're planning on doing it over the summer then you'll have some. But I would be slightly concerned about your chances of gaining a place at uni with such little experience.

On the funding front, if you don't have a level 3 qualification and you're under 24, you should be fully funded.

Or you could do A2 at cwa... I did.

Reply 28

yalii19

Original post by SuperCat007

Really don't worry about it. If you're planning on doing it over the summer then you'll have some. But I would be slightly concerned about your chances of gaining a place at uni with such little experience.

On the funding front, if you don't have a level 3 qualification and you're under 24, you should be fully funded.

Or you could do A2 at cwa... I did.

That is very true about the experience .. I'm going to trying get as much as I can and just hope for the best if not I'll just have to do a year of working somewhere in gaining some experience related to the field and then apply again next year.

I really don't want to do a random course just to fill the gap if I don't get into this one.. Does that make sense ? :s-smilie:

About the funding.. I had called up a few colleges previously to apply and they all seemed to say because of my age they would receive no government funding so the majority either told me up struaght they wouldn't offer me a place and the rest said I'll have to pay for it(this shouldn't be that much of a problem unless they're asking for over 5000) .. But yeah I was under the impression that there wasn't anything in place for people under 24 :redface:

this is news! Thanks for letting me know! And also for replying back (again)

Reply 29

SuperCat007

17

Original post by yalii19

That is very true about the experience .. I'm going to trying get as much as I can and just hope for the best if not I'll just have to do a year of working somewhere in gaining some experience related to the field and then apply again next year.

I really don't want to do a random course just to fill the gap if I don't get into this one.. Does that make sense ? :s-smilie:

About the funding.. I had called up a few colleges previously to apply and they all seemed to say because of my age they would receive no government funding so the majority either told me up struaght they wouldn't offer me a place and the rest said I'll have to pay for it(this shouldn't be that much of a problem unless they're asking for over 5000) .. But yeah I was under the impression that there wasn't anything in place for people under 24 :redface:

this is news! Thanks for letting me know! And also for replying back (again)

I don't really know what you mean by doing a random course. Why would you do that?

I had called up a few colleges and had been told I may have to pay up to £900 per A-level, but when it came to it, when I filled in the funding form because I hadn't already achieved a level 3 qualification and I was under 24 I got it fully funded.

Anytime I can tell anyone quite a lot about the course, I have been in access chemistry and physics lessons quite a lot so if anyone has any questions either message me or quote me on here.

Reply 30

AliceLouisee

OP

Original post by ys19

Hi guys,

im a newbie to student room so i have no idea if im posting this in the correct place.

i have been asked to attend an interview for this course on monday.

will anyone whose already been to the interview be able to tell me what to expect?
they have sent me an email telling me to bring evidence of any related work experience but I dont actually have any work exp in the nhs as ive been working in a customer service based role for the past 3 years :s-smilie:

so lost and confused?

also does anyone know how many spaces are roughly available? is it quite competitive to get into?

thanks! :smile:

Hey,

I had a Skype interview with the college, so it may be a little bit different; however they mainly asked about the experience i had, what I gained from it, where my motivation for medicine came from, why I didn't finish Alevels etc, about my GCSE grades, asked a little bit about how much research I'd done into what universities would accept me with my current GCSE grades and the access course, whether I'd wish to re do GCSE's, my current situation etc.
Personally I believe access courses aren't hard to get onto as long as you have the obvious motivation and drive to succeed. Have you applied to any other access to med courses?
And have you thought about what universities to apply too?

Reply 31

PETE3546

Original post by yalii19

That is very true about the experience .. I'm going to trying get as much as I can and just hope for the best if not I'll just have to do a year of working somewhere in gaining some experience related to the field and then apply again next year.

I really don't want to do a random course just to fill the gap if I don't get into this one.. Does that make sense ? :s-smilie:

About the funding.. I had called up a few colleges previously to apply and they all seemed to say because of my age they would receive no government funding so the majority either told me up struaght they wouldn't offer me a place and the rest said I'll have to pay for it(this shouldn't be that much of a problem unless they're asking for over 5000) .. But yeah I was under the impression that there wasn't anything in place for people under 24 :redface:

this is news! Thanks for letting me know! And also for replying back (again)

I wouldn't worry about finance once you meet accepted on the course the college has a descreconary fund for fees and accom good luck hope to see you in sept x

Reply 32

yalii19

Original post by PETE3546

I wouldn't worry about finance once you meet accepted on the course the college has a descreconary fund for fees and accom good luck hope to see you in sept x

See you in Sept indeed! I've been offered a place :smile:

!!

Reply 33

rooies

anyone looking for shared accommodation? i can't really justify £450 a month on a 1bed house!

Reply 34

PETE3546

Original post by rooies

anyone looking for shared accommodation? i can't really justify £450 a month on a 1bed house!

Average weekly amount for a room is £80 me and a mate looking at getting a 3 bed from July and will prob rent out 3rd room between 60-80
A week depending on size, if interested drop me a pm :smile:

Reply 35

doctorteeth

6

I attended COWA 2012-2013 with some great house mates. the course got us all into medicine.
If you have any questions about the course (Although it could have changed now) or studying medicine just ask.

Reply 36

onyx_87

8

Hi all, I have just finished the Access to Medicine course at CWA and would be happy to answer any questions! I also moved to KL for the duration of the course, which I would definitely recommend!