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Cambridge Medicine Students and Applicants

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Is anyone else waiting for their clinical interview results that are due to come on Valentines Day? I felt the interview was so harsh.
Original post by Onee-chan
You get there for medicine at Cambridge, but as far as I know not in other universities.


You get a class for your intercalated/BA degree, but the final medicine degree at Cambridge is pass/fail, with a few people getting distinction.
Original post by *Liana*
You get a class for your intercalated/BA degree, but the final medicine degree at Cambridge is pass/fail, with a few people getting distinction.


Oh, by final do you mean at the end of 6 years? I thought we get 2 separate degrees for first 3 years and last 3 years? Still doing BA so automatically answered according to how they did it in the first 2 years :tongue:.
Original post by Onee-chan
Oh, by final do you mean at the end of 6 years? I thought we get 2 separate degrees for first 3 years and last 3 years? Still doing BA so automatically answered according to how they did it in the first 2 years :tongue:.


The BA (intercalated degree) has a class, the MB BChir does not have a class.
You may be interested to hear that we will be running an 'Ask a Medicine interviewer' thread in the Cambridge section for two weeks starting on Monday. This is your chance to ask questions directly to interviewers in Medicine here at Peterhouse!
Just out of interest, as I haven't heard much about this although there may be information in this thread that I have missed, where exactly do you have medical lectures in the university? I imagine you move around a lot but could anybody who is a student or past student of the university perhaps enlighten me somewhat as to the logistics of things?
Original post by Doomlar
Just out of interest, as I haven't heard much about this although there may be information in this thread that I have missed, where exactly do you have medical lectures in the university? I imagine you move around a lot but could anybody who is a student or past student of the university perhaps enlighten me somewhat as to the logistics of things?


Pre-clinical, it's a combination of the Babbage lecture theatre on the New Museums site, Chemistry lecture theatre on Lensfield Road and the Anatomy Dept on the Downing site. Practicals are in the relevant departments, which are mostly on the Downing site. Supervisions are usually in your college, though sometimes if you have an external supervisor you may need to go to another college or even the supervisor's house.

Clinical years, virtually all the formal teaching is at the Clinical School, which is at Addenbrooke's.
Original post by Helenia
Pre-clinical, it's a combination of the Babbage lecture theatre on the New Museums site, Chemistry lecture theatre on Lensfield Road and the Anatomy Dept on the Downing site. Practicals are in the relevant departments, which are mostly on the Downing site. Supervisions are usually in your college, though sometimes if you have an external supervisor you may need to go to another college or even the supervisor's house.

Clinical years, virtually all the formal teaching is at the Clinical School, which is at Addenbrooke's.


Thanks very much for that information; I was just trying to work out how far I'll have to walk, etc :smile:
Original post by Doomlar
Thanks very much for that information; I was just trying to work out how far I'll have to walk, etc :smile:


At the moment, there's building works on New Museums site (and I swear literally nothing has changed in the last 6 months :/ ), so they're using Lady Mitchell Hall on Sidgwick site instead of the Babbage lecture theatre for MIMS and HOM lectures for 1A; don't know where the 2nd years go, but I think it's a mix of the Chemistry lecture theatre and the anatomy lecture theatre and possibly Lady Mitchell Hall for some of the joint Medic/Vet lectures.
Original post by Ceryni
At the moment, there's building works on New Museums site (and I swear literally nothing has changed in the last 6 months :/ ), so they're using Lady Mitchell Hall on Sidgwick site instead of the Babbage lecture theatre for MIMS and HOM lectures for 1A; don't know where the 2nd years go, but I think it's a mix of the Chemistry lecture theatre and the anatomy lecture theatre and possibly Lady Mitchell Hall for some of the joint Medic/Vet lectures.


Are they intending to go back to the Babbage when the building works are finished?

Just curious.
Original post by Chief Wiggum
Are they intending to go back to the Babbage when the building works are finished?

Just curious.


I have no idea, I only really knew that they used to use that from what the older years told us. I'd assume they'd move back, although I can't honestly see that happening whilst I'm in pre-clin....
Original post by Ceryni
At the moment, there's building works on New Museums site (and I swear literally nothing has changed in the last 6 months :/ ), so they're using Lady Mitchell Hall on Sidgwick site instead of the Babbage lecture theatre for MIMS and HOM lectures for 1A; don't know where the 2nd years go, but I think it's a mix of the Chemistry lecture theatre and the anatomy lecture theatre and possibly Lady Mitchell Hall for some of the joint Medic/Vet lectures.


