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Liverpool GEM (A101) 2016 entry

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Original post by kethan
Probably worth ringing them up tomorrow, someone could have made an error on their side if you've already been counted as a rejection. Alternatively, you could wait for an official email from the uni & see what they say.


Thankyou, that seems like the most reasonable thing to do :smile:
Congratulation to everyone with offers ! Did anyone apply to the graduate and undergraduate course ?


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Original post by rebeccaaaxx
Offer on track!


Original post by HCAssistant93
Offer!!!!! OMG in so happy. Congrats to all with offers and those without! Don't worry it's not the end


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Original post by Creameggy7
Offer!!! Super thrilled, commiserations to anyone who didn't get it this time and I really wish you the best luck with the rest of your applications


Epic time's and congratulations on finally making it through the brimstone and fire (lets face it, it is what it feels like :tongue:). Hope to see you guy's next year, if you have any questions about the summer school, 2nd year for the grad cohort or anything feel free to ask away. :biggrin:
Original post by TranquilRawr
Epic time's and congratulations on finally making it through the brimstone and fire (lets face it, it is what it feels like :tongue:). Hope to see you guy's next year, if you have any questions about the summer school, 2nd year for the grad cohort or anything feel free to ask away. :biggrin:


Thanks! Looking forward to it, feels so surreal still. What date does summer school start? Also what did you guys do for accommodation in first year?


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Original post by TranquilRawr


One thing I need to point out to you all though. Last year there was no waiting list that we were aware of. Everyone got rejected who wasnt invited to interview, then offers were given out for the number of places on the course and everyone else rejected. But talking to the others in my cohort most of them ended up getting in by being rung up by liverpool offering them a place because people who were given an offer in the first batch declined the place in favor of another uni. I would say that only about 6 or 7 out of the 27 of us got in in the first round, so if you get to interview and are rejected initially don't give up all hope!



As on of the rejected :frown: roughly when did Liverpool ring applicants? Am I remaining in (possibly false) hope for weeks or months
[QUOTE="neuronerd;63810763"]As on of the rejected :frown: roughly when did Liverpool ring applicants? Am I remaining in (possibly false) hope for weeks or months[/QUOTE

I get you. Let's just put this rejection past us and I don't think it's a good idea to keep our mind on this. If we get a call back then we get a call back. Simple as that. But for now I think you have to decide whether you want to repeat the process or not. I certainly will be. So.. Anyone else sitting the GAMSAT this Sept?
Original post by HCAssistant93
Offer holders send me a DM and we can get a group chat.
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I got an offer too, why cant it be september already!
Original post by Rich_JW95
Congratulations! :smile:



Thank you :smile: good luck with the rest of your application
Original post by TranquilRawr
Epic time's and congratulations on finally making it through the brimstone and fire (lets face it, it is what it feels like :tongue:). Hope to see you guy's next year, if you have any questions about the summer school, 2nd year for the grad cohort or anything feel free to ask away. :biggrin:


Thank you, is there anything you think it would be useful to read up on before we start?
[QUOTE="April-93;63811607"]
Original post by neuronerd
As on of the rejected :frown: roughly when did Liverpool ring applicants? Am I remaining in (possibly false) hope for weeks or months[/QUOTE

I get you. Let's just put this rejection past us and I don't think it's a good idea to keep our mind on this. If we get a call back then we get a call back. Simple as that. But for now I think you have to decide whether you want to repeat the process or not. I certainly will be. So.. Anyone else sitting the GAMSAT this Sept?


Thats my reason for asking. This is my one and only application. I'm getting too old to keep delaying starting my career, so if this fails need to do a back up plan.

Lifes much easier to put on hold when you are in your 20s. Us older folk have more to think about
Original post by TranquilRawr
Epic time's and congratulations on finally making it through the brimstone and fire (lets face it, it is what it feels like :tongue:). Hope to see you guy's next year, if you have any questions about the summer school, 2nd year for the grad cohort or anything feel free to ask away. :biggrin:


What a feeling of relief, i think ive been through every range of emotion in the last 24 hours. Well dine fir getting an offer guys, and commiserations for thise who didnt. Does anyone know the detaiks about the summer school?
[QUOTE="neuronerd;63812063"]
Original post by April-93


Thats my reason for asking. This is my one and only application. I'm getting too old to keep delaying starting my career, so if this fails need to do a back up plan.

