Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

And so...

...as the application cycle really does draw into its final week or two i wondered if anyone wanted to reflect on the last 9 months. Looking back over previous threads today whilst I've been off work its been weird to think how far we've come.

Any regrets?
How do you feel about your position now?
Unsuccessful? Try again next year?
What drew you to your choices?
Advice for 2009 cycle?
Was all the hard work worth it?
Work experience reflections?

Basically anything...
...and of course how is working towards the final A-Level exams going.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

~Adel~

Any regrets?
-Nope, in fact i'm so glad i did apply to the UK, i never thought i'd be going there, as it's bloody expensive for an international student. I was shocked when my dad gave me his consent to take up the offer!
How do you feel about your position now?
-Extremely contented
Unsuccessful? Try again next year?
-Not applicable but my friend who applied for Law is
What drew you to your choices?
I haven't made up my mind on which to take as firm yet.
Advice for 2009 cycle?
-You'll get it if you're passionate enough, trust me.
Was all the hard work worth it?
-Absolutely
Work experience reflections?
-Hmm...it's not about how many hours you spend shadowing a doctor but how you've benefited from it(everyone knows this), i did it for less than one week altogether and got my offers.

I hate the coming A level exams. I'm in the middle of my College's trial exam season.

Reply 2

FFCrusader

-Any regrets?
Applying to Bristol and Soton without much thought to it, and for doing badly in UCL interview (Yeah I'm not gonna forget that anytime soon!)

-How do you feel about your position now?
hmm not much to say, could be in a better position =|

-Unsuccessful? Try again next year?
Yeah I should say so, unless I find something that will really put me off in the next few months

-What drew you to your choices?
As in the places I applied to? Erm UCL and Kings because I like them and has the London thing about it :p:

Bristol lack of entrance exams - baaaaaad idea, seriously
Soton - Lack of interview - again bad idea unless you're amazing on paper :p:

I can't believe how naive I was back then xD

-Advice for 2009 cycle?
Think about where you apply, actually do some prep for the interviews ie look up the unis, think about the standard questions and how to answer them

-Was all the hard work worth it?
Evidently not paid off so far :p:

I need to put more work in probably

-Work experience reflections?
Can't think of anything to say really

I hate exams, I haven't started doing much work yet :s-smilie:

Supposed to be starting today xD I should get off here and do so actually...

Reply 3

alvo23k

Any regrets?
Overall I don't have any regrets. Just think it would have been good to apply to Newcastle.

How do you feel about your position now?
Contented. I got 2 offers which I feel is enough

Unsuccessful? Try again next year?
N/A

What drew you to your choices?
Sheffield - the integrated course looked attractive

Advice for 2009 cycle?
Review your universities thoroughly before clicking to send your application. Make sure that you apply somewhere were you stand a chance!

Was all the hard work worth it?
Yup

Work experience reflections?
Well....i never shadowed a GP but did voluntary work. It was beneficial and worthwhile.

I have my IB exams coming up in less than 3 weeks. Im scared but confident enough.

Reply 4

graemematt

Any regrets?
Sort of...I kinda wish I'd tried harder in my Glasgow interview and not been really dim-witted about the MMC.

How do you feel about your position now?
Contented. I got 2 offers which I feel is enough, and hopefully Warwick to add to it.

Unsuccessful? Try again next year?
N/A

What drew you to your choices?
Aberdeen - Friendly place and new integrated course, as well as good hospitals, travel opportunities, and a fantastic reputation!
HYMS - Course looks incredible. New school generally means very enthusiastic staff and students (i.e. atmosphere)
Glasgow - Near home, Glasgow the city is immense
Warwick - 4 year course that's actually designed for graduates entirely! Plus, nice university.

Advice for 2009 cycle?
Browse EVERY medical school and university before deciding where to apply. Find out which places look for the attributes you possess, as that really does make a difference! Are they looking for an academic or a character? (because let's be brutally honest, kids who get AAAA at A-level and yet are extremely easy going and friendly are few and far-between!)

Was all the hard work worth it?
Well maybe doing my MSc was a bit OTT, but I'm glad I'm getting the qualification...may help me with my FY/ST applications, and such.

Work experience reflections?
Enjoyable. Although, voluntary work beats doctor shadowing any day of the week.

