Medicine 2018 part 2

[LoniceraJaponica]

New thread here

Mommy and swingofthings, I hope your all goes well with the MRI's. Always a scary time. I had one on monday for gynae stuff, spent most of the week worrying about the results but luckily found out yesterday that everything was normal. Off to Birmingham this afternoon for DD's interview tomorrow at 9am. We live in east yorkshire so it's a bit of a trek. DS is in the middle of his gsce mocks, feeling a bit guilty leaving him (DH is at home but not as tolerant as me about exam stresses etc). but I know that the interview is priority.

Specialted - good luck for Birmingham! Hope everything goes well today

thank you moving mountains. I think it went ok, not great but not horrendous which I guess is all we could hope for!!

DS got rejection from Nottingham today. He's seems ok - he did get 3/4 which is a bonus. Not sure what they are looking for in their PS, especially as he got interview from Bristol who are very PS heavy. Oh well - onwards and upwards!

@Movingmountains sorry about your son, I'm sure we will all get them over the next few months. It's so hard for them any other course and they would have unconditionally coming at them!!

Just mooching around HE threads in general and saw a lot of comments about Liverpool. My DS is there, in second year doing Chemistry, so if anyone has any general queries, please ask.

We stayed at the Liner before xmas, but generally do day trips as live in Cheshire.

DS loves Liverpool, he was in Crown Place last year, on campus, as others said, a quick walk up hill from Lime St. He did manage a few weekday overnights at home last year, back on an early train, drop bag in room and onto first lecture!

He generally has a good social life, and has moved out with some halls friends this year. He loves the city, esp last year when they were so close from the campus, both for nights out and shopping, mooching around.

And for those who may drive, there is indeed 2 car parks further down the hill from campus. Multi storey on left, outdoor on right (as you go down hill). Part of the latter is for Adelphi hotel, but most of it is just pay and display.

My SIL did medicine at Liverpool many years ago and she had a good career. The uni is next to the hospital, part of reason DS chose it as he has some ongoing treatment there.

Pre rejection here too today for Nottingham. Very disappointed

Mommy and Swing, again hope all OK with MRI, i.e. finding a cause and quick easy solution/cure.

Moving mountains, sorry to hear about Nottingham, but 3/4 is excellent, particularly
as we have all discovered, different schools look for slightly different things - getting a Bristol interview seems to be the most difficult to predict. My DD went to a talk organised for state school applicants by one of the leading private schools in the country (huge success with medicine offers) and their admissions expert said he couldn't help anyone work out what Bristol were looking for in a P.S. but your DS managed it!
Special Ted I hope Birmingham went well, another good place to study.

Rumours that HYMS might start sending offers, my DD was told February so I am choosing to believe that and not mention it.

One of DD's chemistry teachers has pulled out of parents evening, great, most important subject. Indicative of this teachers attitude sadly, bit of a worry for DD and her classmates (including one with an Oxbridge offer for Chemistry, something the school are rightly proud of). DD and her classmates spoke to head of year a week or two ago and asked for help - hopefully things will improve?

Rejection here as well. DD really liked Nottingham. I think she will only get one interview as her UKCAT score wasn't high enough for Newcastle. She hasn't heard from them though.

Just talked to DD. Nottingham have offered her a range of medically related courses, so it is good to have a plan B in place.

Specialted, cross fingers. When are you likely to hear back from Birmingham?

So sorry about the pre-interview rejections from Nottingham. It is so much harder to wait to know about schools that are PS heavy because although they know what they are looking for, so it's not so subjective for them, it certainly feels like it is for the applicants. It is hard to understand why a PS can be good enough in the most competitive school but not for one less so. I don't know the ratio of success after interview at Nottingham, but it is about 2:1 for Bristol, so once you get the interview, you're chances of an offer are better than other places where chances of an interview are higher.

Biscuit, I can't remember where else your DC has applied but hope there will other interviews.

Lonicera, it really does only take one interview, and if that does work, there are indeed still options.

Big hugs to you and your children and hoping next news is the one waited for.

Yes sorry about nottingham rejections. I honestly have no idea what the universities look for sometimes in their personal statements. I bought DD a book on how to write a personal statement for medical school and it terrified her! People had done so many great things that it almost put her off applying! I think we need a degree in helping our DC applying for medicine, it's so complicated and stressful and you have to be so strategic and take risks.

