Brighton and Sussex Medical School A100 2022 Offer Holders' Thread

Anyone else having trouble logging into the portal? I thought I just forgot my password but after changing it twice yesterday I think it’s a technical problem?

I just tried it and it worked fine

Heyoo who's thinking of firming?
I''m not sure about it but still waiting on 2

I've got offers from BSMS and elsewhere, I begrudgingly firmed my other choice. I have exactly the same pros and cons as you, but I decided Brighton was just unaffordable. Talking to students at both open days and visiting the cities really opened my eyes

At my other choice I can get by on just my loan, and still rent a nice place, and live a decent social life. I'll probably still work in summers and things to give myself a bit more wiggle room and disposable income, but I don't have to if I don't want to.

Vs in Brighton, I'd be spending several thousand more on rent alone. Probably my whole loan on rent + bills. Might have 1000 or so max left over. But everything is more expensive too. I've had incredible nights out up north for <£10, in Brighton you're spending 20-30+ min every night out it seems. Having to get the bus into campus too adds up. Me and my parents stayed over for 2 days for the open day and we spent soooo much. Just going out for meals and stuff was ridiculously overpriced. It's to be expected I guess as a tourist destination, but coming from up north was such a shock. £7.50 for a double vodka coke in one pub we went to!!! I would absolutely have to work in summers, and maybe a little in term time too, just to live and have any social life. There's also the value for money aspect. I struggle to justify spending 7k+ on a tiny room in a *****y house miles away from the centre, when in my other choice, I can get a nice spacious ensuite room, in a modern refurbished house only a short walk from the centre, for 5k, bills included. I adore Brighton, it's a brilliant city, but it's not THAT good.

And you've got to remember, the course is like a little less than 9-5, plus revision/studying. Especially in later years. And holidays decrease every year to having only like 6 weeks off the whole year in 4th year I think. So that decreases earning potential. In 5th year you get a very very reduced loan (like 3500 or something).

If money were no object, I'd go in a hearbeat, but that's just not the case.

Speaking to some of the students on the open day, apparently lots do bank HCA work at weekends/on Sunday (better hourly pay) in the first 3 years or so, which I think I'll try to do, I'm also taking a gap year to save up, planning to work my current part time (minimum wage but it's very flexible work), and work as an HCA or similar possibly full time but probably bank to save up. Tbf, the accommodation wasn't as expensive as other unis I looked at (looking at you, St A!) but the living costs are pretty significant...

Speaking to some of the students on the open day, apparently lots do bank HCA work at weekends/on Sunday (better hourly pay) in the first 3 years or so, which I think I'll try to do, I'm also taking a gap year to save up, planning to work my current part time (minimum wage but it's very flexible work), and work as an HCA or similar possibly full time but probably bank to save up. Tbf, the accommodation wasn't as expensive as other unis I looked at (looking at you, St A!) but the living costs are pretty significant...

I had a gap year this year and work as a HCA, I’m transferring to bank shifts now for uni. My manager said that if there are any wards I’m interested in shadowing on just to tell her so I’m planning on working in my holiday for the first year and maybe going on some wards that I can link to what we are covering in the course. Saturdays and night shifts you get 1.5x your normal wage and Sundays and bank holidays you get 2x your normal hourly pay. You can get even more than that if you do emergency bank - a HCA came to do a shift for my ward today because we were so understaffed and she told me that she’s getting paid 40% more on top of the 1.5x our weekday wage (minimum wage). The other benefit of being an HCA is that it’s 12.5 hour shifts so you get 11.5 hours pay for working one day which you can’t get at many other places. ALSO GET THE BLUE LIGHT CARD. You can get lots of nhs discounts and if you keep doing bank you have the choice of using student discounts or nhs discounts depending on what’s the better deal! Not to forget that it’s amazing work experience and the patient contact and organisation/stress management skills you get are amazing. And if you mention that you are doing medicine the nurses, sisters and doctors will try and include you in their process and give you good tips.

I work as a physio assistant and once I started working the hospital organised the care certificate for me so I didn’t actually need to do it beforehand. But I also know some hospitals wanted you to already have it.

How did you manage to join the bank on your gap year? I was looking to but they need me to have an NVQ in health + social care, or be a student nurse or have a care certificate, so I don’t meet requirements, I’m guessing you have a care certificate? How did you get one? It’s not a massive problem bc I have an interview for an echocardiogram assistant role (full time) which I’d really like to do but I assume I can get a care certificate in that role and then join the bank when I go to uni? TIA!

Hi I also firmed BSMS I was just wondering what we have to do about the DBS check cuz i havent had anything about it yet just wondering if anyone else has and in terms of the vaccination is 2 covid vaccinations enough and if there is anything else we need to do, thank you guys

Hi I also firmed BSMS I was just wondering what we have to do about the DBS check cuz i havent had anything about it yet just wondering if anyone else has and in terms of the vaccination is 2 covid vaccinations enough and if there is anything else we need to do, thank you guys

Hi everyone! Well done on getting your offers, you've done really well I'm a current BSMS student who's just finished 4th year, so let me know of you have any questions about BSMS/ being a med student, or feel free to PM me

Hi no worries at all! So this year I lived in a 4 bedroom house with 3 other flatmates and I paid £540 per month which is £6480 for a 12 month contract for rent not including bills but bearing in mind the house had 2 bathrooms and an ensuite bedroom as well so there are slightly cheaper options out there. I would also recommend finding flatmates from 2nd yr onwards as it ends up being cheaper than renting a studio. In terms of working, it's definitely possible to work as well, I have friends who tutor which is ideal as it tends to be quite flexible. I haven't taken bank shifts but there are certainly students who do work as HCAs. I did some tutoring this year as well. In pre-clinical years and clinical years its possible to work during term time and the holidays, but it will get difficult during exam season so its important to bear that in mind. BSMS increases the cohort every year so they've also expanded where we could potentially be sent of to, including - Brighton, Hastings, Worthing, Chichester, Eastbourne, Redhill (only for 5th yr). Also, if you're based in the regional centres (so not including Brighton) you do not need to pay for accomodation, as BSMS will pay for your hospital accomodation. So for example, i will be based at Redhill for 15 weeks and Hastings for 7 weeks for 5th yr so I do not need to pay for accommodation which is very useful as we don't get a lot of maintenance loan in 5th yr. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!