Lifes much easier to put on hold when you are in your 20s. Us older folk have more to think about


Fair point. Weigh up the options. It's up-to you, I think you really have to ask yourself what you want to do as a career. Also there's a fine line between career and life but there is a line- and there are other ways to help and really shine in the scientific community. I don't know your background or about past education but a back-up for me was applying for the STP - scientist training programme in the NHS.
Original post by neuronerd
As on of the rejected :frown: roughly when did Liverpool ring applicants? Am I remaining in (possibly false) hope for weeks or months


They rung people from May onward I think. One or two even got a call I think either days before the summer school was to start or 2-3 days after it had. So I know it is horrible to say, but you wont fully know when they have given all the offers out until the summer school starts really.
Original post by HCAssistant93
Thanks! Looking forward to it, feels so surreal still. What date does summer school start? Also what did you guys do for accommodation in first year?Posted from TSR Mobile


The summer school for us started on the 13th august, bit weird as it meant it was mid week. It will be just the grad group for the full 2.5 weeks with 2 maybe 3 people teaching you stuff. It's only a guess and you will get emails with info emails in a couple of months, but I am guessing it will probably start on the 10th August seen as we have to start back on the 30th august.
Accommodation wise it is down to you what you do. We have had a split between a few people living at home (who were close enough) and commuting, some choosing to live in uni accommodation, 1/2 who's parents bought them a flat and rented out the other room's and the rest of us organised into groups based on where about we wanted to live in the city (maybe not the best way of doing it as I can say that some people would have probably preferred living with others on the course, but its a risk you run even at undergrad). The 2 big student housing areas tend to be smithdown road or Kensington/Kensington fields, but you can find decent places anywhere and commute really, it is more down to your price range, the area you want to live in and who you can find to live with you.

Original post by rebeccaaaxx
Thank you, is there anything you think it would be useful to read up on before we start?


The uni will send you a advised reading list with some links to a blog that needs a password to access with some prereading stuff. I can remember getting it while interrailing and about to get on a train, opened it and one of my friends asked what was up because I looked horrified. The list they gave in all honesty basically listed nearly everything I had done at undergrad plus anatomy, sociology and psychology stuff and it kind of gave me a moment 'aghhhhhhhhhhh its 2 weeks until I start and I have to brush up on this to catch up with 1st years?!?!!'. In short we would later find out just how little the 1st years are actually taught and in fact you will end up scaring them in the 1st few lectures of 2nd year, especially if you have anyone who is hot on their neuro and or infections. My advise, reread over your notes from your degree, maybe some names for anatomy to understand what they refer to 'i.e. flexion, proximal, etc. But don't go to crazy and enjoy your summer/time leading up to it while you can. The 1st term for the grad's is really long, about 18-19 weeks without a break, so you will need to not pre-exhaust yourself. :smile:

Original post by Shaunypod
What a feeling of relief, i think ive been through every range of emotion in the last 24 hours. Well dine fir getting an offer guys, and commiserations for thise who didnt. Does anyone know the detaiks about the summer school?


haha, and so you should! You will get an email in due course on the details for the summer school, whether this is sooner for you guys than it was for us as the first year they ran it I don't know. But I can tell you what they did for us and if those of you who are firming liverpool want I can forward you the email that they sent us on the summer school if I can find them so you have an idea of it's running.

For us the first 3 days were more a getting to know you/each other and sorting out paper work (this included a slightly awkward treasure hunt for some medical riddles posted around north campus to try help bond and familiarise ourselves with the layout....at least I think that was the point). The following 2 weeks it was mostly 9am-4/5pm most days, with the odd hour or 2 here and there free, being taught neurology especially the cranial nerves and the spinal chord pathways along with doing all the clinical skills that the 1st years did but in a week. The reason they don't do anything but neuro for us was because it is the last block the 1st years do before summer and the 1st block they do in 2nd year, and tbh it is difficult to get your head around some of it especially if you have done no form of neuro based stuff what so ever. You will also get the odd talk about other things such as the research and scholarship program's that are run, what the layout of the course will look like over the next 4 yr's and some early info on placement's. There will also be a wine and cheese night during the 1st week you get put together with the undergrads. It is basically a meeting where you all come and meet the grads from the year above (us) and meet your mentor. The 2nd yrs have the same sort of program with the 1st yr's but they do it by basically grabbing a 1st yr as they leave lecture halls, our's is done by the med school trying to match people up based on their degree. I don't think we have really used the system much to be honest other than to get to know the people in the yr above. It may work amazing and you get a new best/close friend like one or two people I know, or you may just not have much in common with the person you get assigned other than your degree which isn't a problem really as any one is happy to help if you need it.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by TranquilRawr
They rung people from May onward I think. One or two even got a call I think either days before the summer school was to start or 2-3 days after it had. So I know it is horrible to say, but you wont fully know when they have given all the offers out until the summer school starts really.


