2012 Medicine Re-Applicants Mark I

I know- that's what I thought from Liverpool although they didn't say much about the interview! Although they said i'm on their waiting list so I think it might be worth ringing them if i get the results on results day. The fourth was Nottingham and I didn't get an interview ( I think it's the points thing again).
I'm just volunteering with a hospice and still trying to find a job. I also need to do the ukcat again
The 'UK Tour' sounds exactly like what I have in mind!! Definitely gives me a chance to have a bit of fun away from home at uni and dream that I will be there the following year Did you have any interviews the first time you applied. How did they compare to after the gap year?
So where did you apply and did you get an offer?

Make sure you have your phone on you at all times on results day - my mate applied for vet med last year and didn't get any offers but on results day Liverpool rang him and offered him a place! (probs since he got A*A*A )
But yeah, ring them.. no harm in it
You started practising again for the UKCAT?
Yeah it's great fun I'd definitely recommend it - and I don't know if you're into your nights out and drinking but if you are then noones does it quite like uni students... the memories in those Student Unions/bars/clubs
Oh and noone parties quite like medics

I got one interview last year for Manchester which was quite frankly horrible and looking back I did absolutely ****. I'm not surprised they rejected me. This year I only got the one interview which was for BATL which was actually an enjoyable experience. The interviewers were great - very friendly. That extra year really helped for me to get some real life experience and to get more confident so I felt the interview went really well and I must have done well since I'm now sat here with an offer so I'd say that extra time helps mature you lots (even if it doesn't always show) and knowing how to prepare for interviews properly you should find any this year a bit easier

Already mentioned the offer from BATL (hence the crest and queen mary crown in my avatar ) but also applied to Sheffield, Keele and HYMS but got rejected without interview from those. Got Unconditional offers for Biochemistry at York Uni and Biomedical Science at Sheffield uni though

I got where I wanted though so I'm a very happy penguin

Do you know where you want to apply to?

Wow- that's hopeful for Liverpool although not surprised he got an offer with those grades!! Haven't started practicing for the ukcat yet- really need to . I saw your ukcat and i'm surprised you didn't get interviewed by Sheffield as I thought they were ukcat heavy. Also I heard that LOADS more people appplied than usual to Keele this year
Yes- i'm definitely looking forward to getting to experience lots of nights out at different unis as all of my close friends will be going to uni this year. Makes me feel a bit left out but I keep telling myself a year out isn't a long time in the whole scheme of things.
I think my Liverpool interview was similar to your Manchester one- I feel I underperformed and was too nervous. Congrats on your BATL offer!!!!! It must have been so good to see that unconditional
I's thinking of applying to Newcastle, Sheffield, HYMS, possibly Liverpool again/ possibly BATL but I'm not 100% sure yet. A few similar to you though!
How are you enjoying the summer now that you know you can sit back and look forwards to being a medic fresher?! Did you change your personal statement a lot for your reapplication?
p.s. I'm very new to student room unlike you!! Hopefully it will be a useful tool in the 2012 application

Don't get your hopes up too much - just in case
Get some practice done
Sheffield are UKCAT heavy. They just didn't like my PS (probably because I don't have much in the way of caring experience )
Yeah that's right. Keele got about 2700 applicants this year for the 500 or so interviews so they really struggled to get everything done in time. They were giving out offer right up till the UCAS deadline
I know exactly what you mean but a year out doesn't mean you can't have fun I make sure I do one fun thing a week which nowadays is playing for my local pub pool team which I got asked if I wanted to join randomly on a night out. If you make sure you do something then you'll meet new people and the weeks will go so much faster
Well then hopefully your interview(s) next year will go better then and you can be in this position next year
It's not unconditional yet Still need to do CRB things and prove my A levels
But yeah.. I couldn't believe it after seeing all those rejections
Best hope you do well on the UKCAT then! You don't have to say BATL just because I'm going there/it's the best btw
Not really enjoying my summer as of yet - I still have 3 part time jobs so don't have that much free time
But I'm looking forward to quitting and have got a few things planned so it's all good
I changed everything about my PS for this cycle. My 2010 PS was absolutely **** and I can't believe I wrote it. So I rewrote the whole thing for 2011 and in retrospect I'd change everything about that one too! If your PS was good though then you could keep some bits I suppose but you'll want to talk about new work experience you've done as well as your plans for your gap year
Make sure you submit it to us PS Helpers when you're done and we'll take a look at it for you and can make suggestions if there's something that needs changing

