Medicine 2018 part 2

[LoniceraJaponica]

New thread here

Great news for your DD Katisha; sorry Lonicera but good for her being open minded and choosing another course. It keeps options open and is a positive when you think the competition for Nottingham is strong for all their degrees.
Yes, good luck SomersetS, Liverpool is last one for DD (a week on Thursday) and was her first choice and favourite too Movingmountains, so I imagine like your DS she will be most nervous. All the best to all the Liverpool interviewees. I have heard The Crypt can be cold, and it certainly will be today - hope your DD has lots of layers SomersetS.
Looks like end of March will also be a busy time for news and decisions will need to be made, and maybe more visits for offer days - Virgin trains are taking too much of my money!

Hi there. I'm new to Mumset but yearning for moral support during this hideous process of med school applications. DD has 2 rejections to date, one following an interview. Heartbreaking for her. She's still waiting for results of Cardiff interview, and no news yet from Edinburgh. What torture for the poor kids. (Not to mention the parents!) Dilemma here: how actively do I encourage discussion of 'Plan B'? I don't want to appear pessimistic, but ...

Movednorth, it is early days. If this year's thread is typical other people will turn up towards easter.

1. No panic till March!
2. Focus on exam results. This is the best way to keep Plan B doors open.
3. Lots do very well on reapplication. They are older, wiser and more mature.
4. Gap years can be fun. Many of DDs contemporaries are envious that she had a year off before embarking on an intensive 5 year degree. She did an internship with a cookery school (OK washing up, but she learnt a lot of cookery), worked as a chalet host (they allow you time off for interviews as long as you pay your own fares) and then a summer with Camp America and travelling.

It is really tough on them and on their mums.

Needmoresleep, I can definitely see advantages of a gap year ... not sure that I will be able to watch when DD waves goodbye to her friends in September though. I cast my mind back to the Head of 6th form's words, at a meeting for Oxbridge/medicine/law "high fliers": you're all bright students, and if you apply for other courses you will have offers flying in. Don't put yourselves through this unless you really, really want it." Now I get it!

Are you me movednorth? DD is fully expecting that she will have to do a gap year. She will be lonely when her friends go off to uni though.

Hi Movednorth my DS has had 4 interviews no offers yet it is really tough I feel your pain!

The whole process has been going on since July and so far an offer seems so very far away.

I had no idea there were so many mums out there feeling exactly the same as me. What is the max number of times you can hit the 'refresh' button on TheStudentRoom without making your PC explode? Will I ever get any work done, in between fretting? The hardest thing is: there is NOTHING we can do (except give love and hugs).

I have the app on my phone too!
I keep hoping next week we may hear something but then it gets to another weekend and still no news.

There's an app? You really shouldn't have told me that!!

Ha yes (sorry!)

I'm having a cuppa in cafe of M&S in Liverpool if any other mums are around. Dropped DD at v creepy crypt earlier - think they are trying to scare them !! Same here with 4 interviews and no offer - yet. Hard when Nottingham given some out (to the amazing ones so well done !!). She is pretty calm. Me, I'm an emotional wreck !!!!

Mumsneedwine we are in same position as BSMS have issued a fair number of offers.
Congrats to everyone with offers and good luck this week with interviews.

Movednorth - I absolutely feel your pain! This is so tough - My DS has 3 interviews but no offers (yet!?!?) and one rejection pre-interview (Nottingham - LocineraJaponica you are not alone!). Unfortunately both Liverpool and Sheffield don't offer until March and Bristol like lots of the other medical schools is all over the place. Then on top there is the stress of actually getting the grades in the summer - agghhh!!!!

