Medicine 2012...(hopeful entrants) !!

Okay, so:
GCSES - 9A*s and 2As
AS: As in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Psychology
UKCAT: Average 600
BMAT: 6.3, 5.2 and 4A

Applied to: Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford and Leeds (and Aston for Pharmacy)
Interviews from: Birmingham and Oxford
Offer from Birmingham (3As in Biology, Chemistry and Maths)

Yeah, for my year birm said you needed 8A*s, but I think you needed 9 really. So I guess for your year it will be 9. I also think their offer has gone up to A*AA?

The birmingham interview was okay I guess, pretty average. About 20 mins. Theres so stuff which you need to learn, like the roles of the GMC, MMC, BMA etc. The questions I got asked where -
- Did you come on an open day here?
- Why do you want to come to birmingham?
- Tell us about your voluntary work
- Tell us about your work experience
- Do you still volunteer at MIND charity shop?
- What did you gather from the doctors on your work experience about the most negative aspects of medicine?
- You've mentioned paediatric work experience in your personal statement, tell us about that
- How does paediatrics differ from other branches of medicine
- Did you see an example of communication with a child who does not speak yet?
- What is the role of the General Medical Council?
- How long does it take to become a paediatrician?
- Have you got any other experience working with children?
- Everyone dies eventually so medicine fails. Discuss.
- Should we always be working to prologue the length of life?
- What do you do to relax?
- Tell me about badminton
- Which scoring system in badminton do you play, and which do you prefer?
- Tell me about a book you have read recently
- Do you play a musical instrument
Not necessarily in order after the first few, but there you go (:

Also, my advice would be to hit ukcat hard, practise loads about it, because although it is a really stupid test, a lot of unis put a lot of emphasis on it, its probs more important than your AS grades in terms of getting an offer. I think that was what let me down!

Work experience - 2 weeks of hospital observation, one in theaters and outpatienst, one in paediatrics.
Also did a 4 week nuffield bursary project last summer, in a hospital, auditing missed drug doses during inpatient stays.
Voluntary work - special needs kids club, charity shop, primary school
Miscellaneous - chair of student council, young enterprise, journal club, first aid course

Hope that helps! (: Any other questions feel free to ask (:

Hello - I'm not a med student yet but I went through the application process this year for 2011 entrance. I applied to Cambridge (Gonville and Caius), Edinburgh, King's College London and Leicester for medicine so if you have any questions about these med schools or if you have any queries pertaining to UKCAT, BMAT, interviews (I was interviewed at Cambridge, KCL and Leicester) do let me know!

Just don't expect a speedy/detailed response until the 27th when my exams end! =P

Good luck x

Wow that's amazing!
veryy well done with that
May I ask, what is the 4 week nuffield bursary project?
and also, how did you prepare for the BMAT test?

you fully deserved that offer, and I wish you the best of luck with your course

Hello - I'm not a med student yet but I went through the application process this year for 2011 entrance. I applied to Cambridge (Gonville and Caius), Edinburgh, King's College London and Leicester for medicine so if you have any questions about these med schools or if you have any queries pertaining to UKCAT, BMAT, interviews (I was interviewed at Cambridge, KCL and Leicester) do let me know!

Just don't expect a speedy/detailed response until the 27th when my exams end! =P

Good luck x

Haha, it feels like I did a lot more now that Ive written it all down :P
Aww thanks! (:
The nuffield bursary was something that was in my school buliten, it was really good actually, and I think its a national thing. You get paid (£80 week) and conduct some sort of research activity that actually needs to be done, if that makes sense. I think they do them for science, maths and engineering. So I did an audit of missed doses, spent about 2 weeks on wards collecting my data, and then another 2 weeks analysing it and writing up a report and stuff. But one of my friends did a lab experiment and studied dna of mice and for a particular allele and made comparisons and stuff, so theres loads of different things.
You should be able to google it and see if they have anything, but I suspect they will have mainly been allocated for this summer now ):

BMAT wise, I had the offical textbook thing from amazon, and just did all the questions, and the 3 papers on the website. With bmat, there really isnt a great deal you can do, because the questions are quite varied. I think people say that 'brain training' excercises help aswell... To be honest, the first time I did a full essay was in the exam! Whereas I felt like I did quite a lot of practise for ukcat, and that didnt go aswell! But ukcat I think if you did lots more practise, you could 'train' for it more, because you know exactly what the questions will be (as stupid as they are!)
So yeah, with bmat, just go over the style of the questions, and do a few practise questions and essays, and see how you do. There really isnt a lot more than that you can do, unfortunately!

Ahh thankyou, need to get the grades first though! :O
x

Wow! That's crazy! I have no luck with hospitals (yet) The psychiatrist seems quite interesting! Jealous!

Hi people

I'm not here to show off, or moan and ask "am I good enough..."
I'd like to know how important the UMS mark would be for Cambridge.

I did IGCSE, achieving 10A*'s and 3A's (if u convert this to % of A*, then it's below 80% so unfortunately Oxford wouldn't be my option..)

I did CIE(international) AS Math, Physics, Biol, Chem
expecting % UMS of 95, 98, 95, 88 (messed up practical test ) respectively

I know those UMS are not bad, but since application for medicine is so damn competitive I don't think they are fantastic either (especially Chem!)

Do you think my UMS (not talking about interview or BMAT here. I know they're very important) will affect my application in any bad ways?

Thanks

I know That's next week, so I'll hardly have time for tsr Haha.

Just keep bugging them, and ringing up Surely you have some contacts in hospitals, what with you being asian Should be easy peasy.

Hi people

I'm not here to show off, or moan and ask "am I good enough..."
I'd like to know how important the UMS mark would be for Cambridge.

I did IGCSE, achieving 10A*'s and 3A's (if u convert this to % of A*, then it's below 80% so unfortunately Oxford wouldn't be my option..)

I did CIE(international) AS Math, Physics, Biol, Chem
expecting % UMS of 95, 98, 95, 88 (messed up practical test ) respectively

I know those UMS are not bad, but since application for medicine is so damn competitive I don't think they are fantastic either (especially Chem!)

Do you think my UMS (not talking about interview or BMAT here. I know they're very important) will affect my application in any bad ways?

Thanks

Haha! Me and contacts? Nice joke I've only been in this country for like 5 years lol and most of the asian people I know are failsians

Just downloaded the UKCAT practice test from the website and it is hard Surely the BMAT is easier than the UKCAT? Anyone agree?

I've downloaded those! But I've yet to start them...I'm too lazy for my own good. What's the BMAT like? I always thought it was harder for some reason.

After a particularly horrible biology test, I'm beginning to wonder if it'll be bye bye medicine.

After a particularly horrible biology test, I'm beginning to wonder if it'll be bye bye medicine.

(I can get away with that joke, cos I am of the asian brethren also)

Ooh, where did you live before? What attracted you to England? (apart from the "failsians" )

You have it lucky mate, there's loadsa idiot rudeboi asian gangstazz where I live