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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Fresh new 'mum of a medicine applicant' thread.

559 replies

Mindgone · 11/11/2014 11:58

I thought I would start a new one, as the last one went a bit 'off topic'! How's everyone getting on? Am so excited, and a bit nervous, as DS has two interviews coming up! How is everyone else's DCs preparing? Also, any tips from anyone who's been there?

OP posts:
Carriemac · 19/02/2015 20:51

And the Uni fees are far less. DS2 is considering Ireland for 3rd level

Decorhate · 19/02/2015 20:57

Yes we considered it for dd. But probably harder for a UK applicant to get in there for medicine unless you are doing 4 A Levels. Plus you can't get a student loan

Carriemac · 19/02/2015 21:10

Yes, it's not really doable for medicine, though I hear trinity are moving back to 3 A levels not 4 for entry. With sterling strong and if they don't go to Dublin I think it would be doable without a loan (and how nice to graduate without a big debt)

Decorhate · 19/02/2015 21:25

I think the accommodation even outside Dublin has got very expensive. Lots of purpose built student apartments built during Celtic Tiger years.

Decorhate · 23/02/2015 20:06

Forgive me while I rant a little. Dd needs to send off a medical history form to Oxford. Of course she left it till the last minute. GP wanted £32 up front to sign & stamp the form. Got form back today & they have missed a section. So obv haven't even read it properly. So a squiggle, date & stamp which probably took all of 10 seconds for £32!

Carriemac · 23/02/2015 22:23

That is really annoying, especially as they charge so much. can you get back to them easily?
Our GPs do it for free, for future healthcare workers. ( we did have to,petition the principal GP though)

Decorhate · 24/02/2015 06:22

We took it back last night & left it with the receptionist who promised to try to get a GP to look at it again today. Cross with dd too who could have collected it on Friday/Sat. Or checked it whilst there. Will be so glad when this is all over. Crossing everything that the younger ones will do something that is NOT MEDICINE!!

Decorhate · 24/02/2015 06:40

Carrie/Oyster - did your dc's ask for the scoring breakdown from Leeds? My dd did & was quite interesting. Made me wonder if the whole circus of medicine applications in the UK is a waste of time...

angethomp190 · 24/02/2015 07:48

Decorhate - why do you say it is all a waste of time? I agree...

My DD got rejected from Leeds and recently got feedback. She is gutted as academically she was in the top band and her BMAT score was also above average. It was her personal statement which was scored really low and meant she didn't get an interview.
We agonised for months over the personal statement and I felt it was really good. I know I don't have any experience but her teachers felt it was good including her chemistry teacher who is a qualified doctor. I have no idea how she will improve it if she has to reapply and nor does she!

Carriemac · 24/02/2015 08:19

My I mpression from the Leeds feedback is that everyone was in the top band academically who got in.

Oyster2 · 24/02/2015 13:55

Feedback here, and it's just decile scores, made sense tbh. Why do you say that Decor? I do think the MMI format is quite unforgiving though and I'm can be prepped

.

Oyster2 · 24/02/2015 13:59

I'm sure can be prepped for that should say!

Original poster
Mindgone · 24/02/2015 14:15

DS and I spent an hour or so chatting with current Leeds medical students at the open day last year, and a surprising number of them were re-applicants. One of them had the impression (prob not seriously!) that the application process involved throwing a big pile of applications on the floor and picking out a few from the top! They were lovely students, and all very enthusiastic about the course and the uni. DS loved it, and would have applied if his brother hadn't gone there!
Interestingly, a couple of the re-applicants said that they had help with their PSs from medic friends and family the first time round, with no offers, but did it by themselves the second time around, much more successfully!

OP posts:
onedirectionparent · 24/02/2015 14:53

hi everyone, please can I join in? Oldest dd just got a conditional offer from Glasgow (we are in Scotland, so conditionals are normal for final school year exams). All these hurdles to have got through - and now she has taken eye off the ball, and isn't studying. She has wanted this since she was 12 or 13 (not parental pressure!) - how on earth can I motivate her to pick up studying again in time for exams in May :(
Stress levels (mine) actually are worse now than they were during the application process, and I don't want to be nagging her - if she doesn't want this enough, someone else will though. Anyone else had this please?

