I don't want anything else

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....I don't think there are four you can apply to in one UCAS cycle

It Looks like 5 BMAT unis this year (for school leavers)?

Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Cambridge
Imperial (only for grads)
Leeds
Oxford
UCL

http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/images/165880-bmat-courses-requiring-bmat-2014-document.pdf

Reply 41

Helenia

Original post by Parent_help

Ah, BSMS and Leeds are new this year, didn't know that.

Reply 42

TazzyBoo

Haha this was hilarious. The thing is, as many have mentioned before, Oxford is bloody competitive, especially for Medicine.
I do, however, understand how you feel. I also want to apply for Medicine at Oxford. It's beautiful, it really is. But I know that if I didn't get into Oxford, it wouldn't be the end of the world for me.
Good luck with your application, and stay grounded :smile:

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Reply 43

em.d_4

Original post by ImABigOldTurd

I want to do medicine when I leave school. I went to the Oxford open day and absolutely fell in love with the place and the university, namely St John's/Wadham (St John's I prefer I think). I also wanted a pre-clin/clin split.
I sort of feel now that everywhere else is going to be second place to oxford (I went to cambridge open day and didn't really like it) and that it's the only place I want to go.

Would it therefore be unwise to forget about UKCAT and just do BMAT? I reckon even if I were to do UKCAT and get 3 offers and oxford rejection I wouldn't go to university; instead I'd wait till the next year.

I'm thinking of putting in 4 BMAT applications, even though I'm not interested in the other 3 places.

The two big gambles are going to be whether or not AS results are good enough. I think my exams went really well overall so this isn't a massive concern. The other gamble is making an application before I get the BMAT result.

Could anyone offer any advice or arguments I haven't made?
Cheers x

Why dont you look at similar alternatives. I get the impression you love how oxford looks and the grandeur of the place (I do too!). So why not look at st andrews theres a lot of history there and its definitely beautiful and they have the split course.
How about Aberdeen, again a very old and impressive uni.
Or Durham, as that's a collegiate uni as is York if it's the college lifestyle which appeals.
If you're willing to branch out try trinity college Dublin! Exceptionally beautiful and actually built originally as the irish version of Oxford. Plus you'll never find somewhere more.fun than Dublin!

Also don't oxford tend to go for 90% A* GCSE'S? If you have that go you, but that's pretty high.

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(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 44

HCubed

Your GCSE's, whilst in the range, are on the weak side for Oxford and certainly won't stand out, so something else will need to. There is literally nothing you have written that would encourage me to consider you as a serious applicant for any med school, even allowing for Oxford's relative disinterest in the softer skills ("we train scientists, not doctors").

Have you followed the stalking pages for the last few cycles? I have to admit I was put off from applying with much better GCSE's than yours because the BMAT truly is a bitch. Two trial runs, two wildly divergent scores. Oxford is definitely doable if you can outshine the 100%ers in an academic interview and ace the BMAT. IF. But I think you would fail at getting an interview for medicine anywhere else with your current attitude. You are gambling everything on a very long shot, for less than impressive reasons, and actively sabotaging the alternatives. It might come off, but can you see how to any admissions tutor it appears a very immature attitude? The other BMAT unis - esp Leeds - can be very PS heavy so they may not be a workable fallback to an unsuccessful application to Oxford.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 45

HCubed

Original post by ImABigOldTurd

At GCSE I got 2A 10A*.

I
Oxford had a really nice atmosphere and the students doing tours were all consistently really friendly and sociable. the ones at cambridge were all weird.

The data analysis sections of your entrance exams will be interesting, as will the verbal reasoning! There are a couple med schools that don't require the UKCAT or the BMAT - maybe worth researching?

Reply 46

carcinoma

Original post by Parent_help

Lol BSMS and Leeds, want people to take the BMAT.

They have either finally realised the UKCAT for what it is, or are taking the piss for a few years.

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Reply 47

MrSupernova

Original post by Pectorac

All medical schools legally have to be the same standard and this is monitored by the GMC. When medical students apply for their first FY1 post all the applications are 'blind', so the employers don't see which medical school they went to. They're not allowed to and physically cannot choose applicants based on which university they went to. Going to Oxford does not make somebody a better doctor; there are world class consultants who went to Southampton, Plymouth, Brighton, Manchester, etc. A doctor who succeeds in their FY1, FY2 and subsequent years who didn't go to Oxford will be in the same position as someone who did.

All medical schools have to adhere to a minimum standard, but that doesn't mean they're all equal, just as some medical students will have AAA and others will have A*A*A*. There is evidence to suggest that doctors who graduated from Oxford and Cambridge perform better in aspects of medicine that are easily quantified (e.g. average foundation points, number getting into AFP programmes, performance in postgraduate exams), but obviously since being a doctor encompasses such a wide range of factors it's impossible to say that X medical school will make you a better doctor than Y...

Original post by Pectorac

They'll also see if you don't take the UKCAT.

