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

Medics and Applicants Profiles: Discussion

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Reply 40

Aaron_1507

Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly.

This thread is worrying me now - I've got so much less extra curricular activities :frown:

People do use hyperbole alot :p:

Reply 41

trektor

Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly.

This thread is worrying me now - I've got so much less extra curricular activities :frown:

I agree with crazylemon.

I didn't do that many extra curriculars but I still found there was too little space to talk about them all at the volumes I wanted to.

Reply 42

scaryhair

Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly.

This thread is worrying me now - I've got so much less extra curricular activities :frown:

Quality over quantity, remember that. I couldn't talk about everything that I did do for work experience and extra curriculars in my Personal Statement, so don't worry too much. What you gain from it and how this is going to make you a good medical student and eventually doctor is the most important thing.

Reply 43

7589200

annread

just look at how each uni selects their applicants then you will have a good chance.

I think that this is a hugely important point. People need to stop treating medical applications as one big homogenous "am I good enough for medicine" and look at the nitty gritty. Whoes getting in, whoes getting rejected (TSR excellent place to do this) at each university. Select the four based on your chances of success there and build your application towards that medical school.
Hope people take that on board!

Reply 44

annread

Vazzyb

yes i agree- i see so many people who lets face it dont have a good UKCAT- and apply to places like Nottingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh. There is no point saying 'you still stand a good chance, its still an avergae score'- people have to face reality. Thats what i did, my UKCAT was poor so i specifically did not select those unis eventhough i loved Edinburgh. My AS weren't amazing so i selected unis that didn't put a hige emphasis on them.I think people just fall in love with a place so much they forget that 1000s of other people are applying and then dont understand why they have been rejected.

Reply 45

bean87

ADREAM

Year of Entry: 2009

Deferred: No

GCSE's: 10A*, 2A (+2 top fives in Eng Lit + Bio)

AS Grades: 7A's (Bio, Chem, Maths, English, Hist, Critical Thinking + GS)

A2: Predicted AAAAAAA

UKCAT: ~625

BMAT: 19.6

Work Experience/Volunteering: 1 month volunteering as an assistant nurse in a Kenyan hospital, . 2 weeks at a local GP, 2 years at Cancer Research UK (shop + lab), 6 months at a nursing home, week placement in radiology, academic year at a specialist disabled primary school

Extra Curricular: 1 month volunteering as a general assistant at an orphanage in Nairobi, 4week Raleigh trip to Costa Rica/Nicaragua (volunteering in the local community, working on small projects/ providing clean water, etc), School hockey captain, school senior prefect, badminton/tennis clubs, written a book :awesome:

Uni's Applied to and Decisions:

Oxford: Interview/Rejection
Imperial: Rejection
KCL: Interview/Offer AAA
SGUL: Interview/Offer AAA/Withdrew

*Remember it's not all about grades prospective medics*

its none of my business, but why did you take so many A levels?

Reply 46

7589200

Absolutely shocking that this post isnt a sticky - what is the point??!?!

Reply 47

Phalanges

Vazzyb

Absolutely shocking that this post isnt a sticky - what is the point??!?!

I think it was due to the fact that they were trying to cut down on the amount of stickied topics. It will be pretty easy for it to fade into obscurity though. :s:

Reply 48

Asclepius

jonnyofengland

I think it was due to the fact that they were trying to cut down on the amount of stickied topics. It will be pretty easy for it to fade into obscurity though. :s:

If people were to actually use the FAQ, they'd find it in the first section...

Now to go promote FAQ usage :getmecoat:

Reply 49

Luca118

This really is so confusing, people with like 4 A*'s getting 3 offers and people with 7+ getting 1 and rejected without even an interview?!

I swear it seems like a random lottery to me!

Reply 50

Asclepius

Luca118

This really is so confusing, people with like 4 A*'s getting 3 offers and people with 7+ getting 1 and rejected without even an interview?!

I swear it seems like a random lottery to me!

There's more to an application than just grades.....

Reply 51

Aaron_1507

Luca118

This really is so confusing, people with like 4 A*'s getting 3 offers and people with 7+ getting 1 and rejected without even an interview?!

I swear it seems like a random lottery to me!

