Undergrad Medicine 2018 Entry Discussion

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Hey everyone! I'm 16 and applying for medicine 2018 entry and was wondering if anyone could advice me on what else I could do to make my application stronger? My IGCSE's aren't the most competitive and I'm really worried about my AS levels haha probably screwed that up!

IGCSE's : 7A* 2A 1B (B in business studies)
AS : Bio, Chem, Maths, Economics and EPQ
Work experience : 2 weeks in Neurology shadowing a consultant, 1 week in Orthopaedic Surgery, 6 weeks in a care home for dementia patients, 4 years volunteering at various orphanages/ homes for the mentally ill etc, organised several fundraisers mainly for cancer research and collected food for orphanages in Malaysia
Extra curricular : House Captain, Prefect, Head Secretary of Interact Club, RLSS Lifeguard, Head of School Newsletter, Polo Captain, Dance Captain and Swimming Captain, Joined school productions, V100 hours of volunteering
Others: Copper Award in Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, Submission to Oxford Medical School Gazette Essay Competition (Results aren't out yet)
UKCAT Date: 28 July (SO SOON IM DAMN SCARED)
Prospective UNI's : UCL, Glasgow, Bristol, Edinburgh ??

*I'm an international student so I know it's even more competitive than usual and I wanted to know if ^^ is anyone near enough ?
*I don't have any experience working or even being treated by the NHS will this hinder my application in any way ?
*I'm also underage (born in November 2000) so I have to defer my entry to UCL ugh is getting in for deferred entry really hard ?

Reply 81

steveg123

Hi I'm a lower sixth student going for 2018 entry, and I was wondering how good my application is, and if my AS maths grade will have an effect on my application?
GCSE grades - 1 A* Maths, 9 As including English Lit Lang, and triple sciences, 1 B in media studies
A Levels - Chemistry, Biology, Maths (Chem Bio are linear, maths is not), EPQ
I expect I will not get an A in AS maths, probably a B or a C. But I intend to retake all modules next year, will this affect my application in any way?
Universities I am looking to apply for: Southampton, Exeter(these two are the two favourites), KCL, Newcastle
I am sitting the UKCAT on the 22nd of August. I am hoping to get a strong score
Extracurriculars: Prefect for two years, House Captain beginning this month, on the charity committee, self taught guitar for a few years, I have been volunteering every week for a month(currently, will be three months by the time I apply), I have been working in a high stress kitchen environment,
Work shadowing: 2 days at a specialist GP practise for socially excluded patients, such as homeless, drug addicts, etc., 3 days shadowing GP, intend to do a week shadowing in urgent care ward, and to shadow a psychiatry ward next summer when I am 18.
Apologies for formatting I am using my mobile, and I'm unsure how to add line breaks

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 82

alfresco_

Has anyone done the UKCAT yet?

Reply 83

my.med.journey

Original post by alfresco_

Has anyone done the UKCAT yet?

Had booked it for July 13th but was no where near ready so rescheduled for August 21st 😬 You ?

Reply 84

alfresco_

Original post by my.med.journey

Had booked it for July 13th but was no where near ready so rescheduled for August 21st 😬 You ?

Doing it in September! Am on placement all summer so it's the best I could do.

Reply 85

returnmigrant

Please remember that you need to register for UKCAT before 19 Sept - but that test places fill up quickly and it you leave it too late you will not be able to get a slot in August/September.

Book it and do it as soon as you can.

https://www.ukcat.ac.uk/ukcat-test/ukcat-dates-and-fees/

Reply 86

Ellie4412

Original post by tizzaclaire98

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 going into my second year at Sheffield and have started a blog up to help you guys with the process. Just type The Travelling Medical Student (blogspot) into google. Hopefully it helps everyone they're some helpful statistics on there so you can see what scores people get in with
Best of luck x

Reply 87

Siddharthk

Hey everyone! I am new to this site and I have a few doubts i want to clear.
I am currently doing the IBDP program in Indian and have completed my IGCSE's.
9 Subjects 7A*S (English, all 3 sciences, Math, Geography, P.E) 2A's (Additional Maths and Spanish)

I have also shadowed and interned at two hospitals for 2 months in two seperate summers. I am currently interning at a dental clinic. I am teaching at an orphanage. I have volunteered for bluecross. I am a state baskeball player and school basketball captain I was also a prefect in 10th grade I play the piano- grade 4 I started an ngo
And i have done many olympiads AND got rankings and medals and such. and other extracurriculars which i cant rememebr MY IB predicted is above 42-45, what are my chances of getting into a top medical university for undergrad( oxbridge, ucl, imperial, kings) Fee's are also not an issue. Thank you

Reply 88

MedGreig

Original post by Ellie4412

Hiya I can't find your blog when I type it into google :frown:

I don't know the rules on TSR but could you private message a link to me or post a link on the thread?

Reply 89

username2613789

Hello people! This is good to assess how everyone is doing :wink:

GCSEs: 12A* and an A in FSMQ math with early GCSE maths
A levels: Bio, Chem, Phys, Math, Spanish (waiting for those results!) and an EPQ on microbiology (just finished the experiments)

Work experience/Volunteering: a school year of volunteering at a school for children with severe learning disability (hoping to go back), a summer month of shadowing an anaesthesia team in a private Spanish hospital, and a prospective week in a psychiatry clinic, spent two weeks residing in a tropical disease hospital in Southern India whilst volunteering around rural schools.

