help!! applying for medicine soon!!!

5

hello! i'll be sending in my applications in october this year and i've been so worried that i've not done much besides studying for my 3 a levels (bio math chem) and how that will affect my cv/personal statement.

can anyone tell me what else i can do that would boost my cv? (besides hospital rotations cause i've already applied and will be starting mine in august)

i'm also starting some MOOC's but i want to know if doing them will rlly give me an advantage in my application?

+ also so nervous ab interviews, any advice on any readings i should do to prepare for the interviews?

pls help ive been feeling so anxious the past few weeks

Reply 1

aaliyahmk

13

Original post

by lyeenah

hello! i'll be sending in my applications in october this year and i've been so worried that i've not done much besides studying for my 3 a levels (bio math chem) and how that will affect my cv/personal statement.

can anyone tell me what else i can do that would boost my cv? (besides hospital rotations cause i've already applied and will be starting mine in august)

i'm also starting some MOOC's but i want to know if doing them will rlly give me an advantage in my application?

+ also so nervous ab interviews, any advice on any readings i should do to prepare for the interviews?

pls help ive been feeling so anxious the past few weeks

hi!
i’ve just received 2 med offers so i thought id offer some advice :smile:

having a hospital rotation is great experience and it’s something that perfect to talk about in interviews. I’d recommend getting online work experience through observe GP, BSMS online, i remember doing a Newcastle mini medical school so have a look if they’re still doing that! i think Southampton have some virtual experience too? also, id recommend volunteering - it’s always great to talk about, easy to get and very rewarding. i did volunteering at a local charity shop so it doesn’t take too much out your day.

in terms of interviews, try assigning skills to experiences. Eg. Communication: “i saw the doctor using active listening and open body language to communicate effectively with the patient”, then explain why it’s important within medicine. you can write this in a table on excel or on a piece of paper, it’ll really help with interviews. i wont lie, i didn’t do much prep until a few days before which probably isn’t the smartest (so definitely start earlier) but it should show you that interviewers aren’t really trying to catch you out! they just want to see you be open and honest, if you truly want to do medicine and you're passionate about it, they’ll notice that !!

your UCAT is a long time away so you don’t need to be revising yet but when you do start revising for it, i would recommend medentry!

what you should be doing in preparation:

•

keep on top of hot topics and important cases in medicine. eg. Lucy letby, junior doctor strikes, Harold Shipman, covid backlog, etc. you can be asked about them and they’re also great for backing up a point. have a read of the student BMJ - super helpful!!

•

read the GMC guidelines and the NHS core values, these are really important and should be referenced in almost every interview answer. just having a good understanding of both of these and why they’re important within medicine will really help.

•

if you’re applying to any Scottish universities, make sure you know differences between Scottish and English healthcare

•

one thing i struggled with was stuttering and pausing while i was answering practice questions so id recommend auralyze.ai - it makes questions, you can record your answer and it’ll grade it and give you feedback. (This can be done closer to interview time)

resources:
https://www.medicmind.co.uk/free-mmi-mock/
https://www.bmj.com/student
https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/good-medical-practice---english-20200128_pdf-51527435.pdf

i wouldn’t waste any money on buying books or courses, you can find all the pdfs online. the only thing i remember paying for was a mock MMI at Nottingham. it was super helpful so that’s something id recommend because its done by med students so they know what interviewers want to hear but it’s not compulsory at all!

overall, stay calm and stay positive! I remember being absolutely terrified that i was never going to get in but i realised that even if i don’t get an interview/offer, it’s not the end of the world, even if it did feel that way sometimes. you’re obviously very passionate about pursuing medicine and universities will see that :smile:

you’ve also got a lot of time till interviews so honestly, don’t worry.
good luck!!

Reply 2

username6475009

OP

5

thank you so so much for this :frown:

this is so helpful and is def what i needed to hear. i rlly am passionate about medicine and can't imagine myself pursuing anything else. seeing how competitive med school applications is so daunting and is rlly the only thing that's been on my mind lately. but seeing people like you be so kind and willing to help students like me is so heartwarming to see and really puts my heart and mind at ease. wishing you all the best in whatever it is you're doing now!

