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AMA about Oxford or Medicine

How difficult is the course and how do you manage it ?
What societies are you in ?
How many hours do you study per day ?
Do you know any students on the GEM course and if you do, what's the difference between it and the normal course?
What college are you in ?
Best places to go out in Oxford ?
Do you cycle, drive or walk ?

Reply 2

username4490504

OP

9

Original post by ChiefKwen

How difficult is the course and how do you manage it ?
What societies are you in ?
How many hours do you study per day ?
Do you know any students on the GEM course and if you do, what's the difference between it and the normal course?
What college are you in ?
Best places to go out in Oxford ?
Do you cycle, drive or walk ?

I don't know if I would call it difficult. Well my view changes on different days haha. Overall I would say I lean towards not finding it "difficult" per se, but definitely challenging and makes you strive to work hard. But that is probably true for most courses. I think I am right in thinking that the uniqueness of medicine is the AMOUNT of content (and the fact you can't get away with skipping some topics). Also ... neuroanatomy is complex!

I am not in any societies anymore.
No set number of hours. During exams I sit in the library much more though. But alas I seem to have time to sit on TSR, eat healthily, exercise and even read before I sleep.
I would rather not disclose my college just for privacy reasons, but I know quite a few GEMs. Difference is the first 2 years are essentially squished into 1 and you sit different exams (apparently there is a considerable drop out because it is quite intense). And also you skip the BSc year (3rd year). Otherwise the same.

I cycle (my bicycle got stolen recently though :frown:

- in London rather than Oxford funnily enough) and walk around Oxford. I do have a car though (never use it in Oxford).

Reply 3

sotor

14

how much free time do you have?
did you find it easy to make friends on the same course from different colleges?
what options are there for the y3 Bsc?

Reply 4

username4490504

OP

9

Original post by sotor

how much free time do you have?
did you find it easy to make friends on the same course from different colleges?
what options are there for the y3 Bsc?

in terms of free time - varies. I would say you just have to work regularly every day. Different people have different approaches I guess.
Medicine is great for the camaraderie I would say so easy to get along with people. Also I did neuro, but others include genetics, endo, that kind of stuff...

Reply 5

nexttime

22

Original post by sotor

what options are there for the y3 Bsc?

https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/pre-clinical/structure

They've recently changed the third year structure and it looks like they've not decided the final module options for now! :p:

Reply 6

ConicalFlask

13

Original post by nexttime

https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/pre-clinical/structure

They've recently changed the third year structure and it looks like they've not decided the final module options for now! :p:

Yeah - it's really annoying as someone who applied for a course with a very different third year, and now I might not be able to take the options I want for my finals (biomed not medicine, but it's the same problem).

Reply 7

username4490504

OP

9

Original post by nexttime

https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/pre-clinical/structure

They've recently changed the third year structure and it looks like they've not decided the final module options for now! :p:

There you go - I didn't know that. :giggle:

I can only speak for when I did it

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 8

nexttime

22

Original post by ConicalFlask

Yeah - it's really annoying as someone who applied for a course with a very different third year, and now I might not be able to take the options I want for my finals (biomed not medicine, but it's the same problem).

The options mainly seem like the old modules broken into two? And you're picking two options rather than 1 right? So maybe its not so bad?

It does suck it wasn't advertised before you started the course though.

Is Medicine as hard as everyone makes it out to be? I can only imagine it is.
How long is it?

Josh :smile:

Reply 10

username4490504

OP

9

Original post by hallamstudents

Is Medicine as hard as everyone makes it out to be? I can only imagine it is.
How long is it?

Josh :smile:

There is a lot of info to memorise, which can sometimes be like "wtf! how is this all going in?"
Varies by Uni - but either 5 or 6 years (as with Oxford)
4 years from some GEM courses

Reply 11

ConicalFlask

13

Original post by nexttime

The options mainly seem like the old modules broken into two? And you're picking two options rather than 1 right? So maybe its not so bad?

It does suck it wasn't advertised before you started the course though.

The biomed course used to involve choosing a major and minor (while I think the medics only chose one) so you used to be able to study what's equivalent to 4 of the new modules. Also, the neuroscience stream for biomed used to have a huge range of psychology options, whereas now there's only one combined psychology option and two neuro.

