2014 Medicine Re-Applicants Watch

does BSMS require the BMAT for undergrad sstudy??

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
Keep your eyes peeled around the start of Freshers, that's all I'll say
At Scottish universities, Scottish and RUK (rest of UK) applicants don't actually compete against each other, I assume due to differences in funding. So no preference is given to Scottish over English / NI / Welsh applicants, although they may have fewer spaces for RUK applicants than English unis have for home students.

Aye, don't blame you - is your commute still an hour and a half long? (Hope I haven't got the wrong blog there!) That's commitment!
Eh.. honestly, your job as an HCA will probably give a greater insight into the workings of a hospital / multi-disciplinary team / role of a doctor etc. than you'd get from your standard week of work experience, so write away! Obviously it depends on what you write, but I'd say HCA work is looked upon favourably. No real risk of looking like you want to go into nursing, unless you just write about your observations of nurses
Just the extended patient contact aspect of it is beneficial, IMO. As I said, I worked in a care home that was staffed purely with care assistants and nurses - not a doctor in sight, bar the occasional visiting GP. You learn loads just by interacting with patients.

Trust me, the UKCAT feels a lot easier the second time round. Although it's said to be an aptitude test, I went from 665 last year to 715 this year without much more practice - I was just used to the style of question. I honestly wouldn't think about it too much until after you've taken it - if you put yourself under pressure to get a high score, chances are you'll just get stressed out!

I look forward to it!

I really really liked the look of Dundee, but I don't think I've got much of a shot there because they apparently rank their applicants by level of qualification, so someone (not a lot unlike yourself ) with A*'s would easily surpass me. Never mind all the grad applicants and what have you...

Haha yes it is - actually near 2 hours. We shall see though - keep reading, i'll keep you updated! Did you get any other additional wexp aside working as a HCA? I had a few weeks worth of shadowing different doctors from different departments, helping in a school, vitalise and care home volunteering so I wasn't really planning on doing anything else. [Albeit, I haven't done any experience at a GP's as this is terribly hard to find for me...] I also hope working as a HCA and having the patient contact you mentioned will be beneficial at the interview stage - did this help you at all?

I already feel a bit more confident with UKCAT, and I will certainly take preparing for it a lot more seriously than I did last year - just hope I can slot the prep around work easily. What about all this SJT rubbish? What do you make of that? Some universities have already stated that they're not going to be using it at all...

You, Missy, damn well better be available come October when my UKCAT if my UKCAT comes crashing down...!

(Original post by ameelia22)
I look forward to it!

I really really liked the look of Dundee, but I don't think I've got much of a shot there because they apparently rank their applicants by level of qualification, so someone (not a lot unlike yourself ) with A*'s would easily surpass me. Never mind all the grad applicants and what have you...

Haha yes it is - actually near 2 hours. We shall see though - keep reading, i'll keep you updated! Did you get any other additional wexp aside working as a HCA? I had a few weeks worth of shadowing different doctors from different departments, helping in a school, vitalise and care home volunteering so I wasn't really planning on doing anything else. [Albeit, I haven't done any experience at a GP's as this is terribly hard to find for me...] I also hope working as a HCA and having the patient contact you mentioned will be beneficial at the interview stage - did this help you at all?

I already feel a bit more confident with UKCAT, and I will certainly take preparing for it a lot more seriously than I did last year - just hope I can slot the prep around work easily. What about all this SJT rubbish? What do you make of that? Some universities have already stated that they're not going to be using it at all...

You, Missy, damn well better be available come October when my UKCAT if my UKCAT comes crashing down...!

Dundee's a tricky one. They don't look at the PS before interview, so their pre-interview selection is done on 60% academics, 40% UKCAT, but after interview it's a clean slate and offers are made on interview score. A wonderful medical school (almost accepted their offer over St Andrews') but perhaps a tad risky.

Nope, no extra work experience whatsoever. This wasn't picked up on at all (although I mentioned work exp in my PS, it was actually from the summer of 2011 - but they never asked me so may have assumed it was recent) although when I did my work experience, I kept a word document so managed to refresh my memory on what I did
Definitely helped, yes. Both in terms of having experiences to talk about, also being more confident in the interview itself. Having a job that involved talking to people (people who perhaps weren't 'all there') for 8 hours a day infinitely increased my confidence in talking to new people, and I found interviews far less stressful the second time round.

