Medicine - Oxford or cambridge

Helenia

The GMC?

Them's the buggers, thanks! :biggrin:

Reply 42

Elles

17

External body accreditation doesn't make something exactly the same standard everywhere, it means that the minimum competence is achieved everywhere...

Reply 43

Elles

External body accreditation doesn't make something exactly the same standard everywhere, it means that the minimum competence is achieved everywhere...

I said roughly, not exactly. The minimum standard set by the GMC is a high one! :p:

Reply 44

Elles

17

Well, compared to people who don't have a medical degree or places that don't have a medical school - sure they're all roughly the same standard. :p:

TBH - I've come across frankly rubbish junior doctors that have made me wonder about the GMC standards/enforcement, but presumably they must all be above that minimum...

Reply 45

coldfish

There's a big difference between somebody who is good at passing even very demanding tests and somebody who will be good at using that knowledge in practice. If I were to choose a medic from my college to be my GP/treat me the ordering would be pretty much the reverse of their exam results...

Reply 46

martin101

10

going back to the whole ox/cam debate I would add and agree with those who say that you do get a gut feeling for where you want to end up, or at least that is how it was with me and many others I know. I loved Oxford the moment I saw it, the same was not true when I visited Cambridge and so I didnt really need to make up my mind... its kind of strange and hard to describe but at the end of the day the two medical courses are both outstanding and it comes down to where you want to end up studying. Because of the differences between the cities (and trust me there are a lot of differences) I dont think you can honestly like both as much.

That said choose Oxford!

Reply 47

ninety_nine

i thought it was widely thought medicine is a subject where oxbridge dominates? i know imperial and edinburough come close/on par?

Reply 48

Helenia

20

ninety_nine

i thought it was widely thought medicine is a subject where oxbridge dominates? i know imperial and edinburough come close/on par?

No, not really. In fact, if you ask in the medic forum, not at all. Oxford and Cambridge have very good rigorous academic courses. Whether this produces the best doctors at the end is entirely debateable. Lots of the London schools have a lot of prestige as well, and have been teaching medicine much longer than us.

Reply 49

mhairi_10

as a scottish applicant, the edinburgh course isn't thought of really that highly at all at my school, by those that i know, or by any doctor that i've spoken to. Of course that is all hearsy and i did apply there but it wouldnt be my first or second choice :]

Reply 50

ninety_nine

well i can imagine most medical schools are prestigous since they're so competitive and oversubscribed.

ha, i thought edinborough was amazing but ree-leeeee difficult to get into. something about a slight preference for scottish applicants and a cut off point of 6A*.

i'd prefer st.andrew's anyway.

Reply 51

ninety_nine

Helenia

No, not really. In fact, if you ask in the medic forum, not at all. Oxford and Cambridge have very good rigorous academic courses. Whether this produces the best doctors at the end is entirely debateable. Lots of the London schools have a lot of prestige as well, and have been teaching medicine much longer than us.

i didn't know london schools had been teaching medicine for longer? just out of curiosity are you a cambridge or an oxford medic? does oxbridge place more or less emphasis on work ex? i'm asking because a mate got rejected from there and was wondering whether that may have been a factor (he had all the norms like straight A*s, AAAA, 20 on bmat etc.) :rolleyes:

Reply 52

mhairi_10

ninety_nine

well i can imagine most medical schools are prestigous since they're so competitive and oversubscribed.

ha, i thought edinborough was amazing but ree-leeeee difficult to get into. something about a slight preference for scottish applicants and a cut off point of 6A*.

i'd prefer st.andrew's anyway.

haha the stereotype here is that it has lots and lots of english students (because they see it as being really rather good) and a bias towards private schools, neither of which i really believe, but that's what they say! I quite like edinburgh, not that you can tell from my posts, just not as much as other places - i prefer st andrews too! :]

Reply 53

Helenia

20

ninety_nine

i didn't know london schools had been teaching medicine for longer? just out of curiosity are you a cambridge or an oxford medic? does oxbridge place more or less emphasis on work ex? i'm asking because a mate got rejected from there and was wondering whether that may have been a factor (he had all the norms like straight A*s, AAAA, 20 on bmat etc.) :rolleyes:

Turns out I was a bit wrong on that one - they have been teaching it for centuries but not on a very large scale in Cambridge's case in particular. But it was the London hospitals (e.g. Barts, the Royal Free, Guys, Tommies etc) that were really hot stuff for a long time and are still famous names.

I don't work in admissions so I have no idea how much they care about work experience. I suspect it may be a little less than elsewhere but I couldn't be sure on that. It may just be that your friend wasn't as good as other people being interviewed.

Reply 54

ben_stretch

What number of A*s would be considered higher than the average Oxbridge medic applicant's score?

Reply 55

9A* or more, I'd imagine.

Reply 56

Elles

17

HCD

9A* or more, I'd imagine.

Curiosity: your signature suggests you're not a medic or going to Oxbridge, but you seem to pop into medicy & Oxbridge threads quite often - what's the connection or interest..?

Anyhow, a historical answer (although the format they use is % not raw number) without needing to imagine can be found for the Oxford part:

University of Oxford Website

How to assess your chances: some statistical information - Pre-clinical study: Admissions Statistics 2007 (2008 entry)

The average (median) applicant had 74% of their GCSEs at A*, compared with 73% last year.

Reply 57