Medicine 2012...(hopeful entrants) !!

Well, we've been told recently that everyone is cashing them in so they should follow the trend. I can just say from what I've seen you know. It didn't help that some of them at B/Cs in Biology/Chemistry, which is a real downer, especially Chemistry. I think everyone would prefer to get in first time round, so it's better if you don't aim for grad med?

Yep it varies person to person and University to University. I know people mainly at Leeds and Manchester, 1st and 2nd years, and they are all living the life.
I got really pissed off when I learned we had to come back, it all just seems so pointless. Yep the frees will definitely be used for work. I have friends in the year above, who were all jolly and ready to do stuff during frees during the first few weeks, but now I see them all in the library/doing work somewhere. A lot of stress.

It sounds okay, but most of my summers have consisted of lazing around and being treated like a king in my home country, as well as a one or two great summers over here with my friends, I've never done any work ever, and I'm quite a lazy guy anyway (remind me to revise ffs) so it's a lot of work for me. I think I'll be okay with the maths, I've got a few resources, and I'm just nervous as hell for the PS, I've got ideas but I can't write it down properly. I just get sudden hand cramps whenever I try to get some ideas together.

According to this AS grades don't get looked at but it might have changed since then, I don't know.

I'm never rude

And yess, I have. Stats and Biology yesterday, done History today, and will do Chemistry in a bit. I took a very long break today though...oops.

I'm never rude

And yess, I have. Stats and Biology yesterday, done History today, and will do Chemistry in a bit. I took a very long break today though...oops.

It was Australia. As I wasn't that old, I will probably talk more about the cultures etcc.. as I'm sure an 11 year old wouldn't have taken that much into account of the health system?

Okay thanks, if you could find out that'd be great

you are at a disadvantage if you don't cash them in

Don't get me wrong, it's far far better to get in at undergrad and postgrad sounds insanely difficult and yeah, getting in at undergrad is infinitely easier. I just mean that A Levels aren't the be all end all.

I used to work during my frees but I don't any more. I guess I'll just see how A2s goes... I can't imagine it being that much more work than AS and tbh AS is really bigged up... yeah the work is really hard but actually the workload really isn't as bad as people make out.

REVISE!
Hand cramps, that sounds horrible. Even when you do it on the comp? TSR has a service where current med students look over our PS if we want them to, btw.
I asked my parents to leave me here while they went to Algeria so I could do volunteer work or whatever, but they wouldn't. I really want to stay in England next summer though, I want to spend it going a bit crazy with friends!

What is the Australian healthcare system, actually? I guess you could talk about experiences of it as an 11 year old, but talking about culture would make you really stand out, I think. Makes your personal statement truly personal.

I'll ask her next time I see her (she never replies to texts/goes on facebook, so it could be about a week before I answer. )

I think they do though, as they have so many applicants they may as well offer to the applicants who've already cashed in 4 A's - as it's fact, not a teacher's opinion.

What is the Australian healthcare system, actually? I guess you could talk about experiences of it as an 11 year old, but talking about culture would make you really stand out, I think. Makes your personal statement truly personal.

I'll ask her next time I see her (she never replies to texts/goes on facebook, so it could be about a week before I answer. )

It'd make sense but predicted grades are the main thing... e.g. at SGUL if you 7 As (or something like that, I'm not sure) at GCSE and are predicted AAA you get an interview. With unis that focus on UKCAT I think they mostly look at predicted grades and UKCAT, and so on.

Like I said, I'm not sure, but there's no point feeling too under pressure come June because whatever happens it isn't going to totally kill your application.

I'm definitely going to talk about going in for grommets when I was 5 and 11, and then contracting typhoid last summer. You're correct, makes it personal and much better than the 'I've wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember' 'I was deadset on being a doctor at the age of 5' 'In nursery school I always took the role of doctor at playtime' 'I was truly fascinated with the doctor's handling of me as he removed me from the womb' and all those bull**** cliché lines.

I went in for grommets too at around age 5 (Although in the end I didn't end up needing them.)

Also is anyone sitting OCR biology and if so what coursework grades out of 40 did you get ? Ive just been told i cant retake any of the practicals and only have a grade of 29/40 ):

You did the whole of stats and biology in one day?

You grew up in the cutest place ever! I put the little person from google maps down and instantly saw countryside and cows, Scottish stereotype much? So what kind of stuff did you do for funsies through teen years, everyone moans that there's not enough to do in Newcastle let alone the countryside! Was Aberdeen a shock to move to?

That would be really scary. Does it happen much?!
I didn't realise that clinical lead was the same thing as management, though. I kind of just imagined clinical lead to supervise things + organise meetings and maybe head MDT stuff... do they control finance too?



What kind of issues with blood transport/anesthesia were there? Wouldn't it have made more sense to deal with the issues rather than increasing workload for Raigmore?



Yeah, I can imagine. At least you get to see interesting pathology, I guess.

Hahah, really? Thanks, I think it's much easier to come across as mature on forums. IRL, I have a really stupid voice that makes me sound like I'm only half-listening and like my head's in the clouds which detracts from any prospective mature-ness

If that's true, the poor interviewers will be so gutted when they meet me and realise I am immature and still make ya ma jokes on a regular basis.

On the topic of interviews, I was thinking the other day: do you think interviewers ever get nervous? I would feel so reassured if they did! How do they even pick interviewers?

Hahaaa, no! I looked over like half of stats, mainly the areas I had problems with and did a past paper. And I did Biology Unit 2. I've written out all my notes already, so it's mainly just a case of going over them to refresh my mind and then doing past papers.