Thats because GCSE arent the only thing in determining whether you get an offer or not.

Reply 52

Smarty_Pants

Luca118

This really is so confusing, people with like 4 A*'s getting 3 offers and people with 7+ getting 1 and rejected without even an interview?!

I swear it seems like a random lottery to me!

It does seem a bit random - though it IS true that grades aren't everything
I mean take my profile for eg....a few posts up - I had pretty mediocre grades compared to a lot of people! I know scores of people with better grades than mine who got nothing - so luck does play a part; though if you're an well rounded candidate then you should be fine...

But it does go to show that not all medical schools are out looking for brainboxes...but are looking for people who could be successful and responsible doctors of the future.

Reply 53

Luca118

This thread has done no end for me to be honest, not that sure I will get my A's in English GCSE, (My first exam is tomorrow!) but I'm confident in getting a B.

Great thread for putting those fears to bed about how well you need to do in your GCSE's, thanks everyone!

Reply 54

Kinkerz

Luca118

You only need a B...

Not getting a B rules out HYMS, Birmingham and potentially Oxbridge. To the best of my knowledge, that's pretty much it.

Reply 55

Hygeia

This thread is not for discussing moderation issues - if you have a problem, take it to Ask A Mod.
No more chat in this thread please.

Reply 56

chelski786

Anthropologist on mars

Year of Entry: 2009
Deferred?: No
GCSEs: 7 As 3 Bs C
AS Grades: BBCC (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Maths)
A2 Prediction: AAA
Previous Degree (if applicable): n/a
UKCAT (if applicable): 710
BMAT (if applicable): n/a
Work Experience/Volunteering: 2 weeks in hospital. One week Cardiorespiratory medicine, one week orthopaedic surgery.
Extra Curricular: Head Boy, part time job, student BMJ, learning russian, own and run my own company.
Universities applied to and decisions:
Glasgow - Offer (AAB)
Barts and the London - Offer (AAA)
Newcastle -Withdrew before decision.
UEA - Withdrew before decision.
Glasgow was my first choice and had the lowest offer/entry requirements. I saw no reason waiting for a possible offer from UEA or Newcastle that i would have rejected anyway.

What business do you run if you don't mind me asking?

Reply 57

Anthropologist on mars

chelski786

What business do you run if you don't mind me asking?

I do not.

We plan and run events, mainly for under eighteens. Things like clubnights, discos, private parties. Has sort of fizzled out now mind you, with exams and everything.

There is also some software design, but i don't do any of that. I can hardly use facebook.

Reply 58

283354

Asclepius

Quoted to provide a post to link to :yy:

Thankyou for quoting these people who have been deleting and re-posting their profiles. However we've been discussing this in the mod forum and have a more fun way of sorting things out.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showpost.php?p=18084084&postcount=5
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showpost.php?p=18442739&postcount=121

Their profiles are still up on the site but because the posts are no longer under those users' names they are unable to delete those posts :smile:

For anyone who bothers using this rather petty method of bumping the thread, please be aware that you may end up getting warnings for spamming in addition to some post editing.

Reply 59

divinelord

AppleandMangoPie

Year of Entry: 2009
GCSEs: 10A*s 2 Top 5s in the Country
AS Grades: a (Bio 100%) a (Chem 98%) a (French 98%) + a (GS 100%)
A2 Grades: A Maths (took early, 92%)
Predicted: AAA +A in GS
UKCAT : Average 760
BMAT: 21.4
Work Experience/Volunteering:
7 weeks varied between primary and secondary care
Medlink/MedSim/ATOM course
Nursing Home
Extra Curricular:
Deputy Head Girl
Run Primary School Chess Club
Tennis/Squash
Drama
Universities applied to and decisions:

Newcastle AAA (Firm)

Nottingham AAB (Insurance)

Bristol Rejected Pre-Interview (Feedback= generic blah: hard to distinguish, other candidates were stronger)

Oxford Rejected Post-Interview (Feedback= ranked after interview 1 place away from an offer :frown:

)

Wow, thats a real strong application.
Hurts to see that you were 1 place away from offer. That said, many people here dont have an application as good as yours but still got in :confused: