2012 Medicine Re-Applicants Mark I

Hah, I actually thought like you at one point. I chose to travel to Africa after my degree to work with disabled/disadvantaged kids. It was worth it in that It enhanced my PS and I can use the experience to answer many questions at interview. However, it wasn't worth it for so many other reasons.

Working at a care home is excellent experience and should be enough depending on what else you have done. I think its rediculous that we should feel like we have to spend money to go and travel to impoverished countries in case this puts us at a disadvantages compared to others... but such is the way of medical applications.

Long story short... do you need to go to a 3rd world country? No. Would it help your application? Yes.

Hah, I actually thought like you at one point. I chose to travel to Africa after my degree to work with disabled/disadvantaged kids. It was worth it in that It enhanced my PS and I can use the experience to answer many questions at interview. However, it wasn't worth it for so many other reasons.

Working at a care home is excellent experience and should be enough depending on what else you have done. I think its rediculous that we should feel like we have to spend money to go and travel to impoverished countries in case this puts us at a disadvantages compared to others... but such is the way of medical applications.

Long story short... do you need to go to a 3rd world country? No. Would it help your application? Yes.

Such is the perception of medicine applications, by some very uninformed people.

Yes it is a perception. As I say, it's not necessary but helpful. It might be easy for you to call other people uninformed as a med student but how do people who are not med students or are not involved in the medical profession know exactly what they need to do to get into med school? Its not enough to read a prospectus.

Your post suggests you are highly informed about medical applications. That may be, but not everyone else is unfortunately. There isn't one best way to apply. If a med-school writes to you with a rejection citing not enough life skills/experience and/or stronger candidates as a reason for rejection then applicants will definitely feel that they have to do something like volunteering abroad to increase their chances; especially if they already have good grades and experience.

I assure you I was not trying to suggest that I understand the mysteries of medicine admission procedures. The overwhelming majority of medical students and clinicians have absolutely no clue about uni admissions, unless they are actively involved in them. Their advice to applicants is usually based on a combination of memories from their own application and stories from their peers, a combination which can be far from accurate or representative.

In my opinion, volunteering abroad is evidence of having the funds as much as the commitment to do so.

So many people have done projects like that in recent years that it has become a cliche. The going-off-to-Africa-and-building-an-orphanage-with-your-teeth line becoming a common cause of universal cringing. Life experience is, by its very definition, unique to every individual.

Well said.


Just to add to your point about most people not having a clue about admissions - I had a meeting with a guy about my personal statement. His advice to me was to get rid of the reflection and put more in and basically encouraging me to list things. He also then asked me if there was a word limit :O So yeah, I wouldn't trust everything you hear from doctors or medical students - unless they are actively involved in admissions. Even then some interviewers don't know how the whole thing works, they just listen to a few students talk for a few hours a year. (at least thats what one interviewer said to me)

would anybody tell me how the care homes work with the local healthcare services? I have an interview vvv soon and am confused about how the manager explained it to me last week.

Also does anybody have the same issue of just not being able to relate to some of the residents? I feel really bad about this cuz i know that they're vulneralbe and lonely and that's probably why they are frustrated and angry but I can't help some of the verbal abuse getting at me.
Don't know how I'm going to say that at my interview without getting a big 'ol rejection haaha.....
Opinions?

I love the optimism of the thread title. 2012 Medicine Re-Applicants Mark I.

Hahah, last years lot made it to about mark IV! Not sure we'll make it that far though...

Hahah, last years lot made it to about mark IV! Not sure we'll make it that far though...

Hahah, last years lot made it to about mark IV! Not sure we'll make it that far though...

Really?! VI? Yeah, I'm not sure we will given that it's nearly January and this thread started back in March

Have you seen the Medicine hopefuls one? They go throughseveral pages a day

Clearly not as awesome as last years lot


I blame the presence of previous members of the medicine reapplicants thread 2011 entry

I've just noticed the pic in your sig is very unusual... I like it

Thank you. I assume you mean the gif and not the emote thingy that cz100 made me

The gif is all of us from the G+C (games and competitions) forum that used to post and chat loads and met up once for a mini meet... good times.

Just checked yours and remember mentioning the qwistmas quackers thing before... but congrats on all the interviews