Fresh new 'mum of a medicine applicant' thread.

[Mindgone]

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?

[QueenQueenie]

Updating Carrie...

Cambridge i/v mid December, will hear 09/01
Birmingham i/v late November, offer 3 weeks later
Leeds i/v late Jan
Sheffied i/v late Jan

[Mindgone]

Well done Carrie and Queenie on offers! That must be a great feeling!

Update:

Durham, interview Nov
Leicester, interview last week
Nottingham, interview end of Jan
Sheffield, yet to hear from

No offers but no rejections either, yet!

[Decorhate]

Birmingham interview mid Nov, have heard nothing yet

Oxford last week, should hear one way or the other at start of Jan

Leeds interview end of Jan
Cardiff interview mid Jan

[Carriemac]

They are all doing well!

[Oyster2]

Interviewed at Cambridge and Birmingham - waiting to hear. Interviews at Leeds and Sheffield coming up. So no rejections but no offers. Would really liked to have an early offer to settle the nerves!

[Mindgone]

We would have loved an early one too! Or an interview from Sheffield, still not heard from them yet!
Very happy Christmas all, let's enjoy the break!

[Carriemac]

leeds interview at 8.30 so need to book a hotel in leeds - any recommendations? need parking, and walking distance to food/city centre for relaxing :) meal. and near Uni of course.

[QueenQueenie]

Ds also has i/v at dawn - on Monday 26th, so we'll need to go up the night before too...!

Hope everyone enjoyed a happy and restful holiday.

[Mindgone]

Carriemac, DS1 is in Leeds and really loves it, but I'm afraid I have no recommendations for hotels for you as we are an hour and a half away, and haven't needed one yet. I would google it and check out a map. I find Premier Inns and Holiday Inn Express generally very good value.

Still waiting on Sheffield here, guessing we won't hear anything before next week now. Mocks next week too, the fun never ends!

Good luck to all DCs with interviews coming up.

[Carriemac]

I have put DS in charge if finding a booking the hotel now, and dh has taken the day off to bring him- result. Our mocks ate February, whuch is very late I feel...

[Mindgone]

That sounds like a good plan, at least you can't get blamed for picking the wrong one!

[QueenQueenie]

Oooh, Carrie, will you let me know what you find hotel wise? When is your ds's interview? PM me if you'd rather...?

[Carriemac]

its january 15th at 8.30 am, we are only 1.5 - 2 hours away but might be a bit fraught trying to get there in the morning. I think they will stay at the IBIS near the med school. I'll let you know.
Anyones DCs started the hep B immunizations? do the GPs do them?

[Mindgone]

We were lucky with the hep B. DS is going on a volunteering trip to India in feb, so had his for free! Other friends in a different area have had to pay, and if he needed it for his career, he would have had to pay too. So feeling quite fortunate about that one! He needs his second one soon, so will have it after his mocks next week.
Yes, they are done by the nurse at your GP surgery.

[hellsbells99]

My DD needs to get the hep B for the course she has applied for. So far my GPs have quoted £126! I am phoning round to see if any travel clinics are cheaper. She also needs TB which the GPs don't offer.

[Mindgone]

That sounds crazy! Could you try saying she's going volunteering in India?!

[hellsbells99]

Hi Mindgone. That has crossed my mind but I would feel guilty - perhaps she had better really volunteer! Would we really get it free then? The nurse at the surgery has told me I need to contact out local hospital re: TB as none of the surgeries offer it now.

[Mindgone]

Some of DS's friends who are also going to India have had to pay a lot for it, I think around £130! So I guess we are just lucky in our area. We haven't asked about TB, how essential is that one? I know we got a letter some years ago saying that they weren't doing it routinely at schools any more. I'm guessing there's no hurry with most of these, and they would get information with an offer, or maybe when they go unconditional. I'm just realising Hellsbells, I think your DD has her offers. Did she get vaccination information with the offers?

[hellsbells99]

Hi mindgone. It is Birmingham (prob her 2nd choice) that say she needs the vaccinations doing before she sends back her health forms (due in May). The forms list what they need and it all needs signing at the GPs. They must start the clinical work very early. Perhaps I should just talk her out of Birmingham! And yes, she has all 5 offers now. The Nottingham offer came through on 23rd Dec. I see your son has an interview there - good luck! I think the format is the same as the pharmacy interview - 7 station MMI. DD said it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be and she does tend to get quite anxious normally.
Sorry to derail this thread slightly - I was lurking to see what all the potential medics were doing about vaccines and I also have a 2nd DD potentially looking at applying for medicine next year. Good luck everyone's DCs with their interviews!

[Mindgone]

Hi Hellsbells, not derailing at all, it's a very similar boat we're all in!
Well done to your DD, 5 offers is amazing! I think Birmingham as a uni is fab, but I think they're only in their second year of doing Pharmacy there, so I don't know if that would have any impact on the course. I guess that they will be very busy proving how fabulous their course is!
Your DD's Nottingham offer was a very nice Christmas present! Yes, DS has an interview there on the 30th. So glad your DD found it less daunting than expected, hope DS does too! He has had one of each type of interview now, so hopefully more prepared than he was, it's just such a long wait! You'll be able to guide your DD2 through it all seamlessly next year, if that's what she decides to go with

[Carriemac]

Hellbells 5 offers is amazing! Has she a level results already?

[hellsbells99]

Hi Carriemac. That's not for medicine - for pharmacy! DD is in year 13. Well done on your DS' Birmingham offer. What did he think of Birmingham? It is a slightly higher risk for DD as it is a relatively new course as mindgone says above. But the facilities are amazing (all new labs etc.) and the course passes very highly on the accreditation checks so far. It is within the medical school so all the 'links' with the hospitals etc are already in place so that does decrease the risk quite a bit in our opinion.
Good luck with the rest of the interviews!

[Carriemac]

He liked birmingham, though it was a last minute choice. Hoping for a leeds offer still. Just booed the hep b shots, no mention of charge though he booked it himself so may not have listened. DTs doing GCSEs this year so all in all a stressful year !

[Decorhate]

Has anyone been to Cardiff (even just for an Open Day)? Looks like dd will have to go on her own. Hoping it's reasonably easy to get to from the train station?

[Mindgone]

I went to an open day in Cardiff a couple of years ago with DS1. It was really nice! Iirc, we might have changed trains in Cardiff, and then got one which took us directly to the uni. It was very convenient, am sure your DD will be fine, and enjoy the adventure! Best of luck to her :)

Is anyone else still waiting to hear from Sheffield? Nothing here yet :(