Leeds or Newcastle for Medicine?

[fairywoods]

Hi, my daughter has been very lucky and has offers for Medicine at Leeds and Newcastle. She now has the great dilemma of trying to choose which to firm. Any views on the universities/med schools? Thanks so much! (I posted this elsewhere before realising should have posted here, so hoping for some more replies thanks)

Unless she's a triathlete, or has some other reason for choosing one over another, which course does she prefer? They are very different courses. Which best suits her learning style.

Please could you elaborate on the differences as both courses appeal? If I've got it right, they are both integrated courses but Leeds is more lecture based and has dissection. I think Newcastle is case led, but still has lectures plus small group and prosection. We are not a medical family, so any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks.

Congratulations to your daughter, that's quite an achievement!
DS1 is trying to decide between these two at the moment for chemical engineering. They are both great unis, and seem very friendly cities. He has looked up all sorts of stats online to try to help him with his decision. If anyone has any advice for him too, that would be much appreciated!
When we went to the open days, I went to the medicine talk with DS2, who is in Y12 and will be applying in the autumn. We were impressed with them both, but had a lovely informal chat with quite a few med students from different years at Leeds. They were a great bunch, and all very happy there, and that was with no tutors nearby to hear them!
Any tips on how to get offers at all?! :)

Well done to your dd, they are both super universities with great reps for medicine. She will be fine at either and I really cannot suggest one above the other.

Congrats on your daughter on having two offers..that is brilliant!

It's REALLY down to whether she thinks she will prefer problem based (case) learning or lectures.

My DD1 is in her 4th Year at Exeter (Peninsula) which is problem based and she has loved it.. she tends to find lectures a bit dry and finds she remembers and learns better by putting in the research and discussing it, (also where she is, they are thrown into patient contact from week one!) but it's all down to what suits your DD best.

And having said that.. all medical schools turn out qualified doctors... hope she enjoys wherever she picks.

Other considerations worth thinking about.. how far do they send students on placement? (might not matter if she has a car, but my DD doesn't and some of them have been FAR away). Is she likely to come home often? (My DD1 was very homesick..didn't expect to be and she is SO far away)

Mindgone... make sure his personal statement is amazing.. but honest. It needs to relate work experience to how it actually makes him feel about being a doctor..and not just 'I'm passionate about...' It doesn't have to be following a brain surgeon my DD pushed trolleys in a local hospital and did voluntary work in a special school.

Also.. A high UKCAT score will really make a difference. ( He will need to sit that in the summer before applying it's one of the application requirements, and some unis use the BMAT too.) Get a practise book from Amazon as they really help, and the cut off scores get higher every year.

Good luck to anyone going for medicine. It seems 5 mins since we were sweating over DD1's A levels and next year she will be a doctor!

Thank you all for your advice, whatever she decides she is very lucky to have a choice. Tips for "mindgone": My DD followed the Leeds PS advice very, very carefully - Leeds are great in that they give you good advice on exactly what they want to hear about, REFLECT on what you have learnt from work exp. There is a PS guideline download on Leeds Med School site. Also, get as much experience as possible in a variety of placements, voluntary, local hospital, summer play schemes etc. All my DD's experience just strengthened her desire to do medicine and that probably came across at interview as well. Also, Newcastle is all about UKCat (at the moment). My DD practised for about 3 weeks beforehand, using a UKCat 500 book (I think on Amazon?). Then make sure your DS holds nerves for the test - she was so nervous I thought she was going to be sick in the car(!!) and she fluffed the first section but then pulled herself together and got a great score for the rest. It was just UKCat that got interview at Newc (plus basic academic screening). Good Luck, it's been an intense year and it's amazing to actually have a choice. Also, make sure your DS applies to med schools where he stands a really good chance of interview - scrutinise their requirements, don't waste a single choice.

Fairywoods and Medusa, thanks so much for the helpful advice. Do you find out which med schools like what on their websites, or is there some hidden secret info somewhere?!

Check out The Student Room
www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=537

Especially the above. While a lot of it is about panicking there is some very useful info there.

To be honest, given that 60% of appliants don't get offered a place anywhere, getting a place at all is amazing..and while unis differ, they all turn out doctors! DD1 loved Exeter when she visited and it was her instant choice ..Peninsula was a 'newish' school then but has leapt up the rankings with its problem based approach, but I know she would have been happy anywhere.

