Cardiff Medical School Applicants 2016

I can't remember whether or not I've already posted but hey I'm definitely applying to Cardiff :tongue:

9A* 1A and ukcat 707.5
Does anyone know if they use SJT when using the ukcat in tiebreaker scenarios? Because I got a band 1 and I don't want to waste it! Only one of the places I'm applying to acknowledge SJT :erm:

I love the options for interaction at Cardiff and I just got a really good vibe from the uni. The salad bar in the student union is great :wink:

Reply 182

Mutmit287

22

Original post by Fibsy

I can't remember whether or not I've already posted but hey I'm definitely applying to Cardiff :tongue:

9A* 1A and ukcat 707.5
Does anyone know if they use SJT when using the ukcat in tiebreaker scenarios? Because I got a band 1 and I don't want to waste it! Only one of the places I'm applying to acknowledge SJT :erm:

I love the options for interaction at Cardiff and I just got a really good vibe from the uni. The salad bar in the student union is great :wink:

cardiff is pretty much a non-ukcat university, they will only ever use the UKCAT score in tiebreak situations and i dont think SJT is used.

these tiebreak situations are so rare and in some admissions cycles the UKCAT is not used at all!

Reply 183

Mutmit287

22

Original post by Driedmango

Hi guys! Never really use TSR to post but am applying for medicine at Cardiff and thought it'd be nice to find some people in the same boat :smile:

good luck, if you have any questions I am a first year so fire away!

Reply 184

What's it like travelling from place to place e.g. from accommodation to medicine building to sports centre etc since it's spread out in the city?
:smile:

Reply 185

Bellbird

2

Hi guys , I have just done my UKCAT today, and I screwed up... with 655 average :frown:

However, I have got a really 815 UCAS tariff, do u think that will make up for my UKCAT?
AS: AAAAAA
A2 : A*AAAAA (with A*A already achieved )
Saxophone grade 8 (Pass), infact I have passed my ATCL performance diploma.
Piano grade 7 (Pass)
I am thinking to apply to: Barts (definitely) Cardiff, King’s ,St. Andrews, Dundee (Choosing 3 out of the 4 of them, any suggestions?)
I am an international student. Thank you so much, any help will be greatly appreciated! :smile:

Reply 186

Angury

18

Original post by Fibsy

What's it like travelling from place to place e.g. from accommodation to medicine building to sports centre etc since it's spread out in the city?
:smile:

I've found travelling around Cardiff quite easy - it's a very walkable city. From Talybont (the main uni residences for first years) to the Heath only takes about twenty minutes, and there will generally be a large group of you walking in that direction, so it's quite a nice walk with a couple of friends.

There is a sports centre (with a swimming pool) up at the Heath, along with one right next to the student residences, so those sorts of things aren't much of a problem either. There are a lot of amenities up at the Heath, and the joy of living in student residences in first year (if you live in Talybont) is that you are equidistant to the Heath Campus, the Students' Union and the city centre - you are very centrally placed.

Plus, there is always the bus. There is a bus that goes every twenty minutes from the Heath Campus to the city centre.
The other thing I love about Cardiff is that there are a lot of little parks dotted around. So walking from one place to another can sometimes be a really nice experience. The Talybont halls are right next to Bute park which has a beautiful river and some lovely gardens. If you're into nature, it's a beautiful place to live.

Sorry to jump into someone elses' question - I'm just procrastinating. :tongue:

Reply 187

Original post by Bellbird

Hi guys , I have just done my UKCAT today, and I screwed up... with 655 average :frown:

However, I have got a really 815 UCAS tariff, do u think that will make up for my UKCAT?
AS: AAAAAA
A2 : A*AAAAA (with A*A already achieved )
Saxophone grade 8 (Pass), infact I have passed my ATCL performance diploma.
Piano grade 7 (Pass)
I am thinking to apply to: Barts (definitely) Cardiff, King’s ,St. Andrews, Dundee (Choosing 3 out of the 4 of them, any suggestions?)
I am an international student. Thank you so much, any help will be greatly appreciated! :smile:

Why are all international applicants so amazing oh my god so depressing

Reply 188

Original post by Angury

I've found travelling around Cardiff quite easy - it's a very walkable city. From Talybont (the main uni residences for first years) to the Heath only takes about twenty minutes, and there will generally be a large group of you walking in that direction, so it's quite a nice walk with a couple of friends.

