Cambridge Medicine Students and Applicants
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Firstly, if you want to know more about the course - http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/mvst/courses.html
http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/mvst/prospective.html
There's quite a lot of info on the Bio faculty site (which isn't that difficult to find). I'm not sure how much is restricted access though.
This is the clinical school's website - http://www.medschl.cam.ac.uk/ A few clicks will take you to some detail about how the course is organised in clinical years and confirms that yes, there is an elective. Perhaps you've already found these but they do answer some of your questions.
2) How sciency is the course? A first-year medic at GKT said his course was mainly rote learning, with less thought required than at A-level. This really put me off. Does Cam put a greater emphasis on understanding the science? Basically, is the course more interesting? (This was why I applied in the first place-hope I was right
)
I don't think anyone here could tell you if the course is more or less interesting than that at GKT - the only way you could tell is if you've done both... the Cam course is however very science based and there is some understanding required, moreso probably when you come to write essays. However, as I'm not a fan of rote learning so felt there was quite a lot of that (especially in Anatomy, apparently we have a comparatively difficult course in Anatomy).
3) Deeply irritating question, I know, but would someone mind fleshing out a rough average week? How many essays + tutorials a week, and how long do the essays take to write? How hard is it to manage the vast amounts of work - do all students succeed in doing so? (Like everyone else, I'm worried about the workload)
The links above allow you to access timetables as well which will give you an idea of the number of practicals per week etc (use the standard timetable and pick a medical set to look at, the long form timetable is v scary). On top of this you will have something like 3 or 4 supervisions a week (about an hour) + supervision work + it's useful to read your lecture notes + to read up practicals beforehand.
I'd be 99% sure it's the school you transfer to. You will have a BA from Cambridge though.
Er, someone else might be able to answer this. However I advise getting a bike, not because it's monstrously far but because this will significantly reduce travelling time.
Special Options in second year though the choice isn't that great. See links above.
MIT is definitely very competitive as they only want so many over the whole year and you are competing with other subjects for places. I have a friend who got an (admittedly low) first in her first year and didn't even get an interview for the MIT exchange. PhD I don't know so much about.
There was a thread about this is the main forum recently. You have very long holidays in which to work in instead!!
Yes! (though right now I have a little bit of exam stress)
http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/mvst/prospective.html
There's quite a lot of info on the Bio faculty site (which isn't that difficult to find). I'm not sure how much is restricted access though.
This is the clinical school's website - http://www.medschl.cam.ac.uk/ A few clicks will take you to some detail about how the course is organised in clinical years and confirms that yes, there is an elective. Perhaps you've already found these but they do answer some of your questions.
2) How sciency is the course? A first-year medic at GKT said his course was mainly rote learning, with less thought required than at A-level. This really put me off. Does Cam put a greater emphasis on understanding the science? Basically, is the course more interesting? (This was why I applied in the first place-hope I was right
) I don't think anyone here could tell you if the course is more or less interesting than that at GKT - the only way you could tell is if you've done both... the Cam course is however very science based and there is some understanding required, moreso probably when you come to write essays. However, as I'm not a fan of rote learning so felt there was quite a lot of that (especially in Anatomy, apparently we have a comparatively difficult course in Anatomy).
3) Deeply irritating question, I know, but would someone mind fleshing out a rough average week? How many essays + tutorials a week, and how long do the essays take to write? How hard is it to manage the vast amounts of work - do all students succeed in doing so? (Like everyone else, I'm worried about the workload)
The links above allow you to access timetables as well which will give you an idea of the number of practicals per week etc (use the standard timetable and pick a medical set to look at, the long form timetable is v scary). On top of this you will have something like 3 or 4 supervisions a week (about an hour) + supervision work + it's useful to read your lecture notes + to read up practicals beforehand.
5) If you change med schools for clinical years, who awards your MBBS?
I'd be 99% sure it's the school you transfer to. You will have a BA from Cambridge though.