The SJT was being tested when I took my UKCAT. I was told our scores wouldn't matter, so I just skipped through the entire section. Pretty much closed my eyes and chose answers at random..
Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I didn't take it seriously. Currently, the SJT also plays a large part in the FPAS, so it's not the last time you'll come across it. No idea on how to prepare for it, but I doubt it'll be used extensively considering it's in its first year.

Oh, I'll still be here! However, be positive - that won't happen, you'll smash it!

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
A wonderful medical school (almost accepted their offer over St Andrews') but perhaps a tad risky.

Dundee medics East coast represent!

(Original post by cheesypuff)
does BSMS require the BMAT for undergrad sstudy??

No. It is only Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and Imperial that use the BMAT. Leeds will also be using it as of 2015 entry. (however this doesn't concern us)

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
Dundee's a tricky one. They don't look at the PS before interview, so their pre-interview selection is done on 60% academics, 40% UKCAT, but after interview it's a clean slate and offers are made on interview score. A wonderful medical school (almost accepted their offer over St Andrews') but perhaps a tad risky.

Nope, no extra work experience whatsoever. This wasn't picked up on at all (although I mentioned work exp in my PS, it was actually from the summer of 2011 - but they never asked me so may have assumed it was recent) although when I did my work experience, I kept a word document so managed to refresh my memory on what I did
Definitely helped, yes. Both in terms of having experiences to talk about, also being more confident in the interview itself. Having a job that involved talking to people (people who perhaps weren't 'all there') for 8 hours a day infinitely increased my confidence in talking to new people, and I found interviews far less stressful the second time round.

The SJT was being tested when I took my UKCAT. I was told our scores wouldn't matter, so I just skipped through the entire section. Pretty much closed my eyes and chose answers at random..
Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I didn't take it seriously. Currently, the SJT also plays a large part in the FPAS, so it's not the last time you'll come across it. No idea on how to prepare for it, but I doubt it'll be used extensively considering it's in its first year.

Oh, I'll still be here! However, be positive - that won't happen, you'll smash it!

Judging by a recent spreadsheet illustrating the UCAS tariff scores interviewed, a majority seem to be above the 420 point... It's not even clear how they score academics?

Oh good, all good things then. What period were you working from / until?

I certainly hope that the SJT score is real easy to score highly on, as I know me, and most other people did the same...

I hope so TBJ!!! Don't want all the fantastic medic-freshers forgetting about us measily applicants

(Original post by ameelia22)
Whilst this doesn't apply to me, where can you apply if you resit your AS year with no extenuating circumstances? I ask, because many universities that would normally consider reapplicants consider them on the basis that they achieved XXX at A2 at first sitting, however because you resit your AS year you don't know that information?

AFAIK, if there are no extenuating circumstances, anyone taking more than 2 years to get 4 AS and 3 A2s can only apply to UEA, BSMS, Exeter or Plymouth - it's the same answer as someone retaking A2 exams. The alternative for someone with poor AS grades is to resit some modules during Y13 and hope to end up with AAA+. However, as they might struggle to get AAA+ predictions after a outcome from Y12, they would have to take a gap year and apply on the basis of achieved grades. HTH.

(Original post by ameelia22)
Judging by a recent spreadsheet illustrating the UCAS tariff scores interviewed, a majority seem to be above the 420 point... It's not even clear how they score academics?

Oh good, all good things then. What period were you working from / until?

I certainly hope that the SJT score is real easy to score highly on, as I know me, and most other people did the same...

I hope so TBJ!!! Don't want all the fantastic medic-freshers forgetting about us measily applicants

No, I'm not entirely sure Funnily enough, it was my 'risky' option this year and ended up being the first one to give me an offer
They're very open in how they score the interview but that doesn't much help..

I worked full-time from September (didn't turn 18 until August) to March. Spent some of April and May in Kenya, been lovin' life at home since Have spent every single penny of the money that I earnt, but hey.. life's too short to worry about that

Best of luck in the UKCAT; I'll keep an eye on your progress & definitely not! You'll all be 'fantastic medic-freshers' next year anyway ;D

(Original post by ameelia22)
My email said:

sorry to hear that... don't worry - your application is much more stronger now that you have your achieved grades ... it was lovely of you to share that with us You're gonna smash it!! I'm sure all of you on here will.

(Original post by Pastaferian)
AFAIK, if there are no extenuating circumstances, anyone taking more than 2 years to get 4 AS and 3 A2s can only apply to UEA, BSMS, Exeter or Plymouth - it's the same answer as someone retaking A2 exams. The alternative for someone with poor AS grades is to resit some modules during Y13 and hope to end up with AAA+. However, as they might struggle to get AAA+ predictions after a outcome from Y12, they would have to take a gap year and apply on the basis of achieved grades. HTH.

