Graduate Entry Medicine 2017

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Hello, I'm 23 and hoping to take both GAMSAT and UKCAT this year. I have a 2:1 degree in Neuroscience and barely any work experience yet as I'm waiting for DBS checks at my local hospital. I'm starting to get incredibly worried by the small number of places available for GEM and all these seemingly qualified people getting nowhere!

Reply 421

THW

Just wondering if someone could shed some light on UKCAT...

Graduated with 1st class honours in my undergrad and will have completed an MSc by the application deadline; however I'm pretty poor at UKCAT and have heard with a score <650 you may as well accept a rejection will be coming.

Is this a realistic statistic, or do the universities (particularly Warwick) throw a small life line?

Cheers!

Reply 422

notasurgeon

Original post by THW

I'd recommend the following resources: Score Higher in the UKCAT, Medify and Mastering the UKCAT. Also get the UKCAT app and use the official resources online :smile:

a score around 720+ will make you competitive basically everywhere.

Well done on your first - use it your advantage by applying to places like Birmingham. Barts also liked 1sts this year - I'm pretty sure they rejected all candidates who 'only' got a 2.i.

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Reply 423

misslesleyo

I'm 26 graduated in Health and social Policy 2:2 last december
been working as a health Care Assistant for 2 years
Also 2 years of student nurse experience
I really would like to go to St George's I'm praying they don't change the rules for applying.
I'm hoping to do the UKCAT and GAMSAT too

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 424

KoalaBoar

Original post by misslesleyo

I want to apply for St George's too. Hoping they don't raise the GAMSAT score by too much

Reply 425

Quilverine

Little bit of advice for UKCAT, if you use a desktop pc get using the basic calculator. It really helped me get quicker on QR.

With GAMSAT, write a couple of 30 minute essays and reflections by hand every week or so, so you have a good pace, a formula and confidence for the day.

I know it seems quite early but it's so worth the time investment.

Reply 426

DavidYorkshireFTW

Original post by Quilverine

Proper dreading the UKCAT, thanks for the advice though!
What did you get in the UKCAT just out of interest?

Reply 427

Quilverine

Original post by DavidYorkshireFTW

Proper dreading the UKCAT, thanks for the advice though!
What did you get in the UKCAT just out of interest?

2013 (weird year because DA was marked too high): 687.5 (7th decile)
2014: 665 (8th decile)
2015: 705 (9th decile) 2 interviews

My science section ruined GAMSAT 62: 81: 45 so I stuck to UKCAT for attempts 2 and 3.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 428

GiveMeGAMSAT

Hi,
I am a mechanical engineering graduate and I have only just come across GEM. I know I need to get some formal experience before I properly consider applying. I don't have A-levels in Biology or Chemistry so I think I will take the GAMSAT if I continue to follow through with my application. How much experience do most applicants/successful applicants have before their application will be taken seriously? I have spent a couple of days researching everything and numerically it doesn't sound like the odds are terrible (Nottingham say 1 in 3 successful GAMSATs are offered a place and Swansea said something similar), but I have read accounts on here of people applying for many many many years before they get an offer. How much of this is down to the personal experience of applicants and how much is down to their score on the GAMSAT? Are many people unsuccessful with a really good GAMSAT score somewhere in the top 10% of sitters? Is this all completely arbitrary as a definitive system because everyone who has a higher GAMSAT score will have poured time into experience already? Swansea say that they rank applicants based off their GAMSAT score and offer the top 250 interviews, but it is unclear whether a high rank continues to benefit an applicant after they have gained an interview.

I would appreciate any insight.

Reply 429

Quilverine

Original post by GiveMeGAMSAT

...I would appreciate any insight.

Once you've met the cutoff for interview it's down to how well you do on interview day! If you're a borderline candidate and you get the same interview score as several other applicants they may use GAMSAT/UKCAT score and academic achievements again to differentiate between you. Generally speaking though, the biggest hurdle is the entry tests.

Go get some experience and make sure it's definitely for you before throwing your life into the application process. I found shadowing was especially good for reinforcing my interest and determination. Actually getting some hands on work is good for realism though, shadowing let's you get all the highs. Do some HCA/Admin/Portering/Ward Clerking to get a more sobering dose of insight.

Good luck.

Reply 430

lucym911

Hey, I am going to be applying for graduate entry medicine in September/October for 2017 entry as well. I did my first 2 years in Cardiff uni studying biomedical science (anatomy) but due to health reasons I didn't complete my final year... I'm now finishing it in the open university but I'm slightly concerned about the academic reference... does anybody know how you go about getting one? I'm not sure how good it'll be because you don't really meet your tutor :/

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Reply 431

username1539513

So do you apply during your second year at uni or during your third year? Excuse me if this is a stupid question :blush:

Reply 432

Quilverine

You need to start all the groundwork in second year but the application gets submitted around the time you go back for third year. If you're getting an academic reference you need to sort this before summer ideally as your tutor might be snowed under at the start of a new year. If it's written and ready to go then all they have to do is attach it once the request email gets to them (always give them a heads up so they're actively expecting it). You'll need to be accumulating experiences during second year too or earlier.

However, if you take a gap year between undergrad and GEM it might give you more opportunities to save the £3.5k you'll need for first year fees.

Reply 433

GiveMeGAMSAT

Hello again... The three Universities who would consider me if I take the GAMSAT are Swansea, Nottingham and St Georges. They all say that they interview the top 250-300ish applicants, and they say that these are judged by their GAMSAT scores. Does this mean that a GAMSAT score of 70 would virtually guarantee me interviews at all the Unis? It seems like once you meet the cut-off criteria with the GAMSAT score suddenly the odds of getting on to GEM are really not terrible. There are roughly 217 spaces for GEM at these three unis and if each one interviewed the same top 300 GAMSAT applicants then on the face of it you'd have about a 72% chance of getting in. Is this right? It just sounds like it is so very dependent on the GAMSAT score.

Reply 434

Themightylaa

Original post by GiveMeGAMSAT

If you achieved a score of 70 on your GAMSAT (a very good score) and you did well in your interviews then yeah, I'd say a 72% chance of gaining one offer is realistic. However, chances of getting a place at any specific medical school are more like 1/3, so around 33%, by the interview stage. It all depends on the cohort however. If 50% of GAMSAT applicants achieved 70 or more, then you wouldn't even get an interview.

In that sense, statistics mean nothing. So I wouldn't get too wrapped up in the numbers. The competition is generally very talented.

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Reply 435

Lisagee10

Original post by GiveMeGAMSAT

I would agree with what you just said. I was at swanseas interview today and I have about a one in four chance of a place. However not everyone offered a place will accept as most people are interviewing at George's and Nottingham as well so the odds will be better than stated in theory.
Gamsat is your main hurdle, then the gates appear to open wider. Good luck! 😄

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Reply 436

Quilverine

The entry test is the main hurdle really whether it's gamsat or ukcat. It's the most efficient way to cull a large number of suitably qualified applicants. If you're getting a 70 you're a bloody strong applicant. I have seen Swansea go as low as 58. Just make sure you don't get less than 55 in any of the sections so your score meets all the criteria of all the gamsat unis.

Good luck.

Reply 437

GiveMeGAMSAT

How strange...

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 438

alan-93

Any pharmacist applying?

Reply 439

phspa

Yeah I'm a pharmacist , 28 years old and have been qualified for 4 years . It's ridiculous that a pharmacy degree (5 yrs) doesn't count for anything above other degrees .... But having done a degree like this I believe it equips you well for the GAMSAT as your knowledge of bio and Chem is very thorough ...