The Student Room Group

Studying medicine...

Hi,
I'm going to be starting my AS levels this September, and I'm thinking of possible doing medicine at University. I know I am capable of achieving A*/A in my A levels in 2011, which are maths, further maths, biology, chemistry and physics. However, I'm unsure about what kind of extra curriculars would help boost my chances of being selected for medicine at a good university. I'm really sporty and I was literally in every sports team...football, netball, badminton, athletics, rounders etc. and I do tonnes of sport. However, I need things related to medicine. I read New Scientist every week and I love it and I watch related documentaries frequently, but what else can I do? For work experience, I am hoping to go to GSK. Is that a good choice? If anyone has any ideas on extra curriculars related to medicine, please tell me. I don't really want it to totally occupy my time as I need time to study after school.

Thanks. :smile:
Can you not think of why playing on a sports team might look good for a medical student?
Reply 2
err....good for cardio?




lol i love the 'i love New Scientist' brigade, never fails to crack me up.
Reply 3
Hello Narik,

When you say GSK, I assume you mean GlaxoSmithKline, working in a lab etc? Whilst that is fairly relevant, what selectors are looking for nowadays is some experience of working with people in a patient setting such as a care home. This would obviously give you 'hands-on' experience of working with people who have health issues. I'm not a medic myself though, so confirm this with a University etc. first before applying for work experience.

Good luck!
Reply 4
Gizmo!
lol i love the 'i love New Scientist' brigade, never fails to crack me up.


I don't get it, New Scientist is entertaining, sure, but quite possibly the least scientific thing I've ever read :s-smilie:
Reply 5
hehe its also mentioned in the early pages of more than one 'guide for getting into med school' in the library, 'ence its frequent inclusion on Personal statements and on this forum by newbies not sure what else to write.

i do recall cringeingly the day i wrote it into my PS first time i applied....
wat a load of **** that was lol.
Reply 6
Gizmo!
hehe its also mentioned in the early pages of more than one 'guide for getting into med school' in the library, 'ence its frequent inclusion on Personal statements and on this forum by newbies not sure what else to write.

i do recall cringeingly the day i wrote it into my PS first time i applied....
wat a load of **** that was lol.


Well just because you have no interest in it, doesn't mean others don't. Besides, I've had New Scientist delivered to my home for about 3 years now, which was well before I even knew it would become a means of falsely implying that one is interested in science in personal statements.
Reply 7
you ordered it when you were 14?

you mean your dad did.

in all seriousnes, you are better off telling them that you read the Times, particularly the Health and Wellbeing sections.
Reply 8
once whilst at college, i remember 'iding from two proto-chav girls by ducking into our college library, where i chanced upon new scientist in the school library wif 'New Black Holes and the End of the Universe!' printed over the front cover in large red type.

'WOW', i fort, whilst picking at my teenage acne, 'This sounds like fun. Star Wars and a bag of chips.:smile:'. At least, better than being beaten up, laaughed at or even stared at (ulp!) by those two chav chicks outside, anyway.

Five minutes later, that had become 'Somebody pleeze let me outta 'ere...or i'm gonna wet me kegz :frown:' A solid pounding from the chav chicks seemed a triviality compared to this new-found torture.


nevertheless i ave read 3 or 4 of their articles occasionally over the years, macca, especially the psychology ones. plus the amusing comedy bits and the WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN section at the end of each issue now and again.

when articles get recycled every five or six years, thats most amusing too.
another one of these.

for the extra curricular activities related to medicine....hmmmm...you could take up dissecting..oh wait thats not a sport
:rolleyes:

honestly, dont be silly what sport relates physically and directly to medicine! Just think of reasons why the sports you do now makes you a better applicant ie. you're a team player...blah blah blah

NB: get some voluntary work at a care home or something and work experience in a hospital/GP unless you plan to actually work in a lab in 6 years...
Narik
Hi,
I'm going to be starting my AS levels this September, and I'm thinking of possible doing medicine at University. I know I am capable of achieving A*/A in my A levels in 2011, which are maths, further maths, biology, chemistry and physics. However, I'm unsure about what kind of extra curriculars would help boost my chances of being selected for medicine at a good university. I'm really sporty and I was literally in every sports team...football, netball, badminton, athletics, rounders etc. and I do tonnes of sport. However, I need things related to medicine. I read New Scientist every week and I love it and I watch related documentaries frequently, but what else can I do? For work experience, I am hoping to go to GSK. Is that a good choice? If anyone has any ideas on extra curriculars related to medicine, please tell me. I don't really want it to totally occupy my time as I need time to study after school.

Thanks. :smile:


Poor you...

Your extra curriculars are fine.
your extra curriculars are fine, they are only really useful to show that you arent a hermit - 'you've got to have a hobby or you'll burn out' kinda thing. what you do need is plenty of work experience, gsk will be good but it isnt enough. you need work that deals with people (i mean sick/disabled etc) - work in a care home or hospital or even charity shop will be good. :smile:
Reply 12
Gizmo!
in all seriousnes, you are better off telling them that you read the Times, particularly the Health and Wellbeing sections.
Tom Utterfraud? :ninja:
Reply 13
ahh, i dont read that crap, macca.

at the moment all i manage are superhero comics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhelBTjRYcE