Is Oxbridge overrated?

Reply 40

IrrationalRoot

20

No, for most subjects they are far above all other universities in the country.

Reply 41

3121

21

Original post by dcencima

in my opinion its still one of the best teams in the world the history the players the cups won

Oxford is more like the Barcaleona FC of Universities… let's be honest.

Reply 42

FSdunnalun

7/8 A* is the general minimum standard. I know Oxford combines your GCSEs and Bmat score to get one overall score (so if you smash BMAT you'll be good).

In terms of A levels, I wouldn't go for 4 sciences. It should be okay if you have a lot of extra cirriculum stuff but medicine wants well rounded individuals and 4 sciences doesn't exactly show that. So keep Chem and Bio and reconsider one of maths and physics I'd say.

Work experience is ESSENTIAL. Both hopsital and GP and more if you can (eg. care home). EPQ is great and all but just remember you need those grades. For Russel Group it's A*AA generally and A levels are a big step up so don't spread yourself too thin!

Reply 43

quasa

Entertainment Forum Helper

20

Original post by Magic Streets

I would say that here in the UK we collectively underrate the likes of Edinburgh, Bristol, UCL etc.

UCL is definately overrated (particularly the school of medicine, most doctors and pharmacists I know from UCL are idiots when it comes to clinical knowledge) but agree with edinburgh, bristol (particularly regarding engineering), St andrews and a bunch of others.

Durham I ave only come across 1 person and he is currently doing an MBA there. he hasnt really said anything about it but I have read online that it is a uni where lecturers are not helpful to students and expect everyone to do things for themselves.

Reply 44

Cherub012

5

Original post by quasa

UCL is definately overrated (particularly the school of medicine, most doctors and pharmacists I know from UCL are idiots when it comes to clinical knowledge) but agree with edinburgh, bristol (particularly regarding engineering), St andrews and a bunch of others.

Durham I ave only come across 1 person and he is currently doing an MBA there. he hasnt really said anything about it but I have read online that it is a uni where lecturers are not helpful to students and expect everyone to do things for themselves.

I've heard they're the best. Who to trust?

Reply 45

quasa

Entertainment Forum Helper

20

Original post by Cherub012

I've heard they're the best. Who to trust?

the UCL grads ive encountered in bedfordshire, hertfordshire and milton keynes are like I previously described, but who knows around the rest of the country. but I have encountered over 30 people with med and pharm degrees and tbh it isnt really representative of the whole population. but from experience in job interviews / tours at the hospitals, i reckon kings has better teacing quality, as does imperial regarding medical stuff (kings for pharmacy as well).

birmingham id say is underrated to a degree but aston is definitely underrated. Nottingham med school is underrated but their pharmacy is overrated.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 46

Cherub012

5

Original post by quasa

the UCL grads ive encountered in bedfordshire, hertfordshire and milton keynes are like I previously described, but who knows around the rest of the country. but I have encountered over 30 people with med and pharm degrees and tbh it isnt really representative of the whole population. but from experience in job interviews / tours at the hospitals, i reckon kings has better teacing quality, as does imperial regarding medical stuff (kings for pharmacy as well).

birmingham id say is underrated to a degree but aston is definitely underrated. Nottingham med school is underrated but their pharmacy is overrated.

I hear Oxbridge has poor clinical teaching (actually just Cambridge) which is why many of them transferred to mainly UCL and other London unis.
I don't know much about Imperial as I've heard mixed reviews but they do have the most popular deanery in the country so I guess they should be good?
Kings Idk. It's student satisfaction is worrying to me.

Reply 47

quasa

Entertainment Forum Helper

20

Original post by Cherub012

I hear Oxbridge has poor clinical teaching (actually just Cambridge) which is why many of them transferred to mainly UCL and other London unis.
I don't know much about Imperial as I've heard mixed reviews but they do have the most popular deanery in the country so I guess they should be good?
Kings Idk. It's student satisfaction is worrying to me.

oxford tbh i only know a couple of people who work there but didnt study. regarding their medical school, I have heard they have excellent facilities which is more advanced than elsewhere in the UK and most of europe. cambridge I hear is good for research and will admit I loved both addenbrookes and papworth when I had interviews (particularly papworth) but like you said, the teaching quality in cambridge is crap in clinical stuff (their maths / natural science grads love their lecturers however so I guess it depends on subject). I know someone who didnt meet requirements at cambridge but absolutely enjoyed st georges for medicine. in fact st georges Ive heard a lot of good things about from doctors I know who went there and said doctors, tbh are more knowledgable than most I encountered from top london unis (and some cambridge grads)

Reply 48

.Kate.

Original post by AhmarIT

Are my grades good enough for medicine in oxbridge?

Hi, I am in year 11, i got moved up a year, I should be in year 10 if this matters.