Sounds like my college lmfao :tongue: It sounds like you can end up pretty much anywhere within reason haha; thank you for the information! :smile:
Question for past or current medics, is there anywhere where we can get answers to past paper MCQs?
Original post by mrhedgehog
Question for past or current medics, is there anywhere where we can get answers to past paper MCQs?


I think most people just used mark schemes provided by supervisors/people in the year(s) above etc. There's no centralised markschemes provided, as far as I can remember.
Original post by Firestartc
Hi all,
I'm a year 12 student studying sciences and maths. I'm looking to apply to Cambridge to study medicine next year. If any of you guys have received offers from Cambridge to study medicine, do you have any advice for things things I should do co-curricular/super-curicular wise that would help bolster my application?


I am an offer holder. With the limited experience I have, I would recommend the following two points for medicine in general:
a) A consistent volunteering effort (i.e. at least an hour every week at someplace meaningful)
b) Work experience, preferably one in surgery and medicine (just send letters to consultants at different hospitals en masse i.e. use the same template!; usually at least one or two would say yes because it may help them fulfil their own teaching hours thingies or whatnot)

For Cambridge, I would recommend:
c) LOTS of reading around your subject. Now, don't expect them to ask you about the books you've read or the articles you've studied (they only spent about 5 minutes, out of the 50 minutes total, on my personal statement - literally). However, reading around will improve your skills and how to think scientifically, which is helpful when confronted with novel things at interview.

NOTE: if you read robotically for the sake of getting into Cambridge (as a few of my friends did) then that's probably not what they're looking for. If you read because you truly love biology, chemistry, medicine etc. then naturally you should do well.

I've finished my exams so am just milling around on tsr every now and again.
Hi, I'm looking to apply to Cambridge in the future to study medicine and am wondering whether any offer holders or current students have any advice about things super-curricular wise that would help with my application. Also, what would you do differently if you were applying now, e.g- more focus on reading around subject, more BMAT preparation e.t.c
Hi All,

I have a question.. how do you prepare for the BMAT?
Original post by The Lovely Panda
Hi, I'm looking to apply to Cambridge in the future to study medicine and am wondering whether any offer holders or current students have any advice about things super-curricular wise that would help with my application. Also, what would you do differently if you were applying now, e.g- more focus on reading around subject, more BMAT preparation e.t.c


For super-curriculars I just mentioned that I read things like the Student BMJ and New Scientist (I didn't find the Student BMJ to be that useful tbh) and then just went over some articles that interested me, in depth, so I could talk about them in interview - and I actually was asked about what stuff I read in the interview. I imagine quite a lot of med applicants do this sort of thing as well.

You could also get some laboratory experience (more work experience than super-curricular but then you are going beyond the scope of A-level science). I went on a Nuffield Research Placement - it meant losing four weeks of my summer (could've been worse, most people have to do six weeks), but the interviewers seemed really interested by it at interview so I believe it was worth it. With that said, if you do decide to do something like this make sure you take notes and are prepared to talk about it at interview!

There's other things I did like attend free lectures on public health at the local university, and I also went on one of those Cambridge masterclass courses, but I would say these aren't as important as the above two.

I guess one thing I could've done differently is to have done more BMAT past papers as practice.

^all just based on my experience, take with a pinch of salt

Original post by Kaouthar
Hi All,I have a question.. how do you prepare for the BMAT?

BMAT 2016 megathread:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3437605
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Rhetorical Hips


Thank you vey much :smile:
Original post by Rhetorical Hips
For super-curriculars I just mentioned that I read things like the Student BMJ and New Scientist (I didn't find the Student BMJ to be that useful tbh) and then just went over some articles that interested me, in depth, so I could talk about them in interview - and I actually was asked about what stuff I read in the interview. I imagine quite a lot of med applicants do this sort of thing as well.

You could also get some laboratory experience (more work experience than super-curricular but then you are going beyond the scope of A-level science). I went on a Nuffield Research Placement - it meant losing four weeks of my summer (could've been worse, most people have to do six weeks), but the interviewers seemed really interested by it at interview so I believe it was worth it. With that said, if you do decide to do something like this make sure you take notes and are prepared to talk about it at interview!

There's other things I did like attend free lectures on public health at the local university, and I also went on one of those Cambridge masterclass courses, but I would say these aren't as important as the above two.

I guess one thing I could've done differently is to have done more BMAT past papers as practice.

^all just based on my experience, take with a pinch of salt


Thanks! :smile:

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