Swingofthings, DD hears back from Birmingham in March, along with her other choices. It's going to be a long few months.

Sorry to hear about Nottingham rejects. I knew this process would be tough and tried to frighten DD away from it 3 years ago when she announced she wanted to apply for medicine, in part because I knew two girls at Nottingham (happily of course) but their stats etc. were very high, 10 A* both, DoE Gold, years of relevant volunteering etc. They both found the interview tough and A levels much tougher than they expected and saw the stress with one who was friends with DS1.

Do their A*s and PS make them better doctors - of course not, (although I think they will both be very good). All the DDs and DSs on this thread have already matured in part as a result of this lengthy, tiring and unpredictable process, and they still want to study medicine - lucky future patients. Some while to go yet but even if some are forced to take a year out, I am sure wanting it as they do, it will work out. A bunch of offers for Bio/Chem does not test them in the same way, but this process at least prepares them for things to come.

It really does not matter where you do medicine.. all you need is one offer and wherever they end up eventually they will love it and form life long relationships
Just hang in there, some of our friends DC had to wait till March/ April few years ago.

Don't worry about Nottingham, they move the goalposts all the time so is always going to be a risky choice. Their loss, eh?

A couple of years ago DS got a pre interview rejection from Nottingham but interviews and offers from all of his other choices. If I say so myself, he is a good all-rounder so possibly fared better at unis that wanted you to be good at everything rather than just have 11 A*s.

Hold on everyone, loads of time left yet.

Hello all - just found this thread and hope you don't mind me jumping in?
I just wondered if anyone had received offers from Birmingham yet? My DS was interviewed in December and expected to hear back around now. What a process.....it makes secondary school applications seem like a walk in the park!

Southampton offering more interviews. Mine just got one with 2730 if that's helpful 4/4 which has shocked us all but shows how applying strategically works

mumsneedwine, great news, I wasn't sure of how their scoring worked but DD visited campus on a school visit and really liked the feel, it was on her 'should I/ shouldn't I' list. When are their interviews? A friends DD was still waiting to hear pre Christmas but I haven't seen her since.

I am a little confused about HYMS, DD says someone in her sixth form has a February interview... I presume they won't make offers until after - but I was sure they had tweeted all interviews were finished - who knows...

DD's others are late interviews and I would imagine March time re. potential offers.

Innertiger, can't help re Birmingham question, but welcome - a few on this thread are Birmingham applicants though.

Think it is a little unfair to say those who got offers from Nottingham “ “just have 11 a stars”.Dd last year had offers from all four schools including Nottingham .Nottingham is my old uni and my medical student friends were very rounded characters.Hyms were sending offers last year at this time, whilst Leicester and Nottingham were first week in February .Bsms some in January straight after interview , most in March.Many more will be much later so hang on in there and best of luck .

My DD had interview from Nottingham with 6A*s and 4As and UKCAT of 2730. So good but not stellar. Who knows how they chose - it's so unfair as all the students are capable and lovely. Have Liverpool interview on 5th Feb and Southampton 1st March. Should hear back from Sheffield the following week - they are still my favourite for communication and openness about selection. My DD met Julian and said he was so lovely and reassuring.

@mumsneedwine DS got one for Southampton today as well, 27 Feb. When's yours? UKCat of 2800 and band 1.

March 1st. V grateful for it as knew her UKCAT was close. It's the only one we can do in a day !

We did pick strategically (apart from Bristol). On the open day Nottingham told us it was 70% UKCAT and that with a score of 2950 my DS was very likely to get an interview. However when they released their points because 50% of the allocated points for UKCAT was for scores below 2400 (which would be very unusual if you made their GCSE criteria) this reduced the effective weighting. I phoned them and they convinced me it was worth an application. So we went with it. On reflection we should have looked at Southampton but DS not that keen on it for some reason. Trouble is you also need to factor in location (for example Newcastle way too far) and the actual course. I am slightly annoyed with Nottingham as I think there is a lack of transparency. You live and learn!!!!

That's really unfair movingmountains. On our open day they said it was a 3 stage process. They scored your GCSEs and UKCAT together, then set a threshold and read the PS for students above it. They then scored these as well as the reference and the highest totals got an interview. They did say, several times, that they liked part time work so do think that helped my DD. But who knows !! Sheffield so lovely and straightforward

For anyone waiting the Southampton cut off is 2630. DD had to email to confirm and they gave out info on automated reply.