Medicine and dentistry personal statement

Hey I'm afraid that's quite a bad idea. Both these courses alone are super hard to get into. Writing a personal statement trying to include both would be really difficult and likely to get you a lot of rejections. I'd say do some work experience for both and try to make a decision Also I'm not sure if UCAS even allows you to put down both? Idk tho that might be wrong, either away I'm sure anyone you ask would highly discourage it. There's not much point, it will just weaken your application overall - might as well stick to one and make it really strong.

Dentistry and Medicine are two completely different careers. They are both very hard to get into, and both require serious commitment.

If you have it in your mind to apply to both (which you cannot do on UCAS) then this is usually a red flag since the professions are completely different and suggests that there are reasons other than genuine passion and interest for applying - for example, family pressures, perceptions about status or money, etc. Have you done any work experience in Dentistry? Universities require a minimum of 2 weeks of shadowing a dentist.

People that apply to Dentistry or Medicine have been preparing for a long time, it has been their dream and they have done plenty of work experience, volunteering, reading around the subject, spoken to people in the field, gotten advice from school, etc.

Dental schools ask for AAA-A*AA and even applicants with those grades get rejected because the universities look at their UCAS personal statement, evidence of volunteering and passion, work experience in various sectors of dentistry, resits, MMI interview performance, manual dexterity skills and UCAT (UKCAT) grade.

Your GCSE grades are very low, and it is a common mistake for students to assume they can go from low GCSE grades to high A-Level grades; I have seen it happen a lot where students are unrealistic about their abilities and end up getting even lower A-Level grades.


Good

nmw


Hi,

thanks for your reply. Well, to be for real with you, I am interested in both careers and not because of any other reasons. I want to be in a health-related career job, and as I can see, both dentists and doctors help people with there health. So, while them being a lot different, they are also similar too. When talking about work experience, I have gained work experience at Lloyds Pharmacy and have 2 weeks of Dental clinic work experience actually. Also, I have other work experiences too, which aren't in health-related jobs but have developed some of my skills. When talking about not being able to make the grades, I am already achieving As in my exams and just because someone has low GCSEs (when compared to other dental schools), doesn't mean that they can't get high A-Levels. I know of someone who got 5s and 4s in there GCSEs, but managed to come out with AAB. Also, when did I not state that it wasn't my dream to become a dentist or doctor. Rather than saying something negative and not knowing the background of someone, pls stop making assumptions. You came across very rude by stating that I have other factors, as to why I'm doing dentistry or medicine. Thanks

Everything I have stated is factual. Applying to university requires a realistic approach and sugarcoating is the last thing any dental or medical school applicant wants because competition is fierce.
I stated that the red flag suggests that there are other factors - I am speaking both from my experience in helping other candidates in your position apply to dental school, as well as what admissions officers see all the time from their side. I am very careful with my words.

Every year at my dental school I take part in interviewing candidates and mark them accordingly and these are things that we look out for because we see it a lot, unfortunately. Again if you are unhappy with this, there is not much I can do about that as this is the reality of the situation.

You have experience in dentistry and pharmacy, however if you thinking about medicine do you have work experience in that field as well? You did not state this.

With regards to not making the grades, I am again talking from experience from candidates I have seen in the past. Everything I have stated is again true; your GCSE grades are very low, and it is common mistake for students to assume they can go from low GCSE grades to high A-Level grades -there is nothing wrong with this statement.

Medical, Dental and Pharmacy school involves a lot of peer assessment and reflection, and you would struggle if your response to advice and criticism is hostile.

Good luck.

Thanks for your reply. Your one of those people who discourages people, I see. Also, my response to your 'advice and criticism' wasn't hostile actually, as it wasn't even any advice, rather than discouraging someone. So your saying I don't have at least 1 percent chance of getting into medicine or dentistry, even if I have the required A-Levels, good personal statement, work experience and UCAT?

My post was a snapshot of the considerations of what someone on the other side; an interviewer for dental school; would be thinking. It is not unreasonable to assume that that would be invaluable to any dental school applicant.

