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

And so...

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Pepe Le Poosh

...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?.

Not really, if I had got in last year, I'm not entirely sure I would have been mature enough to handle some aspects of med. A year to mellow out and do some work I think has done me good. Also gives me time to read whatever I want (If I diddn't get in this year I would have gone for Eng Lit :smile:

Pepe Le Poosh

...How do you feel about your position now??

Nobody said it was easy...its been hard, very hard at times - or as my old tutor would say - 'character building'. Now though, happy days.

Pepe Le Poosh

...Unsuccessful? Try again next year??

Well, twice round would mean there was something deeper amiss for me - as I said, I would have gone for Eng Lit.

Pepe Le Poosh

...What drew you to your choices??

Oxford - liked the course and the city generally
UCL - The lovely course, the place and the somewhat wonderfully eccentric 4th year guide who said the day was:

9am lecture, followed by coffee, lecture, dossing around, dissection and lunch. Surreal.

Pepe Le Poosh

...Advice for 2009 cycle???

Teddy Roosevelt

...“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Ladies and Germs, you only live once, have the courage of your convictions if medicine is what you want to go **** the odds and go for it.

Pepe Le Poosh

...Was all the hard work worth it????

*Cue Churchill advert voice* OOHhh YES :biggrin:

Pepe Le Poosh

...Work experience reflections?????

Some good, some bad. (mainly because I need to get to work now :smile:

)

Pepe Le Poosh

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

You mean some of you still have EXAMS? HA!

Seriously though, good luck - and you'd be a royal tit of paralysing stupidity to throw all your work away and **** up at the very last hurdle. I was told to work your socks off - then you can drink intraveneously if you want to all through summer. Tis true, don't be a dick - Get a grip and get it right.First Time.

Reply 41

mouse_mat

Any regrets?

maybe not trying bmat, might have done better in it and applied for imperial or ucl.

How do you feel about your position now?

like i have to work my ass off now

Unsuccessful? Try again next year?

N/A but id still reccomend to those determined/passionate enough to try at least one more time.

What drew you to your choices?

how low in the league tables they were.

Advice for 2009 cycle?

1. buy this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Medical-School-Interviews-Practical-Questions/dp/1905812043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209575848&sr=8-1

2. dont apply

3. srsly, dont apply

4. have a back up choice

Was all the hard work worth it?

sort of. succeding in an interview consists of 1. looking smart/professional (e.g. dont wear contacts instead of your glasses just to look prettier) 2. learning (or figuring out) the answers to interview questions 3. being a natural socialiser and really caring or a damn good actor and liar

Work experience reflections?

decent, but i didnt see what i was meant to see (again, learning the answers). positives included seing doctors overwhelmed with work/patients and on the brink of suicide. negatives included shadowing an old-skool gp seing the most ****tarded patients in society.

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

a-levels are ghey and ******ed

not much else rele, so i guess ill finish by quoting G-Man from HL2: "The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world."

Reply 42

m197

mouse_mat

What drew you to your choices?

how low in the league tables they were..

im shocked! you applied to SGUL, is that low???? your league tables are wrong mate!

mouse_mat

succeding in an interview consists of 1. looking smart/professional (e.g. dont wear contacts instead of your glasses just to look prettier).

i wore contacts to BL and Cardiff and got offers! you gotta look good!

mouse_mat

negatives included shadowing an old-skool gp seing the most ****tarded patients in society.

thats not very nice, you're not allowed to swear at patients. (well, at least just for now)

Reply 43

8EnglishRoses

Any regrets?

Maybe - applying to Manchester and Glasgow when actually, I don't think I like their courses all that much. But I got the offer I wanted anyway so I suppose it doesn't really matter.

How do you feel about your position now?

So relieved, blessed and fortunate to have my first choice.

What drew you to your choices?

Location, followed by visiting them on open days, the people.

Advice for 2009 cycle?

Keep positive and be confident that if you are good enough, you will get in somewhere, eventually.

Was all the hard work worth it?

I hope so!

Work experience reflections?

V. daunting but totally worth it - keep perservering if places keep turning you down!

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

Ahhhh! shhh!

Reply 44

coolguy456

Any regrets? My personal statement. I wish I made all my work experience extremely clear; what I had done and for how long.

How do you feel about your position now? Confused! I hold an offer for Psychology and Neuroscience but I am unsure whether I will take that up in September!

Unsuccessful? Try again next year? Yep, rejected! I am Going to see how results go and then decide!

What drew you to your choices? Location and course.

Advice for 2009 cycle? erm...

Was all the hard work worth it? Evidently not!

Work experience reflections? Glad I did it and it was generally a good experience, including the voluntary work I do.

Reply 45

_bonnie

Any regrets? er don't think so, except maybe applying to Leicester instead of Sheffield, but if i'd have still got offer from UCL it wouldn't have made any difference.
How do you feel about your position now? Very happy, i really thought at one point a gap year was on its way, and then two offers came within weeks of eachother.
What drew you to your choices? Course structure and location. Although i wish location didn't matter so much, as i didn't look at some unis because of that.
Advice for 2009 cycle? Look at all the universities, even if at first they don't attract you. And don't panic if it gets to February and you still hadn't heard anything, there is still plenty of time.
Was all the hard work worth it? Yes, but its not over yet :p:

Work experience reflections? Was very interesting, but also had its boring points which i don't think i originally expected. I'm glad i experienced this though, as when it came to interviews i think i was able to give a realistic view. I also think non-medicine experience is just as worthy.
How did you find the UKCAT? Fine, i had bought the book so i knew what to expect. It was over really quickly, time was the biggest problem.
Do you reckon the UKCAT should be used in the medical application process? No. I agree they need something to differentiate between candidates, but i'm not sure the UKCAT is the best way to go about it.
If you could go to ANY UK medical school, would it be the one you have chosen as your firm? If not, where and why? Originally i was really set on wanting to go GKT, but then after going to my interview at UCL i realised it was better for me. GKT must have known as they rejected me the same day :rolleyes:

That was fun... reflective on whats been a crazy couple of months. Just got a levels to do now.

Reply 46

No Future

Any regrets? Applying to Leicester - it didn't look that bad in the prospectus! I knew I should have chosen Newcastle

How do you feel about your position now? Great! I got into my top choice uni and my job is not bad and I don't have any exams at the moment. Oh yeah, and I'm going to med school! Nice leverage when patients/hospital workers are like "Oh so you're JUST an HCA then, huh?" :smile:

Unsuccessful? Try again next year? N/A Nah, if this happened I would just go do biochem as the offer was. Dunno if I'd do postgrad due to cost and time.

What drew you to your choices? I liked the courses and thought I'd have some chance of getting in.

Advice for 2009 cycle? Research! Choose unis you like.

Was all the hard work worth it? Oh yes. Thank God I got the grades last year.

Work experience reflections? Don't take it too seriously. There's only so much you can write in your PS and only so much they can ask you.