How can I express myself?

yo didn't read the thread and i don't plan 2 but i just wanna say your username is pretty kool

I don't get really get what you're asking specifically, but I'm assuming the question is along the lines of "how can I come across as an exceptional candidate in my application and my interview".

Firstly, there's no "right way" to "present yourself", especially for somewhere like Cambridge. From my own experienced and having spoken to friends, Cambridge colleges don't really care about anything other than how clever you are, whether they'd be able to teach you, and whether you'd be able to handle the course.

Obviously you need to tick a few boxes (work experience, volunteering etc) but everyone does that anyway, so it's hardly a discriminating factor. What makes you exceptional are first and foremost, your grades - everything else is secondary. There's absolutely no need to come across as aggressive, charismatic etc (at least for Cambridge) - you just need to be cleverer (in terms of grades and interview) than the other people who apply to that college.

But yeah, not really sure what you're getting at with this thread If you clarify, maybe I can offer some better suggestions.

cheers. it was just a rant really because I hadn't sleep for ages and was getting weird

I remember Medlink and how crazy competitive they made the whole shebang feel; my suspicion is that the organisers do that on purpose to make you spend even more on their fine goods and services *cough*. Putting however many hundred 16 and 17 year olds in a room is always going to create a pressure cooker atmosphere. In reality, it's just not helpful to think about other people when you're applying.

You stand out from somebody who is desperate and keen by having a strong and well reasoned application. So yes, volunteering and work experience are obviously really important, but your reflection on that is what ticks the boxes to get you through. I used to review personal statements on here and far too many of them read something like "I want to be a doctor because of my passion for helping save people and contributing towards the sum of human knowledge. I've known this was my calling since I broke my leg at age 5 and everything I have ever done has contributed towards this moment in my life." You'll sound better if you can explain your motivation clearly and reflect honestly on the things you've seen and done, without turning it all into some mad moral crusade.

On that note, I would seriously recommend that you get some work experience nailed down. You talk a lot about how you just know that you are right for medicine, but nobody can just know. You just can't, it's essential to get some exposure to that world. Aggression really isn't the right word to use in this context; you need to be assertive. If you feel that assertiveness is something that you struggle with then there are ways to deal with that with some Googling.

I don't know an awful lot about Cambridge as I never applied, but my understanding is that the interview is as much about whether they want to work with you for the next 3 years as whether you'll make a good doctor; so on that front you need to be reading up on the latest developments in science and medicine so that you can have an intelligent conversation.

It sounds to me like you need a nice sit down and a cup of tea. Seriously, dude. Chill.

I'm a 16 year old white male. I'm at a grammar school in north yorkshire.
A quote from an article I read about medicine: "competition within schools is one of the most dysfunctional elements of the educational system".

The article also said that a lot of the competition for medicine is created by girls at private schools who are being pushed into it by parents who want them to have "financially secure" jobs.
When I went to Medlink (medicine-based conference at nott. uni) I really got the impression that there are a lot of desperate people wanting to do medicine. Desperate in the sense that it's an obsession that's taken control of them. A lot of these people give off the air of wanting a place at med school more than I do because they are the creations of teachers and parents who have pushed them towards it. They seem like they want it more than I do. They do not.
The problem is I have difficulty showing it. I've grown up as the middle brother in 3. I'm at an all boys school. I've been playing rugby for years. This has all come together to create a personality for me where I do not like to show weakness. In my opinion, the outright desperation for a place at uni to do medicine in weakness. I find it shows a yielding to the desire for something and an inability to be powerful; to be the boss of one's situation, rather than the bossed. I want to go to Cambridge university. I've done a lot of looking into it and it is like my dream. My issue is that they only accept "the best". Part of being "the best" in this sense is showing a huge longing and desire for medicine. This is something I have, but I can't show it.

With regards to what I said about having a character created by male environments, I have a bit of a persona in social situations. It's a total load of *******s really. Basically, I think I come across as a bit of a meathead who just doesn't give a ****. This isn't me. The real me is someone who's developed mostly over the recent past. I've found that my longing for medicine has started to change me, but the aggressive persona still dominates. Because of this persona I've had people at school doubt me. My parents encourage me to go for medicine, but neither of them even went to uni. They're not stereotypical ostentatious parents of a grammar school boy. they're just normal. They don't push my like I imagine some parents do.

Going back to what I was saying about private school girls being pushed into it. That was just an example i was trying to use to illustrate the idea of desperate (in the sense I've explained) doctor wannabes. They want to do medicine because that's what they've been told. To be honest, i can't remember the origin of my desire to do it. however it has now manifested into some deep duty within my head, where i feel it's my self-driven purpose to become a doctor. not for prestige. not for money. not for anybody else. just because I feel i must do it. because i'll be the best at it. I feel that there may be people who are better are reading books and doing exams than me. There may be people who have an effortless charisma that will make them the best at speaking to patients. However, I have an inner aggression that makes me feel powerful. Like I'm doing what i'm doing because I want to and that I'm the boss. not for or because of anyone else. all these people who come across as so up their own arses. Meh. you got 13 A* at gcse. brilliant, I got 10. yeah, you've got hundreds of hours volunteering at a care home. I've never even experienced death, never mind serious illness. but i've got grit and I'm my own master, not someone else's creation. I'm realistic; I know this is going to be a long hard path. I know there's no glamour in it, despite what your parents and teachers have told you.