Reply 5

graemematt

FFCrusader

Bristol lack of entrance exams - baaaaaad idea, seriously
Soton - Lack of interview - again bad idea unless you're amazing on paper :p:

I need to put more work in probably

-Work experience reflections?
Can't think of anything to say really

I hate exams, I haven't started doing much work yet :s-smilie:

Supposed to be starting today xD I should get off here and do so actually...

Dammit, this is why medical school offers and applications are so messed up. I can't believe this person didn't get any offers, I hardly know him and yet feel confident that they'd be a good example of the kind of people we need in the medical profession! The guy's remained optimistic throughout, unlike a lot of people who've received 3 rejections, raised the white flag, then squealed like pigs on getting their final offers.

Best of luck for next year mate, I hope you'll be applying? :biggrin:

Reply 6

*stars and stripes*

Good thread :smile:

Any regrets?
Not really...it would have been good to apply to Edinburgh, but at the time I was scared that it would be too far away.

How do you feel about your position now?
Ecstatic :biggrin:

I'm looking forward to starting a Medicine course at last- I've known that it's what I wanted to do for long enough :wink:

What drew you to your choices?
I was drawn to them for different reasons, but it ultimately came down to gut instinct and where I could imagine myself studying for the considerable future.

Advice for 2009 cycle?
Get everything done in plenty of time to try and reduce the stress as much as possible and be prepared for a long wait... remember no news is better than a rejection :smile:

Was all the hard work worth it?
Most definitely, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Work experience reflections?
I loved every second of it, so I only wish I'd had the time to fit more in!

...and of course how is working towards the final A-Level exams going?
Let's not mention those shall we? I'm petrified that I won't meet my order...so I guess that means more time revising and less time faffing about on TSR :p:

Reply 7

FFCrusader

graemematt

haha thanks for your kind words :smile:

Actually has made my day :biggrin:

I was looking for some motivation to do some work and if you have confidence in me (considering we don't actually know each other) then maybe I do stand a chance :biggrin:

Yeah I should be reapplying :smile:

Reply 8

The Formidable Tani

-Any regrets?
Not applying to UCL, but nothing major really. If I knew how my application would have turned out, I definitely wouldn't have wasted all the money on the UKCAT :P

-How do you feel about your position now?
Elated! Honestly wasn't sure if I was going to get in anywhere, and I'm glad I got the choices I wanted.

-What drew you to your choices?
BSMS - I liked that it was by Brighton, and I liked the course. It was really last minute though, I was going to apply to St. George's instead but literally right before I sent off the application I went for BSMS (let's be honest - where would you spend 5 years, in Brighton or in Tooting?). That was about it, and I had no idea about how competitive it was...ended up withdrawing it on UCAS once I got Birmingham, but they sent me a rejection letter a week afterwards anyway :P

Birmingham - Just generally a really nice place, and I thought I'd have a good chance of getting in because of the 7 A* thing, and they have loaaaaads of places, which means they need to make a lot of offers. Still not sure if it's a mistake or not to take Imperial over it...

Imperial - Same as Birmingham really, in that it was just somewhere I liked, and it had the best looking course that I'd seen anywhere. I hate to say it but the prestige also had its allure, albeit to a lesser degree.

King's - This was a sort of surrogate for not being able to apply to UCL, I guess. I couldn't really think of anywhere else to go, but people I know there seem to love it, and I thought the Gordon Museum was pretty awesome :P

-Advice for 2009 cycle?
Make sure you're clued up on the places that you want to apply to, and it helps to know what they're looking for, e.g. Manchester like evidence of long-term voluntary work, 19.0+ on the BMAT will clinch you an interview at UCL with 5.0 in the first two sections etc. That ISC Medical School Interviews book wouldn't be a bad idea either. When you're writing your personal statement, don't try and cram in every single extra-curricular activity you've ever done, it's far more important to get across your motivation to do medicine and understanding of what it entails.

-Was all the hard work worth it?
As long as I get the grades, definitely.

-Work experience reflections?
Got a good amount in to inform my decision to apply for medicine, got to see loads on it and took a lot back from it all. It was great.

A-levels - work's not going too bad, still not that confident about getting the grades though, even if it's only 2 As. Wasting time here probably didn't help...

Reply 9

mkchelsea

Any regrets?
A few. I regret not preparing for interviews well, being too lazy to do the things I needed to better by application. But I'm still very happy I chose Medicine as a career, and will try to achieve that goal, just gotta try harder

How do you feel about your position now?
well, everything is up in the air right now. My application isn't finished yet for his year, so I'm waiting on them.

