The Transition from A-Levels to Medical School...

Oh right, just chill, I was more than happy until I read your post :/

40% ?!

I just sat a formative where you got an interview to 'discuss your performance' if you got <75%

Tis not easy.

Whaaat? What med school is this?

Lol, I'd be ok if I knew when my OSCE is. We have our written paper on wed/thurs the 5th/6th jan, then OSCEs start on the fri. It's so unfair if you're on the fri and don't get the weekend to practice examinations. Also they won't tell us when our OSCE is until 1 week before the exam. So annoying!

With regards to ESA1, just know everything inside out. Particularly HADPOP, apparently lots of that came up last year. Obvious but read the questions properly and make sure you are answering it properly, people often fail because of poor exam technique. Also do you about the way they mark it? You have to get 6 or 7 out of 10 marks on each question to pass that whole question. Then you have to pass a certain number of questions to get a satisfactory/excellent, the boundaries of which are subject to slight change I think.

I think it's probably mine.

Probably an easier exam then? In our first year anatomy exams you could average 70% without even trying, that said the full 100% still wasn't easy to get.

I'm sorry, I wasn't aware my comment was directed towards you..

What is it that upsets you?

I think it's probably mine.

Sorry.
You just spoilt it.
Sorry!

spoilt what? I'm confused!

We have to get a minimum of 60%/70% in I think 14/18 of our questions for our End of Semester exams to pass with a 'Satisfactory'.

Don't hate the player.

Second year has been much more work-intensive for me than first year. But that's probably just because I have become more neurotic and work-obsessed

Your experience will probably vary massively depending on the medschool.

You may become neurotic and work-obsessed...

From what I've heard, the actual volume of work is increased, but the spread of knowledge to take in is less.

Second year is easier

Its blates just going to get worse each year isn't it!

most first years are a step down in difficulty from A lvl, and theres less to learn (bearing in mind that you only need to pass, not get three A grades..so you dont need to learn everything in 1st year med school, even though the syllabus might seem much larger than A lvl, the amount you need to learn is less than for getting 3-4 A grade A levels).

there are a few universities that seem to love making their first year difficult or seem difficult - best avoid them.

...spose that's why you guys churn out **** doctors...

I kid....

Thats actually the first I've heard of that - most people say first year was generally easier than second year.

Sure at the time, first year was hard (for me it was), and tbh some bits we were taught last year still don't make perfect sense to me, but generally the fact that we have to remember first AND second year stuff for second year exams makes it a little more annoying in most cases!

Whaaat? What med school is this?

at Bristol, First year is very solid science and a lot of it a little irrelevant. our exams were mostly in one week (6exams in 5days) and we had 200+ lectures of details we had to learn - like knowing gluconeogenisis with all the deets.

it was a bit ****.


this year (and third term last year - like starting yr2 at the end of yr1) is entirely systems based so picks up on some of the information we learnt last year, but not most of it - if that makes sense?

having it all related clinically makes it far more interesting, more interconnected and therefore easier to learn. (and overall, less material.)

it's awesome.