Medicine 2018 part 2

[LoniceraJaponica]

New thread here

Thanks for all the good luck messages. DS thinks it went ok but said some of it was quite tricky. Most of his preparation was not much help. I wonder if this is deliberate move by medical schools to prevent rehearsed questions and advantage to those who can afford the courses. Anyway that’s all the interviews done thankfully - just the long wait now. Good luck lonicera to your DD tomorrow

Watfordmummy, I think the mask of positivity is slipping...

@movednorth I know what you mean, but hold my hand we can do this xx

Who needs Valentine's Day? Tears from my OTHER DD today. Her heart is broken. Hold on Edinburgh, maybe tomorrow would be more convenient. (Bless you, Watfordmummy, a problem shared...)

I'm holding a 🍷. Good luck to everyone for the next few weeks - think it's going to be bumpy. DD has Southampton on 1st and could hear back from them before the other 3. She's revising for mocks and much more chilled than me. Hence the 🍷. Cheers x

@movednorth - my mask of positivity has slipped so I know what you mean. DD rejected from Birmingham pre interview and when she asked for feedback she got a generic response - almost like they haven't looked at her application and addressed to "Dear Applicant". We had a good chat last night and at the moment she now feels that she can't go through the application process for medicine again which is a shame as she is so committed. She has decided that she is still going to continue helping at the Cancer hospice where she volunteers but is now going to consider other areas in healthcare. Good luck to all those attending interview and waiting for offers - such a stressful time. Roll on September 2018 when we will know where we are!

Minikew, that's so heartbreaking to hear. I'm sure these kids would make great doctors, with the commitment they have already shown. I agree, it would be great to know where everyone will be in September. Mind you, then we'll all be on Mumsnet posting how sad we are that DCs are leaving home. There's no pleasing us mums!!

Ha ha - you are so right about the "empty nest" moans in September.

Minikew, I hope your daughter is able to focus on her exams, and decide on options based on both on results and what she has learnt about herself through this year's process.

I posted this www.theguardian.com/education/2016/apr/30/cv-of-failures-princeton-professor-publishes-resume-of-his-career-lows on the Oxbridge thread earlier in the year, but it is relevant here as well. There is a huge element of chance, when competing for oversubscribed places.

I have been through this twice as in mid-March DS, applying for economics, was sitting on one rejection and waiting for three others, having decided he no longer wanted to go to his fifth choice. He was then rejected by Warwick and UCL. Four years on and he has just been accepted for perhaps Europe's best PhD programme. (In fairness, he has just failed the first round of the BoE assessment. His CV of failure continues to grow.) Our DC are entering a super-competitive world. Just one place and others will assume they have sailed smoothly through school and onto medical school. Not true. We know that each success has been earned not just by hard work but by resilience and determination. And as a parent it does not become easier at the point when you have no input into the process.

Good A level grades will keep doors open. These have to be the priority. A gap year is a great way to take breath and regroup. Best wishes to everyone's DC.

This is comforting - if my phone manages to make it a clickable link

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8695030/Why-rejection-from-university-was-the-best-medicine.html

Although I think the situation on retakes is different now

Welcome bay tree mum. Really sorry to hear about your DD's rejection (and yours minikew) from Birmingham. It seems birmingham have changed the goalposts slightly?? I can't believe 11 a* isn't enough to get an interview this year! Birmingham have always been so gcse heavy. Fingers crossed you will receive some positive news very soon. Where else has DD applied?

Very silly question from me to you all, but should (and this is being very optimistic) DD receive more than one offer, presuming the offers are all AAA, I presume you firm your favourite, then do you just put the other one as insurance even though it's for the same grades? I was just thinking that if you didn't achieve the AAA, the insurance is more likely to accept students who firmed them and didn't get the grades than one who put them as insurance and didn't get the grades? Does that make sense? Or do you just firm one and that's it? I guess the insurance is a very long shot at a "just in case' ???

Specialted I was wondering the same thing because astonishingly we have 2 offers?

Welcome baytreemum - 11A* and no interview - sounds mad! That's so tough. Fingers crossed for the others. Did B'ham give any feedback? Did they make a mistake?!?!
With those grades I believe Cardiff would have been a winner. Did you apply there?

Thanks for the links needmoresleep and katisha - very useful. Welcome Baytreemum - the forum will help you understand that you are not alone at this stressful and confusing time. You will need to push for feedback from Birmingham as they will only give you a standard reply. I think there has been issues there this year - DD feels it was a wasted application as they sold one system at the open day and appear to have applied another when selecting. I feel that Nottingham did the same.

DS put his genuine first choice down first and his second preference down second - all three offers were for the same grades, but there seemed no point losing a choice completely by not insuring given that you just can't know what the admissions team might do on the day in the event of a missed grade.

Thank you goodbyestranger that's useful to know.

I agree that the medical schools have been moving the goalposts this year, especially regarding UKCAT scores. We have been told different things at subject talk to what they have on their websites. And the information is different again on the medic portal.

Sorry to hear this Lonicera and Watford. Fingers crossed for ongoing interviews...

I bet some more offers are made right before and just after results day. It ain’t over by a long way. One of my daughter’s rejections turned into a waiting list place last year.

Make sure they do put a firm and an insurance choice down if they are lucky enough to get more than one offer and they are all the same. That way they will have open relationships with two universities if they miss the grades and need to start ringing round on results day.

sluj, yes that makes absolute sense. Would be lovely to actually be in that position, although we are so grateful for just one offer. Will have to see what the next few weeks bring.

Baytreemum have applications increased this year? And has there been an increase in the grades of those applying?