6) How long does it take to walk to the Downing site from Churchill? (Really should have tested it before I applied there
)
) Er, someone else might be able to answer this. However I advise getting a bike, not because it's monstrously far but because this will significantly reduce travelling time.
7) Are there any modules where you get to choose to study what interests you, apart from, obviously, year 3?
Special Options in second year though the choice isn't that great. See links above.
8) Are the year-in-MIT and PhD programmes exceedingly competitive? I like the sound of these, especially the PhD, because I'm quite interested in the idea of going into research (don't shoot me; I want to be a doctor as well
)
) MIT is definitely very competitive as they only want so many over the whole year and you are competing with other subjects for places. I have a friend who got an (admittedly low) first in her first year and didn't even get an interview for the MIT exchange. PhD I don't know so much about.
9) How strictly is the no-jobs rule enforced?
There was a thread about this is the main forum recently. You have very long holidays in which to work in instead!!
10) Most importantly of all, are you enjoying yourself?!
Yes! (though right now I have a little bit of exam stress)
[QUOTE/] How long does it take to walk to the Downing site from Churchill?
like 20mins, bike's are useful:P
like 20mins, bike's are useful:P
ok i don't know how to write those quote things....oh well...
The bikes thing ... I'm guessing that sort of applies for Robinson too right? >.<
I don't actually have one, so dyou advise getting one when *gp* I get to Cambridge or just randomly at home?
I was looking at those timetables and just dying inside ... until I realised that at least there was an hour for lunch. xD
I don't actually have one, so dyou advise getting one when *gp* I get to Cambridge or just randomly at home?
I was looking at those timetables and just dying inside ... until I realised that at least there was an hour for lunch. xD
*Liana*
Firstly, if you want to know more about the course - http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/mvst/courses.html
http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/mvst/prospective.html
There's quite a lot of info on the Bio faculty site (which isn't that difficult to find). I'm not sure how much is restricted access though.
This is the clinical school's website - http://www.medschl.cam.ac.uk/ A few clicks will take you to some detail about how the course is organised in clinical years and confirms that yes, there is an elective. Perhaps you've already found these but they do answer some of your questions.
I don't think anyone here could tell you if the course is more or less interesting than that at GKT - the only way you could tell is if you've done both... the Cam course is however very science based and there is some understanding required, moreso probably when you come to write essays. However, as I'm not a fan of rote learning so felt there was quite a lot of that (especially in Anatomy, apparently we have a comparatively difficult course in Anatomy).
The links above allow you to access timetables as well which will give you an idea of the number of practicals per week etc (use the standard timetable and pick a medical set to look at, the long form timetable is v scary). On top of this you will have something like 3 or 4 supervisions a week (about an hour) + supervision work + it's useful to read your lecture notes + to read up practicals beforehand.
I'd be 99% sure it's the school you transfer to. You will have a BA from Cambridge though.
Er, someone else might be able to answer this. However I advise getting a bike, not because it's monstrously far but because this will significantly reduce travelling time.
Special Options in second year though the choice isn't that great. See links above.
MIT is definitely very competitive as they only want so many over the whole year and you are competing with other subjects for places. I have a friend who got an (admittedly low) first in her first year and didn't even get an interview for the MIT exchange. PhD I don't know so much about.
There was a thread about this is the main forum recently. You have very long holidays in which to work in instead!!
Yes! (though right now I have a little bit of exam stress)
http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/mvst/prospective.html
There's quite a lot of info on the Bio faculty site (which isn't that difficult to find). I'm not sure how much is restricted access though.
This is the clinical school's website - http://www.medschl.cam.ac.uk/ A few clicks will take you to some detail about how the course is organised in clinical years and confirms that yes, there is an elective. Perhaps you've already found these but they do answer some of your questions.
