Any prospective medics got offers yet?

[Theas18]

Just wondering as seem to have entered the eye of the storm here- nothing happening after all the frantic application/ supplementary questionnaires etc!

Thanks, the offers will all be the same so it's just picking where she thinks she'll be happiest if she gets other offers. She's the first in her school to get a Medicine offer so she realises how fortunate she is.

What's happening on Monday?

Is Monday significant?

What I think I know from DDs friends is that Edinburgh have given out all of their rejections - so if you've not heard from them yet it's good news. Leicester have said 'by the end of March'. Exeter have given out both rejections and offers already. UCL and Imperial have also given out both rejections and offers.

So it's still a mixed picture. It's so very hard for those waiting for offers when practically all of their friends have all of their decisions. Medics have to be made of sterner stuff..... And their parents even more so!

Here's hoping for good news from you all soon!

thanks, monday is the cruicial interview. Then we wait probably till the end of march I guess for the hoped for offers.....Jus the one will do!

Hang in there, theas ( and all other medic mums). Keep doing the duck thing - serene on the surface and frantic underneath!

Good luck for Monday, hope its not too arduous. My DD had one interview that she found confrontational and this was her first. Luckily she had another 2 days later that was very friendly so she didn't dwell on the first. It has made her feel slightly negative towards the first University now which I can understand. I know they all differ in style but a friendly approach brings out the best and gives a positive spin for the Uni.

It is such a roller coaster of a process which I don't think others, such as family and friends, despite being well meaning, can appreciate. I think us parents deserve our own medal for surviving this past 8 months with our sanity intact!

That wasn't King's by any chance was it? My DC found it a pretty unpleasant experience, including the no talking in the waiting room rule, lack of any friendly students to show them round etc. It was a huge contrast to the other London med school he had an interview for which was so friendly with students, admissions staff and interviewers all very welcoming. This, together with the fairly dire stats on student experience, feedback etc. which he originally ignored put him off going to King's for Medicine and made him really keen on the second option.

No, it was Cardiff, she has avoided London. Kings doesn't sound pleasant from your description. I went to 2 other interviews with her and found the atmosphere in the waiting room to have a huge impact. They were both quite relaxed with candidates and parents sharing info and really helping each other to relax a little.
I think if you haven't been to an open day, which is entirely feasible post UKCAT decisions etc, the interview is part of how you judge a Uni.
I spent yesterday eve looking at league tables and Newcastle does very well compared to other Unis, another consideration if she gets more offers.

Well done to those ds/dd with offers. DS now has an offer and is very relieved.

Hang in there to anyone still waiting, hopefully they will hear soon.

DD1 finally got an offer from her last remaining choice yesterday afternoon. This was her second round of applying, so she was pretty unwilling to take a second year out and would have had to take the long route into medicine.

So relieved.

My DD is in AS year, wanting to do medicine, so am starting to gen up - any advice? She is quite under confident at the moment, despite 3A* & 7A and a fair amount of work experience.

Also, University of Central Lancashire advertising heavily for new course for medicine starting this year, with places available. May be worth a look for anyone with no offers??

There is also the option of Holland or Bulgaria- some of the medical courses are taught in English, they cost a fraction of the equivalent in the UK (if you live in England) and the qualifications are completely valid in Britain.

Well done to her Duchesse, I saw on TSR that some students had an offer after 11 rejections! It's so hard to get into, having the right grades is just the start.
rpt53, my ds is quite quiet, he did mock interviews with some of our friends, this helped him a lot.

I think what helped her a lot for Cardiff was the fact that she's currently working as a nursing assistant at the hospital- she was able to talk at length about her work at her interview a fortnight ago. This was her 8th and final option (4 last year, 4 this year).

congratulations to her, duchesse. Now she can apply for her accommodation, start watching Gavin and Stacey so she gets used to the accents she will hear :) and join the Facebook page for offer holders.

Cardiff like good GCSEs and always have a high cut-off for applicants, it's been as high as 25 points some years so she'll be with a bright bunch of students in a town popular with students (Stephen Fry liked it), low crime rates and some good cheap student halls. When we went to look at the medical school as soon as we stopped to look at a map someone would offer help. It's a friendly city.

Anyone applying for medicine should have a back-up plan. We also looked at Ireland (competitive but low fees ) and Malta (require AS level language but can be English) as they teach in English and most Maltese people speak English. Becoming a nursing assistant shows commitment and would help at interview. It also means you may be able to get bank jobs in university holidays.

For anyone still waiting to hear - although they keep it quiet a few medical schools make offers in August, although I think only to those who have applied to them earlier in the year. It's usually to those who were interviewed and rejected. It's not always over until after the A level results are out.

Glad to hear that for your DD Duchesse. Lots of students favour Cardiff as their first choice. It does seen true that Cardiff puts a premium on work experience.

alreadytaken I don't think it's true that everyone applying for medicine should have to have a back up plan. If you have strong grades, a good school reference, work experience (not necessarily glam work experience either), a sensible ps, a good UKCAT or BMAT and an affable air, then you'd be likely to get at least one offer. Most students at DS's school got more than one offer with those boxes ticked, some got three and one at least got four.

Ventura, you may be hearing different things, but feedback from our neck of the woods (private academic London day schools) is that competition is higher than it has ever been, and that plenty meeting your profile have been disappointed.

Straight A*s, good and varied work experience, and experienced school help with the PS provide no guarantee. Perhaps students from the schools we know, don't have the right "affable air". Determined applicants are looking at fall-back options.