Decorhate · 24/02/2015 17:25

Hi & welcome. My dd also seems to be putting in less effort than I would like. Latest lot of mocks/assessments very poor in relation to predicted grades. We have put no pressure on dd to apply for medicine, in fact I have had many conversations with her to make sure it's really what SHE wants. And it appears that it is. But not enough to stop thinking about prom dresses and where she might go on holidays Hmm

Original poster
Mindgone · 24/02/2015 17:31

Onedirection, welcome! And congratulations on having a DD with an offer!

I believe that they really have to motivate themselves.
However, it's so hard to look on and do nothing! My tack is to ask questions instead of nagging. It gets the point across more 'innocently'!
Eg. I am so proud that you have worked so hard and have an offer! Have you planned how you are going to get the grades now?
I was wondering how your revision timetable is going?
What help and advice have school got available to help you?
How are you doing with past papers?

I also really believe that if they can't work hard enough now, with their goal in sight, then maybe medicine wouldn't be the best path for them, it's never ending once they get in! Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but it helps me through the days when I worry that DS isn't doing enough.

OP posts:
Decorhate · 24/02/2015 17:32

Re my earlier question, I have been wondering for a while if the personal statement/work experience/interview really adds much value to the outcome. In Ireland, for example, they purely go by exam results & assessment test. I'd love to know if the drop-out or failure rate is any worse than here as a result. Certainly was almost non-existent back in my day (dark ages emoticon).
Dd scored highly for academics, BMAT & non verbal communication elements of the interview. Less so for PS & verbal communication. But still got an offer. Hence my question.

Carriemac · 24/02/2015 20:37

I do wonder about that decorhate. I think the uK system is fairer than the Irish one, and should in theory select better doctors.
the aptitude test in Ireland was supposed to level the playing field a bit, so it's not all about the academics. DS scored highly on his PS for leeds and just a 3 on his BMAT so I do think the PS is important. They are very carefully scrutinised at his school, and so far all the medicine applicants have got interviews .

Decorhate · 24/02/2015 20:47

It looks like Leeds do look at the whole picture then which I feel is better than purely looking at how they score at the interview, once it gets down to making offers. Or purely focussing on academics like some places.
Obviously I'm just grateful it worked out for dd and everyone else who got an offer

Carriemac · 24/02/2015 21:17

It still does feel a bit random though, DS had good academics and PS, ok UKCAT and BMAT. Two offers from birmingham and leeds. and two rejections without interview, from Sheffield and Bristol. Make a no sense to me really, but a least he has offers. He also has taken his foot off the pedal a bit, but as I mentioned before heis having health issues so am just being very easy going about it at the moment, facilitating revision without nagging -' shall I call you before I leave for work so you get some work done go before you play football? '
Honestly, if he recovers, I don't care about the grades

onedirectionparent · 24/02/2015 22:52

Thanks for ideas re motivating - glad we are not the only ones. Interesting points about how the selection methods vary, and what if any links there are to subsequent dropout rates. Edinburgh don't interview, so sound more like the Irish system, Aberdeen & Dundee do the multiple mini interviews ( 7x 10 mins each) and Glasgow is 2 big interviews - not sure how this compares with the English unis?

angethomp190 · 25/02/2015 07:42

It certainly does sound very random to me too but I suppose the PS is subjective. What one person likes someone else doesn't.

My DD is also less motivated to work than last year but then she has no offers. I don't think she would be any better if she had an offer as she just enjoys her free time more and she also now has a boyfriend. I do much the same as the others and ask questions and offer to wake her before leaving the house and so on.

I can't say much about interviews in England as DD only had one and that was a 20 minute individual interview with a panel of 3.

Carriemac · 25/02/2015 07:59

Drop out rates in Ireland and the uk about 3% for medicine. Overall in UNi, pupils with the best grades and from a higher socioeconomic background are least likely to drop out.

Original poster
Mindgone · 02/03/2015 11:42

Hi everyone! It's now March! Any more news, offers etc?

I was wondering, where is everyone still waiting to hear from?

Still waiting to hear from Durham and Nottingham post interview here.

I swing from thinking he probably did well (cos I know he's lovely and would make a great doctor!), to remembering what a high proportion of strong applicants get rejected, so why shouldn't he be among them!

OP posts:
Decorhate · 02/03/2015 17:13

Hi

Still waiting to hear from Cardiff & Birmingham which I hope will be by the end of the month. DD is a very lucky girl as she had had offers from her two favourites, so far.