I don't think anyone here could tell you if the course is more or less interesting than that at GKT - the only way you could tell is if you've done both... the Cam course is however very science based and there is some understanding required, moreso probably when you come to write essays. However, as I'm not a fan of rote learning so felt there was quite a lot of that (especially in Anatomy, apparently we have a comparatively difficult course in Anatomy).
The links above allow you to access timetables as well which will give you an idea of the number of practicals per week etc (use the standard timetable and pick a medical set to look at, the long form timetable is v scary). On top of this you will have something like 3 or 4 supervisions a week (about an hour) + supervision work + it's useful to read your lecture notes + to read up practicals beforehand.
I'd be 99% sure it's the school you transfer to. You will have a BA from Cambridge though.
Er, someone else might be able to answer this. However I advise getting a bike, not because it's monstrously far but because this will significantly reduce travelling time.
Special Options in second year though the choice isn't that great. See links above.
MIT is definitely very competitive as they only want so many over the whole year and you are competing with other subjects for places. I have a friend who got an (admittedly low) first in her first year and didn't even get an interview for the MIT exchange. PhD I don't know so much about.
There was a thread about this is the main forum recently. You have very long holidays in which to work in instead!!
Yes! (though right now I have a little bit of exam stress)
Thank you very much Liana, and also citizen.erased. I wasn't aware of the existence of either of those websites and am looking through them now. I've been worrying recently that if I go to Cambridge I'll miss out on some of the vibrancy of London, both in the course and the social life, but looking at biology faculty website has enthused me again because it just looks so interesting!
So, thanks.Remember there is a non-stop train from Cambridge to London every half an hour on weekdays - only 48 minutes! So if you miss London you can go back for a brief trip. Admittedly the station is not right in the centre of town, it's a bit to the South-East, annoyingly (so from where I live, more to the North-West of the centre, it takes half an hour or more to walk there).
With regards to student finance online forms, if you are entering as undergraduate; do you put down 'foundation degree', rather than 'full time undergraduate degree'?
Thanks, but I always find it's the niggling doubts that come back and erm, bite so I was just sort of triple checking.
[QUOTE="isi333"]
1) Is there an elective period in clinical years? Yes - 7 weeks between 5th and 6th year. Though I'm due to leave in ~6 weeks and still have nothing planned.
2) How sciency is the course? A first-year medic at GKT said his course was mainly rote learning, with less thought required than at A-level. This really put me off. Does Cam put a greater emphasis on understanding the science? Basically, is the course more interesting? (This was why I applied in the first place-hope I was right ) As Liana says, it's hard to say really which course is more interesting. I found some topics fascinated me (I actually really liked Anatomy!) and some were really dull (e.g. renal physiology, but that could just have been the lecturer). The practicals, practical exams and essays you have to do certainly require a fair amount of understanding as well as independent work. There IS rote learning (especially in Anatomy) but there's a lot of that in any Medicine course.
3) Deeply irritating question, I know, but would someone mind fleshing out a rough average week? How many essays + tutorials a week, and how long do the essays take to write? How hard is it to manage the vast amounts of work - do all students succeed in doing so? (Like everyone else, I'm worried about the workload)
Most people do manage - I'm not sure if "succeed" is a good word, but most people cope one way or another. The workload is heavy - between 20-30 hours contact time (10-12 lectures, a couple of practicals, 3-4 supervisions +/-essays) a week at pre-clinical, plus private study time - but it is also possible to have a life and pass exams etc. It's stressful but most people get through it.
4) Could you give any details about the course; things you didn't know before you arrived and so on? I've been to an open day and read the prospectus but all I seem to know is 'minimal patient contact, lecture based, tutorials, organised into traditional subject groups, lots of anatomy'. Somehow, I feel I know much more about the courses of other medical schools. I'm not sure what more to say about this one. It does give you an excellent scientific grounding on which to base your clinical work, but this can seem quite dry at times. If you like science that isn't just clinical-based though, it's great.
5) If you change med schools for clinical years, who awards your MBBS? Your clinical school, but as Liana says, you'd get a Cambridge BA/MA too.
