Medicine Applications 2017

[adski]

As UKCAT season is in full swing and I can't find a thread anywhere else I thought I'd start this off. This is for parents of children looking to apply for Medicine at University with courses starting in 2017. UCAS application is only a couple of months away. It is hard to watch our kids put themselves through so much to work in the hardest profession imaginable and I thought it might be useful to start some sort of discussion here.

I am cynical wondering of how much value all that work experience and volunteering actually was. DS got told in all the open days how they expected at least this or that much volunteering and DS spent every sunday afternoon in a care home for a year. Of course he wrote about it in his PS and had a few stories to tell for his interviews, but not a single uni asked about the experience directly, not a single one asked for any actual evidence that he'd actually done what he said he'd done.
Frankly a good talker could have gleaned enough to spin into a useful learning experience from one or two visits, likewise the precious work experience in the local hospital. We know they don't read the PS any more and in fact these days it's much more about grades and UKCAT or BMAT than having an uncle who's Surgeon General
If ds was going through it all again I'd suggest he spent more time having fun and a few less feeding sandwiches to the elderly in a care home.

PixieChick

Wow, you must all be over the moon. Well done to your DD for getting those grades. I wonder if the previous rejections made her more determined to ace her A'levels. I don't have any DC at Cardiff but I know it quite well. I've always thought it would be a brilliant place to be a student.

I got the impression that Medical schools are careful not to disadvantage any students by insisting on hours and hours of work experience and amazing extra curricular activities.

DD in! All her hard work has paid off, what a slog! If we can help anyone with any advice, just PM me! Congrats to all those that managed to jump all the hurdles!

Ness and Pixie!

🥂🍾

I had the impression that the volunteering was at least as important as the shadowing. I think the medical schools are alive to the fact of some people being Better connected then others.

I agree Abra - dd's best experience was working in a hospice

user1482340609, they probably do. PM if you want- and well done, it is a huge relief!

Hi everyone, it's my first post on here! A huge well done to all those who have DC about to leave for Med school! My DS is applying this October for 2018 entry & I'm feeling ever so slightly (read completely!) overwhelmed at the thought of all that awaits him this year. Any top tips or advice from those who have already 'been there, done that'?! Many thanks!

Hi hummingbird. I'm not exactly been there done that. More like been there done that and doing again for the next DD.

If application is going in October then I guess you've covered all the work experience, the UKCAT etc stuff. So the only advice would be to make sure the PS covers everything the uni needs and reflects on what your DA learned from the work experience. Then it's just about having the patience to wait for interviews and offers while DS's friends are accepting places.

Best of luck and keep supporting your DS when the get rejections from one or two universities. It's bound to happen unless he is very lucky.

Sorry for the typos. Bloody phone ...

The biggest piece of advice given to me me was to encourage patience when interviews and offers start to happen and possibly your child doesn't hear but his friends do. It can be horrible for them but often it doesn't indicate anything as negative as they fear. My daughter wasn't one of the first to be asked for interviews or get offers but she ended up with two offers and a waiting list place. At one stage in February she was in complete despair. You have to hang in there. 🙂

Also, get them practising talking through answers to general/ethical questions and dilemmas. We used to do it in the car. You can find MMI questions online by googling and I think it helped my daughter to just get used to talking through an argument.

Many thanks Chuckie88 & Abra1d, that's really helpful. I think DS has plenty of work experience/volunteering completed & his UKCAT score is good (720) but his GCSE grades whilst good are not fabulous compared to others. Thanks for all the advice, I'll be googling MMI questions!

So Hummingbird I'd encourage DS to apply strategically to universities that prioritise UKCAT over GCSE grades. Also, as abrad1d said, practice interview questions and ethical scenarios.

720 is fantastic! Bodes well.