Cambridge Medicine Students and Applicants

To clarify - anatomy in first year has both a written MCQ *and* the Steeplechase where you go round and look at specimens with pins in them and answer questions about the things the pins are in/on/next to. But the Steeplechase, which is effectively the practical exam, carries more weight than in physiology and biochem.

Phys + Biochem do indeed have 'Best of Five' questions, except at the end of Biochem where there are some 'Extended Matching' (think long list of statements and you have to kind of match up, say, the genetic diseases with the mutations which cause them). Anatomy comes in three flavours, Best of Five, T/F and Extended Matching.

T/F negative marking is killing me. Hate.

Hmm.... I would say reading about electricity (especially circuits and capacitance) is useful for learning about nerves - they have some circuit diagrams in the lecture notes. Things about pressure/gas constants and stuff if you haven't covered them in Chemistry are also useful when you do cardiovascular and respiratory physiology.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

They send you a list at some point of topics with which it would be useful to be familiar (it's also here). However I say again, it is possible to get through this without really understanding it - not the best way to approach it but it's what I ended up doing. (Then again I have a friend doing NatSci who claims to still not understand electricity...)

Hi again everyone...we haven't posted in this thread for over two weeks That is shameful!

I have a question regarding Hep B and suchlike... my doctor didn't want me to start on the vaccinations or have the blood test until after she had diagnosed me with something else (it's been going on for months/years so she's been trying to get it sorted, it's PVCFS if that helps) so I'm only going to be starting the whole process soon, after I've seen some immunopathology specialists. If, under the circumstances, I don't finish the course of vaccinations before term time, do you think that would be a problem? I will of course notify occupational health as well as the admissions office at Emma if that is the case.

Also, I'm a bit worried about being able to cope with the demands of the course...what do you current medics think? My doctor, school and parents are suggesting that I try to defer my offer and have a gap year to recover, but do you know anything about the chances of being allowed to do this at all?

Don't worry, I know that any advice you give will be hypothetical (I assume none of you have been in the same situation!) and I'll definitely be talking to Cambridge about it (after seeing specialists this/next week and once I have a bit more information) but I wanted mainly to see how difficult I would find Cambridge life with this condition.

Thanks everyone xxx

Thanks for the comprehensive reply

I didn't know about the 80% attendance rule, eeek! At the moment college is a real struggle and although I'm keeping my head above water in terms of grades, my attendance is really low (I know that if I was at Cambridge right now I certainly wouldn't be able to do things to the best of my ability and my work would definitely be suffering). That said, you're right in that I have got until October so I'll be optimistic for now!

I'm seeing a specialist on Wed, so I shall see what they have to say and will definitely contact all the necessary people at Emma by the end of next week, as my doctor will have (hopefully) written me a letter by then. Thanks for the advice, it was really helpful

A question about the CRB thing ... it says that if you've had an Enhanced Disclosure done since Oct 2007 you can just send that to the Senior Tutor's office of your college ... is the Senior Tutor the admissions tutor?

My father just remembered that I had a letter from Manchester in the post today, yes we are a nocturnal family.

It was another 'unsuccessful'. I've already been rejected from UCL (the feedback form from the interview said that I seemed 'superficial' and 'detached' and therefore lacked people skills and empathy). My teachers who know me were horrified by the comments- I just got my school report today, and apparently I write 'thoughtful and empathetic english essays', and 'should be commended for my willingness to help others in biology'. I do know that I'm quite idealistic, but surely that's a positive attribute? Both UCL and Manchester put a much stronger emphasis on clinical practice, so they filter out the more...I don't know, 'abstract people'?

Anyway, Manchester did say that I interviewed well, but ultimately there were too many applications and they didn't have space for me, which is perfectly understandable, and I would rather that the offer wasn't wasted on me. However ultimately after I graduate I will be in a similar situation again in finding a position, and the academic shadow of Cambridge may again be a problem. I want to be a good clinician too damn it!

Friends keep reasuring me that loads of Cambridge medics get rejected by other places- but that in itself isn't very reasuring. Especially if medical schools are filtering people at this stage into 'different types of doctors'. But on another level I guess it does make sense, as you wouldn't want to give the scientific grounding to someone who's just not interested, and equally you don't want someone who may become dissatisfied with the course.

Sorry for the rather long winded post. I just feel like a loose part in the system atm. Hopefully I'll find where I'm useful soon.

Unlucky, Vesicle

Try not to dwell on what UCL said about you- if you think about it, they saw a tiny snapshot of you at a very stressful time when you went to interview and made a judgement based on that. I'm not saying interviews are unfair of course, but your teachers definitely know you better and considering their comments are pretty much the opposite, I know which I'd be inclined to believe if I were you

Also remember that medical schools are selecting people who they think will thrive on their type of course. Maybe you wouldn't fit their system, but that doesn't mean that you won't become a good doctor or clinician, it just means that you would blossom into that elsewhere. Cambridge wants you for a reason, so they obviously can see what you're capable of and recognise that you will suit their type of teaching.
Chin up You have an exceptional place to go, where no doubt you will become a good doctor so all is not lost! I know it's easier said than done, but try to forget their comments and focus on the fact that you do have a place to study Medicine and that you can fulfil your dream there.

Thank you Danielle . I don't usually dwell on things, but I guess it was quite late last night when I got the news, and I was tired and apathetic. What you said about the interview is so true, and mirrors what my from tutor said, although she was much more indigant at them making markedly personal judgements with very little information. But then I guess that it the nature of human interacts.

Anyway, I think I should definitely stop worrying/feeling insecure, as I am incredibly lucky to have a place at Fitz, and will be taught by people who I really loved at interview.

And, I guess in a way these rejections have been good for me- as it's made me reasess my values, made me more grounded, and realise my limitations, and also how easily perhaps that I can give the wrong impression. Hopefully I'll never lose my drive to be a good doctor (or my understanding of one anyway).

That's quite alright, everyone has those kind of moments when you're tired and they have a horrible habit of dragging you down momentarily. Glad to hear you have people supporting you

Don't worry, I think everyone's a big insecure about going into Medicine- you don't know really what to expect and it's a big leap of faith going to study something at uni that's different to everything you've ever studied before! Then there's the fact that it's something you'll probably be doing for the rest of your life... I'm scaring myself now!

Now there's a positive way to look at it! Every cloud has a silver lining, as they say... if you didn't have an offer for Fitz, you'd never have started talking to weirdos such as myself in the Offer Holders' thread

EDIT: Also, thank you for the rep- it really was very unnecessary, but appreciated nonetheless

Erk, yes Medicine can seem so scary sometimes. It's more that it seems so focused, and once you decide on it, it just carries you forward down some unending tunnel and forgetting to ask you if that's what you really want. But hopefully as we're happy with it at the start, we'll still be happy with it years down the line...

Lol. You are too hard on yourself. I certainly wouldn't have started talking to you lovely people if I hadn't got an offer!

ETA: well, it was really very selfish of me anyway, as thanking you made myself feel better? lol. So all is good.