Undergrad Medicine 2018 Entry Discussion

Thought I'd put together a general discussion board for students wanting to apply for 2018 entry to Medicine. A good place to chat generally about different medical schools, entrance requirements, UKCAT/BMAT etc.

I'm looking to apply to Oxford, Cardiff, Kings and Barts, and have 10 A* and 1 B GCSEs. I'm in my second year of A-levels, but will not be applying until 2018 entry as I am studying at a specialist college for the visually impaired, so my A-Level courses are laid out a little differently. I'm studying A-level Maths, Chem, Bio and Psych.

Welcome!

Tiri

Hi all I need some advice. Just started year 12 after achieving poor GCSEs for medicine. I was wondering what advice anybody has about how to apply or if I should bother applying at all. Please only honest advice. Thank you.
Hey, To be honest your GCSEs aren't that bad compared to many other peoples' - but I understand you want the highest grades for medicine so it's a bit of a grey zone. My advice would be to really aim ft the top A level grades, and get as much experience in the world of medicine and work as possible (this doesn't just have to be official work experience, it can be volunteering or a part time job etc). Also, a major part of the entry process is your BMAT or UKCAT score which you can start working on now. Frankly, I don't see what good a gap year would do to you, unless you plan to spend it getting experience or volunteering somewhere. Sorry to sound so blunt, but the competition for a place in a UK med school is increasing rapidly every year, and your grades won't change your chances after leaving it for a year. So I think you definitely have a good chance, you haven't gone past the point of no return - if you really work at your a levels and push hard to get experience then you should certainly apply and be hopeful for a place. Let me know what you decide to do!!
My grades were: 2A (Maths, Eng Lang)
6B (Bio, Chem, Phy, RE, Eng Lit, History)
1D (French)

Applied for Work Experience to a hospital, GP, and a care home.

I was thinking about maybe taking a gap year and applying in 2019 if I managed to achieve at least AAA at alevel in Bio, Chem and Maths. Do you think it'll improvey chances?

Once again thank you!


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Hey, To be honest your GCSEs aren't that bad compared to many other peoples' - but I understand you want the highest grades for medicine so it's a bit of a grey zone. My advice would be to really aim ft the top A level grades, and get as much experience in the world of medicine and work as possible (this doesn't just have to be official work experience, it can be volunteering or a part time job etc). Also, a major part of the entry process is your BMAT or UKCAT score which you can start working on now. Frankly, I don't see what good a gap year would do to you, unless you plan to spend it getting experience or volunteering somewhere. Sorry to sound so blunt, but the competition for a place in a UK med school is increasing rapidly every year, and your grades won't change your chances after leaving it for a year. So I think you definitely have a good chance, you haven't gone past the point of no return - if you really work at your a levels and push hard to get experience then you should certainly apply and be hopeful for a place. Let me know what you decide to do!!

Thought I'd put together a general discussion board for students wanting to apply for 2018 entry to Medicine. A good place to chat generally about different medical schools, entrance requirements, UKCAT/BMAT etc.

I'm looking to apply to Oxford, Cardiff, Kings and Barts, and have 10 A* and 1 B GCSEs. I'm in my second year of A-levels, but will not be applying until 2018 entry as I am studying at a specialist college for the visually impaired, so my A-Level courses are laid out a little differently. I'm studying A-level Maths, Chem, Bio and Psych.

Welcome!

Tiri

Hey everyone!

I'm kinda stuck with whether i should get more variety for my clinical work experience.

gcse's: 5A*s and 5As
IB: HL Bio, Chem, Math
SL Spanish Ab Initio, English Lit, Psych

work experience: I've done an one-week attachment at a hospital, one-week at a genetics research lab, volunteer at a hospital befriending elderly patients with risks of delirium, maybe doing one week at a GP for the summer I'm not too sure. I'm also co-chairing a school service group that fundraise for an orphanage NGO.

extra-curriculars: on school badminton team, used to be on swim team for 3 yrs, MedSoc, involved in photojournalism project collecting stories from local service partners, piano grade 7, involved in a few dance performances here and there, also trying to start a science club etc.

any advice or comments are appreciated, much love ppl <3

This is so much stuff!! It all sounds great😍And you're doing the IB which unis seem to really love! Where are you planning on applying? Xx

just waiting for the other 2 which are more than guaranteed now.

a) that you havnt been rejected shows you are totally still in with a chance.

b) if you dont get in this year, look long and hard at your PS. Do lots more work experience over the summer and think how you can use this in an entirely new PS.

c) think about other career areas within the NHS, and other useful degrees/career paths instead

Useful reading : https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/What_to_do_if_you_have_four_Medicine_Rejections

Hey guys,

I absolutely think that you all definitely have a shot at medicine. I think that although having strong GCSE'S are important (and could be the difference between an interview/offer or a rejection), most unis focus more on A-level predictions, entrance exams and your personal statement - apart from Oxbridge and a few other medical schools which just crave the GCSE's. However, that being said, X12, you really should perform well in your A-levels and UKCAT/BMAT to have a chance at being an offered an interview, but I guess this applies to all of you guys.

Anyway guys, me and a few friends at Imperial (we are first year medics) were thinking of maybe holding a day event for potential medical students and going through methods and revision tips for passing the UKCAT, BMAT and interviews, and how to formulate a strong personal statement, but we were wondering if a demand for this is even there. We were also thinking of going over the general process of applying, and what work experience/extra-cullicar activities would place a candidate in a strong position, and also over what first year of medical school at Imperial is actually like. Do you guys think an event like this would be useful, or is it perhaps to early/late with regards to the admission process?

Hey!! That sounds like such a great idea, I can guarantee that loads of people from my school would love to come. There have been quite a few similar "induction to medicine application" projects, but none are by current medical students. For people in year 12 it is the perfect timing. Hope you go ahead with the plan, it's sounds so good! X