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I am a first year medic at Cambridge, AMA!

Despite having loads of lectures to catch up on and essays to write for next week's supervisions, I decided to take a break and go on TSR to answer some of your questions that you might have on the medicine course, or life in general in Cambridge.

I remembered I had no idea on what the Cambridge medicine course was actually like when I was applying last year even though I attended open days and read their prospectus. Hopefully I'll be able to answer a few of your questions here throughout the weekend. I WILL NOT be discussing any interview-related questions though.

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Original post by Ethics Maniac
Despite having loads of lectures to catch up on and essays to write for next week's supervisions, I decided to take a break and go on TSR to answer some of your questions that you might have on the medicine course, or life in general in Cambridge.


How gracious of you.
Original post by Ethics Maniac
Despite having loads of lectures to catch up on and essays to write for next week's supervisions, I decided to take a break and go on TSR to answer some of your questions that you might have on the medicine course, or life in general in Cambridge.

I remembered I had no idea on what the Cambridge medicine course was actually like when I was applying last year even though I attended open days and read their prospectus. Hopefully I'll be able to answer a few of your questions here throughout the weekend. I WILL NOT be discussing any interview-related questions though.


Do you cover any Oncology in the medicine course?
Original post by nexttime
How gracious of you.


:rofl: :rofl:
We do! They'll cover it during Lent term.
Original post by Ethics Maniac
We do! They'll cover it during Lent term.


:woo: :woo:
What gets covered if you don't mind me asking?
How is the work load? (Ie: per week)

And may we know your stats please, whether you were pooled and which college you are at?

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
From what I heard from the second years and the lecturers, oncology is quite comprehensive. From transcription factors and cell cycle checkpoints, to apoptosis and the hallmarks of cancers. It's part of our biochemistry course so they will probably be in detail.
Original post by CutieTootsie
How is the work load? (Ie: per week)

And may we know your stats please, whether you were pooled and which college you are at?

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The workload is HUGE. On average 2/3 essays a week plus some other supervision work. Lectures go through a lot of content in such a small time, pre-reading is essential or else you'll just be wasting the hour in the lecture hall. A huge emphasis on anatomy as well, with loads of weird muscle names and their locations to learn every week. Dissections may or may not help! 9am start almost everyday, with the occasional 9 to 5. Had a 9 to 9 two weeks ago due to having two supervisions in the evening.

4A*, BMAT in the mid to high 6s, I was not pooled, and I am from one of the smaller colleges.
Original post by Ethics Maniac
The workload is HUGE. On average 2/3 essays a week plus some other supervision work. Lectures go through a lot of content in such a small time, pre-reading is essential or else you'll just be wasting the hour in the lecture hall. A huge emphasis on anatomy as well, with loads of weird muscle names and their locations to learn every week. Dissections may or may not help! 9am start almost everyday, with the occasional 9 to 5. Had a 9 to 9 two weeks ago due to having two supervisions in the evening.

4A*, BMAT in the mid to high 6s, I was not pooled, and I am from one of the smaller colleges.


congratulations thats fantastic! was your interview quite scary?

how did you prepare for it? because some say you shouldn't but Ive heard they ask a lot of science questions :/ any advice from a successful applicant is gold in my eyes!
Original post by CutieTootsie
congratulations thats fantastic! was your interview quite scary?

how did you prepare for it? because some say you shouldn't but Ive heard they ask a lot of science questions :/ any advice from a successful applicant is gold in my eyes!


I might be mistaken, but dont they say they wont be discussing interview related questions?
Original post by Ethics Maniac
Despite having loads of lectures to catch up on and essays to write for next week's supervisions, I decided to take a break and go on TSR to answer some of your questions that you might have on the medicine course, or life in general in Cambridge.

I remembered I had no idea on what the Cambridge medicine course was actually like when I was applying last year even though I attended open days and read their prospectus. Hopefully I'll be able to answer a few of your questions here throughout the weekend. I WILL NOT be discussing any interview-related questions though.



Could you comment on why 3 science/maths A Levels are required at Cambridge? Is the course much more maths and physics based compared to other medicine courses in the U.K.
Original post by 999tigger
I might be mistaken, but dont they say they wont be discussing interview related questions?


like how you prepared? why would you not be allowed to talk about that?
How much chemistry is in the course? With Cambridge being such a traditional course, are there still opportunities for chemistry practicals, mechanisms, yield calculations, etc. within the preclinical years or even as a realistic option in third year?
Original post by CutieTootsie
like how you prepared? why would you not be allowed to talk about that?


Isn't that related to the interview? Comes under interview preparation? I'm just pointing out what the OP said. take it up with them.
Original post by 999tigger
Isn't that related to the interview? Comes under interview preparation? I'm just pointing out what the OP said. take it up with them.


i thought the OP meant in accordance to the university's rules - to not discuss what goes on during their interview

EDIT: fair enough, but maybe AMA then isn't an appropriate thread title
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by CutieTootsie
i thought the OP meant in accordance to the university's rules - to not discuss what goes on during their interview


Maybe ask your questions and then you will know by whether they bother to reply or not?
Original post by Ethics Maniac
Despite having loads of lectures to catch up on and essays to write for next week's supervisions, I decided to take a break and go on TSR to answer some of your questions that you might have on the medicine course, or life in general in Cambridge.

I remembered I had no idea on what the Cambridge medicine course was actually like when I was applying last year even though I attended open days and read their prospectus. Hopefully I'll be able to answer a few of your questions here throughout the weekend. I WILL NOT be discussing any interview-related questions though.


A little humility may suit you better.
Original post by GradeA*UnderA
Could you comment on why 3 science/maths A Levels are required at Cambridge? Is the course much more maths and physics based compared to other medicine courses in the U.K.


Only chemistry is compulsory for medicine in Cambridge if I remembered correctly, with like Maths being compulsory for one college. Having biology is definitely useful since they don't go through some of the A-level biology stuff - they expect you to know them already (except for things like the Krebs cycle where they go into much detail). Maths could be useful for calculations in ISBM, which is one of the smaller modules involving statistical calculations. Knowledge of some component of physics maybe useful, for example the concept of capacitance, current, voltage and circuit diagrams for membrane action potential. I know many people that did not do physics to A-level, and they are able to get the concept fairly quickly with some extra reading.
do you have your own stethoscope ?

:holmes:

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