6) How long does it take to walk to the Downing site from Churchill? (Really should have tested it before I applied there ) I'd estimate at least half an hour. Get a bike, it won't be more than 10 mins.
7) Are there any modules where you get to choose to study what interests you, apart from, obviously, year 3? There's the ones at the end of second year but I think they've changed since I did them, so can't comment on that. In clinical school, you have a 5-week "student selected component" (SSC) in 4th year, your 7 week elective at the end of 5th year and another 4 week SSC in 6th year. Generally for SSCs you pick something off a list, but if you have a brilliant idea for a study you can design your own!
8) Are the year-in-MIT and PhD programmes exceedingly competitive? I like the sound of these, especially the PhD, because I'm quite interested in the idea of going into research (don't shoot me; I want to be a doctor as well ) In a nutshell, yes. Though I'm not really sure about the MBPhD thing, I never really looked into it. Most of them seem to have at least one first - and there are only about 7 a year.
9) How strictly is the no-jobs rule enforced? Can't really say, I've never tried to test it.
I wouldn't advise getting a job though (apart from college bar/library type stuff) - you will have plenty of holidays for working in.
10) Most importantly of all, are you enjoying yourself?! Yes, although I'm wishing my exams would go away! I'm sure I would have had a great time anywhere I went, but I love Cambridge and would make the same choice again if I had the chance.
Hope that helps!
1) Is there an elective period in clinical years? Yes - 7 weeks between 5th and 6th year. Though I'm due to leave in ~6 weeks and still have nothing planned.
2) How sciency is the course? A first-year medic at GKT said his course was mainly rote learning, with less thought required than at A-level. This really put me off. Does Cam put a greater emphasis on understanding the science? Basically, is the course more interesting? (This was why I applied in the first place-hope I was right
) As Liana says, it's hard to say really which course is more interesting. I found some topics fascinated me (I actually really liked Anatomy!) and some were really dull (e.g. renal physiology, but that could just have been the lecturer). The practicals, practical exams and essays you have to do certainly require a fair amount of understanding as well as independent work. There IS rote learning (especially in Anatomy) but there's a lot of that in any Medicine course.3) Deeply irritating question, I know, but would someone mind fleshing out a rough average week? How many essays + tutorials a week, and how long do the essays take to write? How hard is it to manage the vast amounts of work - do all students succeed in doing so? (Like everyone else, I'm worried about the workload)
Most people do manage - I'm not sure if "succeed" is a good word, but most people cope one way or another. The workload is heavy - between 20-30 hours contact time (10-12 lectures, a couple of practicals, 3-4 supervisions +/-essays) a week at pre-clinical, plus private study time - but it is also possible to have a life and pass exams etc. It's stressful but most people get through it.
4) Could you give any details about the course; things you didn't know before you arrived and so on? I've been to an open day and read the prospectus but all I seem to know is 'minimal patient contact, lecture based, tutorials, organised into traditional subject groups, lots of anatomy'. Somehow, I feel I know much more about the courses of other medical schools. I'm not sure what more to say about this one. It does give you an excellent scientific grounding on which to base your clinical work, but this can seem quite dry at times. If you like science that isn't just clinical-based though, it's great.
5) If you change med schools for clinical years, who awards your MBBS? Your clinical school, but as Liana says, you'd get a Cambridge BA/MA too.
6) How long does it take to walk to the Downing site from Churchill? (Really should have tested it before I applied there
) I'd estimate at least half an hour. Get a bike, it won't be more than 10 mins.7) Are there any modules where you get to choose to study what interests you, apart from, obviously, year 3? There's the ones at the end of second year but I think they've changed since I did them, so can't comment on that. In clinical school, you have a 5-week "student selected component" (SSC) in 4th year, your 7 week elective at the end of 5th year and another 4 week SSC in 6th year. Generally for SSCs you pick something off a list, but if you have a brilliant idea for a study you can design your own!