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 3

username6475009

OP

5

Original post

by aalimk

hi!
i’ve just received 2 med offers so i thought id offer some advice :smile:

having a hospital rotation is great experience and it’s something that perfect to talk about in interviews. I’d recommend getting online work experience through observe GP, BSMS online, i remember doing a Newcastle mini medical school so have a look if they’re still doing that! i think Southampton have some virtual experience too? also, id recommend volunteering - it’s always great to talk about, easy to get and very rewarding. i did volunteering at a local charity shop so it doesn’t take too much out your day.

in terms of interviews, try assigning skills to experiences. Eg. Communication: “i saw the doctor using active listening and open body language to communicate effectively with the patient”, then explain why it’s important within medicine. you can write this in a table on excel or on a piece of paper, it’ll really help with interviews. i wont lie, i didn’t do much prep until a few days before which probably isn’t the smartest (so definitely start earlier) but it should show you that interviewers aren’t really trying to catch you out! they just want to see you be open and honest, if you truly want to do medicine and you're passionate about it, they’ll notice that !!

your UCAT is a long time away so you don’t need to be revising yet but when you do start revising for it, i would recommend medentry!

what you should be doing in preparation:

•

keep on top of hot topics and important cases in medicine. eg. Lucy letby, junior doctor strikes, Harold Shipman, covid backlog, etc. you can be asked about them and they’re also great for backing up a point. have a read of the student BMJ - super helpful!!

•

read the GMC guidelines and the NHS core values, these are really important and should be referenced in almost every interview answer. just having a good understanding of both of these and why they’re important within medicine will really help.

•

if you’re applying to any Scottish universities, make sure you know differences between Scottish and English healthcare

•

one thing i struggled with was stuttering and pausing while i was answering practice questions so id recommend auralyze.ai - it makes questions, you can record your answer and it’ll grade it and give you feedback. (This can be done closer to interview time)

resources:
https://www.medicmind.co.uk/free-mmi-mock/
https://www.bmj.com/student
https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/good-medical-practice---english-20200128_pdf-51527435.pdf

i wouldn’t waste any money on buying books or courses, you can find all the pdfs online. the only thing i remember paying for was a mock MMI at Nottingham. it was super helpful so that’s something id recommend because its done by med students so they know what interviewers want to hear but it’s not compulsory at all!

overall, stay calm and stay positive! I remember being absolutely terrified that i was never going to get in but i realised that even if i don’t get an interview/offer, it’s not the end of the world, even if it did feel that way sometimes. you’re obviously very passionate about pursuing medicine and universities will see that :smile:

you’ve also got a lot of time till interviews so honestly, don’t worry.
good luck!!

thank you so much for this ☹️ seeing people like you go all out in helping anxious students like me is so heartwarming to see. will def look into everything you mentioned when i can. congrats on getting your med school offers btw!!! wishing you all the best for everything else that's to come! once again thank you much :frown:

(((

Reply 4

username6475009

OP

5

thanks, i will!!

Reply 5

applytomedicine

4

Original post

by lyeenah

hello! i'll be sending in my applications in october this year and i've been so worried that i've not done much besides studying for my 3 a levels (bio math chem) and how that will affect my cv/personal statement.

can anyone tell me what else i can do that would boost my cv? (besides hospital rotations cause i've already applied and will be starting mine in august)

i'm also starting some MOOC's but i want to know if doing them will rlly give me an advantage in my application?

+ also so nervous ab interviews, any advice on any readings i should do to prepare for the interviews?

pls help ive been feeling so anxious the past few weeks

Hey! I’m a NHS cardiology registrar and have helped with medical school admissions for over 10 years. My advice is to think about the interview and personal statement and then work backwards. As others have said, you do still have time, so no need to panic, but you don’t have time to waste on low value activities. You’re going to need to demonstrate 1) an insight into a medical career and 2) the attributes medical schools are looking for through relevant experiences. The hospital work experience you have arranged should help with (1) - if there’s anything else you could do to get a broad understanding of medicine that would be good, e.g shadowing a GP to show some insight into community / primary care. As for (2), think about an experience that will demonstrate your commitment and also communication skills - e.g by arranging some voluntary work in a nursing home or local hospital. As for interviews, I’ve sat on lots of different interview panels - preparation is key! Let me know if any specific questions about any step of the application process, I’d be happy to help 🙂 and good luck!

help!! applying for medicine soon!!!

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