Is it just me?

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terpineol

If however it suggests likely to do better in the exams and remember more of the course material, which there has been enough time to establish, then one could hypothesise that it would produce better doctors.

so has it already suggested that people with a higher UKCAT do better in exams and remember more course material or at least tend to?

Reply 21

Degausser

Renal

Then it would cost twice as much.

In what way?

Reply 22

terpineol

trektor

so has it already suggested that people with a higher UKCAT do better in exams and remember more course material or at least tend to?

Apparently my year group showed a good correlation in first year. Its not thus a fantastic data set, hence why prospectuses don't have UKCAT average over 750 down along with three A grades.

Reply 23

trektor

terpineol

Apparently my year group showed a good correlation in first year. Its not thus a fantastic data set, hence why prospectuses don't have UKCAT average over 750 down along with three A grades.

that's quite interesting. Hopefully my UKCAT this year will be much better.

Reply 24

anonymity007

Generally speaking those who do well in the UKCAT will have a more positive opinion of it compared to those that don't.

Although personally, I think it's a load of ****

The BMAT is a far better test overall IMO

Reply 25

Renal

Degausser

In what way?

If the aim of medical education were to produce the best doctors above all else; there would need to be more pre-education selection, some form of post-education selections, more medical students to choose from, more research into what a good doctor is and how you test for one before they've started training.

Reply 26

Toiletpaper8

anonymity007

I agree completely.

Reply 27

terpineol

Renal

Something more like the french system where anyone can go for at least first year, huge numbers being thrown out in the first couple of years.

Undoubtedly in my opinion would produce the best doctors.

Reply 28

Degausser

Renal

I see your point, but for the time being If we want to produce the most competent doctors then we should atleast be looking at what they have to say in their PS and how they perform at interview rather than binning those who fall below an arbitrary cut off point.

You yourself once said the difficulty of a medical degree is probably comparable (crudely) to BBB at A level.

Reply 29

Insightful_Mandarin

I wonder how much the UKCAT (poss BMAT also - although I'm less sure about that) is really about producing competent doctors and rather how it conveniently addresses a selection problem - i.e. the multitude of candidates with AAA prediction, glowing GCSE's, the ususal EC's, vol exp etc. In particular, it could be deemed to have some value in terms of the widening participation agenda. For example, some med schools that place more value on UKCAT scores appear to allow high scores to compensate for lesser GCSE performance (King's springs to mind in that regard). Given the standard GCSE performance of privately educated candidates, UKCAT can be seen as a 'healthy' alternative selection tool, arguably disregarding socio-economic advantage (£75 or whatwever it costs now pales somewhat cf private shool fees). It's a topical issue you may have noticed....(Bristol, B'ham, Cardiff might reconsider its value perhaps ?) I know Cardiff require it....but that's all - actual score seems largely irrelevant.

Reply 30

Renal

terpineol

The Kiwi's do the same.

I don't think it's the best policy since the first year of university shouldn't, in my view, have that much academic importance.