Hi movednorth, I went through this last year with my DS and didn't realise that such support was out there through mumsnet! My DS didn’t have a plan B, and whenever I tried to broach the subject of perhaps thinking of one, he just dismissed it, which I found quite stressful! So I found myself just trying to encourage him to focus on preparing well for his A levels, so that if he didn’t get any offers, at least he’d hopefully achieve really good grades which would put him in a strong position if he wanted to reapply the following year. From looking at TSR, it seems that for those who don’t get offers (or even any interviews) first time around, they appear to really benefit from taking a gap year, and it’s a great opportunity for them to gain more work experience and have some fun post A levels! From what I’ve read, they sometimes end up getting 4 interviews and 4 offers the second time around! I think they can gain so much confidence and maturity in that year out too...😊

Ah yes, the A level grades! That will be the final hurdle! We all have so much belief in our children, and then someone says they're not good enough!! I reckon that hurts us at least as much as it hurts the youngsters. Yes, I have also heard of several successes after a year out - so long as the grades have been good. And in fact, it would only be the first half that would be focused on applications and interviews - by this time next year they could go and have fun. It sounds a very good idea all round - I wonder if I can persuade DD..

Not really looking forward to this year - A levels, complete lifestyle change, end of friendships/relationships. DD is so worried about growing up and moving on.

I don't know how parents of large families cope.

There's a reason for my user name !!! 😂😂

As you say movednorth, the A level grades are the final hurdle! Last year my DS’s friend had offers of AAA, but ended up with AAB. Her second choice (HYMS) accepted her but she really wanted to go to her first choice (Bristol). From what I understand, she managed to persuade Bristol to accept her with AAB...! And this year I have read on TSR somewhere of a student being offered AAB (don’t know whether contextual data has been applied here though?). Obviously I don’t know what medical schools will do this year if students miss a grade, but they seemed a little lenient last year!
Mumsneedwine, thinking of you in M&S cafe as your DD has her interview! Can I ask, what and where is this “crypt”?! 🤔

It's genuinely easier with practice Lonicera. Same for the DC in question of course.

Muddlethro the crypt is underneath the new Cathedral in Liverpool. Walk up Brownlow Hill by the Adelphi hotel and it's about 10 minutes on your right. It really is a crypt !!!! Even the man booking kids in said it's a bit intimidating.
I have now spent far too much money sh shopping and need another coffee. Wish I could go give her a hug

D in 1st year at Bsms reports quite a number missed their offers last year but still won their place . Not sure if this is related to the first year of the new A levels in Biology and Chemistry.

I know what you all mean about waiting, its a nightmare. DD has had 4 interviews (great!) but not heard back from any yet. It is worse now that Leicester has given out some offers (also Bristol interview in Nov, but no offer) - my brain/heart seems to interpret not getting an early offer to mean she did really badly and so wont get any offers , although the logical part of me (slowly diminishing) knows this isn't true! So I seem to swing between wondering where she'll choose if she gets more than 1 offer and being totally convinced she wont get any!

I have broached that plan B topic and she will apply again next year, although I don't think she can imagine that it will come to that. I don't think she is as traumatised by the whole experience as I am, possibly because she's young and confident or possibly because she hasn't got an unhelpful addiction to tsr!

I know I was so happy for DS get the 4 interviews drink but would swap them all for one interview and one offer at this point - don't mind not having a choice.
I know one applicant last year who had that and is now happily studying medicine!

DD says lots at Bristol also missed their grades, but were still accepted. But that the A in chemistry was essential.

I note that grade requirements for some have changed slightly this year. Perhaps a reaction. They did not post (probably too traumatised) but I know at least two MNetters DC got places in August. Indeed one got two, including somewhere which had rejected after interview.

DD's cookery internship came from me booking her onto a course for the week all her friends left for University. And because she had no firm plans they let her stay on. It was perfect. And though she was not paid, she has saved loads of money at University by being able to cook quickly from scratch.

Aha, gotcha mumsneedwine....what a very unusual venue for interviews! I’m thinking your DD is now out of her interview and she’s receiving a hug and a debrief from her mum! 😊

Interesting that you too have noticed a change in grade requirements needmoresleep. There’s no question that the new A level is tougher, and it does make me wonder whether the A* grade will become more elusive! Perhaps medical schools have ‘clocked’ this and are adjusting their offers accordingly...🤔