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Cambridge Medicine Applicants 2017 Entry

Hi all,

Just thought I would start a thread for people who are thinking of applying to Cambridge for medicine for 2017 entry. Feel free to post stats regarding your current exam record and what colleges you might be thinking of applying to. :h:

Best of luck to everyone applying!

Reply 1

G_8

Original post by AntonioConte

7A*s (english lit, bio,chem,maths,physics,history,statistics), 2As ( english language and IT), 2Cs ( c in french, and law which i took in year 9). Do i have a chance of getting into cambridge for medicine? I come from a poor area, family low income, etc,etc.

Well I'm certainly not an admissions expert, but I know for sure that Cambridge look at your socio-economic background and this will be a contributing factor to your application. Also 7A*s is really good at GCSE level!

Best thing to do now is be positive and try to ace your A levels and BMAT. :tongue:

Reply 2

UniAdmissions

Original post by G_8

Hello G_8,

Thanks for starting this thread - we're sure it will prove really useful to prospective applicants. With the upcoming summer and admissions tests looming, we thought we'd share some advice from one of our Cambridge medical tutors about how to strike the balance between Oxbridge + Non-Oxbridge in your UCAS Application. We've copied an extract from her blog below but you can read the full thing here.

"So what are a few tips for impressing Oxbridge Medicine tutors in particular on top of your other three medical schools?

1. Personal Statement

A lot of your personal statement is talking about your reasons for doing medicine and why you’re suited to it – much of this will also be reflected in the subjects you chose to study. Linking your points back to medicine will make your personal statement look well thought-out and keep reminding the reader why YOU are a good choice. Extracurricular activities are important, but shouldn’t really make up the bulk of your personal statement. At Oxbridge interviews, your personal statement will be more of a springboard for potential topics to chat about than the basis of their decision to give you an offer.

2. Reading

Find at least one topic that interests you and read around it. This shouldn’t be a chore – if it’s something that you’re really interested it swotting up on it beyond your homework is definitely encouraged. Mention your interest in your personal statement, and if it’s picked up at interview being able to talk about it enthusiastically and knowledgeably will be really impressive. (as a side note, don’t put anything on your personal statement that you couldn’t talk about!) Your grades are important and your offer will reflect this, but it’s important to bring something extra – most applicants will have excellent grades!

3. The SAQ

Cambridge Only: Don’t forget that you have the SAQ (a short, additional questionnaire that asks for details not covered in the UCAS application) where you can submit an optional additional personal statement. This is the perfect space to go into detail about a topic of interest, leaving space on your personal statement that could otherwise be dedicated to your extracurricular activities or work experience.

4. The Interview

The Oxbridge interview process at is meant to reflect the supervisions that you will reflect at uni. These are led by a senior academic and the small-group nature of them means you can’t escape questioning and discussion. They’re testing what you’re like under these kind of situations and whether you can hold intelligent, well thought-out conversations on topics you won’t be totally clued up about, so this is a great chance to show them how great you are! Remember it’s not about the right answer, but your thought process and ideas."

Check out our information centre for more Cambridge Medicine advice and tips.

Hope that helps!

UniAdmissions

Reply 3