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.

Great news mommy! So nice to know before Christmas too!

Swing, I hope you also get good news this week! Can't believe you hear back so quickly!

Mommymoonitz that's JUST FANTASTIC! All it takes is one offer each!
What a great way to start Christmas. Wow!

My DD laughs when I refer to the children of my MumsNet Friends & how they are getting on. I will tell her when she gets back from Leicester. There is only one other applicant at her school, we don't know her very well & it's been all bad news so far so I'm glad to be on here for celebration & support.

Yes 2B1G I think our children chose similarly - HYMS & Liverpool. Don't anticipate hearing from them until mid Jan. Like you I am keeping an eye on TSR too. (There seemed to be some squabbling about the quality of L'pool but I read it with a pinch of salt - we too went to open day & really liked it - the older students too seemed happy). HYMS is our fav. I/v Sheffield in Jan.

Thats great news Mommy well done :)

Congrats Mommy and your DD especially as Plymouth is first choice
Unfortunately we got a 4pm rejection which is absolutely gutting. It wasn't DDs top choice and she's 2 more interviews and still waiting to hear from Nottingham but still upsetting nonetheless. Just trying to keep upbeat today ... Its the start of a long tough process.
Good luck to everyone waiting to hear Friday.

Thank you all. Biscuit2000, try not to dwell on it. They are all looking for something different, so hopefully the next schools will bring good news. My DD has always been very good at drama and I think this helped her in the panel interview, maybe your DD is better suited to MMI interviews. Keep your chin up, x

I'm so sorry biscuit This thread is and will continue to be very difficult as both celebrating those who have succeeded and those who will face rejections so I hope we can be both congratulatory but also supportive when these come through, so sending you a very big hug to you and your daughter. As you say, the process is a tough one, with ups and down, and one of the biggest life lesson our children will face.

How did your DD feel she'd done. Did it come as a surprise or not?
Plymouth is out of the way now, so all she can do is use it to learn what she can do differently, if anything and focus on the others. What are her other two interviews and when are they?

Yes, not long to wait at all for SGUL and actually, some interviewed last week heard back after only 2 days. They seem to be operate differently to other schools in that regard. I suppose even though the timing before Xmas is not great, it is better to know right away so that indeed, if you fail, you have a chance to consider the reasons and try to remedy them before the next interview.

grrr, of course I meant to type 'and supporting those who will face rejections'. What a stupid typo to make :(

Sorry to hear that Biscuit but v glad your DD has 2 more interviews. That bodes well.
Virtual hug for you both from here too. We are all going to have disappointments I'm sure and can definitively empathise. Fingers crossed for Nottingham too.

Congratulations mommy,Great news!
Biscuit- ask your Dd to not loose hope, especially she still has 2 interviews.
My daughter is in AS and I don't know anyone personally applying to Medicjne this year.

Biscuit2000. I thought you might like to know that my DD has not even had the second confirmation e-mail from Bristol, so it seems likely she will be rejected from there pre interview. So, it goes to show that this medical thing is a bit of a "black art". My DD has v good GCSE, a decent UKCAT and good predicted grades, but Bristol don't seem to think that she is for them - sometimes, we just can't understand what the uni is looking for so, onwards and upwards towards the other 2 interviews that your DD does have x

Mommy DD also has heard nothing at all from Bristol bare that they received her application two days after submission and the lovely email today to wish them a happy holiday! I don't think they are finished reading all of them I think quite a few still haven't heard but I totally agree that they do focus their interviews to recognise different skills and let's not forget thgst the difference between one getting in and one rejected can be very minimal.

Safely back from Leicester & DD seems to think it went ok & she did her best. Who knows if her best is what they want but we will wait & see. Think she even (with hindsight) enjoyed bits of it.

Now a long wait for another I/view &/or news.

I know someone who does some interviewing at Bristol for medics & it sounds to me like their approach to sifting is a little disorganised! But a great place to go.

Swinofthings - we are all as one! SomersetS - glad the interview went well. I wanted to make the point that no unis are the same and that's a good thing, it gives a broader opportunity to more applicants. Think we all deserve a drink and to unwind a little. Nothing for us until after Christmas (Cardiff end if Jan) but very interested in everyone else and their news. ❤️

I'm drinking some 🍷in honour of us brave supportive mums tonight - Term has ended so I get to sleep (& try and get ready for Xmas). Well done on offers and interviews and let's hope we all have one by August. Happy Tuesday x

Amen Mumsneedwine! Enjoy your little "glassette". Peace and live to you all x

Thanks for your messages of support. Good points Swing and Mommy that schools are looking for slightly different things and we don't know what that is!
Interview didn't go well so it's not really a surprise but a rejection is never pleasant and hard not to take personally. DD asked for feedback which should come in new year.
Rest of unis are MMI. Cardiff was early Dec and she was.much happier after that. Queens Belfast in Jan. Nottingham still waiting. She was very hopeful at application - great GCSEs and UKCAT and a positive PS that she agonised over and seemed to tick the boxes - but who knows? The waiting adds to the stress and A LOT of wasted time on TSR checking for any news!!! I wish the unis would follow Sheffield's lead (lovely Julian was it?!) and provide status updates. DD going to call Nottingham today and then no more Med School talk at home until new year. Mocks to prepare for....
Best wishes to you all

biscuit, in this bad news, it is good news that she is self aware of how she's done, so it is very positive for Cardiff. Is QB MMI or panel? I really believe that gut instinct plays a great role too so if she was hopeful about Nottingham, then it is highly likely the invite is on its way and when it does, she will have had the experience of the others to put all into this one.