Unsuccessful? Try again next year?
Maybe. I have a reply waiting for a Uni after interview, an interview next week, and a waiting list for another Uni that could offer me a place. So I could have a few choices to choose from, or I could have none. But If the worst happens, I will go into my gap year trying to do everything I can to make sure I am successful!!

What drew you to your choices?
lol, no choices to make yet, but the Unis I applied to all great. The thing I looked for in my choices are just an active community with a good atmosphere, as well as a good teaching lol :biggrin:

Advice for 2009 cycle?
Use you time wisely. You will regret it later if you don't. There will be a lot to do when you don't expect it, so always go 100% into what you are doing. Oh yeah, and never ever compare yourself with anyone else, you know what you are capable of and the potential you have so go fulfill it!

Was all the hard work worth it?
Yeah definitely I enjoyed it!!

Work experience reflections?
I just wish I had done more, I loved it!

...and of course how is working towards the final A-Level exams going.
Umm, not too good, but I'll get my act together....I hope :s-smilie:

Reply 10

Cynicism 101

Any regrets? Yes. I wish I'd applied to four med schools just to reduce the stress a bit

How do you feel about your position now?Unbelievably happy, my Southampton interview was ridiculously bad, so I'm ecstatic at getting into first choice!

What drew you to your choices?GKT--London and insurance, Southampton: I thought it would be close to London, but when I visited I knew that could be it. PMS: Well, I sort of thought of it as my "second insurance"

Advice for 2009 cycle?If we can do it, so can you. Don't lose hope and don't second guess yourself and you'll be fine :biggrin:

!

Was all the hard work worth it?Hell Yea!

Work experience reflections?I wish I'd done it more..loved it!

Basically anything...
...and of course how is working towards the final IB exams going. My exams are in a week and a bit more!! And I'm scared I won't make the grades since it's ridiculously high...oh well, *goes back to studying* it's scary

Reply 11

arpeggio

Any regrets?
If I was going to apply again I think I'd apply to Bristol and KCL instead of Leicester and SGUL. I don't really regret withdrawing from them but I wonder whether I'd have got offers from either/both of them if I hadn't.

How do you feel about your position now?
Very happy but stressing about getting the grades!

What drew you to your choices?
Courses I liked the look of and places I'd be happy living for 5+ years.

Advice for 2009 cycle?
Write an awesome personal statement - start early and get as much feedback as possible (don't forget to show the PS helpers on here!) Apply to unis you'd like to go without worrying about reputation, work hard and do your research :smile:

Good luck!

Was all the hard work worth it?
Definitely.

Work experience reflections?
Voluntary work was great, helped me decide to apply for Medicine and gave me lots to talk about at interviews.

...and of course how is working towards the final A-Level exams going.
There's so much to do and so little time :frown:

It could be worse though, I'm glad I'm not doing any resits and "only" have 3 A Levels to revise for!

Reply 12

person 34

Any regrets?

No, applying for Medicine has been one of the best, if not THE best decision of my life so far (and oh my God, how I thought about it for so long!) I really feel like I'm doing something I could really be good at and that I'm genuinley passionate about. Usually it's just one or the other for me. In terms of Medical Schools, TSR has been great in helping me decide and it worked!

How do you feel about your position now?

A bit guilty actually. I did not deserve 3 offers and I think it just proves how screwed this application process is. People with brilliant academic records are being rejected and yes it's about personality too, but unless you're a complete ****/selfish/really immature you can be trained surely? On the wards/GP surgeries, mannerisms are important but there is no substitute for competence!

Unsuccessful? Try again next year?

N/A

What drew you to your choices?

They seemed to be the most lax on grades to be honest whilst being (all but one) great universities. And plus they were all awesome cities

Advice for 2009 cycle?

Don't take any risks with applying to Medical School in terms of chosing which ones you want to go to. Don't think Ooooh I'll have a go there when you really don't have a chance, because you might not just be rejected from that one but all of them. Don't choose somewhere because of the location (unless you really really really don't like it) and don't choose because of reputation. All Medical Schools are good, and it's about the work you put in and your compassion that make you a good doctor, not the poistion on the Times League Table. Also, don't let UCAS take over your life, it's not worth it in the end.

Was all the hard work worth it?

Yes, and January modules finally proved I do have *some* intelligence when I actually work.

