Medicine Application

This summer I will be writing my personal statement and preparing for my UCAS application but had a few questions about application for medicine.

1. Is it correct that applications must be done by 15th October 2008 and do schools do it online nowadays or are schools different? I think my head of year mentioned that they do it online.

2. With medicine, surely it is compulsory for them to interview you? Therefore, when are interviews normally done or does EVERY applicant get an interview who applies with the UCAS? I am abroad in Europe so would have to travel to the UK.

3. Do interviews come first before offers? When do you get offers (what month or time)?

4. I took part in the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award and did all the work required to get the certificate but with moving abroad and stuff, one of my referee for the physical part leaving the school before I could see him and the other delaying to fill in my book, I never got the certificate or anything. However, I did do the work and have signatures from working in Oxfam for the service and also did running for the physical and for the skill I was constructing model cars as a hobby at the time. Could I still put that I did the award on my UCAS? Would they require a certificate - people may in the future right?

EDIT:

5. How can you get an unconditional offer? Does that mean you get in no matter what happens? What if you fail the exams and do terribly in the summer before? Is a conditional one relying on the grades they offer that you must achieve?

6. What are firms and insurance? I have heard about them around the site but am not sure what they are, especially insurance.

Thanks a lot,

Dan

Reply 1

Gkk

1 Yes, but you should try and get it in earlier. (We are advised to)
2 Phone up your medical schoos. Usually they have someone (postgrad/ex prof etc.) in most parts of the world who can interview you.
3 They interview, then offer. I think the season for this is around december - feb
4 Dunno - maybe phone up the DofE people and explain your case. Try to contact the people who left or your old school.
5 I think unconditionals used to be if you were amazing in interview. Now they are mostly given to people who take a gap year (so already have A level results)
6 For people who haven't done their a levels, a firm choice is usually one which they prefer (eg aab medicine at imperial) and an insurance is one that has a lower grade (eg abb medicine at peninsula?) so they still have somewhere to go if they dont get the grades they want. Sometimes, you can get into your firm even if you miss a grade. Phone up

Hope this helps - in summary - PHONE!

GKK

Reply 2

Renal

Danielisew

1. Is it correct that applications must be done by 15th October 2008 and do schools do it online nowadays or are schools different? I think my head of year mentioned that they do it online.Online.

2. With medicine, surely it is compulsory for them to interview you? Therefore, when are interviews normally done or does EVERY applicant get an interview who applies with the UCAS? I am abroad in Europe so would have to travel to the UK.

Firstly, not all applicants reach the interview stage. But, unfortunately, it is not compulsory to interview any applicants. Southampton and St Andrews, to name just two, do not interview all their candidates. But yes, you would need to be prepared to travel to interviews.

3. Do interviews come first before offers? When do you get offers (what month or time)?

Yes. Offers start turning up in November and the last ones usually come out in April or May.

4. I took part in the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award and did all the work required to get the certificate...

They wouldn't not require a certificate but surely you can phrase it so that it's true and a reflection of what you did.

5. How can you get an unconditional offer? Does that mean you get in no matter what happens? What if you fail the exams and do terribly in the summer before? Is a conditional one relying on the grades they offer that you must achieve?

There are no unconditional offers - even people with their grades or degree completed will have health conditions to fulfil.

6. What are firms and insurance? I have heard about them around the site but am not sure what they are, especially insurance.

If you get two or more offers, you get to make one of them your firm (or preferred) choice and you can make another (usually with lower conditions) your insurance so that you have a second chance if you fail to make the grades required for the firm. Since almost everywhere in medicine gives out the same offer, it's a bit pointless for us.

Reply 3

Danielisew

Thanks for the help. Also, I got 5 As and 4 Bs in my GCSEs with As in Maths, Double Science Award, English Language and ENglish Literature with Bs in French, German, Electronics and History. If I were to gain grade A predictions for A level, would this over-ride the not so brilliant GCSE grades? It is rare that universities require high GCSE grades apart from Birmingham that I know is one requiring 7 A*s or something. The ones I wish to attend such as Southampton/Bristol do not seem to consider GCSEs as highly as your A levels and the rest of the application.

Reply 4

martin101

hmm, are you saying you got no A*s at GCSE? That could be an issue. I know for a fact Nottingham basically says 6A*s or dont bother on their website (or at least it did when I looked at it). Its not rare that universities require good GCSE grades, particularly for something as competitive as medicine where any edge you can get is important. It helps that the 'core' subjects were all As, but its probably going to be a bit of an uphill struggle for you. Definately try for the 4As at AS as this will strengthen your case and with a good reference might give you what you need to at least get interviews.

Reply 5

MarchOfMephisto

1. Yes and yes its online - done through the UCAS website

2. Yes it is but for some medical schools they do not interview international applicant but I think most do. They can be done any time from when they receive your application to April (even May time I think).

3. Yes interviews always come before offers. Offers can be given out any time after you have had an interview - varies from the next day to months and months (Cardiff for example make you wait till they have interviewed most people that they want to before giving out any offers)

4. Not sure but don't lie on your personal statement.

5. People get unconditional offers if they already have the A-levels that are required already (e.g. if they are now on a gap year).

6. Right the way the UCAS system works is you apply to up to 5 unis (only 4 for medicine and then one other if you choose). You then wait until all unis have replied to you i.e. you either have an offer/rejection from all the unis. Ifv you have 2 or more offers you pick on firm and one insurance. Your firm is where you will go if you meet the requirements of your offer i.e. get the grades you have been asked for. Your insurance is your back up option and people usually pick one that they need lower grades for. Say your firm is asking for AAA and the uni you put as insurance wants AAB - if you end up getting AAB you will go to your insurance.

Hope that helps

Edit: Whatever your ASs most unis will still look at GCSEs. Not having any A*s might limit you. Best thing to do is email admissions at several unis and ask what they think.