Neurosurgical Occupation: Dependent on University Prestige?
When it comes applying to a speciality during/after your Foundation Year 2, are there any specific factors taken into account for those applying to specialise in a Neurosurgical position? I know the field is very competitive and thus not everyone is accepted. So what exactly is taken into account when deciding who will be accepted to go through the training years? Is it the prestige of the university you attended? How well you perform in exams? I know the field is competitive but exactly 'how' competitive is it? I can't seem to find any of this information online.
I read somewhere that it helps if you have previously carried out some research in Neurology and so I was wondering whether there are any other universities, besides Cambridge, that allow there students a year to focus on a specific field of medicine and to possibly publish some papers?
Any information would be helpful, even if it isn't to do with Neurosurgery, what factors are normally taken into account when selecting applicants to specialise in a competitive field?
I read somewhere that it helps if you have previously carried out some research in Neurology and so I was wondering whether there are any other universities, besides Cambridge, that allow there students a year to focus on a specific field of medicine and to possibly publish some papers?
Any information would be helpful, even if it isn't to do with Neurosurgery, what factors are normally taken into account when selecting applicants to specialise in a competitive field?
I am not a medical student, just an applicant, but I am interested in this too. I know for sure that all medical school are regarded the same because the courses are all up to the standards set by the GMC. With regard to the question, I know that some schools (e.g. Kings and Imperial if I'm right) allow you to intercalate at PhD level, that should be useful for specialty post applications.
I don't think which medical school you went to matters. More important will be the points you can score from your undergraduate degree (e.g., 1 point for undertaking an iBSc/iMRes, more if you publish, etc). Things like being the top student in each year will contribute to your score as well as any research undertaken. Undertaking research and publishing during FY1 and FY2 will also help greatly, and of course impressing the right people during that period will help as well.
(edited 11 years ago)
Your university doesn't matter at all - it's what you did whilst there and after you left there that counts. The person specification for ST1 neurosurgery is here and gives you an idea of what they're looking for.
The most recent data I can find on competition ratios is that there were 265 applicants for 49 jobs at ST1 in 2011.
You can intercalate at pretty much every medical school - even if it's not listed as a six year course most will offer it as an optional year which you can do either at your home medical school or externally at another university.
The most recent data I can find on competition ratios is that there were 265 applicants for 49 jobs at ST1 in 2011.
You can intercalate at pretty much every medical school - even if it's not listed as a six year course most will offer it as an optional year which you can do either at your home medical school or externally at another university.
Original post by nerd434
How exactly do you earn points from a Medical degree? From what I've heard, degrees in Medicine aren't grades as in 2:1, 2:2 etc. Do universities still award individual awards from being the highest achiever etc?
The grading (1st, 2.1, 2.2) is for the intercalated degree - additional year - not the medical degree (MBChB, MBBS, BM etc) for which it is just pass/fail, with or without distinction. For foundation, thought not I believe for further training, your rank within your medical school class is also used to contribute points towards your score that ranks you against every other graduating medical student in the country in order to assign foundation jobs. Other points for FPAS are from national prizes (essay competitions etc), presenting posters at conferences, and publishing research, and from the SJT exam sat in final year.
Original post by Becca-Sarah
The grading (1st, 2.1, 2.2) is for the intercalated degree - additional year - not the medical degree (MBChB, MBBS, BM etc) for which it is just pass/fail, with or without distinction. For foundation, thought not I believe for further training, your rank within your medical school class is also used to contribute points towards your score that ranks you against every other graduating medical student in the country in order to assign foundation jobs. Other points for FPAS are from national prizes (essay competitions etc), presenting posters at conferences, and publishing research, and from the SJT exam sat in final year.
I read the document. How do they judge personal skills? Do you write a personal statement where you use extra-curriculars to demonstrate? Is it an interview? Or do your colleagues write about them?
Do they look at your rank or percentile? How do you get published?
Sorry about the number of questions, I knew it was very competitive to get into specialties but I think I did underestimate it.
If you had publications/prizes etc before you started medical school, and did a BSc before - would these still be counted in the points? Or does i have to be during your medical training?
Original post by Waterstorm
If you had publications/prizes etc before you started medical school, and did a BSc before - would these still be counted in the points? Or does i have to be during your medical training?
An honours degree counts as 1 point. So if I get into medicine then my undergraduate degree in philosophy will count as 1 point. It's worth noting that I think there are around 100 points that can be given, so it's not a big part of the application per se.
Original post by Zedd
An honours degree counts as 1 point. So if I get into medicine then my undergraduate degree in philosophy will count as 1 point. It's worth noting that I think there are around 100 points that can be given, so it's not a big part of the application per se.
How are the 100 points divided up?
Original post by -Neuro-
How are the 100 points divided up?
I don't know enough about it; what I do know is mostly taken from what a registrar told me and posts by medics in their FYs.
Original post by -Neuro-
How are the 100 points divided up?
50 of the points are based on your academic performance whilst at medical school, so will include points for your decile ranking within your cohort at medical school, any intercalated or previous degrees you have or any publications, prizes and presentations you have. (national prizes and presentations)
The remaining 50 come from the SJT examination.
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