What help did you have when you applied? (Medicine)

Went to state school. My french teacher looked over my personal statement for any obvious errors. Mock interviews were only for Oxford/Cambridge applicants. In the end I used TSR and NMM for general advice & to look for more specific info on each course I had applied for.

can people please stop begging for sympathy just because they went to a state school. it hardly makes a difference.

can people please stop begging for sympathy just because they went to a state school. it hardly makes a difference.

can people please stop begging for sympathy just because they went to a state school. it hardly makes a difference.

I'm going to go ahead and disagree.

(PS: You saw no 'begging for sympathy' coming from my post.)

My boyfriend (poor state school):
- One of only two medics in large year
- PS not checked
- No mock interview
- Didn't even consider applying to Oxbridge because it wasn't discussed at his school
- Didn't take BMAT even though it was needed for one of his choices because he wasn't told/aware it existed (automatic rejection).

First time:
MASSIVE State School
PS checked by everyone under the sun
Mock interview
Ucas checked through by Careers Advisor
Reference written by all teachers

Outcome: 1 Interview, 4 rejections

Second time:
All by myself

Outcome: 3 Interviews, 2 Offers

Sometimes 'help' doesn't really help in any way

Or, you could take the getting in on the second attempt as being more focused around you being a gapper, already having your A-levels.

But I do agree to some extent, with what you're saying.

Not everyone does think about stuff like that though/go on the internet or on TSR to do research. I remember meeting a friend of a friend who was on the same train as me on way to her interview for medicine, and asking if she wanted a mock interview, and the first question i asked was 'why do you want to study medicine?' and she looked blankly for about thirty seconds and said 'they won't ask that, will they?!' I was like OMFG... but she genuinely had no idea, and she was also under some impression that an interview shows your genuine intelligence, not how much you've prepared.

I do blame the schools for not at least mentioning you should do research.

Not everyone does think about stuff like that though/go on the internet or on TSR to do research. I remember meeting a friend of a friend who was on the same train as me on way to her interview for medicine, and asking if she wanted a mock interview, and the first question i asked was 'why do you want to study medicine?' and she looked blankly for about thirty seconds and said 'they won't ask that, will they?!' I was like OMFG... but she genuinely had no idea, and she was also under some impression that an interview shows your genuine intelligence, not how much you've prepared. I do blame the schools for not at least mentioning you should do research. Regarding my boyfriend, to be fair he was very ill at the time and he just applied to the closest four medical schools to his home, so it's not like he spent ages looking the courses up on the internet; and he says he didn't really realise you had to prepare for the interview (as he never did any proper work for his GCSEs/A levels). Some people are just more pro-active than others I guess.