Work experience reflections?

Volunteering was generally crap, not because it was volunteering but because no one cared I was there apart from the odd patient or two. The staff treated me badly and I didn't feel like I was doing much. On the hopitals it was great! That's what finally swung my decisino towards applying for Medicine.

...and of course how is working towards the final A-Level exams going.

Not bad, not bad. Should hopefully get AAB, but really I want AAA (even though I think it's out of my reach :frown:

) But I'm not working as hard as I should be. Damn.

Reply 13

FTC199

Any regrets?
No, i am 100% comitted to studying medicine and i think i chose the right unis to apply to (although i maybe should have researched more on the english unis to put down instead of newcastle but i thought i would apply to aberdeen until late august when i went to visit and wasn't too keen on the uni)

How do you feel about your position now?
So happy, i cant wait to start uni in september

Unsuccessful? Try again next year?
N/A

What drew you to your choices?
Initially i started looking at unis in scotland because thats where im from (its a lot cheaper to stay here)
Dundee - Fantastic open day, all the students and staff really inspired me to want to go there, great research, a hospital entirely dedicated to teaching
Edinburgh - I love the city and the uni is great, particularly for medicine
St Andrews - it was more of an insurance choice, the course structure was ok although i wasnt particularly keen on it at first, the place is nice and there was the opportunity to finish the degree at another uni in scotland (hopefully Edinburgh or Dundee)
Newcastle - initally thought this choice would be Glasgow or Aberdeen but I didnt like them enough to apply so i looked at newcastle, the possibility of an unconditional from an english uni appealed and the course looked good but to be honest it was a last minute decision

Advice for 2009 cycle?
Research the unis, if you are a scottish student, think about applying to at least one uni in scotland as if you get an offer from them then it is likely to be unconditional and can be a good insurance choice

Was all the hard work worth it?
absoltuely, i went back to school today and it felt wierd that i wasnt incessantly checking track!

Work experience reflections?
Fantastic, had some great times and i realised im interested in becoming a surgeon which i hadnt really thought of before (i also got to have a laugh with brand new FY1s as i went on the week they started)

...and of course how is working towards the final AH/H exams going.
i love being scottish, means i got unconditionals so dont have to worry about my exams (although i still am a bit). seriously, the scottish exam system is the way to go!

Reply 14

magictom

Any regrets? Not really. I wasn't overly confident about my application before I applied, or during for that matter, so there are a few universities that I would like to have applied to that I didn't. Manchester was always my first choice though and you only need one offer, so I guess it doesn't matter now.

How do you feel about your position now? Brilliant! I'm going to the university I've wanted to all along, so it couldn't have worked out better.

What drew you to your choices? Manchester was the only uni I was certain about. The others were chosen realatively at random. I guess I thought Leicester and Liverpool might be easier to get into than other places - I don't really know why I thought that. My best mate wanted me to apply to Kings with him!

Advice for 2009 cycle? Try to produce a personal statement that explains clearly why you want to be a doctor and how your experiences so far have confirmed that, or even better, how your experiences lead you to decide on medicine in the first place. An admissions woman at Manchester told me at the open day that applicants who've taken work experience solely to get into medicine (regardless of how well they write about it) are less impressive than those that can show that their desire to be a doctor is the result of experience.

Was all the hard work worth it? Yup!

Work experience reflections? I enjoyed my voluntary work immensely. Even if I hadn't got into medicine I'd still have loved it. I'm still doing it now!

...and of course how is working towards the final A-Level exams going? La la la.. trying not to think about those :s

Reply 15

Democracy

Was all the hard work worth it?

Clearly not :rolleyes:

Reply 16

TheEnergizerRabbit

Any regrets?

No, to be fair I couldn't have asked for a better admissions cycle.

How do you feel about your position now?

I feel pretty blessed, I will have to push myself a bit just to make sure but my worries will probably lie in irrational phenomenon such as "poor markers"/"loosing my scripts" etc etc. It's as in my hands as I could have hoped for, which when I look at my friends - seems to be more than you should reasonably ask from University Admissions

What drew you to your choices?

To be perfectly frank; I just vaguely sort of knew. I had no double
contingency plans, I didn't spread bet. As such I found myself with 3 BMAT Unis and an Admissions officer with an angry face. If your not generally attracted to the Uni, I was pretty sure than no amount pros' and con's listing was going to help.

Advice for 2009 cycle?