The summer school for us started on the 13th august, bit weird as it meant it was mid week. It will be just the grad group for the full 2.5 weeks with 2 maybe 3 people teaching you stuff. It's only a guess and you will get emails with info emails in a couple of months, but I am guessing it will probably start on the 10th August seen as we have to start back on the 30th august.
Accommodation wise it is down to you what you do. We have had a split between a few people living at home (who were close enough) and commuting, some choosing to live in uni accommodation, 1/2 who's parents bought them a flat and rented out the other room's and the rest of us organised into groups based on where about we wanted to live in the city (maybe not the best way of doing it as I can say that some people would have probably preferred living with others on the course, but its a risk you run even at undergrad). The 2 big student housing areas tend to be smithdown road or Kensington/Kensington fields, but you can find decent places anywhere and commute really, it is more down to your price range, the area you want to live in and who you can find to live with you.



The uni will send you a advised reading list with some links to a blog that needs a password to access with some prereading stuff. I can remember getting it while interrailing and about to get on a train, opened it and one of my friends asked what was up because I looked horrified. The list they gave in all honesty basically listed nearly everything I had done at undergrad plus anatomy, sociology and psychology stuff and it kind of gave me a moment 'aghhhhhhhhhhh its 2 weeks until I start and I have to brush up on this to catch up with 1st years?!?!!'. In short we would later find out just how little the 1st years are actually taught and in fact you will end up scaring them in the 1st few lectures of 2nd year, especially if you have anyone who is hot on their neuro and or infections. My advise, reread over your notes from your degree, maybe some names for anatomy to understand what they refer to 'i.e. flexion, proximal, etc. But don't go to crazy and enjoy your summer/time leading up to it while you can. The 1st term for the grad's is really long, about 18-19 weeks without a break, so you will need to not pre-exhaust yourself. :smile:



haha, and so you should! You will get an email in due course on the details for the summer school, whether this is sooner for you guys than it was for us as the first year they ran it I don't know. But I can tell you what they did for us and if those of you who are firming liverpool want I can forward you the email that they sent us on the summer school if I can find them so you have an idea of it's running.

For us the first 3 days were more a getting to know you/each other and sorting out paper work (this included a slightly awkward treasure hunt for some medical riddles posted around north campus to try help bond and familiarise ourselves with the layout....at least I think that was the point). The following 2 weeks it was mostly 9am-4/5pm most days, with the odd hour or 2 here and there free, being taught neurology especially the cranial nerves and the spinal chord pathways along with doing all the clinical skills that the 1st years did but in a week. The reason they don't do anything but neuro for us was because it is the last block the 1st years do before summer and the 1st block they do in 2nd year, and tbh it is difficult to get your head around some of it especially if you have done no form of neuro based stuff what so ever. You will also get the odd talk about other things such as the research and scholarship program's that are run, what the layout of the course will look like over the next 4 yr's and some early info on placement's. There will also be a wine and cheese night during the 1st week you get put together with the undergrads. It is basically a meeting where you all come and meet the grads from the year above (us) and meet your mentor. The 2nd yrs have the same sort of program with the 1st yr's but they do it by basically grabbing a 1st yr as they leave lecture halls, our's is done by the med school trying to match people up based on their degree. I don't think we have really used the system much to be honest other than to get to know the people in the yr above. It may work amazing and you get a new best/close friend like one or two people I know, or you may just not have much in common with the person you get assigned other than your degree which isn't a problem really as any one is happy to help if you need it.


Thanks for this!!!

In a Liverpool grad so I know the student areas well. I would probably look at living close to uni though instead of having that bus ride. Near the Harold Cohen library or in town so it's not too far.
I'm going travelling for two months from 26th may till 20th July so hoping to sort it before or after and will do all the reading once I'm back!!