8) Are the year-in-MIT and PhD programmes exceedingly competitive? I like the sound of these, especially the PhD, because I'm quite interested in the idea of going into research (don't shoot me; I want to be a doctor as well
) In a nutshell, yes. Though I'm not really sure about the MBPhD thing, I never really looked into it. Most of them seem to have at least one first - and there are only about 7 a year.9) How strictly is the no-jobs rule enforced? Can't really say, I've never tried to test it.
I wouldn't advise getting a job though (apart from college bar/library type stuff) - you will have plenty of holidays for working in.10) Most importantly of all, are you enjoying yourself?! Yes, although I'm wishing my exams would go away! I'm sure I would have had a great time anywhere I went, but I love Cambridge and would make the same choice again if I had the chance.
Hope that helps!
Do any existing medics recommend us newbies to do any reading before we start, over the summer? Or do we just 'turn up' fresh faced?
I can just see myself forgetting all my a level stuff and looking like an idiot at uni ... >.>
I can just see myself forgetting all my a level stuff and looking like an idiot at uni ... >.>
n1r4v
I know this is looking a bit too far ahead but:
How much extra stuff do you have to do to get a first? Some people scared me at my open day by rambling on about what major extra private study / research etc. they did in order to get the first. I'm quite curious, as I've heard relying exclusively on the lecture notes and dissection manual cannot possibly get you a first, and these in themselves are a major major workload. Is it true that you really need to do loads more to get a first, and consequently prevent yourself from getting out of your room / library?
How much extra stuff do you have to do to get a first? Some people scared me at my open day by rambling on about what major extra private study / research etc. they did in order to get the first. I'm quite curious, as I've heard relying exclusively on the lecture notes and dissection manual cannot possibly get you a first, and these in themselves are a major major workload. Is it true that you really need to do loads more to get a first, and consequently prevent yourself from getting out of your room / library?
I've never got one, so can't really comment - but I know medics who got firsts while locking themselves in the library for months, and I know medics who got firsts on much less than that and still had lives. I think in first year if you knew all that stuff inside out, and could write a decent essay, then you could get a first, to be honest. A lot of it is memory work, especially for anatomy. Sure, lots of people do freakish amounts of extra reading, but that's not the only way to a first.
invisibleforest
Do any existing medics recommend us newbies to do any reading before we start, over the summer? Or do we just 'turn up' fresh faced?
I can just see myself forgetting all my a level stuff and looking like an idiot at uni ... >.>
I can just see myself forgetting all my a level stuff and looking like an idiot at uni ... >.>
Individual colleges' advice varies on this, so I can't speak for all of them - some send out scary reading lists but in all honest you won't actually need to know it all in advance! I'd certainly focus on enjoying your summer holiday rather than swotting up too much.
Thanks!
n1r4v
lol thanks for that!
Of course assuming you have pretty decent analysis and application skills, is medicine really just a massive memory test, or are there quite a few complex scientific ideas that you need to understand more than learn? A few people told me that their medicine course (this is PMS mind) was pure 100% rote learning, which did worry me quite a bit (I'm more of a person who likes concepts and principles as well as knowledge, rather than purely learning loads and loads of knowledge).
Anyway thanks!
Of course assuming you have pretty decent analysis and application skills, is medicine really just a massive memory test, or are there quite a few complex scientific ideas that you need to understand more than learn? A few people told me that their medicine course (this is PMS mind) was pure 100% rote learning, which did worry me quite a bit (I'm more of a person who likes concepts and principles as well as knowledge, rather than purely learning loads and loads of knowledge).
Anyway thanks!
n1r4v
I know this is looking a bit too far ahead but:
How much extra stuff do you have to do to get a first? Some people scared me at my open day by rambling on about what major extra private study / research etc. they did in order to get the first. I'm quite curious, as I've heard relying exclusively on the lecture notes and dissection manual cannot possibly get you a first, and these in themselves are a major major workload. Is it true that you really need to do loads more to get a first, and consequently prevent yourself from getting out of your room / library?