I don't know how many are actually studying overseas, and what this, new UK medical schools and a recent influx of Italian and Greek doctors (certainly into our local hospitals), will be do for overall employment prospects. How easy is it for British medics who have trained overseas to obtain work in the UK? Are they at a disadvantage to those who got places at home?

ventura, DD had all the things you list but got only one offer in 2 years of applying (8 choices). The competition seems to be so intense. She could have waltzed into practically any other course she chose last at practically any university, but we had a very real worry that she'd have to go through clearing this year to get a any place at all.

British doctors who have trained in the EU will be treated in the same way, in theory, as any other EU graduate. They may be treated slightly better than, say, Italians or Greek as prejudice for native speakers is hard to eliminate. There are funding implications that mean it isn't an option for many people.

A common back-up plan is NHS job and reapply and if that fails Biomedical Sciences and graduate medicine. A biomedical, chemistry or pharmacy degree (and others but those are popular choices) keeps options open. NHS jobs aren't always easy to get but those who apply early can normally get at least bank jobs and they can be for weeks at a time.

NHS jobs website is www.jobs.nhs.uk they've changed the search facility so you'll have to work out what to search for but using the advanced search will allow choosing a geographical area.

At my DS' school (super selective state grammar) only one that we know of has had no offers at all for medicine. Most get one and some, as in Ventura's case, get more, so there is hope!

Yes, but a state school.

There is certainly a perception that medical schools are keen to diversify intake and so are looking very closely at candidates from private schools.

I would imagine that a super-selective grammar is a perfect place to apply from as you will get the advantage of coming from the state system but with the higher aspirations and good teaching. I also wonder if it helps those who are having a rough time, and statistics suggests a lot are, to be told that if they had gone to Grammar all would be fine. I understand that in schools we know as many as 50% are without offers, when in other years most would have expected to get in.

I note that the University of Central Lancashire courses are only for non-EU citizens.

Well done to Duchesse's daughter, though. It is really good to hear that perseverance has paid off. However I still think Alreadytaken is right. For really competitive courses, whether medicine or something like economics, product design, or engineering, it is worth looking at overseas options as well as those in the UK. A gap year, then a related degree and then medicine is a long haul.

Needmoresleep....

4 rejections here now. Very fed up DS.

Attends one of those superselective grammars.... stellar GCSEs etc. Still, along with a not inconsiderable number of his peers had interviews but not got offers.

He has his 5th choice offer. Is thinking he is going to need A AA before he can even contemplate a gap year and re applying. Is he being to hard on himself here? It's going to be hard turning down a really tempting course in a field he likes , but I think he wants to be "doctoring" in that field not "being scientific" in it long term.

(and it really really doesn't help that it's the uni that he really wanted to do medicine, so will be doing classes with the medics and yet not be one)

Theas, I am really sorry to hear that. He must be so disappointed, and not helpful in the run up to A2s.

It is a bit of a sin to be grouchy on MN, so I probably need absolution. Having gone through the wringer with economics for DS and looking forward to medicine for our younger one, I am not sure it is helpful to suggest that strong grades etc will be enough. They patently are not in a number of cases. It is really hard then to know what to do, though your idea of waiting till you see grades and then deciding what to do, is probably a good one. It is what we would have done if DS had not got any of his top four economics choices.

I hope someone can give advice on what is probably the minimum needed for a successful re-application.

Your poor DS, Thea. DD was rejected by all 4 last year. Thankfully she has turned out to be a really resilient and resourceful young woman and she had plans B to D already worked out. I'm so glad it has paid off for her as the tension was becoming a lot to cope with over the last few weeks.

As regards academics for re-application, I don't really know. DD had 9 A* and an A at GCSE, and 38 points (6,6,6, 6,6,6) at IB, A at A level Maths and is doing an A level in Biology of her own accord this year (at least AS biology was a requirement for at least two of the universities she applied to this year (vs the ones she applied to last year which did not require it).

She decided to do the extra A level both for the different universities but also to keep her hand in so to speak. I'd imagine it might be a good idea to do something academic and preferably scientific in your year out if you intend to reapply.

The thing she also found that was really important was to be sure that the school reference was really, really good and that they know what they are doing. Her first one from her state FE college last year was a bit shit quite generic. She's doing the Biology at a "crammer" (she's the only non-retaker in her class) and they really know how to write the reference- they pulled together information from a range of people- her former tutors etc and produced a thing that was actually fit for purpose.

duchesse I do wonder about the school reference TBH. That's the bit we didn't see I must admit. What happens re school reference if you are no longer in education at that point?

Theas18 I'm sorry to hear it, I was hanging around hoping to hear he had a place. People get in as reapplicants with less than AAA, tell him to look at the student room website, perhaps here www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1939831&page=130 I think the minimum is probably 3As still although some med schools may like an A - but dont rely on that, check. They will expect an A in anything he needs to resit so getting his 3As is important. Also as I've said repeatedly on here a few med schools each year go back in August to people who they reject after interview and once or twice to those rejected without interview. Send him to get his results with a list of phone numbers for the schools that interviewed him (unless one was Oxbridge).

He will obviously want to choose schools that play to his strengths and reapplicants are generally advised to reflect on what went wrong the first time in their personal statement.

You can possibly still pay your fee and see the school reference on the UCAS form. Schools don't always know how to write them, there is guidance online (for postgraduates and for American schools but what people look for is similar). The main thing is that they comment on suitability for medicine and don't stick to academic ability.

I forget which doctor said it publically but pretty sure it was one who recruits - they said they probably wouldn't get in these days as the competition was so much greater.

A UCAS reference can be written by anyone, past school is an obvious choice.