Competition - post a photo you've taken of nature >>

medicine Cambridge application

im currently in y12 aspiring to do medicine at Cambridge. i'm aware it's very aspirational particularly because my GCSEs arent as high as other candidates 9999888877 and I only do 3 a levels (bio chem maths, all predicted A* however). i was wondering if there's anything I could do to make myself a more distinct candidate and actually allow my application to be considered for interview? thanks

Reply 1

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

So you have very good GCSEs and very good A-levels and are taking the relevant subjects. What exactly here suggests you wouldn't be able to make a competitive application to Cambridge medicine (statistically only averagely difficult to get into among medical schools due to self selection out of applying for those not doing 3 STEM subjects and not predicted A*A*A and above which is higher than most medical schools)?

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Original post by artful_lounger

ive asked a lot of people about my gcses specifically and they've said that I should have at least 6 9s which I don't have, I know Cambridge reviews applications more holistically than Oxford but in comparison to the other people I know aspiring to go there for med I feel like I'm lacking bc they all have straight 9s and 8s

Reply 3

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Anonymous

So? That doesn't mean they will succeed and you will not. Admissions decisions are made on much more than simple measures of "who has the highest grades", especially for courses and unis that interview who have a lot more information to base decisions on.

Reply 4

TakingWs

Currently doing med at Cambridge, had the exact same 3 A-levels as you, no fourth, and I wouldn't worry about the GCSEs, I've got mates doing maths (a more competitive course to get onto than med) with worse GCSEs. (Though I've heard from some that reflecting you could have applied yourself more at GCSEs while writing the SAQ (which is an extra Cam specific personal statement you do in October) could be beneficial).

Things worthwhile doing:
-Smash the UCAT. You're the first entry year for Cambridge doing the UCAT, so there's no previous cut off you can look at, and they used look at the BMAT more holistically than other unis look at the UCAT. That said, its probably worth aiming for 2900-3000+. My advice for the UCAT, start prep 2 months in advance. Medify is completely worth the money (£30/month) if you can manage it, UCAT website has a good question bank if not, leave the official UCAT practice tests to you final weeks. Think about when you're going to sit it so you have at least 2+ weeks before hand for dedicated 2 hour daily prep.
-Get some work experience THEN link it to reading when writing your personal statement. I don't know if they value hospital over voluntary caring experience or vice versa, but if you can get both, do it. Linking it to a more academic perspective through further reading is a big win, eg if you volunteer in a care home, read Gawande's Being Mortal, and tie the ideas together in your PS.
That said, this is mostly relevant to the personal statement. In my interviews, I wasn't asked anything about work experience/ reflections/ motivation. It was entirely A-level biology related academic.
-Take an EPQ if your school offers it. I'm not sure whether the actual qualification will make a difference, and they never include it in offers, so you can always drop it after the interviews, but having something supra-curricular, medicine related, that you are passionate about, know a lot about, and can speak well on in interview will set you apart from other candidates. Even if you can't explicitly do this as an EPQ with school, getting some in-depth knowledge about a niche medical field that you can tie together with reading and speak intelligently about is a win.
-Do well in interview. Chances are, you'll get an interview (70-80% do), this is what gives you a opportunity to stand out. Initially, practice generic interview skills. Incredible book called 'medical school interviews' that you can pick up for a few quid on eBay which is full of interview technique and generic medicine practice questions. This will be more useful for other med school interviews than Cambridge, but just getting your head in an interview mindset as soon as you submit UCAS form will be beneficial. Get parents/teachers/mates/whoever to do 10mins a day of practice. Keep it fresh who you practice with. Then see if you can hone some Oxbridge-specific/academic questions. These are probably harder to find, and its a fairly unique interview style (there's a good video of a mock interview from Peterhouse on YouTube), but just thinking widely about the A-level biology you know in wider contexts is a good start (think about exam questions where they get you to apply knowledge to a new specific context - its like those, but more open-minded). Go over a bit of data-handling problem solving as well. Google Oxbridge medicine practice questions. Some aren't amazingly accurate, but its worthwhile thinking about.

Its all fairly generic advice, but that's the key things. Do the med school application basics, do them very well, add a sprinkling of extra academia on there.

Also, don't worry too much if it doesn't work out. A lot of the selection just comes down to luck on the interview day. Which university doesn't make a difference to an NHS doctor career, unless you're going for an academic career path, and even in that case, other med schools offer plenty of opportunities to get involved in the academia if you're proactive enough.

Good luck