If anyone has read all this who is already at university (especially cambridge) could you please give some advice? how can I present myself as aggressive in the sense that I am powerful and can match any situation? How can I show deep longing for medicine without it being perceived as weakness in the form of desperation? How is it possible for me, someone who on the surface seems like just some other idiot, to show my true inner-self: one who has grit and is down to earth, and spends a lot of time just THINKING. I do not say this arrogantly but I AM clever. I do ALOT of thinking. the majority of my time is spent inside my head.
How can I show this, but show it as someone with charisma? from what I've written do I seem like an ********? I hope I seem as someone who is actually afraid. Afraid of losing out to someone DESPERATE, the product of someone else.

I really, really want to go to cambridge and to succeed. Not because of what people associate with the university. Not to beat anybody else. Not to prove a point or gain some bull**** prestige. but I just don't think I come across as the right type of person, even though I truly believe beyond all doubt that I am.
Am I completely missing the point? Is there a reason nobody's pushing me towards medicine that I just can't see?

Hit me back, you sexy mother ****ers. Peace x

Well, I'm here, seeing as you asked me to have a look. Though I should start by pointing out that I am a girl, and I was privately educated, so perhaps not your ideal audience...

I don't think it's particularly worthwhile for you to get worked up about other people's motivation for medicine. Maybe some people have been pushed into it, and not just private school girls, but plenty more have made their own decision and pursued it just the same as you. You seem to perceive the girls you encountered at Medlink as "desperate" but your own deep-seated desire is simply "self-driven," "duty," "inner aggression," when in reality it all boils down to pretty much the same thing - you all really want to do medicine, you're just expressing it in different ways, and neither is really better than the other.

Getting bitter about other people is not going to get you into medical school. First of all make sure you've got all the basic tick-boxes filled - that you meet/exceed the requirements for the places you're applying to. Then put together a personal statement which sells you and your experience well. You want to show that you've reflected on your work experience and that it has given you an insight into a)what the role of a doctor involves and b)what skills you have to bring to that role. Try to demonstrate by examples rather than just saying "I am a good team-player" or whatever. There are very few really unique reasons for wanting to do medicine - the people reading your PS will have seen most of it before. You don't want to do anything particularly wacky or unusual to "stand out" - just tick the right boxes to get you an interview. Bear in mind that Cambridge don't really use the PS, so this would be more for your other choices. I would definitely avoid using words like "aggression" - this is not a desirable quality. As Fission Mailed said, assertive is a much better term.

When it comes to the interview, I know it's a cliché, but try and be yourself. They have seen hundreds of people like you over the years, and know how to spot people who've been coached by their schools or gone on expensive courses etc. Focus on what you think and what you can do, not why you are better than others - that's for them to decide. I would aim for enthusiasm rather than aggression in your approach. The Cambridge interviews, by the way, are predominantly academic, rather than laying great weight on your motivation for medicine. They want to see someone who is bright, who doesn't necessarily know the answers to all their questions but can think about ones they don't know, who is keen and interested and who they think they can teach.

I would get some more hospital/GP-based work experience if at all possible, observe what goes on and think about how the skills and personality attributes that you have would fit in and work in that environment.

Also, go and get some proper sleep!

I had imagined they'd be stuff like situation-based judgement. Have you got any examples?

Nope, as the course is predominantly academic, particularly for the first three years, they are mostly interested in that. Obviously they want people who will be good doctors too (and some colleges have, IMO, made mistakes in the past in focussing too much on academics and selecting people who really didn't have the other skills a doctor needs) but no, there's very little ethics/situational judgement.

My interview was a very long time ago now but by the sounds of things they haven't changed a huge amount. I got shown pictures of light micrographs and electron micrographs of different types of cells and talked a lot about cell biology, biochemistry etc. They asked me to compare two slides of tissue from the same organ and asked what might make them look different. Other people have been given similar objects to discuss. Some colleges have one "academic" and one "personal" interview, and in the second one you might talk more about your work experience, extra-curriculars, motivation etc, but at my college even the "personal" one was still mostly scientific.

You're overthinking this and just come across as overly competitive - not an attractive quality in a profession where teamwork, empathy and communication are all important. Any PS you write in this mood goes straight to the rejection pile as it reeks of entitlement.

People from the same schools get offers to the same med schools all the time, happened to me - not an issue.

Why do you want to come across as aggressive? Would you like an aggressive doctor looking after you? You seem to have fundamentally misunderstood what medical schools are looking for - please spend less time starting threads and more time doing independent research.

