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Medicine at Cambridge?

Anyone else looking to do medicine at Cambridge? Cambridge's hard enough to get into . . .medicine makes it no easier . . .I don't know if I can meet the A*AA offer. Besides I have like no extra curricula stuff. Do you think that reduces my chances? Or do you think that academic flair makes up for it? I have talked to so many teachers and they have all given me different opinions!! Please help??!! :confused:

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Reply 1

Spanghew

Having no extra-curricular stuff will hugely reduce your chances.

You definitely cannot rely on "academic flair", because although it might make you stand out among the general population, it's pretty much expected of a Cambridge student.

EDIT: okay, I've had two poeple tell me I'm wrong, but I still think that you'd be disadvantaging yourself by having no interests outside of school.

Reply 2

dude187

hey i was thinking bout doing the same course. From what little info i've managed to gaather though you'll need a variety of voluntary experience

pharmacies
hospitals
care home
clinic/GP surgery

you'll need this stuff to stand a chance

Reply 3

Eta

AngelofPeace

You need to do well in the BMAT

You need good academics (obviously)
Good GCSEs
Good AS scores (cambridge see your UMS scores)
Good A2 predictions

You need to do very well at the interview
(depending on which college you apply to, this will vary in content. e.g. some colleges ask about ethical issues, whereas others ask about science, and its almost a test of how much you have read around your biology syllabus)

Extra-curriculars are definitely a plus, and I think most successful applicants have some
e.g. music/sports at a good level, DofE, tutoring, any other commitments etc etc

Work experience, you need some of this obviously, but its importance is different depending on which college you apply to. Some may want to see lots of evidence of good work experience and that you have learnt a lot (as shown in PS), and others may just want to tick a box that you've done some.

Reply 4

Elementric

Spanghew

Absolute nonsense.

Reply 5

counterstrike91

First of all focus on trying to achieve the best in your AS levels so hopefully you'll have amazing UMS and maybe be predicted 1 or 2 A*'s. Also prepare for the BMAT! Seriously, my friend did no revision (applied for med at cam) and really regreted it. However, i do not know whether the syllabus for BMAT will have changed because GCSE cirriculum + A-level cirriculums have also changed.

Secondly, try to get academically some good things down that will make you stand out + be a topic of discussion if you get to the interview stage e.g. Sutton Trust, lab projects etc.

Reply 6

AngelofPeace

dude187

I have around 2 weeks work experience in a hospital and GP clinic but all other medical applicants in my school hve like Duke of Edinburgh Gold (they're doing it now), World Challenge and all sorts . . . .I'm going to this Medsim Medical workshop this Summer but some people say the Unis don't think anything of it . . . Anyway, which college you looking to apply for?

Reply 7

Helenia

AngelofPeace

You don't HAVE to have D of E or any of those very expensive world challenge thingies. If you can learn something useful from them then they're good, but if it's just because you think you need to tick that box, there's no point. And you are right to think that most unis don't have a very high opinion of Medsim/Medlink, though again, if you can demonstrate how they helped you understand more about what it is to be a doctor, it might be useful.

My first piece of advice to anyone applying to Cambridge (and others may disagree with me but that's up to them) is NOT to focus too much on Cambridge. Statistically you are likely to be rejected, and if your entire medicine application is Cambridge (or Oxford) focussed, you have immediately screwed yourself over for getting into any other med school. Concentrate on getting a)good grades in everything, b)a good BMAT and c)a good all-round medicine application for all 4 places you apply to.

Cambridge colleges vary in how much they care about extra-curriculars etc, and some people will say they're not important at all, but do bear in mind that most people will have done a reasonable amount of stuff, and again, you HAVE to consider your other applications. I think the most obvious thing missing from what you've listed is any kind of long-term volunteering, whether it's with a youth group, in a hospice or a nursing home etc. That might be worthwhile, and is certainly cheaper than a World Challenge expedition!

Reply 8

dude187

AngelofPeace

here are ectracts of some email responsones I got:

Wolfson

Certainly healthcare experience would be necessary. For example St Johns Ambulance, regular voluntary work in a hospice/night-shelter/old peoples home, hospital ward assistant, shadowing GP/hospital doctor. We look for variety and length of experience when assessing applications.

St Edmunds

Medicine is a very competitive subject and we only have a few places each year. The entry requirements are:

Part A required GCSE passes at A, B or C in

Physics

Biology

Mathematics

Part B requires Advanced or Advances Subsidiary passes in the following at grade A:

Chemistry

and two of the following:

Physics

Biology

Mathematics

All Medical applicants are required to sit the BMAT examination that s held early in November. This can either be sat here in Cambridge or if the applicant wishes, can arrange to take it at another college or university where they are attending at the time. For further details please visit www.bmat.org.uk.