My predicted grades

Maths-A*
English Lang-B
English Lit-A
Core Science-A* Achieved in year 10, when I should be in year 9
Additional-A*
Further Additional-A*
R.E-A*
ICT-A*
Spanish-A* --already achieved
Maths-A -- already did this exam when I was 12 (IGCSE Edexcel Maths)
Geography-A
History-C

Chosen a levels, maths bio chem and physics. Also if i can will do an eqp and some work experience in a hospital etc.My grades arnt good enoguh for oxbride from what i hear i need 12A*? please guide me. thanks

I applied to Cambridge this year, got pooled but eventually rejected, and my feedback was that even though i got 6 A* and 6 As, that was much lower than average and was a contributing factor to the final decision. I was so close though 45 interviewed for my course, 10 were given offers, i was ranked 13th! :frown:

( sad times but good luck if you apply and don't let it put you off at all!

Reply 49

Cherub012

5

Original post by quasa

oxford tbh i only know a couple of people who work there but didnt study. regarding their medical school, I have heard they have excellent facilities which is more advanced than elsewhere in the UK and most of europe. cambridge I hear is good for research and will admit I loved both addenbrookes and papworth when I had interviews (particularly papworth) but like you said, the teaching quality in cambridge is crap in clinical stuff (their maths / natural science grads love their lecturers however so I guess it depends on subject). I know someone who didnt meet requirements at cambridge but absolutely enjoyed st georges for medicine. in fact st georges Ive heard a lot of good things about from doctors I know who went there and said doctors, tbh are more knowledgable than most I encountered from top london unis (and some cambridge grads)

Hmmm must be why the student satisfaction is so high at Oxford. I always root for Cam though. :tongue:

But yeah at the end of the day, they are pretty focused on making scientists rather than excellent doctors.

UCL has great hospitals too (UCLH surely better than Addenbrooks? :biggrin:

)

Reply 50

Magic Streets

3

Original post by quasa

UCL is definately overrated (particularly the school of medicine, most doctors and pharmacists I know from UCL are idiots when it comes to clinical knowledge) but agree with edinburgh, bristol (particularly regarding engineering), St andrews and a bunch of others.

Durham I ave only come across 1 person and he is currently doing an MBA there. he hasnt really said anything about it but I have read online that it is a uni where lecturers are not helpful to students and expect everyone to do things for themselves.

UCL is a great university, I know it well. And the students there are not dicks.

Reply 51

BobBobson

3

Original post by 123chem

Course it's overrated. I mean, they don't even do dentistry! I hate when people ask me if i have applied to oxbridge....

Dentistry is BTEC medicine.

Reply 52

123chem

17

Original post by BobBobson

Dentistry is BTEC medicine.

And people in general still visit their dentist more often than their doctor.

Reply 53

Doones

21

Original post by Parliament

Someone was rejected without interview from my college for engineering with 12A* at GCSE and an average AS UMS of 98/100, for example.

What AS-levels did they have? An average UMS of 98 would normally meet the compulsory pooling criteria and therefore ensures at least an interview.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 54

Socratesfam

1

Oxbridge isn't overrated, nor will it ever be. It's pretty funny seeing all of the populist anti-Oxbridge threads made on TSR. Durham, UCL, Imperial etc. are all very fine universities but why do we do this very British thing whereby something great has to be deprecated to praise something good. Cambridge and Oxford are rightly esteemed as the pillars of British and even global university education. Their alumni, architecture, history, supervision system, research, staff and students are just second to none. The smartest guy I know goes to a uni that isn't even in the top 150 globally, it bears pointing out.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 55

LegalDiaries

13

I went to Cambridge.

I wanted to go to Cambridge.

You cannot deny that Oxbridge are prestigious universities.

Oxbridge has earned its place.

I have noted that most of the people who start these "overrated threads" are actually Oxbridge rejects.

But that is none of my business.

Yes I went to Cambridge.

I got a world class education.

I met amazing people who challenged my every belief, my every instinct and made me reevaluate so much that I took for granted.

However, I need to make it clear that Oxbridge is not the beginning and end of life. You will succeed at any university you end up in if you actually put your mind on it and work hard. There is no guarantee that those who went to Oxbridge will be successful. So if you get an offer to another good university, take it and prove to yourself that you can thrive in any university in the world.

To answer the question, Oxbridge is not overrated.

Reply 56

Fullofsurprises

20

Original post by 123chem

Course it's overrated. I mean, they don't even do dentistry! I hate when people ask me if i have applied to oxbridge....

This is very remiss of them. I have written to both Chancellors to request that they rectify the situation as a matter of urgency. There are people with toothache out there.

Reply 57

wolfmoon88

21

Original post by Fullofsurprises

This is very remiss of them. I have written to both Chancellors to request that they rectify the situation as a matter of urgency. There are people with toothache out there.

They don't offer film studies as well... such a travesty :no:

a generation of film scholars are rolling in their graves!

Reply 58

123chem

17

Original post by Fullofsurprises

This is very remiss of them. I have written to both Chancellors to request that they rectify the situation as a matter of urgency. There are people with toothache out there.