Finally - why is it so important to go to Cambridge? You will need to average in the high 90's in your AS's to have a chance - which is a great deal harder to achieve than at GCSE. Would you enjoy the heavy workload and the intense competition if it's already freaking you out in year 12, because I don't think your reaction is an encouraging sign? People that need to be the best at everything can find Oxbridge tough. Think carefully.

I also went to Medlink back in the day (well... medsim which I think is similar) and found it a massive turn-off, but I just ignored it. The way I always saw it, Medicine was really competitive but to be honest in terms of admissions it's just hoop-jumping and a bit of luck. I'm not competitive, desperate or with an 'inner aggression' - tbh I'm not quite sure what you mean by that, it sounds somewhat disturbing!

Anyway, my main point is that it's hoop jumping. It's not about wanting it more than life itself. Just do the things you're 'supposed' to do. Work experience. Doesn't matter whether it's for a year or a few weeks, the hoop isn't the time spent but the amount you reflect on it in your personal statement and can talk about it at interview.

If you know what the hoops are, that's enough. Then as I said, a bit of luck - if they ask you the right stuff at interview and happen to like your personal statement, then great. If you don't even get any interviews then that sucks but it happens to perfectly good candidates sometimes. Medicine is just that way, there's no amount of competitiveness that can remove the pot luck element.

Showing deep passion for medicine and all your stuff about inner power and aggression and stuff... if you ignore that bit and just go for the down to earth person who is really interested in medicine intellectually and also has some kind of motivation - honestly, just be normal and personable. There's no need to put on a front. Sell yourself in your personal statement, but again not OTT because it can get off-putting. If you feel that way about it then express it in keeping with your own personality. And probably without aggression(!!). You respect consultants because they are knowledgeable and have a lot of experience, not because they have some kind of chained inner alpha dog raging inside them. Respect is earnt and all that jazz.

But yes, just jump the hoops and chill out. You can be a competitive candidate without also becoming some kind of ruthless fake personality. I mean, you can put on a front if you wish, but competitiveness isn't about which dog on the chain barks loudest. So don't worry about it so much, you don't have to become a different person just to get into medical school - and by not being yourself, it may work out, but it also risks coming across in a way which is unrepresentative of yourself and which people might not take a shine to. There's no reason why fake 'competitive' you is going to be better than you just being you. If you're coming from the motivations you say you are and you're a reflective sort-of thinking person... I mean they like people like that. So just go with it, be yourself.

TL;DR seeing other people show-boating and stuff at Medlink shouldn't be waving a big sign saying you need to join them. Jump the hoops with your application and you'll be competitive enough in the right ways - don't let seeing other people mess you around from being yourself.

How can I not come across as competitive when the one thing adults say to me the most is "medicine is really competitive". It's been said to me an unreal number of times.

If you hadn't noticed, this isn't my personal statement. I'm anonymous on the internet. I'm not trying to sell myself to anyone. The only side to myself that I've shown on here is the one that needs to be addressed. I haven't mentioned other things as they aren't relevant to my current concern.

I think we are thinking of two different meanings of the word "aggressive". You seem to associate it with someone violent, unruly or undesirable (the most common meaning of the term, so fair enough). I associate self-confidence, ability and strength, such that you come across similarly to someone aggressive, in that your temperament demands some sort of respect. Please note I am not talking about intimidation or anything like that. This "aggression" is only something I'm adopting while I'm still in competition with other people. If I'm ever a doctor it will be a trait that will have subsided, as I will be where I want to be, and there won't be any further need to demonstrate the aggression. It will be assumed of me. You know when you walk into a room with a consultant or someone like that, and you immediately respect them? They don't even have to say anything? I want that kind of aggression. Not the kind associated with violence. I hope you understand my meaning now.

Starting threads is my way of doing research. Some of the feedback i've received off people has been really useful for me, much more so than google searches I've made before. I also like that I can interact with these people; give my point of view as well as having to just read theirs.

I really like the look of the place and the course. I like high-demand and big workloads; it means I'm always doing something. If my post-exam reflections with other people are anything to go by, I don't think struggling for 90+% scores are an issue. I'm already doing that.

The workload and competition isn't "freaking me out", it's just something that's still new to me and with which I'm still coming to terms.

"How can I express myself?"
For a 16 year old, you express yourself very well - no probs there.
but.......you're holed under the waterline until you recognise the consistant value of showing empathy.

IMO, the question you should be asking is not "How can I get people to respect me?"
the question you should be asking is "how can I get people to like me".

I'm not saying you have to learn to creep to people - I'm saying you need develop a "self filter" which stops you posting strong opinions of any kind - unless it is appropriate.

IMO, you just need to look at improving your display of empathy skills
(or your ability to fool people those with learned responses)

Just try it for a week - don't say anything controversial to anyone in your life. Just walk away from trouble - don't rise to the bait and see what happens - you might glimpse the answer that you seek yourself