I was new last year - I only really started using it regularly after UCAS opened.. It is definitely a useful tool with all the info on this site. And it also keeps you sane chatting to other medics on here and seeing that you're not the only one who hasn't heard anything yet since noones heard anything etc.

You'll find yourself getting addicted probably

So Sheffield does care for the PS then.
Does Kings and Barts care about the PS too?

and congrats on your offer

Sheffield definitely cares about your PS

Wouldn't like to be quoted about KCL since never looked at applying there but iirc they do use the PS, alongside the sliding scale between GCSE A*s and UKCAT.

BATL doesn't really use PS at all
UKCAT cutoff determines who's interviewed and then who gets an offer is based almost solely on your interview performance

Thanks

Hello everyone

I've just booked my UKCAT for about a week after results day. However, i couldn't help but notice when i looked over it, that the exam was for 90 minutes... I just rang up the UKCAT number (an absolute nightmare i might add) to make sure it wasn't a glitch or something, and they confirmed the UKCAT exam has been shortened from 2 hours (last year) to 90 minutes this time around. Apparently a section has been taken out.

I haven't been up to date with this thread - can someone fill me in on what's going on and which section has been taken out?

Is an offer post interview from Barts high?

And how about Keele, what do they care about?

Don't get your hopes up too much - just in case
Get some practice done
Sheffield are UKCAT heavy. They just didn't like my PS (probably because I don't have much in the way of caring experience )
Yeah that's right. Keele got about 2700 applicants this year for the 500 or so interviews so they really struggled to get everything done in time. They were giving out offer right up till the UCAS deadline
I know exactly what you mean but a year out doesn't mean you can't have fun I make sure I do one fun thing a week which nowadays is playing for my local pub pool team which I got asked if I wanted to join randomly on a night out. If you make sure you do something then you'll meet new people and the weeks will go so much faster
Well then hopefully your interview(s) next year will go better then and you can be in this position next year
It's not unconditional yet Still need to do CRB things and prove my A levels
But yeah.. I couldn't believe it after seeing all those rejections
Best hope you do well on the UKCAT then! You don't have to say BATL just because I'm going there/it's the best btw
Not really enjoying my summer as of yet - I still have 3 part time jobs so don't have that much free time
But I'm looking forward to quitting and have got a few things planned so it's all good
I changed everything about my PS for this cycle. My 2010 PS was absolutely **** and I can't believe I wrote it. So I rewrote the whole thing for 2011 and in retrospect I'd change everything about that one too! If your PS was good though then you could keep some bits I suppose but you'll want to talk about new work experience you've done as well as your plans for your gap year
Make sure you submit it to us PS Helpers when you're done and we'll take a look at it for you and can make suggestions if there's something that needs changing

I was new last year - I only really started using it regularly after UCAS opened.. It is definitely a useful tool with all the info on this site. And it also keeps you sane chatting to other medics on here and seeing that you're not the only one who hasn't heard anything yet since noones heard anything etc.

You'll find yourself getting addicted probably

Sheffield ask for a lot! It's hard to plan you're application so you meet all the uni's needs Seems like you have to be a genius to get 4 offers (All I want is 1!!!) Thanks - i'll definitely submit my PS to PS helpers. Looking back I hardly spent enough time on writing my PS/ preparing for interviews- I'm going to make sure everything is better this time.
I'm worried I won't have much extra done to put on my personal statement since the last application. How much WE/ voluntary work had you done all together before your application?
Yes it's a great place here to discuss applications/ realise that there are many others that are in the same position as you. From my school 5 people got into medicine at uni and I was the only unsuccessful candidate so I've been surrounded by my friends saying how much they're looking forwards to it which is a bit annoying!
Anyway hope you're not working too hard- Just think of all the money you can spend when you go out as a medic student!!