Yeah, pretty much what I thought. An old friend of mine said that was his plan, and I wasn't sure how feasible it even was, but then he doesn't really research these things well.

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
No, I'm not entirely sure Funnily enough, it was my 'risky' option this year and ended up being the first one to give me an offer
They're very open in how they score the interview but that doesn't much help..

I worked full-time from September (didn't turn 18 until August) to March. Spent some of April and May in Kenya, been lovin' life at home since Have spent every single penny of the money that I earnt, but hey.. life's too short to worry about that

Best of luck in the UKCAT; I'll keep an eye on your progress & definitely not! You'll all be 'fantastic medic-freshers' next year anyway ;D

I think it's too risky for me to put down personally, although I'd love to go.

Does the year go quickly? I can't wait for March to find out if I am going to university! Wow, what did you end up doing in Kenya? I am thinking of going interrailing in eastern europe for a short break in Jan, maybe quit work then and do a cushy office job for a couple of months until I fly back out later in the year, or just take a couple of weeks break and return to working as a HCA until April and then do my planned Thailand / Sri Lanka volunteering abroad.

Sometimes when I'm wiping up poo, I think how lovely it would be to have a nice cushy admin job where i get to sit on my arse and drink tea all day, but then I think I would be so bored ****less (pun not intended).

Are you not taking any Bank HCA shifts? or does that not apply to you because you worked in a care home?

Cheers

Anybody had a Sheffield interview in the 2013 cycle and mind sharing how rigorous the interview is? I've got it in 4 days!

(Original post by ameelia22)
I think it's too risky for me to put down personally, although I'd love to go.

Does the year go quickly? I can't wait for March to find out if I am going to university! Wow, what did you end up doing in Kenya? I am thinking of going interrailing in eastern europe for a short break in Jan, maybe quit work then and do a cushy office job for a couple of months until I fly back out later in the year, or just take a couple of weeks break and return to working as a HCA until April and then do my planned Thailand / Sri Lanka volunteering abroad.

Sometimes when I'm wiping up poo, I think how lovely it would be to have a nice cushy admin job where i get to sit on my arse and drink tea all day, but then I think I would be so bored sh*tless (pun not intended).

Are you not taking any Bank HCA shifts? or does that not apply to you because you worked in a care home?

Cheers

It's gone so quickly, it's quite hard to grasp that I got my A-Level results over a year ago! A fair few of my friends didn't end up going to uni, so I've not been alone, and my job took up a lot of time which made it go particularly fast.

I was in Kenya as I had been sponsored by Rotary International to go over there and assess an orphanage - they wanted to raise $50,000 (about £35,000?) and set up a permanent fundraising link. However, I ended up not having a great time of it and although I was meant to spend five weeks there, only ended up staying for three.
The original orphanage was far too well-off to get the $50,000 (and the owners were the most detestable people I've ever met, but that's another story), but I did manage to find another place - a home for sexually abused girls between the age of 4 and 12 - and since I've been back I've given a few presentations to the rotary club and they're going ahead with that project.
So it wasn't such a waste in the end.

Safari was good though - some of my photos can be seen here: http://flickr.com/photos/larajb

Definitely take a holiday or two though! The boyfriend and I went to Rome recently and we loved it - so inter-railing would definitely appeal to me.

Not doing any bank work, no. The manager did say that I can be put on their internal bank scheme, but I decided not to - I'm in the fortunate position of having parents who are able and willing to help me out whilst at uni, so I've just been spending a lot of time with the boyfriend as we'll live 7 hours apart when I move to Scotland..
May go back next summer, though.. I love my car, but it's 14 years old.. I'll see how my finances pan out after a year.

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
It's gone so quickly, it's quite hard to grasp that I got my A-Level results over a year ago! A fair few of my friends didn't end up going to uni, so I've not been alone, and my job took up a lot of time which made it go particularly fast.

I was in Kenya as I had been sponsored by Rotary International to go over there and assess an orphanage - they wanted to raise $50,000 (about £35,000?) and set up a permanent fundraising link. However, I ended up not having a great time of it and although I was meant to spend five weeks there, only ended up staying for three.
The original orphanage was far too well-off to get the $50,000 (and the owners were the most detestable people I've ever met, but that's another story), but I did manage to find another place - a home for sexually abused girls between the age of 4 and 12 - and since I've been back I've given a few presentations to the rotary club and they're going ahead with that project.
So it wasn't such a waste in the end.