Make sure you have no excuses and throw yourself in it; If you have weak grades, improve them, if your PS isn't up to much - start again. Revise for the BMAT/UKCAT despite people telling you you can't, revise for your interviews like an exam and come to January feeling like you've done all you can do. Then you'll need to find a speeding car/falling piano to sleep through the wait - because thats almost certainly the hardest part.

Was all the hard work worth it?

I'll know in around 8 years time...

Work experience reflections?

It helps??

Reply 17

Glendstar

Any regrets? I guess I regret applying to UCL, only really because of the BMAT. That test is just horrendus. I also regret applying to Bright and sussex as the APP ratio is just so high, I never really would have stood a chance. Also regret paying 100 pounds on tests and the only uni that took me is the one that doest look at tests. :frown:

But obviously glad any uni took me!

How do you feel about your position now? Brilliant! I took a chance on Bristol especially since I knew a lot of people would be applying there due to there being no tests, but it paid off. I'm so happy for that.

What drew you to your choices?
UCL was because I'd done a course there and thought that might make my application stronger, Brighton was because its such a nice area and by the sea. And Southampton was absolutely at random once I realised I couldn't apply to Georges. I didn't even know they didn't interview which is probably a bit stupid on my part. :redface:

Advice for 2009 cycle? Work on your personal statement and make sure you show it to as many people as possible. Even if someone said to you last year that they would look at it for you, find their number and call them. It will definetly pay off. Also get the UKCAT and BMAT book. Any revision for the UKCAT will definetly be worth its money in gold. I found out the hard way that a UKCAT of 577 just isn't good enough. Also don't be under any illusions about what the BMAT is like, in the way I was. It really is ridiculosly hard. Start revising for it as soon as possible if you really wanna go to one of those unis. Oh and gd luck, you've got a long road ahead of you :smile:

Was all the hard work worth it? Yup! :biggrin:

Work experience reflections? I enjoy my voluntary work immensely. I'm still doing it actually. I finish in about a month. You only really understand what its really like to be a doctor after being in a hospital setting I feel.

...and of course how is working towards the final A-Level exams going :eek:

Its all too close, I'm so scared I won't make the grades, but I'm trying so damn hard to make sure that doesn't happen!

Reply 18

Becca-Sarah

Any regrets?
I wish I'd done more prep for my Sheffield interview, but on reflection, it was the shock of getting rejected that pushed me to do better at my Aberdeen interview.
I wish I'd thought a bit more about important stuff like location. Aberdeen's possibly the furthest I can get from home without moving abroad.

How do you feel about your position now?
Pretty ecstatic. I can't wait til September :biggrin:

I do wish I'd applied during Year 13 tho (not that I'd even thought about Medicine at that point), cos I would have worked harder at my A2's if I knew that I had a certain offer to reach. As it was, I didn't put as much work in as I should have done, and I seriously restricted the uni's I could apply to.

What drew you to your choices?
Sheffield - loved the city, thought everyone I met was really friendly. Wanted an integrated course, and it came recommended by my GP.
Leeds - close to home, one of my best friends is already at uni there and loves it. Proper dissection.
Cardiff - integrated course? No idea, think it was a last minute 'ooh, they accept a B in Chem, I'll apply there'
Aberdeen - as for Cardiff *slightly ashamed* However, when I went to interview I realised that the course really appealed, I like the didactic teaching (I know I'd be crap at PBL, at least to start with), seemed like a logical progression through the course. People were really friendly. The city is beautiful. It has a beach!! And the funky art things in the grounds of the Childrens Hospital were fab. You know, important things like that.

Advice for 2009 cycle?
Pick your uni's based on whether you'd be happy to live there and happy to trundle there and back at the start/end of every term. Ignore reputation. Look at the course structure and decide what suits you. Don't panic when you get the first rejection; look at why you were rejected and work on how you can improve that before the 2nd one. Oh, and do your absolute best in exams. It is a hell of a lot easier to get in with AAA than AAB.

Was all the hard work worth it?
YES. I gave up 5 BSc offers and a gap year teaching english in Tanzania to apply for Medicine, get work experience and do voluntary stuff. As much as it sucked watching all my mates go off to uni last September while I didn't know what I was doing, I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

Work experience reflections?
I should have written a diary at the time! My interviews came nearly a year after my first placement and I could barely recall what I did, never mind what I thought. I spent a month doing hospital based shadowing over the summer, though, and that was the best thing ever, for me. Shadowing over a longer period of time meant I was less pushed to try and see everything in one week, and I got to see a lot more, just from knowing the doctors better and them arranging for me to shadow their friends on other wards and stuff. I might not have mentioned much of the hospital based stuff in my interview (I focused more on my voluntary work), but without it I wouldn't have had the determination to go for Medicine.

