Cambridge Medicine Students and Applicants

What were your UMS like if you don't mind me asking?
And what did you use to revise for it?

ums: 100% in chem and maths, 85% ish in bio and physics
revision was past papers online

Applied for 2009 entry
Section I: 6.1
Section II: 7.0
Section III: 12.0
Results: Offer from Cambridge; survived First Year Medicine :P

How did you revise for it?
Past papers, books on offer, even did some other psychometric tests for the hell of it. I would also recommend Kaplan's courses - I must say they helped me a lot during the preparation process, and gives you a substantial amount of material to work it. A bit pricey though, but check it out (NB: May be looked down on by fellow applicants as paying for an edge; I personally won't judge you on it :P)

What books did you use?
Preparing for BMAT and not much else.

Did it compensate for lower UMS scores?
I applied from Scotland, so we operate a little differently here. My raw marks for Highers (equivalent to your A levels) were over 90% for the science subjects including maths, and 70% for English - that didn't really matter since everyone generally scores low for English and I ended up in the top grade band anyways.

From what I've heard from friends with experience of the selection process a strong BMAT is immensely important if you want a fighting chance of getting into Cambridge. Tome27 stated interview is important, but considering that a significant majority of applicants gain an interview, and that out of a pool of applicants many of them would do well in Cambridge, stuff like BMAT really comes into the fore. Again, here is the usual disclaimer that exceptions do happen, and that students with slightly lesser BMAT get a place in medicine; in the end a bit of luck does factor in.

Really, don't apply to clare.

Oh no, that's the college I really wanted to apply to

Really, don't apply to clare.

Isn't the BMAT in November some time. Aah well, I guess it's best to prepare early...

OP another Cambridge thread? Really?

Yeah just my bitterness saying don't apply, the chances are equalled. I cannot see the point of a course for the bmat. The science you know already and essay writing should be a skill you can develop yourself. Logic again. I have heard of kaplan working for ukcat scores but never bmat, which is a proper exam.

I know, I know, I promise its my last one until results day

Where else are you thinking of applying btw?

UCL
Leeds
and i'm unsure of my fourth since Edinburgh is a lost cause

I was going to suggest Imperial but I see you already have UCL in there! I'd definitely recommend Birmingham, you'd have an awesome shot there with your GCSEs

umm.. Well my bmat was ok, but not brilliant.
I got 5.4, 4.6, 12.0 and my UMS marks were all 90%+ and I found that the interview made a massive difference. Seeing as my lower BMAT score was only lacking in section B, which is science knowledge, and I'd shown I can do science at interview/ UMS, I managed to get an offer.
To prepare, I'd advise learning off the GCSE 2000 spec for the science and maths, and the only book I used was preparing for the ukcat and bmat one, but I've heard the bmat specific one is much more helpful (should have bought it, idk why I didn't)..
The BMAT is important, and doing as well as you can is important, but I looked at past statistics and a person scoring under 5 in section B had virtually no chance of getting in, which was really upsetting at the time. But I did it, and I think its the entire application that makes a difference, so work on making everything else flawless.. Like your UMS..