How have you found this year in general? Is it fully interrogated with the 5 years or do you do a lot on your own as grads?


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Original post by HCAssistant93
Thanks for this!!!

In a Liverpool grad so I know the student areas well. I would probably look at living close to uni though instead of having that bus ride. Near the Harold Cohen library or in town so it's not too far.
I'm going travelling for two months from 26th may till 20th July so hoping to sort it before or after and will do all the reading once I'm back!!

How have you found this year in general? Is it fully interrogated with the 5 years or do you do a lot on your own as grads?


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I'm from Liverpool myself, i was thinking of looking for flatshares around the sefton park and Lark lane area. Its about 10 minutes from the city in a vibrant area with lots of beautiful parks and shops/bars. Its a great area if you want to be able to break free from tall buildings every now and again.
Original post by HCAssistant93
Thanks for this!!!

In a Liverpool grad so I know the student areas well. I would probably look at living close to uni though instead of having that bus ride. Near the Harold Cohen library or in town so it's not too far.
I'm going travelling for two months from 26th may till 20th July so hoping to sort it before or after and will do all the reading once I'm back!!

How have you found this year in general? Is it fully interrogated with the 5 years or do you do a lot on your own as grads?


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If your a liverpool grad as well then you will know the areas and what to do accommodation wise/price. No need to do it all, some of it I think is actually a bit useless e.g. the 2 psychology/sociology pdf textbooks they sent us, read like 2 chapters of it out of interest having never studied it before and none of it has come up or been relevant. What was your undergrad in?

You are fully intergrated from the get go. In essence there is a 9.30am-12pm session every thursday for the graduates to be tutored, but it is not compulsory attendance. We all attended at first but some started to not attend, myself included, purely because I got more out of 3 hours of my own study practice than the way it was set up and run. For clinical skills and HARC (anatomy resource centre) you will be in your grad group for these sessions, both are about 2 hours long and happen twice per block. Your year is split into 7 blocks: Neuro, urogenital, respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiology, endocrionology and musculoskeletal. For each you have 4 weeks of lectures, with an end of block multiple choice test at the end of each, and 1 week placement in a group of 5 (1/2 grads with 3-4 undergrads) on random wards that you change each placement. You also have 3 introduction weeks on topics they want to teach you about but don't quite fit into the main blocks, these are: Pediatrics, infection/immunology and cancer, each of these weeks are the 1st week back from holidays. In general I would say it has been at a decent pacing and not ever like it wasn't possible to cope. The biggest issue you will find is at what point is enough and what is too much. There has been a few times I have caught myself having to stop myself going to deep into something because I felt it was wasting time a bit and was more detail than was needed. Also don't be fooled by the 2nd years, some may well have their act together, but a fair few of them when you see them at the library will still be on the same lecture/piece of work with little progress when you leave because they have spent 2-3 hours chatting with their friends then complain about how they have so much work to do.
Reply 436
Congratulations to everyone who received offers, couldn't find a Facebook group so I've made one. Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/593434747475566/

Commiserations to those who didn't receive an offer this year. I hope you receive good news from other unis!
Original post by TranquilRawr
If your a liverpool grad as well then you will know the areas and what to do accommodation wise/price. No need to do it all, some of it I think is actually a bit useless e.g. the 2 psychology/sociology pdf textbooks they sent us, read like 2 chapters of it out of interest having never studied it before and none of it has come up or been relevant. What was your undergrad in?

You are fully intergrated from the get go. In essence there is a 9.30am-12pm session every thursday for the graduates to be tutored, but it is not compulsory attendance. We all attended at first but some started to not attend, myself included, purely because I got more out of 3 hours of my own study practice than the way it was set up and run. For clinical skills and HARC (anatomy resource centre) you will be in your grad group for these sessions, both are about 2 hours long and happen twice per block. Your year is split into 7 blocks: Neuro, urogenital, respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiology, endocrionology and musculoskeletal. For each you have 4 weeks of lectures, with an end of block multiple choice test at the end of each, and 1 week placement in a group of 5 (1/2 grads with 3-4 undergrads) on random wards that you change each placement. You also have 3 introduction weeks on topics they want to teach you about but don't quite fit into the main blocks, these are: Pediatrics, infection/immunology and cancer, each of these weeks are the 1st week back from holidays. In general I would say it has been at a decent pacing and not ever like it wasn't possible to cope. The biggest issue you will find is at what point is enough and what is too much. There has been a few times I have caught myself having to stop myself going to deep into something because I felt it was wasting time a bit and was more detail than was needed. Also don't be fooled by the 2nd years, some may well have their act together, but a fair few of them when you see them at the library will still be on the same lecture/piece of work with little progress when you leave because they have spent 2-3 hours chatting with their friends then complain about how they have so much work to do.


