Medicine 2018?

[Katisha]

Is there already a thread for medicine applications for 2018 entry?
If not can I start one?
Wondered if anyone knew about the Birmingham GCSE situation as DS has A stars and As at GCSE and likely to be predicted A stars at A level but is coming up on their offers calculator as unlikely to get an interview.
Is it pointless to apply to Birmingham if not all stars at GCSE? Didn't get a star in biology.

I think it is more unusual to get 5th choice offers immediately rathercthsn the other way round. DD 5th choice means that she could join in Medicine after year 1 - gets automatic interview- so I would think they screen those putting it down as 5th choice with all other being Medicine very closely too.

We're on holiday in the sun right now a nice timely break for all. It makes it all seem far away and wonder what the fuss was all about, of course DD will get 4 interviews! Love how holidays brighten everything up!

My Dd heard from 5 th choice first last year but interviews followed in the next few weeks for the med courses and were all done by early January offers in by February.Like others her 5th choice offered a transfer to medicine from Biomed.Others had interviews much later but were just as successful .

Potential medics should perhaps take a look at the thread about 5th/6th year being harder financially and planning how much work they can get in their next vacation.

Hi alreadytaken. Are you trying to put our DC off medicine? Do you think we have not already tried that? Would you deny them the opportunity to follow their dreams? I got my DD an apprenticeship at JLR, big starting salary, she was not interested. Thank you anyway for your thoughts.

Thread? I haven't seen that one

Sluj - even if there was a thread, DD would not care about it. Focusing on getting interviews, not on any negativity x

True, it's just another hurdle to jump when we get to it.

Despite DS1 only being able to access much more limited student finance in Y5 and Y6 (he's Y6 now), and having had to work to supplement his funds, he's loved his course, loves what he's doing, regrets absolutely nothing. Has had a lot of fun along the way and early next year he's off for a ten week elective the other side of the world, chasing the sun. I agree: keep positive!

Well then, personal statements written, med schools selected and the UCAS ‘Submit’ button activated so now I can go ahead to make my personal comments without fear or prejudice.

In my many years of reading, participating and discussing about medical schools and the medical profession both in forums and in real life, I’ve not come across the arrogance and the rudeness, not to mention the stupidity of some of the postings I see on this very thread.

For example, I am massively impressed by the confidence displayed here by some posters; counting on their fingers how many Medicine interviews they are going to get even BEFORE their UCAS forms are sent.

Tremendous!

Next, I am in awe reading about the people some of you said they like or dislike as the case may be, and therefore, they’d be able or unable to work/live with in a domestic or professional setting. And seriously they want to be doctors!

And the icing is really set on the cake when alreadytaken, one of the most knowledgeable and revered posters on anything Medicine as far as I’m concerned, is taken to task for trying to be genuinely helpful. Just goes to prove some of you have absolutely no idea what they’re letting themselves in for.

Good luck all the same.

Preteneras I don't think posters on here are being intentionally arrogant but are rather trying to be optimistic in outlook.Its a really stressful time for parents, especially if this is your first child applying for University.
Already taken has written a useful post intended to help, but that was easily misinterpreted as not being particularly helpful.
I understand that you have been through this experience before and have expertise in this area.Most posters on this thread haven't .However there is absolutely no point in complaining and every point in helping with knowledge and advice to complete newbies.
I can help with Veterinary Medicine applications because we've been through it all before ( even though the process has completely changed in some cases).I know nothing about Medicine applications other than dd's friends experiences.

Funnily enough Already’s link was gratefully employed in our household only last night for my husband’s spreadsheet of family indebtedness or otherwise and boy was he pleased to have it confirmed that she doesn’t pay fees in year five and may even get a very small bursary. But then I broke it to him about the longer rental period... We may have to buy a caravan and park it near placements.

I did mean to post here and thank you Already.

Honestly I don’t think anybody is counting any chickens here. How could they? They’ve been reading this thread, last year’s, probably tSR too. Nothing is certain.

Trying to be optimistic here and thinking of interview clothes as it's half term. DD has a dress and we bought a jacket. I think it looks fine, DD thinks it's too apprentice like (as in TV programme). I will try to attach photos for your opinion!

Lovely blue. She could wear opaques and boots to make it less corporate if she’s minded to, but really she looks great. If she’s as comfortable as she looks in the photos she’ll be up for anything they might throw at her in an MMI.

Hi DOW I think it looks great and a lovely colour.

Interview clothes are difficult. They want to look smart but wear the clothes rather than have the clothes wear them. Difficult when you are only 17. The jacket looks nice. DD paired an already owned Zara black jacket with a smart pair of black trousers and a stylish dark blouse. I will confess that the last two were quite expensive but after looking around too long I abandoned her with a couple of experienced shop assistants and set them the task of sorting her out. One had a daughter who was interviewing for Oxford so understood the brief.

The outfit ended up getting a number of wears one way or another, so the lovely trousers were worth the money.

That looks very smart, adrinkofwater. That said, I know DD felt more comfortable wearing trousers as the MMI stations can be a bit rushed and she didn't want to be constantly checking that she wasn't inadvertently showing more flesh than intended! She is nearly 6 ft tall though, so dresses come up short on her!

At the three interviews she had, there was a mix for the girls but it was mostly trousers, shirts and a jacket but not a suit. The young men mostly did wear lounge suits. No one was wearing heels, from memory - mostly flat shoes. Many of them looked like they were wearing the kind of 6th form clothes that are fairly common in schools that don't wear uniform in 6th year but wear so called 'business dress'.

The clothes do come in handy though, as my DD's course involves placements from term 2 of year 1 and so she wore her interview outfits to those. She is in Y2 now and on placement today in hospital, so no doubt some variation on that theme is being worn today.

If your dds want to buy smart clothes now (for any reason) that can be worn later on placements, then smart trousers are probably more useful.

I also think trousers are better for mmi, but DD thinks a skirt is smarter - although her preferred skirt atm is black denim with biggish silver buttons down the front which she often wears to 6th form. We do have a trouser option and I would appreciate your opinion on whether or not they count as smart. Thanks, I hope I'm not being too annoying!

I prefer the blue dress for interviews I think it looks smarter and as Abra said with flattish boots and opaque tights

adrink most of the trousers being worn by girls that I saw tended to be full length and either dark-grey, black or navy or with a discreet woven-style pattern.

So what? you may very justifiably reply!

Frankly your daughter looks just fine, made an effort but not over formal.

We probably sweat this stuff too much! The girls I saw looked relaxed in a range of outfits.

DD will wear her usually school attire because she is used to it and there won't be any surprises. I really don't think interviewers care one bit as long as they don't look scruffy. They are looking for personality traits not how well they dress. It's about what helps them feel confident.

Adrink my DD wore exactly those trousers to her Cardiff MMI ...

My DS has an email acknowledgment from uea which said they have received 1500 applications sounds like a huge number anyone know how this compares to previous years?
According to TSR Birmingham could start sending interviews out late next week!!

Suggest knowing about the junior doctors contract and commissioning for interview. Also a bit about postgraduate training set ups (not in detail but enough to look interested) and contact postgraduate deaneries / royal college faculties eg rcgp locally as often run little known recruitment events.

The UCAS stats show an increase in medicine applications of 8% this year. That’s and extra 1,500 people !!! Think it’s going to be v v competitive - worse than last few years. Poop