So what happens after 4 rejections?

Hi,

Basically I've been rejected from 3 of my 4 uni choices, I'm just worried i may end up getting rejected from my 4th medicine choice too. If that happens, is there like a medicine clearing system? Can I phone up all the medicine universities to see if they would consider me?

Basically, if it's all you want and you're feeling as desperate as I was last year, in your position, you must reapply. That's given that you have the potential.

Last year I got four rejections without interview. I've dedicated another year to getting into medicine, and this year I have two unconditionals already, with another interview to go.

Do not give up, because it's perfectly likely that you'll get in next year - I'm proof.

You can PM me or whatever to hear what I did to turn everything around, or I guess I could post here if peeps want?

Basically, if it's all you want and you're feeling as desperate as I was last year, in your position, you must reapply. That's given that you have the potential.

Last year I got four rejections without interview. I've dedicated another year to getting into medicine, and this year I have two unconditionals already, with another interview to go.

Do not give up, because it's perfectly likely that you'll get in next year - I'm proof.

You can PM me or whatever to hear what I did to turn everything around, or I guess I could post here if peeps want?

Post here!

Is Penisula not a good uni for medicine then?




I don't think Psychology is seen as being that soft tbh

Mmkaaaaay...

Well, after having my fourth rejection, I wrote to the universities I had applied to asking for feedback immediately, being determined to get in the next (this) year. Although their feedback was generally useless (or non-existent), I was left to figure out for myself what was wrong.

Meanwhile, I focussed on my A levels to make sure they were amazing and proved the schools that rejected me wrong I also decided that I'd make sure to get a better UKCAT, so I did more prep for that.

I wrote to a university professor at Keele, about improving my personal statement and he wrote me four pages of feedback. The general messages were that my PS was too academic, seemed too apt and only for Cambridge - not the 'people's' doctor searched for in Tomorrow's Doctors.



As for interviews, I think the key thing is how keen I probably came across. I wanted it a lot, and having changed from the arrogant **** I used to be this time last year, I think my interview appeal must have been quite good. In one of my mock interviews, my keenness was commented on, so it's a big thing!

I think I've put most of it out here. If there's anything anyone wants to ask, please do!

Thanks for posting that - so for the personal statement is it better to talk about your attributes than academics?

psychology is a soft A level and one of his A's was in this subject.

Did you take Psychology A level then? Because you must have done to label it "soft" i'm sure I speak for lot of people who took it in saying, it is NOT. Psychology is a desirable subject when applying for medicine as it requires the student to memorise and process a huge amount of information.

Yes, but reflection is key. If you don't talk about what you've learned from something, then you barely need to have bothered writing it down. You must reflect - talk about everything learned from all of your experiences.

Maybe the universities should make more space on their course.

Mmkaaaaay...

Well, after having my fourth rejection, I wrote to the universities I had applied to asking for feedback immediately, being determined to get in the next (this) year. Although their feedback was generally useless (or non-existent), I was left to figure out for myself what was wrong.

Meanwhile, I focussed on my A levels to make sure they were amazing and proved the schools that rejected me wrong I also decided that I'd make sure to get a better UKCAT, so I did more prep for that.

I wrote to a university professor at Keele, about improving my personal statement and he wrote me four pages of feedback. The general messages were that my PS was too academic, seemed too apt and only for Cambridge - not the 'people's' doctor searched for in Tomorrow's Doctors.



As for interviews, I think the key thing is how keen I probably came across. I wanted it a lot, and having changed from the arrogant **** I used to be this time last year, I think my interview appeal must have been quite good. In one of my mock interviews, my keenness was commented on, so it's a big thing!

I think I've put most of it out here. If there's anything anyone wants to ask, please do!

Incredible post! You're the definition of a doctor from how you appear on TSR.

+1 your other post too (which was negged for no reason)!

memorizing the first 1000 digits that comprise the value of pi wouldn't prepare you well for a medicine course.

Psychology is considered soft because of the thing you highlighted; memorization. It requires very little lateral thinking going by what others have told me.

what's unlucky about the AS'?

so your friends give you a representative view of all the medical admissions departments?

biology requires an immense ammount of memorisation, as does chemistry. the only subject that requires more application than memorisation would be maths and thats not even a requirement. thats the thing about A levels these days - its about the strength of your memory.

so your friends give you a representative view of all the medical admissions departments?

biology requires an immense ammount of memorisation, as does chemistry. the only subject that requires more application than memorisation would be maths and thats not even a requirement. thats the thing about A levels these days - its about the strength of your memory.

this is where our views part.

Chemistry is not all memorization though a lot of it is required. The exams are very conceptual and to attain high marks you need to be scientifically minded. I do Chemistry so I can speak for it.

However I'd imagine the same thing is for biology (I don't do bio), did you see that facebook group with 10k+ members complaining about an OCR biology exam? lots of people dubbed the paper unfair because so much of what they revised didn't come up, why? the exam board changed and adapted the syllabus so that students apply knowledge rather than regurgitate it. A lot of teachers did not prepare the students well enough because the change to the syllabus happened in that academic year according to my Woodhouse interviewer.

I disagree with this. If anything, it's math that is more memorization than anything. Chemistry is in no way a memorization course: you need to have the ability to think critically and conceptually (and often even visually in the case of organic chemistry) in order to solve chemistry problems.

Biology for some part requires memorization, but it is only to learn basic facts. For example, memorizing the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium equation is good but if you cannot think critically and apply it effectively in a given problem, then memorizing the formula is worthless.

So yeah, I disagree with your post.

As stated in another person's post, psychology does place heavy emphasis on memorization. I remember my psych exams where over half the exam would be multiple choice questions on definitions and concepts. There is not much application in psychology; at least not until you do higher level studies like a thesis, masters or PhD work.

no what he meant is UCL, Kings, Cambridge, these are world known names, it's hard to get into these unis regardless of the course, so if you only apply to schools like that, and not a less known medical school (Peninsula is less known, obviously every UK med school is great), then you're being silly. However good you might think you are.