Medicine Taster Courses - are they worth it??

Anyone doing any medicine taster courses? I'm doing the St. Georges 5 day courses and a materials in medicine course (not really medicine!)

Also, do you guys think they are worth doing and will the universities know that I have done it, unless, I tell them??

Thanks guys.. :biggrin:

Reply 1

rahmed

There's no point in doing it if you already know you want to medicine. I went to one or two, never really mentioned them in my PS except for one line saying I've been to some and they have confirmed my desire to pursue medicine etc...

I don't think the uni's care. And it's all a rip off usually. And whilst on the subject, don't go to the kaplan courses for the BMAT - The most overpriced thing I've seen (and mistakenly been to).

Reply 2

bosongyin

best thing to do to find out if medicine is for u.

also good to mention in ps.

I would say choose these programs more carefully, coz are some better than

the other, eg medlink is the most famous one i think.

Reply 3

rahmed

But they don't differentiate you as a good candidate, by going to these courses.

Reply 4

petzneo

What about the Medsim course at Nottingham, if you've heard of them?? I just want to do anything to improve my chances of getting into medicine.

Reply 5

rahmed

I know what you mean, I was in the same position 2/3 years ago. Ok go to just one, for sake of backing up your choice to do medicine. If they ask you why Medicine you can say blah blah and this course confirmed my desire...

But personally I don't think it improves your chances

Reply 6

lil groovy dude

Rahmed seems to be right :smile:

Reply 7

petzneo

So I guess that other than your grades, some sort of work experience or proof of commitment is most important thing to them?

I don't actually want to go to medsim, i really don't see the point, but my friends have been to the medlink one and r going to the medsim one...just wanted to see what others thought.

Thanks for comments, they helped a lot!

Reply 8

work_til_failure

As said above, if you know you want to do medicine then theres no real point in attending one of those courses, they are not that helpfull at all really.I went to the recent medisix @nott, was 4 days of fun meeting great likeminded people and generally getting a feel of uni life,campus,lectures etc. But tbh i wouldnt pay 200 odd quid for it (good job school payd for me!)

Reply 9

Philosoraptor

Heh, if it were paid by the school of course. But otherwise it's a complete waste of money!

Reply 10

Ribbons

It's probably worth mentioning that there are some activity days (for want of a better phrase) that are free of charge. For instance, there is MedWales (organised by Cardiff University) which is quite informative and much fun.

I also very vaguely remember hearing about these summer schools run by trusts that are meant to be quite good.

Edit:
Might be useful to someone:
Sutton Trust and Dick Whittington summer schools

Reply 11

shenzys

Ye i;'m goin 2 the Sutton Trust medicine week at Oxford!!!! Can't wait for that and it is completely free of charge-they're gonna arrange the train there and back and everything! Can't wait because I've neva been to oxford nd I wanna c what's so good about it... :p: