2014 Medicine Re-Applicants

That's great! Have you booked for the exams? I really wanna do maths (haven't done it at A level) but I'm not sure if il have the time to study for it alongside work


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that would be totally fun- I applied to applied mathematics and statistics at Glasgow as my fifth option and put in a paragraph of bioinformatics, biostatics, genetics and epidemiology in PS statement to make it relevant, because I love studying maths but hope it's not a risk fifth option.

I'm not booking the any of the exams because I'm not bothered lol
I thought you did maths?? Oh, maybe I'm thinking of someone else. It's really good and probably best to learn at your own pace. I'm going a bit quicker than I normally do because there's no confused class to keep me behind.

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"Confused class" reminds me of the good old days
So your just learning it for leisure? Not doing it as an A level?

I wish I did maths

This won't help with anything in particular, but in case you're interested, I came across a blog by a doctor who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer (I say 'came across', a lecturer told us to look at it).

http://drkategranger.wordpress.com

Aside from her diagnosis etc. it's an interesting read; she's unfortunately now experiencing the 'other side' of medical care.

Fantastic stuff, thanks for sharing.

However little Miss BJ (was that too rude? I thought it was well played ) tell me, how did the first exam go? Was it crazy hard? And have you had histology yet? Is it as bad as everyone says it is?

Your last post about forgetting how to revise is my worst nightmare and my biggest concern when I knew I was taking a gap year! Has it all slotted back into place yet?
EDIT: And when, my dear, are we seeing a full long-term blog with your own web address

Fantastic stuff, thanks for sharing.

However little Miss BJ (was that too rude? I thought it was well played ) tell me, how did the first exam go? Was it crazy hard? And have you had histology yet? Is it as bad as everyone says it is?

Your last post about forgetting how to revise is my worst nightmare and my biggest concern when I knew I was taking a gap year! Has it all slotted back into place yet?
EDIT: And when, my dear, are we seeing a full long-term blog with your own web address

Haha, after all these years with this username that's the first time I've been referred to as that (;

It's going well, thanks! The exam wasn't as bad as I thought it was - I even got in the top decile - and they marked it within two days and then apologised for the delay! Makes a change from A-Levels..

Histology is a right mare, and we've been having it every Friday for two hours. Out of the eight or so we've done, I've enjoyed two. One was blood films and looking at leukaemia and the other one was on skin. The rest just baffle me as it's just a load of pink blobs..

Slowly but surely coming back to me! I haven't quite got back into the swing of things fully, but for our first exam we had the weekend before it off and that was it. We have almost two weeks off before the December exams, so hopefully I can afford to be a bit more thorough and get back to my post-it note usage.

Blog-wise, when I feel responsible enough to keep my current one up-to-date, maybe I'll consider it

How're things with you? (:

What can I say, I am not only totally awesome, but also outrageously filthy

Oh wow, well done!! If nothing else at least you know you're doing the right things! From what you've written it seems that my usual method of 1) Making notes from textbook / around topic before lesson, 2) Making notes in lesson, 3) Collating it with my own notes, 4) writing up notes neatly on computer, revise, revise, revise from them and then when I've mastered the "long version" 5) Shortening my computer-typed notes into hand written "revision pages" with my own colourful diagrams and only included "necessary" exam info...just isn't feasible at medical school 8) I revised extensively and obsessively, and somehow I don't think I've got a chance in hell in medical school with a method like that...

I can imagine histology to be the bane of my life - I don't cope well when I don't know whats happening and it reminds me of my GCSE practicals (which of course, like all my GCSE's, I never took seriously) aimlessly wandering around trying to copy other girls, pick up whatever they picked up and adding (an excess of probably) whatever they added, only to look at my results or the resulting concoction to mean absolutely nothing to me. "This one will be RED!" Mrs Bunting would yell and i'd be looking at my green mixture wandering where it all went wrong....

Plus, if results aren't as clear as day, I really hate it. Everyone always made up their results in all experiments at school, going by what they know "should" happen..bit worrying.

