Advice for applying to medicine

Hi, I'm currently in Year 12 studying for AS and I have a lot of questions about applying for medicine and would appreciate any advice!

First of all, I was wondering which unis I should apply to; they're all asking for roughly the same grades so it's difficult to tell which ones would suit me best. At the moment I like the sound of Nottingham but apparently you need at least 7A*s at GCSE to be accepted. Which are the best unis? Any advice for getting in to them?

Secondly, (but also sort of linked to the first point) my tutor at college thinks I'm capable of getting into Cambridge but I attended a meeting about applying for medicine where they said that Cambridge would only accept applicants with a minimum of 9A*s at GCSE. Should I apply to Cambridge? If so, which college should I apply to?

GCSEs: 6A*s (Biology, Chemistry, Maths, English Lit, French & Spanish), 3As (Physics, Geography & English Lang), 1C (Art) & passes in various short courses (RE, Digital Communication, IT).
A Levels: Studying Biology, Chemistry, Maths and French. Hoping to get As in all four at AS and A2, but I could possibly get A*s in three of them (including French, however I'm not sure if I should continue with this one to A Level).

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated (eg work experience, volunteering, open days, extracurricular activities etc). Sorry, that was quite long...

Alright, I've just finished my med school applications and I've got offers from UCL, King's C, and Manchester. I also applied to cambridge, and got rejected (I'll explain why).

Alrighty, the NO.1 thing you must cover for a med application is Work Experience and Volunteering. Med schools really like hospital/ GP setting work experience placements and absolutely love long term committed involvement in volunteering (doesn't matter where you want to volunteer, ideally nursing home etc)

Alrighty then, let's start answering your questions.

1) Best Unis - Well all med schools around the Uk are pretty similar, but the 'best' tend to be around london (UCL, Queen Mary's etc.) and Oxbridge, only because the exposure you get during your clinical years is quite unparalled. But apart from that all med schools are pretty much the same and are all very presigious to get into! Choose unis which you feel comfortable with in terms of city vs campus, PBL vs traditional teaching, and just the general vibe you get from open days etc.

2) Alright, in terms of Cambridge. You need to be really good on your GCSEs(which you have done! ) and AS levels(they ask for your UMS, so mid 90s is advised).
Personally, I applied to cambridge and all my med schools as an International candidate, so it was slightly more difficult for me, but essentially at GCSE I got 10A*s and at during my AS year, I got 3 As(96 avg) and an A* in maths(completed early). But I still got rejected....

So if you want to apply to cambridge, make sure you ask yourself why?
If it's simply for the prestige, I'd advise against it. They are very cut throat! Obviously if you do brill at AS and you like Cambridge as a Uni, by all means have a crack, but know your priorities, as it will take up a Med slot, which another, perhaps easier-to-get-into med school could have taken up

Finally, if possible try and start/join a medsoc, and keep up to date on current affairs and ethical debates.

Make sure you practice, practice, practice for your UKCAT (It's the dumbest, most stupid fricking test in the world, but atm it's needed to get into med school ) and revise a lot of GCSE now itself in prep for your BMAT if you plan on applying to Oxbridge, Imp, or UCL.

Try and attend some interview courses as well (I went to ACe Medicine and ISC, which were really good)!

Best of luck amber! Try your very very best, and don't get bogged down. There will be tough times ahead with a lot of anxiety, but always remember the light at the end of the tunnel!

Hi, I'm currently in Year 12 studying for AS and I have a lot of questions about applying for medicine and would appreciate any advice!

First of all, I was wondering which unis I should apply to; they're all asking for roughly the same grades so it's difficult to tell which ones would suit me best. At the moment I like the sound of Nottingham but apparently you need at least 7A*s at GCSE to be accepted. Which are the best unis? Any advice for getting in to them?

Secondly, (but also sort of linked to the first point) my tutor at college thinks I'm capable of getting into Cambridge but I attended a meeting about applying for medicine where they said that Cambridge would only accept applicants with a minimum of 9A*s at GCSE. Should I apply to Cambridge? If so, which college should I apply to?

GCSEs: 6A*s (Biology, Chemistry, Maths, English Lit, French & Spanish), 3As (Physics, Geography & English Lang), 1C (Art) & passes in various short courses (RE, Digital Communication, IT).
A Levels: Studying Biology, Chemistry, Maths and French. Hoping to get As in all four at AS and A2, but I could possibly get A*s in three of them (including French, however I'm not sure if I should continue with this one to A Level).

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated (eg work experience, volunteering, open days, extracurricular activities etc). Sorry, that was quite long...