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How to pick universities?

esme2006

I want to study medicine and I'm very set on Exeter Uni- but obviously I know that I need more than 1 option. However, since Exeter is so perfect for me (I want to join the Navy and all my training would be in the South West, the course looks perfect, I love the closeness to the sea, the city itself is amazing etc) every other uni doesn't appeal to me at all. Any advice?

Reply 1

TSR Hippocrates

Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

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The "Which Medical School Should I Apply To?" Uberthread
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Medicine A-Level subjects queries
Work Experience and Voluntary Work

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Official Undergraduate Medicine 2023 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2023 Entry
Medicine 2023 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2023 Entry
Medicine Interview discussion 2023 Entry
2023 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Index of Individual Medical School Applicants' threads 2023 Entry

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Official Undergraduate Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry
GAMSAT 2024 / 2025 entry discussions megathread
UCAT 2024 Entry Discussions Megathread

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Graduate Entry Medicine 2025 Entry
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Useful Articles:
GCSE Requirements for Medicine
Everything you need to know about the BMAT
Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
Medicine Personal Statement Advice
Medicine Personal Statement Advice (Graduate Entry)
Interview Frequently Asked Questions
MMI Medicine Interview Tips
What to do after an unsuccessful first application

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Reply 2

GANFYD

Original post by University of Bath

Hi,

It’s great to hear that you have a clear goal for where you want to be but yes, you do need some other options too so definitely try to keep an open mind. Here is some advice/ an approach you could consider:

There are only ~40 medical schools across the whole UK so this narrows down your options greatly. I would make a list/ table of all of these and eliminate based on preferences that you really want. You could consider course rankings which can be found on the complete university guide here: Medicine Rankings 2024 (thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk). Also, the National students survey gathers anonymised student opinions on the quality of their course and compare lots of aspects of university life which could help your decision. I would also look at course structure, graduate prospects, facilities, and opportunities that are offered and move to the top of your list accordingly. Another important thing to consider is the entry requirements i.e. is a UKCAT required. Ensure that you have an insurance choice with lower entry requirements than your firm choice in case it doesn’t quite go to plan on results day!

Once you have some good options, you can then consider attending their open days to find out more about the course and student life. The Complete University Guide offers some great further advice and a good checklist on how to choose the right university for you, here: A student's guide to choosing the right UK university (thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk).

I hope this helps!

Sharon (3rd year student)

Sorry, but this is absolutely how not to make choices as to where to study medicine.

Course rankings are irrelevant for uk clinical medicine - any job application is blinded wrt which med school people attended, so it has no impact on prospects or career, hence graduate prospects are identical, wherever you study.

As mentioned above, people need to apply to somewhere that suits their stats - strategic application is key. OP mentions Exeter, well currently, you need 3 A*s at A level plus a high UCAT to even be considered.
Med schools shortlist in lots of different ways, and someone with 12 x 9s GCSE and an average UCAT should apply somewhere very different to someone with 5 x 6s at GCSE and a top decile UCAT. Very few people are lucky enough to have masses of options.
The same comes with Firm and Insurance as the majority of med schools need the same grade, so it is not always possible to Insure one with a lower grade.

As advised, OP should obtain all their stats then come look for advice on where to apply or start their own spreadsheet based on where they are likely to be shortlisted. If there are enough options, these can then be ranked in terms of preference