St edmunds is for mature students only so may not be ideal for you ( I'm 23) but hope this helps

Reply 9

bclark3

To begin with medicine is hard to get in wherever you apply, statistically it is actually easier to get into Oxbridge than many other universities (going by number of applicants :redface:

ffers made ratio). For that reason it is best not to pin your hopes on getting into one university, as many applicants get rejected from all 4 of their university choices and for those that do get offers, most get one or two out of the four they applied to.

All medical schools also look for 'the complete package', ie someone who will get the grades but can also show they still has time to pursue activities they enjoy and that they possess responsibility, communication skills, that they can lead and be part of a team etc. This is why extra curricular stuff is useful in your personal statement, as it allows you to give examples of other useful qualities that you have developed which could help you during medical school/ once you have become a doctor. Also if you want to be successful anywhere you will need useful work experience. By useful I mean something that you can reflect on and say what you learnt from it. It is best to try to get work experience in a medical environment (eg hospital/ GP clinic), but this can be hard to get hold of.

So by all means put Cambridge as one of your choices, but do not pin all your hopes on it. This could be said for any of the universities you apply for. Concentrate on getting into a medicine course and not a specific university and if you do get an offer from Cambridge count it as a bonus!

Reply 10

Eta

Helenia

My first piece of advice to anyone applying to Cambridge (and others may disagree with me but that's up to them) is NOT to focus too much on Cambridge. Statistically you are likely to be rejected, and if your entire medicine application is Cambridge (or Oxford) focussed, you have immediately screwed yourself over for getting into any other med school. Concentrate on getting a)good grades in everything, b)a good BMAT and c)a good all-round medicine application for all 4 places you apply to.

This is good advice. I almost became an example of this!

Reply 11

7589200

Spanghew

not true

Reply 12

7589200

Helenia

Not quite sure what she means here but in general if you're going to do something, do it properly, otherwise you'll sit there with regrets. The fact is that people with excellent GCSEs and AS levels with decent work experience, can usually get in somewhere quite easily. Do gear your personal statement towards other universities, by all means, but these things "get good grades at everything/get a good BMAT score" etc. - I would spend more time on those, than say, adding random unncessary extra circular activities.

Reply 13

reems23

See the link in my sig.

Reply 14

Helenia

Vazzyb

Which is pretty much what I said, well done.

Unnecessary ECs are obviously unnecessary, especially if (as I also already said) they are just done to tick an imaginary box. :rolleyes:

But you need to think about your PS and how you're going to fill it - so work experience etc should not be forgotten, especially for the other three unis on the form! And yes, getting good grades should be your priority if Cambridge is your aim, but do not neglect the other things.

Reply 15

poossum

You have a vastly reduced chance of being able to do medicine anywhere without extra curricular, it is the subject where it is the most important, and people almost always would exceed the A*AA offer, so you really don't have 'academic flair' if you doubt you can reach the minimum entrance requirements

Reply 16

Spacecam

bclark3

So by all means put Cambridge as one of your choices, but do not pin all your hopes on it. This could be said for any of the universities you apply for. Concentrate on getting into a medicine course and not a specific university and if you do get an offer from Cambridge count it as a bonus!

That's exactly the right answer - it can work against you if your PS is geared only to one University, especially since they always ask the question in interview "Why this Medical School" and if all you've gone on about is how wonderful Cambridge is, you're in the ****.

Reply 17

7589200

Helenia

Which is pretty much what I said, well done.

Unnecessary ECs are obviously unnecessary, especially if (as I also already said) they are just done to tick an imaginary box.

Please ensure its clarity next time. :smile:

My first piece of advice to anyone applying to Cambridge (and others may disagree with me but that's up to them) is NOT to focus too much on Cambridge

Not the best advice to anyone.

Reply 18

Eta

Vazzyb

Not the best advice to anyone.

Sorry but I disagree.

I tailored my application almost entirely towards Cambridge (got good UMS scores, focussed on the BMAT, wrote quite an academic PS etc)
I had my interview, but only made it to the pool, and ended up with a rejection.

And then at my Cardiff interview they were pretty much grilling me for being too academic, and I got rejected post-interview there.

And well Southampton just hate anyone that's going to do better than AAB it seems.

So I finished the cycle with 1 offer (not complaining since that's all i need).

If I had to give 1 piece of advice to someone that was 'aiming' to do medicine at Cambridge, I would say what Helenia said, which is to create a more universally strong application, rather than focussing on what Cambridge want to see.

Reply 19

Shinjiru

I did jack all in terms of extra curricular activities but still got an interview for king's college cambridge. I didnt get an offer tho probably cus i screwd up on the interview.