Extra-curricular and academics: Chairman of my school's debating society, competed in two national debating comps, starting diploma for piano, lead of school's music society (organised and played several concertos), gold in Biology olympiad, MedSoc, mentoring GCSE students in school, taught dissections to younger students, do a couple of sports off-team (just to relax).

Others: have written an article for a medical magazine on medical ethics and preparing a second article on universality of care, big extra-curricular interest on tuberculosis and a few other infectious diseases, bilingual in Spanish and English, first aid qualification (experience with seizures, choking, chemical burns and lacerations)

UKCAT is 24th of august and BMAT 9th of September (feeling more confident about BMAT honestly)
Unis: Cambridge, Imperial, Kings, Edinburgh (might swap that imperial for UCL)

Good luck everyone, remember you should've already started writing your PS!

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 90

Jasir Alam

International Student applying for medicine 2018 entry.

IGCSE's - 7A* - 1A - 1B (First Language English)

UKCAT - Total 2650, average 663

VR - 560 (just like most students, it was hell long and complicated)
DM - 650
QR - 830
AR - 610

SJT - Band 3 (This disappointed me the most because I scored Band 2 in all my Medify mocks)

I'm still grateful for all that I got since it could've been worse, who knows. Would love to have suggestions of my chances of making it to medical schools (considering I get good A level grades).

I'm considering these unis to apply to:

1. Queens Mary - Barts
2. St. George's
3. University of Birmingham
4. Kings/Nottingham/Manchester/Sheffield

Advise me guys, esp. those living in the UK since you have more knowledge than me. Thanks!

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 91

Ellie4412

Original post by MedGreig

Hiya I can't find your blog when I type it into google :frown:

I don't know the rules on TSR but could you private message a link to me or post a link on the thread?

This may help all of you: http://thetravellingmedicalstudent.blogspot.co.uk/ x

Reply 92

lejefadetumadre

hi

i got 11A*s and 2As at gcse and i'm taking biology, chemistry, physics and latin for a level (all linear)
i've been practising ukcat to take in august burn i'm getting quite low scores and i'm really nervous. does anyone know which universities would accept a low ukcat score and whether they'd only do this if the a level grades were outstanding or something? (like would 590 ukcat but 3A* hold equal value to 700 ukcat and 3As)

also for work experience i've done a week in a hospital abroad, a week in a hospital in england, three weeks in a care home and two years volunteering in a hospice. i've volunteered at a charity shop for six months and worked in a cafe for two months. and i also have done some time playing with disabled children and looking after small children (like 3 to 10)
i'm not tooooo confident about my a levels but i'm trying lol so yeah hopefully i'll get that to at least 4As but i think the highest i could get would be 2A*s and two As but idk
my main concern is the ukcat and bmat! does anyone have any tips for them or advice on universities?
also i'm looking to apply to imperial, kings, qmul and bristol (maybe cardiff or uea since i'm not super confident about bmat but i'm trying anyway)

sorry this was super long and thank you in advance to anyone who replies (:

Reply 93

gapyear2018

Original post by lejefadetumadre

Hello,from looking at your GCSEs and a level the unis I would recommend with a score like that would be

Keele
Bristol
Cardiff
Birmingham
UEA( although they say u should have above 600 there's no cut off and I've seen ppl get in with like 617 etc)
QUB
Liverpool( think cut off in 2016 was like 625)
Exeter
Some of these are very ps heavy but make sure u check individual req.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 94

lejefadetumadre

Original post by ScienceFantatic

thank you! will definitely look into those (:

Reply 95

returnmigrant

Open Days in September will be your last chance to visit Unis before the October UCAS deadline - book yourself a place now.

Just a few examples .........

Bristol : http://www.bristol.ac.uk/opendays/

Leicester : https://le.ac.uk/student-life/undergraduates/open-days

Cardiff : https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/open-days-visits

Newcastle : http://www.ncl.ac.uk/openday/

Nottingham : http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ugstudy/visitingus/opendays/opendays.aspx

Edinburgh : http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergraduate/open-day/booking

Birmingham : http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/visit/opendays/index.aspx

East Anglia (UEA) : https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/visit/open-day

Reply 96

itsgeorgiapaige

Hi there! I was wondering what magazine it is in so I could have a read? Thanks! Georgia

Reply 97

Hopeiseverything

Hi I got 12A* at gcse I'm hoping to get A*A* A predictions in September. I'm getting ready to sit the ukcat on the 15th August, but only managing to achieve around 650 average in my mocks so far. Despite my Academics and work experience being reasonable, I feel the UKcat might mess mess up my plans.

Reply 98

AEH71

Does anyone know how UEA select for interview? I know they look at GCSEs, A level predictions and UKCAT, but i can't find out how they score them? Any ideas? Thanks

Reply 99

Melissa777

Hi I'm a sixth year student with 5 A's at Higher hoping to apply to Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburugh. Was wondering (well hoping) if ukcat and medify qr and ar are harder than the actual test? Because i'm struggling most with them. Ukcat is on Thursday 17th August.