I also agree about the no Med School talk. I don't know about you mums, but I do find it hard to be the 'best mum' around DD at the moment, as on one hand, I am the only one she can talk about it all and rely on for info and support, but on the other hand, there is that teenager/young adult in her who I know would want to shout 'but off mum and led me deal with this on my own, you don't need to repeat/go on what I already know'! So I try to strike in the middle and so far, I haven't been fired yet! In the end, it has helped that she's started driving as it gives another reason for conversation that is a distraction to Med school and studying!

Somerset, it is hard to gauge how well they do when they say it went well because some interviews are easier than others, so all will either find it hard to easy, but still better to wait feeling positive!

Swing, I so agree with all you have said. Biscuit, sorry to hear your news, like so many of the super, bright, motivated, personable and hard working applicants many will sadly get rejections this year. Our job to help with that ongoing resilience building that will stand them in good stead for their future careers as doctors becomes all important (but also agree being that best mum is challenging when you are also emotionally invested in the process!!!) self reflection is a fantastic attribute for doctors (and one to talk about at future interviews too!) but agree so hard to judge performance at interviews as they are hard and it is difficult to see what each are looking for - Bristol's interview totally threw my dd for instance and she came out very confused after masses of prep!
DD has not got fab GCSE's or a great UKCAT so feels blessed to get a couple of interviews anyway - no favourite choices as she'd be grateful to get a place anywhere!
Mommy - such lovely news for your DD and you
Have a fab Christmas all and good, good luck into the new year for all waiting on interviews, results of interviews and in interviews 😊🍾🎉

Biscuit sorry to hear about Plymouth, it is a tough learning curve, interviews are odd and who knows what each school has on its tick list - outside of medicine it is a similarly odd world, my DS1 girlfriend has a first in her engineering masters from Imperial, and was told by one top company she failed their personality test - poor girl asked for more clarification and was told she 'too nice'. She decided if that was the case she probably wouldn't want to work with people who weren't considered 'nice'!
Great that your DD felt positive about Cardiff, getting a December interview with Cardiff puts your DD at the top of her game - hope for good news in the New Year for her. Odd that Nottingham are being so slow, again we avoided it as I couldn't fathom their scoring system - but would have thought your DD stood a good chance from what you have said.

I have said before, I know several now studying medicine, one had 4 interviews and no offers but got in on clearing, one had 2 interviews, rejected post interview from Bristol but offer from Newcastle and is now intercalating and very happy with the course. One 3 interviews, one offer from Birmingham (Keele scenario was apparently very tough). Only one got 4 offers, he was exceptional in the all rounder sense, but also had years of being a patient and a passion to be a paediatrician that was clearly heartfelt.

My daughter had one iv and no offers despite all A*s at GCSE and A Level ... loads of medical experience and a decent ukcat - finally got an offer on A Level results day so you may have to be prepared for long wait! It’s a tough course once you start it too - rollercoaster ride in the first term though that’s obviously not just the demands of the course but the stress of dealing with new-found independence, living away from home, dealing with finances etc etc. DD does say her friends from the course are very important and it really is ‘work hard play hard’. She is working all the time this Christmas holidays as she says there is so much course work to get through. I had hoped she would be able to relax a bit more ... no time to get a job either ... I am not sure I would have chosen this for her ... but on the plus side she does seem to be dealing with it all well and she is very committed. The course becomes more CBL next term which I think will suit her - she will also go on placement to a GPs one day a week. Good luck all anyway ...

Gosh such a lot happening, it really is very hard, although I think harder on us than them!!

DS still hasn't heard from Cardiff, had a score of 25/27 so thought he stood a chance of interview, but nothing back from them. Southampton seem to be very good at sending out "don't worry we are still processing" emails, which as a Mum I like. He also got a Christmas card thingy from his 5th choice (only offer at moment) Nottingham.

It's amazing it takes so long!! It's also hard as all around them they have friends getting unconditional offers!!

Pass the

Pixelchick10 - good insight into the future, thanks! Which uni is she at? Your story is very comforting for many. Watford - it has been/is/is going to be a bumpy ride. All for one and one for all ladies ✊🏻

She’s at Cardiff Mommy which is a great city to be a student in. Big med course around 300 in each year. :) All the best and enjoy the interlude over Christmas!

Thanks for that Pixelchick you too 😘

My DD says she has so many emails from Southampton now she's stopped jumping when they arrive. And I've told her that it might all come down to results day (so maybe do some work !!!). A boy at the school I teach at got no interviews last year but is now at Imperial having got 3 interviews on results day - he rang every Uni 2 days before results came out (but Unis have them) & asked if it was worth contacting them. He then called all of them on results day. He'll make a fab doctor as he's a lovely lad. I'm having another cheeky 🍷 to toast us all. 😁