Safari was good though - some of my photos can be seen here: http://flickr.com/photos/larajb

Definitely take a holiday or two though! The boyfriend and I went to Rome recently and we loved it - so inter-railing would definitely appeal to me.

Not doing any bank work, no. The manager did say that I can be put on their internal bank scheme, but I decided not to - I'm in the fortunate position of having parents who are able and willing to help me out whilst at uni, so I've just been spending a lot of time with the boyfriend as we'll live 7 hours apart when I move to Scotland..
May go back next summer, though.. I love my car, but it's 14 years old.. I'll see how my finances pan out after a year.

I just can't wait can't wait can't wait, so that's good to hear.

Oh yes, I remember reading about that on the 2013 thread? How awful, but at least it wasn't completely wasted. Your photos are ace, you must have a really good camera, that elephant picture and the one with the leopard - these should be like poster photographs. As I was scrolling down, I saw this other dark wild animal, and I was like, oh my god, what an earth is that, and then I realised it must be your dog :')

Yes, I think I need the breaks to keep myself looking beyond the medicine application, and a job that doesn't stimulate my brain academically... feel free to come with me all my friends are going to university, and aren't big on travelling !

My God, 7 hours away from the boyf - your brave!

Currently taking driving lessons myself, so impatient to pass and get my own car too - I think I'll be driving a 2000 Honda though haha, pussy patrol WILLY WATCH , babe wagon, girls in heels driving in crappy wheels, etc.

(Original post by ameelia22)
x .

Hey, I'm planning on going to thailand too, just wondering are you planning to find a organisation to give you a volunteer project or somthing like that?

(Original post by ameelia22)
I just can't wait can't wait can't wait, so that's good to hear.

Oh yes, I remember reading about that on the 2013 thread? How awful, but at least it wasn't completely wasted. Your photos are ace, you must have a really good camera, that elephant picture and the one with the leopard - these should be like poster photographs. As I was scrolling down, I saw this other dark wild animal, and I was like, oh my god, what an earth is that, and then I realised it must be your dog :')

Yes, I think I need the breaks to keep myself looking beyond the medicine application, and a job that doesn't stimulate my brain academically... feel free to come with me all my friends are going to university, and aren't big on travelling !

My God, 7 hours away from the boyf - your brave!

Currently taking driving lessons myself, so impatient to pass and get my own car too - I think I'll be driving a 2000 Honda though haha, pussy patrol WILLY WATCH , babe wagon, girls in heels driving in crappy wheels, etc.

Part of the reason I have no money left is because I spent £600 on a new camera lens and battery grip
Aha, yeah, the wild boxer dogs of the Masai Mara

Definitely, try not to let it take over your life! It's hard not to, but once you've got the hard bit (getting interviews / offers), start to enjoy yourself!
One of my friends is going interrailing before going back to uni, I'm so jealous of her ):<

We've been semi-LDR for a year thus far (he's going into his second year now as he, er, didn't need a gap year) so it won't be too much of a shock - although it'll be a long train journey as opposed to an hour's drive for me (he'll fly to Edinburgh and I'll pick him up). Even though I see him most days at the moment and I don't start until September 7th, I'm already looking forward to September 20th when he's coming up for the weekend

Aha, brilliant I've a 1999 Toyota Yaris, so it's pretty much an old lady car. Can't complain, though - it's never given me any trouble! Can't go wrong with a Japanese car.

Hey guys, when applying for jobs on NHS jobs, what sort of jobs do you think I could go for (someone like me with insignificant experience) and what pay band should I look for? It seems like all the jobs are looking for experienced individuals already.

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
...

Had a sneaky look at your photos and they're amazing! If medicine doesn't work out...

(Original post by manupalace)
Had a sneaky look at your photos and they're amazing! If medicine doesn't work out...

Awh, why thank you

(Original post by SuziieB)
Hey guys, when applying for jobs on NHS jobs, what sort of jobs do you think I could go for (someone like me with insignificant experience) and what pay band should I look for? It seems like all the jobs are looking for experienced individuals already.

I've never applied through the NHS, but I would imagine the lower bands / pay scales eg "up to £20,000" using keywords such as healthcare assistant / HCA / phlebotomist etc.

What job should I get via the NHS or should i apply through something else?