...and of course how is working towards the final A-Level exams going
A Level exams? What are they? :biggrin:

Reply 19

elmnick

Any regrets?
No, I don't think so. I did have a brief period of being unsure after appling whether I really wanted to do medicine, or do biology/ nat sci. but having got in, I am definately sure. the choices I made I am very happy with, I applied with a gap year against my parents advice and still managed to get into oxford, which i think i'll really enjoy based on how enjoyable my visits to oxford have beenand the people i've met, and the gap year plans are coming along well

How do you feel about your position now?
very happy to have gotten in, looking forward to uni, mixed feelings about leaving school but looking forward to my next stage in life
I started thinking about medicine in GCSE year, it had always been a possibility as my dad is a doctor, but I was never pressured, i gradually realised I wanted to medicine, and started making manic lists of things I would have to do to get in, most of which I did do in the end but they were not really important, I didn't think I was good enough, but somehow I fooled them all

Unsuccessful? Try again next year?
It surprised me just how competitive medicine is, of the 7 people who applied from my (good private) school, all of whom would make good doctors I reckon, only 3 got in, and they would have got in for any other course, they're all reapplying and i think they have a good chance, i would have done the same

What drew you to your choices?
1st choice oxford - the open day was on my birthday, and it was awesome, lovely place, I like the idea of studying at the best place and the history, i like the colleges, and its such a lovely town
manchester- liked it when I visited it, good social life
leeds- i'd heard good things about it, has a good kayaking club
cardiff - everyone else was, nice city, nice location, good medical school

i was tempted by
edinburgh - i probably should have applied there, I like edinburgh and its a good uni, but i was worried about the distance and anti-english sentiments
newcastle - has a crap kayaking club, otherwise i would have applied

i didn't have a fifth choice, I would have reapplied

Advice for 2009 cycle?
GCSE's do matter unfortunately
SO does the UKCAT based on who got in from my school
I was fortunate to have my dad (who is a doctor) go through my personal statement in detail and one of his colleagues (an admissions guy at cardiff) also looked at it, it's an unfair advantage I had, if you can get yourself an unfair advantage then do so
interviews can be fun, everyone needs to lighten up at interviews
apply to where you want to go, not where you think you'll get in, look at how popular BSMS was this year, it was much more competitive than oxbridge i think
medicine is reidculously competitive, realise that you won't get 4 offers like you're friends might
there are some amazing people applying for medicine with 10A*, international sportsmen, Top 5 in the country for biology, volunteer there weekends to solve all the worlds ills etc there probably charming and good looking as well, you'll meet them and think you're nowhere near good enough for medicine. but they really have no better chane of getting in than you (honestly) and most of the people applying are just normal, so believe in yourself
do prepare and find out everything you can, knowledge is power
and do vitalise
if you want to go to oxbridge do further maths, its a pain but it really helps i think

Was all the hard work worth it?
I don't know yet, I hope so, but work life balance is important, and after spending too much time on work to make sure I got it, life is becoming more of a priority, **** timing with A2's coming up. I was absolutely thrilled when I got an offer, no exams are looming which is a bit annoying

Work experience reflections?
Vitalise!!! its awesome, do it, I had a great time, met loads of cool medical applicants and I talked about it at interview a lot
medlink :frown:

is a waste of money tbh, but some people enjoy it
I did only 4 weeks of work experience in total, but it gave me plenty to talk about. GP, hospital, vitalise, and a hospice - I kept a diary of each one, which refreshed my memory before interivews
D of E is a good idea as well because you can talk about leadership, and if they ask for examples when you have shown leadership/initiative etc you can always make up one from D of E (not that I advocate lying at interviews of course *cough*)
I also did some work experience in a law firm, it persuaded me I never wanted to work in the city in a nice office, making much more money than a doctor, I hated it

...and of course how is working towards the final A-Level exams going.
seem to be struggling for motivation, its like i've achieved getting a place, doing this work won't help me or improve me, as i've already got the offer, its just treading water to make sure I get the grades