Ye I know about the prices and stuff, I was more wondering whether grads organised to live together?

I did Physiology. So I'll probs read up notes on that and the stuff they provide!

Ah ok so lectures are placement were mixed but clinical skills and HARC were separate. Are those multi choice just for progress or are they part of final grades?

That's great so early experience on wards! It must feel weird being with undergrads. Are the school good in directing you on how much you need to know? I think that's my biggest worry that I'll try and do too much!

So this sound stupid but what makes the grad course different from the undergrad course? Or is it just that we essentially join in year 2 so they only have a few places?

Thanks for helping!


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Original post by HCAssistant93
Ye I know about the prices and stuff, I was more wondering whether grads organised to live together?

I did Physiology. So I'll probs read up notes on that and the stuff they provide!

Ah ok so lectures are placement were mixed but clinical skills and HARC were separate. Are those multi choice just for progress or are they part of final grades?

That's great so early experience on wards! It must feel weird being with undergrads. Are the school good in directing you on how much you need to know? I think that's my biggest worry that I'll try and do too much!

So this sound stupid but what makes the grad course different from the undergrad course? Or is it just that we essentially join in year 2 so they only have a few places?

Thanks for helping!


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The latter. Grad courses mostly work by combining Yrs 1&2 from the undergrad course into a single year and then merging into Year 3. It's expected that your knowledge and work ethic from your original degree allows a faster rate of progression through basic biosciences and anatomy.

As for what to study, you will have some guidance but there will always be an element of unknown depth. Remember as a final year you're expected to be a safe beginner, not a specialist so it's useful to have some depth, but breadth is where they want you.
Original post by Richard 45
The latter. Grad courses mostly work by combining Yrs 1&2 from the undergrad course into a single year and then merging into Year 3. It's expected that your knowledge and work ethic from your original degree allows a faster rate of progression through basic biosciences and anatomy.

As for what to study, you will have some guidance but there will always be an element of unknown depth. Remember as a final year you're expected to be a safe beginner, not a specialist so it's useful to have some depth, but breadth is where they want you.


Original post by HCAssistant93
Ye I know about the prices and stuff, I was more wondering whether grads organised to live together?

I did Physiology. So I'll probs read up notes on that and the stuff they provide!

Ah ok so lectures are placement were mixed but clinical skills and HARC were separate. Are those multi choice just for progress or are they part of final grades?

That's great so early experience on wards! It must feel weird being with undergrads. Are the school good in directing you on how much you need to know? I think that's my biggest worry that I'll try and do too much!

So this sound stupid but what makes the grad course different from the undergrad course? Or is it just that we essentially join in year 2 so they only have a few places?

Thanks for helping!


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What RIchard45 said is pretty much true. However with liverpools A101 it is more along the lines of you do everything the 2nd yr undergrads would be doing from 2nd yr onward, and any of their 1st yr stuff that isn't covered again in more detail you have to learn yourself. The amount of times there has been end of block questions on something from their 1st yr that we hadn't gone over and we would be told 'well as you should know from 1st yr', it did actually take 4 months before we got given access to the current 1st yr's portal as well so we could look at their lectures as they went. This was good we got it, however they did not do their blocks in the same order as us so it is not always useful really. The end of block stuff is more formative assessment that gauges your progress.

And yeah it is up to you if you want to go with other grad's, on your own or with randomers. Though I do warn you the randomer's route make sure you pick a good website/landlord/lady, one of my friends ended up in what we refer to as hell house with 3 1st yrs and a 2nd yr, all friends from home who never went to uni, partied every night hard with techno music blurring regardless of her asking them to turn it down and made friends with some drug dealers who hung around her house all the time and who's dog went for her one morning. Thankfully that is a rare story and she also got out right after, but it really affected her ability to function, especially on placement weeks when you usually have to be in before 9am and in some cases before 7.30am if your on certain surgical placements.

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