Need help picking a medical school! Med student insight appreciated

Hi, I'm a scottish applicant who would love some insight into what medical school to choose (especially from students who are currently studying at the medical schools I have offers from!)

I've somehow managed to get into aberdeen, edinburgh, st andrews and dundee and I'm stuck as to where to firm.

I'm from aberdeen, and dundee wasn't my favourite of those I applied to so I'm kind of between edinburgh and st andrews. Obviously edinburgh is no 1 in the UK so has it regarding rankings and 'prestige', but I've heard amazing things about the medicine course at st andrews- in particular the student support. They also have the highest student satisfaction in the UK.

My main concern with edinburgh is that if I am really struggling I won't be able to get the academic support I need at such a large university vs the more cosy and supportive st andrews community. There's also the heavy emphasis placed on academic medicine at edinburgh compared to more practical approaches in dundee and aberdeen. In terms of location, I love Edinburgh but the traditions at st andrews are so quaint and lovely as well so I am well and truly stuck.

If anyone has any opinions feel free to drop them below, it would be much appreciated!

Reply 1

TSR Hippocrates

10

Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

The Medicine forum gets a high volume of questions being posted, and some of these are already answered by the resources and Megathreads that members of the community and volunteers have created. This is an automatic post which is designed to highlight these resources. Below is a list of threads and articles that could answer your question (you should be looking in the original post of the megathreads). If one of the below threads is a more relevant place to ask your question, please post a reply in that thread to ask your question. If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked below, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

Megathreads
(Please read the first post, before then posting any further questions you have within that thread.)
The "Which Medical School Should I Apply To?" Uberthread
The Ultimate 'Am I Good Enough For Medicine?' Angst Thread
Medicine A-Level subjects queries
Work Experience and Voluntary Work

2023 Applicants:
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2023 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2023 Entry
Medicine 2023 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2023 Entry
Medicine Interview discussion 2023 Entry
2023 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Index of Individual Medical School Applicants' threads 2023 Entry

2023 Admissions Tests:
UCAT 2023 Discussion
BMAT 2023 Discussion
GAMSAT 2023 Discussion
UCAT 2023 Results

Other application years:
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2025 Entry

Useful Articles:
GCSE Requirements for Medicine
Everything you need to know about the BMAT
Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
Medicine Personal Statement Advice
Medicine Personal Statement Advice (Graduate Entry)
Interview Frequently Asked Questions
MMI Medicine Interview Tips
What to do after an unsuccessful first application

If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked above, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

Reply 2

AsianNerd:)

12

Original post by 5434566

Hi, I'm a scottish applicant who would love some insight into what medical school to choose (especially from students who are currently studying at the medical schools I have offers from!)

I've somehow managed to get into aberdeen, edinburgh, st andrews and dundee and I'm stuck as to where to firm.

I'm from aberdeen, and dundee wasn't my favourite of those I applied to so I'm kind of between edinburgh and st andrews. Obviously edinburgh is no 1 in the UK so has it regarding rankings and 'prestige', but I've heard amazing things about the medicine course at st andrews- in particular the student support. They also have the highest student satisfaction in the UK.

My main concern with edinburgh is that if I am really struggling I won't be able to get the academic support I need at such a large university vs the more cosy and supportive st andrews community. There's also the heavy emphasis placed on academic medicine at edinburgh compared to more practical approaches in dundee and aberdeen. In terms of location, I love Edinburgh but the traditions at st andrews are so quaint and lovely as well so I am well and truly stuck.

If anyone has any opinions feel free to drop them below, it would be much appreciated!

Hey, I've gotten offers from Edinburgh, St Andrews and Dundee and am waitlisted at Aberdeen. I had the same questions about where I ended up but I decided to firm Edinburgh because the community there is lovely, they offer MB/PhDs in two subjects and I live there so I couldn't imagine leaving. I also would like to graduate without student loans, especially since the interest rate has gone from 1.5% to 4.5% in the span of a year. Academic support wise, Edinburgh has academic mentors assigned to you in the first year, you get academic families and it is relatively easy to pass once you're there. They also do PBL in smaller groups which may be a way you learn.

St Andrews on the other hand are known for their anatomy and research-focused environment. It is smaller, yes but you'll have to move back to the city for clinical years. The thing with St Andrews is you'll have quite limited contact with patients for the first 3 years and you'll most likely end up at either Edinburgh or Glasgow for the last 3 years although other Scottish universities are also an option. You get GP partners and FY mentors assigned to you which is always a plus.

Firming wherever is your decision - I, nor anyone could make that for you. I'd suggest going to the unis and seeing what it would be like to live there, what there is to do etc.

Need help picking a medical school! Med student insight appreciated

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you