Yeah it is.. but some of them will overlap of course so it's not too bad
All the best people get just one offer
Though know a few on here that got all 4 offers

Ermm I'd done a couple of years with SJA, couple of months at a podiatrists, chiropractor, podiatric surgery and think that's it. But I mentioned I was going to do volunteering as a porter in a hospital (which I did do )
It's not quantity though, it's quality they want. You can have done absolutely loads and list everything you see, but if you don't reflect on it then you might as well write nothing

Bless you! I know how that feels, we only had 3 medical applicants last year including myself.. the other two got in
You'll get there next year

I like that way of thinking!

I might not be thinking that way on sunday evening when I've entered what I call 'zombie penguin' mode

What work experience have you done so far btw?

I volunteered at a care home once a week for 3 months. I also did work experience with a radiologist weekly for 8 months and he made me do a presentation to 15 doctors showing what i'd learnt about radiology. I also did a full week at a hospital(viewing surgery and in A&E). I also shadowed a GP for 3 mornings. I found it so hard to get and arrange work experience and I felt like I gained so much from it all but don't think it was truly refelcted in my PS I'm starting to volunteer at the Hospice and I'll mention that in my PS.
We may have not got in the first time but I don't think that determines how we will be as doctors! I think a lot of luck is also involved in the process.
So what are you planning to do after you've quit the jobs??o:

Sounds like you've got plenty already!
You should be able to write a killer PS with that

A fair bit of luck.. but it's mostly knowing the game
You know how to do things know (hopefully )

If I keep working until end of august my plan will be mod meet, pack, sisters birthday, pack, go to uni

I'll also spend even more time on here and hopefully do a bit more in the PS help section

Anything fun planned for summer?

(btw if I repeat questions I apologise... users are starting to merge together in my memory )


Btw you need an avatar

I know- I felt like I did loads- but I don't think I expressed it all properly. I don't think i applied to my strengths either- which I'll make sure I do this time I feel like I could do a lot better at the interview stage- let's just hope I get a few.
Don't have many plans yet- going to Reading festival which will be fun (and hopefully a celebration after results!) and really want to pass my driving test but apart from that not much. This means i can spend lots of time practising for the ukcat- fun!
No need to apologise- you haven't repeated any questions yet
An avatar?? How do I do that? Sorry I'm not the best when it comes to technology stuff

I'll be making sure you do too
All you need is one offer so lets not be too greedy eh?
But yeah.. you should find things a little bit easier this year

Yet...

No worries, if you see near the top on the home page it says photos & files. Click that to bring up a drop down list and then click edit avatar and follow instructions from there

Oh and btw I've just wondered.... are you male or female?
I'm guessing male

Thanks I'll try that Yes- I'm just praying for that offer- i dream of logging onto ucas and seeing 'successful' next to the medicine course!
Hahaha- I'm female but obviously come across as a male- Thanks!!
How about yourself?

They don't say "successful"

Hopefully yours will be something similar (but better) than that this year

In all fairness you don't have a gender symbol by your username and it hardly gives any clues does it

So you're a woman eh

/perv

I'm a guy

There's no more of that non-cognitive analysis rubbish So you've only got to do the actual test, and none of that stuff afterwards Didn't show anything anyway - mine was only two lines long last year!

Hii Just trying to do a draft of my personal statement, and I'm worrying about whether to include the whole rejection last year saga. On the one hand, it shows I'm dedicated, and REALLY want it. But on the other hand, I am telling them that nobody wanted me last year - should I be saying how I've improved since then? Realistically, I've just done more research about where to apply, I'll have done more practice for UKCAT and using TSR PS helpers :P Seriously though, how gutted I was when I got rejected has shown me that it is more important to me than I thought at the start of last year, but I have no idea how I'd pu that into words for a ps :/ Or should I leave that whole saga, and maybe mention it at interview(fingers crossed Iget one this time!)