My biggest problem with it is that I chose some second year options that I don't enjoy too much because I thought they would be compulsory for the third year stuff I wanted to do, but taking them was actually pointless.

Reply 12

cletclaw

10

First off, thank you for this.
I know this is maybe trivial compared to some questions, and also know that the whole area is a tourist hot spot, but have you found there are any college that tend to get more tourists than others? or unusually less, comparatively speaking?

Reply 13

eupheme

10

Original post by cletclaw

First off, thank you for this.
I know this is maybe trivial compared to some questions, and also know that the whole area is a tourist hot spot, but have you found there are any college that tend to get more tourists than others? or unusually less, comparatively speaking?

while I'm not yet an Oxford student, I've heard that christ church, balliol and merton among others are quite popular with tourists. generally the further out from the centre the fewer tourists will venture there i should think!

i'd like to know what the essays are like - how many do you have to write in a term? how long do they have to be?
did you do essay subjects in college, and if not how did you get used to writing them?

essays are really not my strong suit as you can maybe tell 😂 do you think this would pose a big problem for me? (I have an offer for 2019 entry)

Reply 14

username4490504

OP

9

Original post by cletclaw

First off, thank you for this.
I know this is maybe trivial compared to some questions, and also know that the whole area is a tourist hot spot, but have you found there are any college that tend to get more tourists than others? or unusually less, comparatively speaking?

obviously I am not in every college all the time so don't know but as with the poster above I think it s a logical conclusion that more tourists exist in the centre of town colleges. Definitely whenever I have gone to the library in the town centre (the Rad cam) there are more tourists around ... depends on the time of the year too

Reply 15

username4490504

OP

9

Original post by rumaisa_

while I'm not yet an Oxford student, I've heard that christ church, balliol and merton among others are quite popular with tourists. generally the further out from the centre the fewer tourists will venture there i should think!

i'd like to know what the essays are like - how many do you have to write in a term? how long do they have to be?
did you do essay subjects in college, and if not how did you get used to writing them?

essays are really not my strong suit as you can maybe tell 😂 do you think this would pose a big problem for me? (I have an offer for 2019 entry)

I wrote at least one per week (often more)

I did History at A-level (but otherwise just sciences and maths) and I would imagine you aren't that bad if you got through the BMAT essays - also do anything enough times and you get better at it so in that sense you will definitely get better with time if you put the effort in

Reply 16

BlueIndigoViolet

19

you got into Oxford and you're doing medicine? are you human :smile:

huge respect :smile:

have you found the workload a massive step up and is it manageable?

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 17

username4490504

OP

9

Original post by BlueIndigoViolet

you got into Oxford and you're doing medicine? are you human :smile:

huge respect :smile:

have you found the workload a massive step up and is it manageable?

Last time I checked all the people on the course are human :smile:

It is manageable but yeah lots of work to be done!

Reply 18

nexttime

22

Original post by rumaisa_

while I'm not yet an Oxford student, I've heard that christ church, balliol and merton among others are quite popular with tourists. generally the further out from the centre the fewer tourists will venture there i should think!

Christchurch is the overwhelmingly most touristy. Others in the centre will be popular. I don't think Balliol or Merton were particularly so.

By far the busiest tourist period though is summer i.e. when you aren't there. I never really came across anyone who had a particular problem with tourists, except that they tend to walk slowly in the streets!

essays are really not my strong suit as you can maybe tell 😂 do you think this would pose a big problem for me? (I have an offer for 2019 entry)

They aren't really essays though. They're more... lists of facts plus some scientific discussion. I came across tutors who actually recommended you use bullet points for the entire essay, if you wanted to.

Reply 19

username4490504

OP

9

Original post by nexttime

Christchurch is the overwhelmingly most touristy. Others in the centre will be popular. I don't think Balliol or Merton were particularly so.

By far the busiest tourist period though is summer i.e. when you aren't there. I never really came across anyone who had a particular problem with tourists, except that they tend to walk slowly in the streets!

They aren't really essays though. They're more... lists of facts plus some scientific discussion. I came across tutors who actually recommended you use bullet points for the entire essay, if you wanted to.

Some definitely do prefer prose though!

AMA about Oxford or Medicine

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