Criticism is not discouragement, rather a tool to allow you to consider your position and use it to improve. As a Pharmacist and a Dental Student I have improved throughout my nearly 10 years of university by accepting criticism and building up upon it.

Calling me as 'one of those people' whom likes to discourage others is hostile and to preface this with a question shows lack of respect. It is illogical to be hostile and dismissive to someone whom interviews dental candidates whilst asking for advice on how to acquire a place at dental school.

Nowhere did I state any percentage.

I am sorry but if you were the candidate on my panel I would have recommended a rejection based on character.

Good luck.

Personally I would say it isn’t the wisest to apply for both - do try to pick as even though some people have heard of or seen the odd person use dentistry as a fifth choice the personal statement would be challenging as you only get one.

Top advice would be to pick 4 dentistry or medicine and a biomedical science or something - you have shown awareness of your GCSEs not being the strongest and so to maximise your chances I would personally go for four.

Also - whilst I’m sure your intentions are good please avoid saying medicine is a backup career - they are pretty different and many people work really hard to get into it and whilst less places offer dentistry so it may be more competitive in terms of applicants per place the quality of people applying to both is the same.

I mean you could always do one and then do a maxillofacial programme if you wanted to work at the interface between the two although that generally is something which you decide later.

In terms of a levels, it is definitely possible to go from your grades to as but by no means would that be standard or that common so I think the poster may have just been advising you to be aware of that although if you look at old threads you will see as you have stated yourself that it can be done.

The best thing is to aim for one or the other so you have as good a chance as possible but be aware it may not happen and have a strong backup plan ( I have a backup plan even having had 4 medicine interviews as I am fully aware it is possible I still won’t get in and know exactly what I would do if that were the case) as with medicine for example around 60% of people don’t get in and not all due to lack of ability.
Good luck

Hi,

Thank you so much for your advice. I am now going to be thinking of which course to choose at university, which is going to be a very tough choice. Also, can you please let me know if you know anything about widening participation programmes at university for medicine or dentistry? Do you know about the partners programme at Newcastle University or peninsula programme at Plymouth university? Thanks again for your advice and hopefully I get where I want to be.

Don’t know about peninsula but PARTNERS at Newcastle is the way I applied - I think the website is good at explaining. Basically if you meet the criteria you fill in a form when it opens and it is verified by a teacher and then the uni says whether or not you are provisionally accepted to it. You then get considered for the course quite ordinarily although I think only against other PARTNERS students and invited to inter if your UCAT is high enough - personal statement is only checked for red flags once offers are ready to be made at Newcastle. The PARTNERS students may have a different UCAT cutoff (could be higher but so far always lower) and get ranked separately at interviews at which the cutoff is again different but had been known to be a bit higher than non-partners before. If you get in you have to make them your CF to take advantage of the bbb offer which is contingent on passing a summer school assessment

thanks for your reply. if you don't mind me asking, what are your a level predicted grades? also, how was the process of applying to the programme? thank you very much

3a*s and a* in the epq bit don’t think I’ll actually get that probably more likely to be one. It was really easy to apply

wow, you have very good grades. do you have any tips or advice for a level biology and chemistry?

Thanks. Chemistry just clicks for me but videos and past paper questions (physics and maths tutor). Biology just go over the content regularly and then exam questions

My post was a snapshot of the considerations of what someone on the other side; an interviewer for dental school; would be thinking. It is not unreasonable to assume that that would be invaluable to any dental school applicant.
Criticism is not discouragement, rather a tool to allow you to consider your position and use it to improve. As a Pharmacist and a Dental Student I have improved throughout my nearly 10 years of university by accepting criticism and building up upon it.
Calling me as 'one of those people' whom likes to discourage others is hostile and to preface this with a question shows lack of respect. It is illogical to be hostile and dismissive to someone whom interviews dental candidates whilst asking for advice on how to acquire a place at dental school.
Nowhere did I state any percentage.
I am sorry but if you were the candidate on my panel I would have recommended a rejection based on character.
Good luck.