There is a sports centre (with a swimming pool) up at the Heath, along with one right next to the student residences, so those sorts of things aren't much of a problem either. There are a lot of amenities up at the Heath, and the joy of living in student residences in first year (if you live in Talybont) is that you are equidistant to the Heath Campus, the Students' Union and the city centre - you are very centrally placed.

Plus, there is always the bus. There is a bus that goes every twenty minutes from the Heath Campus to the city centre.
The other thing I love about Cardiff is that there are a lot of little parks dotted around. So walking from one place to another can sometimes be a really nice experience. The Talybont halls are right next to Bute park which has a beautiful river and some lovely gardens. If you're into nature, it's a beautiful place to live.

Sorry to jump into someone elses' question - I'm just procrastinating. :tongue:

Thank you very much :smile:

Reply 189

Original post by Bellbird

Hi guys , I have just done my UKCAT today, and I screwed up... with 655 average :frown:

However, I have got a really 815 UCAS tariff, do u think that will make up for my UKCAT?
AS: AAAAAA
A2 : A*AAAAA (with A*A already achieved )
Saxophone grade 8 (Pass), infact I have passed my ATCL performance diploma.
Piano grade 7 (Pass)
I am thinking to apply to: Barts (definitely) Cardiff, King’s ,St. Andrews, Dundee (Choosing 3 out of the 4 of them, any suggestions?)
I am an international student. Thank you so much, any help will be greatly appreciated! :smile:

With those A Levels and music grades, you'd be an idiot not to apply to Barts. xD

Your question might be better answered on one of the more general medicine threads (go to the medicine forum and look at the megathreads). For Cardiff, you're probably okay but you should know that it's a GCSE-heavy medical school and doesn't care for UCAS points so the extra A Levels don't really give you an advantage (source: http://medicine.cf.ac.uk/medical-education/undergraduate/admissions/entry-requirements/academic-performance/extra-information-academic-requirements-a100-and-a104/) over applicants doing three A Levels.

Cardiff only uses the UKCAT in rare situations when they need to break a tie between two applicants who're similarly qualified in other areas (interview score, academic performance etc.) 655 average is fine for Cardiff. I had mine today and really blew it so you should be fine. :tongue:

Reply 190

Original post by Fibsy

Why are all international applicants so amazing oh my god so depressing

I don't want to assume anything but it seems like one of those people who brag about their achievements by using the 'oh my god, I've only got 16 A*s at A Level, do you think I have a chance' format...

Sorry if that's not the case -- it just comes across like that, particularly given the anxiety about your 'bad' UKCAT average of 655.

Reply 191

Original post by Hydeman

I don't want to assume anything but it seems like one of those people who brag about their achievements by using the 'oh my god, I've only got 16 A*s at A Level, do you think I have a chance' format...

Sorry if that's not the case -- it just comes across like that, particularly given the anxiety about your 'bad' UKCAT average of 655.

Where are you applying? How did your ukcat go?
I'm applying to Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow and HYMS :smile:

Cardiff both because I love it there and because it suits my stats (an admissions guy at the open day said with 9A* I'd be very very likely to get an early interview)

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 192

Original post by Fibsy

Where are you applying? How did your ukcat go?
I'm applying to Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow and HYMS :smile:

Cardiff both because I love it there and because it suits my stats (an admissions guy at the open day said with 9A* I'd be very very likely to get an early interview)

Posted from TSR Mobile

I'd hoped to apply to Cardiff, Exeter, Imperial and King's. However, my UKCAT went disastrously (577.5 average -- thanks 490 on AR) so Exeter and King's are out of the picture. I'm applying to Cardiff for a number of reasons:

