Sorry, another medicine question! Personal experience please.

[Mindgone]

DS is stuck for a fourth choice, here are his stats:
GCSE. 8A* 3A
AS. AAAB in maths, chemistry, biology and psychology
UKCAT 725 SJBand 1

He doesn't fancy PBL, London, or the BMAT unis.

I was just wondering, bearing all this in mind, where others' DCs have been happy? Any personal experience and/or advice would be gratefully received. Thanks.

How are all the Ps s going?

Carriemac, slow progress! And so much irrelevant stuff, and not half enough relevant stuff!

DD1 is at Exeter (Peninsula) and just entering her final year. Has loved every minute. Peinisula is a younger med school but has a very good reputation for sending out F1's who can actually do the job, as they have patient contact from the very first month.

Plus her two years in Truro (3rd and 4th year) meant for surfing...:)

Thanks Medusa, it's great to know where students are really happy :)

My friend's son graduated a year or two ago from Peninsula. He absolutely loved it. He and his girlfriend are both doing very well now in their Foundation training.

DS2 went to the open day at Durham on Saturday, and really loved it! Not sure whether he would be in with a chance though re the ukcat cut off. Because the average seems to be lower this year, so far, it has been suggested that only the highest scorers will apply, pushing up the cut off! Any thoughts on this?

Apply! No one ever knows the exact criteria for any given year. But I would say, play to his strengths.. different universities have very different benchmarks. DD1 applied to Cardiff but her GCSEs didn't have enough A/A* because they ignored her Btec Art. (having aced medical school so far however she is looking at applying for her F1 there!)
Peninsula are hot on ethics at interview.. Lurk on the Student Room forum , which while you have to take with a pinch of salt at times, has some good info.
In the end all the schools turn out... doctors! And as 60 % of applicants don't get a place, ANY offer is fantastic!

my DD1 is entering her final year at Peninsula and has loved every minute!

Thanks for the support Medusa, I think DS will apply to Durham as he loved it so much, and at least there is a chance! Your DD has done so well, you must be so proud of her! :)

This thread flitted through my brain today and a thought occurred to me. I don't know much about various Med Schools at Universities but how closely do students look at the hospitals involved?
QE in Birmingham is brand new, state-of-the-art, only opened in 2010. When we have had dealings with it, they have been excellent. The were designated to receive soldiers returning from Afghanistan etc so they have expertise in that area; you may recall that it was QEHB that treated Malala Yousafzai.

On that topic.. it's also worth thinking about the concentration of students at each hospital... the major hospitals have some interesting stuff to offer... but a lot of students to go through.
DD1 has been in several over the Devon and Cornwall NHS trust and has best enjoyed Truro.. it's a big hospital but has fewer students so they have had brilliant opportunities to scrub in and really get experience! And it's close knit.. the consultants playing beach volleyball with the students at Perranporth has made for great working relationships according to my daughter!

Birmingham has quite a high drop out rate I understand ..don't know why though!

DS1 was in Manc and loved the city but wasn't as keen on PBL (although early patient contact great). Fantastic range of hospitals to work in and has stayed there. DS2 was at Leeds. Dentist not Medic, but lots of medic friends who all loved the course.

As a Scottish student there is no quota!

Also pbl is very different when you actually do it. Glasgow the leader of pbl have a fab balance on pbl.

Look of a uni with early communication skills.

Edinburgh don't interview if that helps

Interesting that PBL isn't so bad when you get into it, but DS still isn't keen, he got a huge stubborn streak from his father's family! ;)

Out of interest, it sounds like a daft question, but does anyone know whether higher than needed predictions could go against them? I was wondering whether he would be overlooked because maybe they would think he's also applying for Oxbridge, which he isn't. IF he was predicted 3A*, would it go for him, against him, or make no difference whatsoever?! Or would it make their offers, if he got any, higher?

His probable final 4 are, Durham, Sheffield, Leicester and Nottingham.

Nottingham is fab.!

Mindgone the BMAT is not such a strange exam as the UKCAT and someone like your son, who has good academics, should seriously consider it. My child was put off Oxbridge by the lack of clinical contact but applied to Cambridge as it practically guaranteed an interview and is happy there. The nature of the course is changing but some of the students find ways to get early contact with patients anyway. Cardiff is another school to consider, if he is not definite yet, as it has high academic requirements, low cost accommodation and friendly people. Sheffield has recently opened a new building and it became incredibly over-subscribed when it dropped its UKCAT requirement. I don't know if they have changed again. It has a reputation for improving access.

Students should carefully identify which schools play to their strengths. 1,780 people with 3As didn't get a place last year (source Student BMA news) and the number of students accepted has fallen in 5 of the last 6 years. All applicants need to consider what they will do if they don't get a place this year. Private medical schools are open(ing) in the uk - Buckingham, University of Central Lancaster and Aston.