Other things with me are OK, failed my bloody driving test which crushed me, I've got the car picked out and everything and now it turns out that I have to wait another 6 weeks to take another due to waiting times ! HCA work drained me but I was a bit naughty and took some rather extensive annual leave and sick leave from the so-far-away-its-ridiculous hospital, and am due to start at the so-near-it's-bliss hospital soon! Went to see friends at their respective universities which was amazing, had so much fun, can't wait to see them all again. Really, really, really missing the "learning" or studying though Think I might try to learn how to play guitar this gap year, and since I have the money, actually pay someone to teach me properly... (this idea has literally just come to me..) But otherwise, just can't wait for the UCAS stuff to be done and dusted (I am having heart attacks frequently though, all worried and upset that i'm-not-going-to-get-in... ) so that I can fly out somewhere, anywhere.

You'll have to excuse the ridiculously long post, but I think I am missing speaking to my friends on a daily basis so much so, that I have taken to rambling about fricking anything on here....(saddo alert).

Yeah, that method would easily make you burn out, I think. Here's my method..
- The day before the lecture, print off the lecture notes and note down the 'recommended reading'.
- Do the lecture, and annotate the lecture notes.
- Get back and write up the lecture notes, also adding in additional things from the recommended reading. I make sure I actually understand it, too, as everything tends to link in together. (I also handwrite things because although it takes longer, it sticks better.)
- To revise, I read through the lecture slides and my own notes and then make posters from it. Eg we had two lectures on the respiratory system, so I combined them and made one poster.
- If there's anything I'm confused about at that point, I'll look it up online or in the book.
- We have a subscription to 'exam consult' and our lecturers release MCQ-style questions on the topics we've covered in lectures every week, so I do those every Saturday.
- At the weekend, I'll briefly look over my notes again and make sure everything's not just flown out. It's actually easier to do this on the weekend I go to see my boyfriend, as it takes me 6 hours by train to see him. There's nothing to do on trains, so I take my notes and read over them on the train, both on the way there and the way back.

Everyone has their own method though, and I can't say mine's the best as everyone has their preferences!

Ah, sucks about the driving test! What did you fail on, do you know? I passed mine first time But if you know where you went wrong, try and get it all figured out before you retake the test.

Great news about changing hospital! I honestly don't know how you've kept it up at the current one for so long..

But yeah, good luck with all of your places! There's no reason why you shouldn't get an offer, and it's so much sweeter after all the hard work!

Applied maths and stats is actually the modules I found the most boring although I got 100 in S2 would you take the graduate route then?

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Hi,
just joining tsr as a re sit applicant for medicine. I just missed out on my place (AAB) and am only 2 marks off the A in chemistry. I have applied to lancastar though and was reading they want you to change your ps a lot. I haven't, just changed/added in as spending gap year as pharmacy dispensing assistant and that I am re sitting. I have also applied to Liverpool for medicine after being rejected last year after interview. My other options are for pharmacy.
Just wondering if anyone had any feedback/ thoughts on the strength of my application for this year for medicine. Not feeling very positive. Also after rejection after interview last year was wondering how to improve on interview technique etc.
thank you.

Hey guys I was just wondering,

With 1A* 5As 5Bs & 2Cs at GCSE

Aswell as having a distinction in BTEC Spanish, ICT, & Art

UKCAT Score 700

Having achieved AAAAAB at AS-Level, predited A*AA in Chem, Maths, Bio, Physics, Gen Studies, FMaths

Previously achieving CCCDE at first sitting Chem, Maths, Gen Studies, FMaths, Physics


Do you think I will stand a chance at any of the resit applicant Med schools as I have applied to some already but I am now worried that with my poor GCSE grades it might be difficult to get into any

Also which resit applicant med school would you say is a no go area with my profile


Thanks in advance

I'm confused...I thought you were applying next year (I remember you posting if you should sit the UKCAT or not despite your poor AS grades). If you have already applied for 2014 entry, which medical schools have you applied to? There are only a few who consider resit applicants unless you have extenuating circumstances. Out of the ones off the top of my head places like Lancaster and Liverpool do allow re-sitters but place emphasis on GCSEs/PS even though you have good predicted A level grades. It's obviously too late now to make changes to your profile but if you're talking about next year's cycle then go with places like Exeter who use UKCAT/A levels more so but check each policy diligently, many do change year on year.