Medicine is fantastic..the kids are all SO bright and the pace of learning is just astounding (and tough!)
Incidentally if your son isn't a 'rich' student (when DD1 went for interview she was the ONLY state school kid that day!) it is still perfectly possible for them to hold a job too.. DD1 works in the local hospital as bank staff HCA and the bonus of it is that as well as gaining a lot of 'ground level' experience, she also knows a lot of the doctors and Consultants there, which makes her placements fun!

I went to Newcastle and am not a medic, but lots of my friends were. Most of them are now consultants etc (we are mid 30s) so guess that's a good sign! Newcastle med school does some pioneering research too, you'll notice it's quite often on the news for various things. That is about as considered as my reply gets! I did my MSc at Leeds and also really rate it as a Uni, but for me Ncl has the edge. That's not very useful is it?!? ??

Thanks again Medusa & Ethelred. Mindgone - Studentroom is useful, but not always accurate. Dig around on the med school websites and you will find their requirements. Also, it can change year on year, so double check especially in the couple of months before submitting UCAS form. For instance, Leeds is changing to BMAT next year (I think) and Newcastle UKCat cutoff just keeps on soaring! Also, the 500Q interview book ISC (I think) is brilliant. There are plenty of other great courses and careers to go for that have a much less intense application process, so he really must want it - work experience, preferably in a hospital is so important to make sure it's for him (ward assistant can be fairly easy to get if your local authority has a student scheme?). Good Luck!

It's a bit investment of time, energy, life (not to mention money), so why don't you take a few days & go and visit both again? Leeds and Newcastle aren't that far from each other. Try to go during term time (not long left of the University term) and get the feel of each place.

Mindgone - it's the 600 UKCat book and the ISC Med school interview book - got them muddled up!

Oh, I didn't see there were two threads on this - I replied on the one in Education.... ( pop over there OP!)

Thanks all for you help and advice, it's really appreciated. Will check out that book fairywoods. Do you happen to know if courses available are any good?

Mindgone - no knowledge of UKCat courses I think they are very expensive £300+ - my DH is very logical and great at maths, so gave help where required. I think it's practise, practise for about 3 weeks. My DD did sign up to a 2 week online practise UKCat thing where you had access to online tests meant to be similar to the real thing, think it cost about £25 for 2 weeks access. Also, I have heard that DrPrep interview course is excellent if you want interview practise, but expensive. Another tip, I would suggest your DS takes UKCat reasonably early, say 4 to 5 weeks after AS finish. There is no point to months of practise, also depending on his score it may radically change where he wants to apply and gives time to look into med schools he may not have considered. Personal Statements - don't know what his school says but draft it in the summer holidays - my DD just brain dumped everything she could think of about why she wanted to do medicine, her work & voluntary experiences, extra curric etc. She refined and re-drafted about 10 times before it was finally sent off. I would also advise early application of UCAS form, make sure the UCAS form is filled in and PS drafted ready for going back to school in September. Early application does help, my DD got a pre-Xmas interview and I am sure this was down to early submission. I don't know about BMAT she decided against Oxbridge & London. Any more questions feel free to ask.

Interestingly, I trained at Newcastle and DH at Leeds (was more years ago than I'd care to mention though). We both loved our respective universities, and had a great time. I'd definitely second going to each campus to get a feel for the place, as she will be there for at least five years. Congratulations to your daughter, she has done brilliantly!

Thank you WolfMoon! Yes, she is visiting both again soon - sounds like whatever she decides will be great :)

DS2 is at Leeds studying Dentistry and DS1 got a place for med at Leeds, but chose another Uni. Feel free to pm me if you or your DS would like to ask either of them anything. DS2 has friends who are 5th yr medics at Leeds.

Thanks so much fairywoods, so helpful :)

No problem, good luck! :)

DS is at Leeds Uni (engineering) and likes the course and the Uni but HATES the city.

Sassysally - Why does your DS hate Leeds the city? Am interested because DD has just put Leeds as firm choice (but not for medicine) - for Product Design, which is in the Engineering School.

My daughter is doing her UKCAT next week and she is absolutely terrified .She had prepared hard but I think she still haven't cracked the code.She is still getting an average score of 650.Any last minute tips for UKCAT ?

I'm afraid it seems to be practice practice and more practice! And also really analyse it afterwards, to check why she got things right, and why other questions were wrong, rather than just marking for a score. Good luck!

DS just got 660 today in UKCAT and is a bit gutted, any positive stories out there? He has just ruled out Newcastle, but wants toasty to sheffield.