No they won't. Unis that aren't part of the UKCAT consortium don't receive the scores, so they'll have no idea

Original post by 1drowssap

It seems to me that you want to study at Oxford more than you want to study medicine. In that case, you have one of two options: either put Oxford medicine as your only choice, or put different courses on your UCAS form related to medicine which are offered at Oxford alongside medicine if you do not mind not doing medicine. I'm not saying that this is the best thing to do, and most people do not do this, but I am a strong believer in doing things that you want to do. If I only want to be at Oxford, and nothing would change my mind, then that is what I would do.

It's only possible to apply to one course at Oxford per UCAS cycle

Original post by Pectorac

No perceived prestige but you said undoubtedly going to Oxford makes somebody a better doctor. You are never going to be a doctor. Your attitude stinks and you're too immature to be left in charge of sick people.

Having been to an offer holders' open day and seen some F1's in action on w/e, medicine attracts some very arrogant people... This guy is nothing compared to some

Original post by carcinoma

Lol BSMS and Leeds, want people to take the BMAT.

They have either finally realised the UKCAT for what it is, or are taking the piss for a few years.
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I think Leeds have just finally got sick of getting 15 applicants per place every year

Reply 48

Parent_help

Original post by MrSupernova

...doctors who graduated from Oxford and Cambridge perform better in aspects of medicine that are easily quantified (e.g. average foundation points, number getting into AFP programmes, performance in postgraduate exams

Disagree -All Oxbridge candidates do not perform better than everyone else.
Stop spouting your own opinions please

Reply 49

TazzyBoo

Original post by Parent_help

Disagree -All Oxbridge candidates do not perform better than everyone else.
Stop spouting your own opinions please

Just in support of MrSupernova, he by no means suggested that all Oxbridge graduates perform better than others, it's just ON AVERAGE, a few studies have shown that Oxbridge graduates do perform better in things like specialty exams.
It of course, does not mean that graduates from other medical schools cannot deviate from these statistics.

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Reply 50

carcinoma

Original post by TazzyBoo

Everyone quotes that paper, all of the results are for doctors who graduated over 14 years ago.

So exactly how much bearing does that have on current medical students/recent graduates?

So much has changed since ten including almost all the medical school curriculums and the formation of many new schools.

Until we see the new data from recent graduates I wouldn't take too much from this, people use it for their own agenda.

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Reply 51

Fission_Mailed

Original post by carcinoma

I have a feeling I've seen some more recent data somewhere. Think it was mainly about the MRCP performance of people who had previously taken PLAB, but it included data for most of the UK schools for comparison. I only remember this because Nottingham appeared to do quite well. :ahee:

Reply 52

carcinoma

Original post by Fission_Mailed

I have seen this paper too, but it still didn't include any data from any of the new schools. (I'll post the link to it)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3990836/

Although I agree that that said paper is far more relevant than the 2008 McManus paper which everyone posts.

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(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 53

Booyah

Original post by well in the dark

Basically, that's not the right approach to medical studies. Are you going to study Medicine and become a doctor? Or what?
From what you're saying you don't like the looks of Oxford because you think studying there will make you a better doctor but because you 'fell in love with the place'. That's silly, and hardly what a would-be doctor should be thinking like.
Anyway, that's how I started off thinking when I applied for 2014 entry. I thought I'd either go to Cambridge or nowhere else and I thought I had a pretty decent chance because of my high UMS. Didn't do the UKCAT, only the BMAT, and basically horribly bombed it.
So, don't be a fool (or in your case a turd).

It does help to love the city your in :smile:

In fact that is sort of why I chose my universities, sure I wasn't as narrow but at the end of the day a medical degree is a medical degree.

Reply 54

Chief Wiggum

Original post by Pectorac

No they don't, they all have to meet a minimum standard. (Although I agree that it doesn't make much difference in career terms where you go.)

Reply 55

Dora amos

Original post by ImABigOldTurd

Was it wrong of me to assume that it goes unsaid that Oxford will make you a better doctor?
Don't imply I'll **** up just because you did.

Firstly the way you are talking to this person trying to help you isnt showing your capability of being professional nor is it demonstrating the qualities of a doctor. Oxford is great yes and also cambridge but every degree from every med school is consider as highly as oxbridge. It may be nice and you may want them but likewise they might not want you dont squander opportunities if you get an offer take it because there are plenty of people whod happily take that place. Then im 25 and i know if i got an offer from my last resort option id take it.

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Reply 56

Dora amos

Original post by Pectorac

I agree with you id give up everything but the clothes on my back to get accepted to any medical school in this country, because i want to help people make people better or make then comfortable if they cant be saved however this OP makes me so mad and needs to grow up and start living in the real world. I want to go to oxford and cambridge but id happily go anywhere else. Oxbride isnt the be all and end all what planet does this person live on and calls herself/himself a turd very intellectual and very professional pfft

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Reply 57

Dora amos

Original post by teen1234

You do realise academics only mean a certain amount in medicine/dentistry/vet med courses? I got A*A*A and a high UKCAT score and got one offer for dentistry, I'd love to see you in an MMI interview or be asked ethical questions - you'd crash and burn. Its the same reason you hear people applying for these course with A*A*A*A* and getting no offers and yet people who miss their AAA and get AAB still get in. Its because academics are not all they're looking for.

Its about professionalism compassion and also showing a mature out look no med school like a self obsessed person and no med school will appreciate the OPs attitude shes already crashed and burnt.

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