How much extra stuff do you have to do to get a first? Some people scared me at my open day by rambling on about what major extra private study / research etc. they did in order to get the first. I'm quite curious, as I've heard relying exclusively on the lecture notes and dissection manual cannot possibly get you a first, and these in themselves are a major major workload. Is it true that you really need to do loads more to get a first, and consequently prevent yourself from getting out of your room / library?
It's entirely possible to get a first without doing any extra reading in first year, provided you're extremely familiar with your lecture notes and dissection manual. Although of course extra reading doesn't hurt and probably helps!
The thing I REALLY like about the Cambridge course is that pre-clinicals is at its core a basic science course. So yes, although there's quite a bit of rote learning (no getting around the drug list for Pharmacology, for example), there're also scientific concepts involved and you can spend third year playing around with research. (I'm quite looking forward to third year actually!)
Oh, and please enjoy summer, it's the last (real) vacation you'll get until the next summer!
sTe\/o
A bit of both. The problem is that once you've understood it all, you're still left with a hell of a lot of rote learning, which is the hard part for most people. Physiology has some topics that are hard to understand (e.g. renal, which unfortunately has lots to memorise as well), and some which are easier to understand but are at least mainly conceptual (e.g. cardiac). Anatomy is mainly memorising, but it can be difficult for some people to get to grips with at first, since it's quite different from anything you'll have done at school. In the second year, Neuroscience and Pathology both have lots of interesting conceptual bits, but Pathology also has lots to remember. Reproductive Biology, which is also in the 2nd year, can get quite complicated in parts, depending on how well you want to understand it, but there's not too much to remember. Pharmacology, like Pathology, is an absolute beast when it comes to revising for it, as there are soooo many facts to learn. Biochemistry is quite fact-laden too, but there is definitely a conceptual side to it and it is sometimes quite interesting - that said, I had a number of lectures, mainly by the same guy, where I actively tried to will myself into a deep coma.
Oooh, I wonder who that was?
Don't forget all the delightful practical exams - Pharm in particular - where you really do need to understand what you're doing otherwise you won't get anywhere with the crazy calculations.
I should so be working right now...
n1r4v
I know this is looking a bit too far ahead but:
How much extra stuff do you have to do to get a first? Some people scared me at my open day by rambling on about what major extra private study / research etc. they did in order to get the first. I'm quite curious, as I've heard relying exclusively on the lecture notes and dissection manual cannot possibly get you a first, and these in themselves are a major major workload. Is it true that you really need to do loads more to get a first, and consequently prevent yourself from getting out of your room / library?
How much extra stuff do you have to do to get a first? Some people scared me at my open day by rambling on about what major extra private study / research etc. they did in order to get the first. I'm quite curious, as I've heard relying exclusively on the lecture notes and dissection manual cannot possibly get you a first, and these in themselves are a major major workload. Is it true that you really need to do loads more to get a first, and consequently prevent yourself from getting out of your room / library?
As said above - my extra reading in first year was close to zero, still managed to get a first (comfortably, rather bizarrely - however I don't think I'm going to manage it this year!!!).
Helenia
Oooh, I wonder who that was?
Don't forget all the delightful practical exams - Pharm in particular - where you really do need to understand what you're doing otherwise you won't get anywhere with the crazy calculations.
I should so be working right now...
Don't forget all the delightful practical exams - Pharm in particular - where you really do need to understand what you're doing otherwise you won't get anywhere with the crazy calculations.
I should so be working right now...
Normally I'd expect to do well in that sort of exam, but I made a complete hash of it. And don't even talk to me abnout the sodding essay paper.... in fact, don't remind me about Pharm at all! 
just out of interest if you failed 2nd year exams really baddly would they let you degrade or like...? anyone know?
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