Birmingham are said to start lectures by pointing out that 60% of medical students become gps.

The student room sometimes has links to how medical schools score their interviews or other guidance given to interviewers. Although occasionally inaccurate it is more up-to-date and often more helpful than mumsnet.

Not read all the posts but best of luck to the OPs DS.

We went through all this agony with almost the same stats last year ( 9A* A at GCSE AAABA at AS - B in chemistry sadly) and just over 700 UKCAT.

He had interviews at Nottingham and Liverpool. Both " let him go" at the end of march with no offer.

He got A A A A at A2. And has gone at the weekend very happily and enthusiastically to do Neuroscience ( 4yr Masters if he gets the grades) . Briefly considered re applying but couldn't face all the stress again when he actually wanted to get in there and study- and had done reading round neurosciences and decided he loved it.

So one of the 1780 people mentioned. He's still " bruised" by it and especially that another boy from school was given a late offer ( after initial refusal) at Hull york and has gone on AAB grades .

What I think DS could have done differently:

Play to strengths not "where I want to go" in a way eg apply to Brum ( very against this LOL) if medicine is the " only thing" they want ever. He should have also applied to Hull york and newcastle ( though we only knew this is retrospect as the UKCAT cut off was predicted to be higher than it was in the end).

He should have applied to Ireland and would have been almost certain to be offered a place as I understand this is done purely on academics after the results. Encourage your DS to do this, closing date is ? January .Again Ds wanted to be in England. Also consider applying abroad. Holland, Bulgaria, Rumania etc all places that get you an EU medical qualification.

Alreadytaken, great to hear your child is so happy at Cambridge. DS went to have a look on the open day, and wasn't so keen, not sure thought if he thought he just didn't stand a chance though! My understanding is that they need really high ums in their ASs, ie over 95%, which DS didn't get. I did ask him the other day if he fancied re thinking the BMAT, but he has stubbornly refused!
Sheffield do use the ukcat, and a couple of DS1's friends are happy there. DS2also enjoyed the open day. He should have a reasonable chance at an interview there. Thanks for your help, will check out the student room

Theas, you've both been through the mill!! Especially tough that the other boy got in!
I think the ukcat cut off was 745 last year for Newcastle, but it is expected to be lower this year, as scores are generally down. DS is adamant he doesn't want pbl, so won't apply to any of those, eg Hull/York.
Re Ireland, I thought it would be much more difficult to get in over there! I looked into it briefly two years ago, when DS1 was applying for pharmacy. I got the impression that the points were too hard to achieve because the Irish do so many more subjects, especially doing 'only' 3 to A2.
At the moment I think DS2 would take a gap year if he gets no offers, but that may all change when he has been bruised and battered by the system!
I really feel for you, and know we have tough times ahead. It's just so different from applying for other subjects! It's hard explaining to others just how much the odds are stacked against them being accepted anywhere! " oh, he's a bright boy, he'll be fine!" They are ALL bright kids!

DS is trying to combine 'where he wants to go' with where he stands a realistic chance of at least getting his PS read!

I bought him a book on PS help for medicine, but he is only glancing at it, he knows best! I fear we are in for a stormy couple of years!! and needed!

Forgot to say Theas, congratulations on your son's fabulous grades! You must be so proud of all his hard work and determination! Best of luck to him for his course. Which uni did he go to? DS1 happily settling in at Leeds :)

I agree that Ireland is really only an option for those doing 4 A2s.

My d is probably going to apply to Leeds, Birmingham & Cardiff. And Oxford mainly because she loved it but accepts it a very aspirational choice! Birmingham implied at their Open Day that anyone with her results should get an interview. Have heard since that may not be the case though.

Oh and they do interview for medicine in Ireland.

In Belfast (UCAS) but not in the Republic of Ireland

Decorhate, just curious, what are your DD's stats? There's nothing wrong with aspirational choices, if she doesn't apply, she will surely never get an offer!

I think it's her GCSEs that are not quite there. 8 A* 2A 1B. Then obv there is still the BMAT to get through. She did get a place on their summer school, don't know if that will help her!

mindgone they need a good BMAT for Cambridge and at least 90% ums in the 3 most relevant subjects, so not including psychology for your son. It is true that the average for successful applicants is 95% but again in the 3 most relevant subjects. He would get an interview unless he screwed up BMAT. Leeds are also using BMAT now.

Sheffield used to have a very high cutoff for UKCAT. When they dropped it to a more average level they had a massive increase in applicants. They haven't changed the UKCAT for this year so they may be massively oversubscribed again. Nice medical school but hard to even get an interview there.