BSMS or Southampton for undergrad medicine??

I live in Brighton and have to say it is a really nice lively place to live. It’s probably the quirkiest place in the UK with so many events throughout the year. I can’t speak about Southampton but you’ve got to take into account that medicine isn’t the average university degree so the later years aren’t spent at the university very much. It is also a city you’ll be living in for 5 years which then adds 2 points. 1. You’ll want to like the city you’re living in for that period of time 2. Brighton is very expensive in terms of housing so you should consider that

hi everyone,

i'm in a bit of a muddle because I can't decide where I want to firm... I have offers from brighton and southampton for medicine, and i really like both but they both have their downsides too, so i'm wondering if anyone can help me out with the decision.

the offer is very similar for both of them, i do the ib with hl bio chem literature and psychology, sl maths and german. they both want 6 6 in bio and chem, and 36 overall, (soton wants 18 at hl, brighton didn't specificy hl but wants 5 in lit and maths)

i absolutely fell in love with brighton as a city... being gay, vegan and somewhat alternative looking and growing up in a small very homophobic environment i love the idea of being surrounded by all the different personalities of brighton... some of whom will be a little more like me i reckon... southampton is a nice city but it's not as exciting as brighton is to be honest.

however, southampton as a university seemed much nicer, with a swimming pool, cinema and all of that, which i'm not sure sussex offered... not a major point of contention but would be nice to have.

in terms of the course, both have their pros and cons. i love the research project southampton offers, but southampton don't do specific bsc intercalated years. i had my sights set on a neuroscience year but that's not the end of the world for me if it doesn't happen, and southampton allow you to intercalate, just in a different way. all in all, i'm more of an academic so i'm woried that i wouldn't be very good at the very people centered approach at bsms. i'm also looking to immerse myself in as much science as possible. i know bsms is renowned for their disections which in all honesty kind of scare me hahaha.

i've heard southampton's course has low student satisfaction.. should i be worrried about that?

the thing that scares me most about brighton is the cost... i've heard it's ridiculous and while i don't drink or smoke and save money from that i'm really not looking to wrack up any more debt than i have to tbh. i'm not sure how much better southampton is though.

can anyone offer advice?

thanks

Don't you get an extra degree at southampton in 5 years along with the MBBS? Probably worth checking out if it helps in foundation year posts

Yeah very true... i just want to know if it’s silly to choose Brighton over soton because i love the city?

it's an optional extra year to get a 'bmedsc', the same way at brighton you can choose an intercalated year in a specific science subject

No, according to the website BMedSci is included in the 5 years, and the intercalated option gives an MMedSci. It's something to think about

I'm Sure @ecolier knows more about the "points" system than I

Is having that bmedsc actually going to be an advantage though?

Idk for a BMedSc that's achieved within 5 years.

I do know that having a iBSc gives you a bigger advantage, it's just whether a BMedSc is seen as equal if it's done in 5 years without paying the thousand of pounds or the extra time for a normal intercalated degree

tbh it doesn't matter where you do medicine, you get the same piece of paper at the end, choose a uni that you will feel comfortable in as it will be your home for the next 5-6 years make sure the environment suits you and that you'll be happy with the people there, your pastoral care comes first x

So would I be an idiot to chose Brighton because I love the city even though soton is the better uni?

honestly no, you'd want to be happy studying medicine since it's a lot of work and stress and Brighton is a super good uni too so choose where you're most comfortable. you don't want to be unhappy for loads of years

So would you recommend intercalating no matter where I go?

My dad is a surgeon and this is a summary of the advice he gives with regards to intercalation:

If you want to work as a F doctor in London, intercalation is a practical must. Imperial and UCL grads will all come out with iBScs, and a large proportion of Oxbridge students come to London with them too.

If you're applying to competitive specialties later on, having a relevant iBSc will help your application (eg an iBSc in Surgery and Anaesthetics for general surgery).

If you're not on one of these boats, than I wouldn't worry about it.

So would I be an idiot to chose Brighton because I love the city even though soton is the better uni?

As weird as it sounds, I think I'd either go into dermatology or psychiatry (polar opposites hahaha). Would an intercalated degree in psychology be useful for psychiatry? Would any intercalated degree be relevant/useful to/for dermatology? Oh, and I want to do my foundation years in manchester