1. I live in Cardiff so going to the university would be a train/bus ride away, saving me having to take out a maintenance loan which, let's face it, is just less money that I'll have to pay back later. The obvious disadvantage is the lack of independence that most people my age crave. I wouldn't mind some of that myself. :3

2. It's suited to my strengths (academics). I had 8 A*s, 2 As, 1 B and 1 C at GCSE and am applying with achieved A Level grades (A*AAB in chemistry, biology, physics and maths plus an A in Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate, which is accepted by Cardiff) so I get the full 27 out of 27 on the academic score. :smile:

Basically, the odds of getting into Cardiff once invited to interview are much better than, say, Bristol, which is almost entirely personal-statement based and gets huge numbers of applicants due to it being the only medical school in the UK not to use an entrance test. They invite about 1 000 people to interview and make about 450 offers, which is 2.22 (recurring) applicants per offer. So really, it's only a matter of getting the interview and then doing slightly better than average once at the interview.

3. It's a good university and I liked what I saw on the open day last year (our school gave us the day off to go to it). I particularly like that those admitted are able to go anywhere they like for their electives, whether it's in the UK or outside it.

I'll probably be filling in the slots left by Exeter and King's with two BMAT universities, but I'm considering going for Bristol and only one extra BMAT university.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 193

Elwyn

OP

17

Original post by Hydeman

I particularly like that those admitted are able to go anywhere they like for their clinical placements, whether it in the UK or outside it.

I must've missed the day where I could choose to do my cardio placement in the caribbean.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 194

Original post by Elwyn

I must've missed the day where I could choose to do my cardio placement in the caribbean.

It's quite openly advertised on the medicine page... I'm not sure about what year you're in but from what's been implied, you're a fourth/fifth year student? :smile:

It might be that it's part of the new curriculum. :dontknow:

Edit: Found it: http://medicine.cf.ac.uk/medical-education/undergraduate/why-choose-cardiff/extra-opportunities/study-abroad/. I worded that wrong -- it's the electives that you can do anywhere you like. xD

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 195

Mimikhalil

Have any of you KNOWN of people who have got into cardiff med school with the offer dropped - i.e. AAB?? :smile:

Reply 196

Angury

18

Original post by Mimikhalil

Have any of you KNOWN of people who have got into cardiff med school with the offer dropped - i.e. AAB?? :smile:

Yes

Original post by Fibsy

Why are all international applicants so amazing oh my god so depressing

Please don't let this get you down. I felt the same when I was applying - as useful as TSR is, you need to remember that the type of people who will use the website will be those who are academically gifted, and does not therefore represent the student population, or even those applying to medicine. Also remember that those people who don't have a hundred A*s are unlikely to post their stats compared o those who have achieved brilliantly. You are therefore only seeing a very small part of the people who will apply to medicine. If your heart is in it, that will show in the interview.

I also feel that this applies to first year students in medicine (in terms of comparing yourself to other people).

And finally, best of luck. :smile:

Reply 197

futuremedic19

16

Original post by Fibsy

I can't remember whether or not I've already posted but hey I'm definitely applying to Cardiff :tongue:

9A* 1A and ukcat 707.5
Does anyone know if they use SJT when using the ukcat in tiebreaker scenarios? Because I got a band 1 and I don't want to waste it! Only one of the places I'm applying to acknowledge SJT :erm:

I love the options for interaction at Cardiff and I just got a really good vibe from the uni. The salad bar in the student union is great :wink:

Hi well done on considering Cardiff.
With your grades Cardiff is a good option and please don't worry about the ukcat.
Cardiff really don't use it whatsoever and tbh most med schools don't care about the SJT.
But do bare in mind that 700+ ukcat is very very good so you dont wanna waste it all on non ukcat heavy places so for your other 3 choices pick wisely.
:smile:

Reply 198