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.
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.