Medical School Pondering

[kaykay72]

Hi all,

I’ve been reading a bit of the epically long medical school application thread, you all seem so knowledgable about the unis and the process, that I wondered if you could give me some thoughts on our situation please?

D has wanted to be a surgeon for as long as I can remember, used to aspire to go to Cambridge but wavers in that now. Strong academic and sporting record. Developed an illness in the run up to her GCSEs, sat exams (pre diagnosis but on diagnosis was told illness had been present around 6 months before exams, came out with 6A, 3A, 2B. Ended up missing year 12 due to treatment and extended hospital admission, but has fought like a warrior and restarted year 12 with next cohort. School have already said that she’ll have a medical attachment to her UCAS form to explain gap and the opinion that she underperformed at gcse due to illness. First half of year 12 going well, medical situation all good. Has part time job, is currently predicted A, A*, A - and school don’t give predicted grade for further maths at this point. Is back at her sport, working her way back up (she was a national level competitor), completing a diploma in this which carries UCAS points (equivalent to a B grade A level) and has just passed a coaching qualification as she coaches a bit at her club. Trying to fit in some WE/voluntary work but difficult to access and fit in with study/work/training. Has booked (and self funded) an overseas medical work shadowing trip later in the year.

She’s starting to shortlist unis for 2019 - she’s looking for places that do dissection rather than prosection, would prefer a campus uni (has a non medic family member at Nottingham, where they also cater well for her sport) and does not like the idea of too high a proportion of PBL

I’ve got little idea of how the various scoring systems work or which unis might suit or consider her - or whether Cambridge is still a reasonable goal for her (although she’s not sure their course is what she’s looking for). Can anyone offer any advice or opinions?

Thank you 😊

I like jammy dodgers. Please throw lots my way as I'm hungry waiting for a DC off train. Freezing too.

It's no surprise that most our dcs have done well at interviews with such role models in us parents clearly loving debating and putting our points across :)

Yes and also not prepared to be intimidated or bullied swingofthings.

goodbyestranger ...anyone name changing in a weasly way will know who they are. You underestimate me. Although I haven't the foggiest what you're talking about in respect of London teaching hospitals.

This was your response to my comment on Guys Georges and Barts:
maryso I know nothing about any London hospitals other than UCL and Imperial and KCL to an extnt, so no point my making observations when I've got no decent knowledge to add. I'm losing track with the name changing I have to say but I'm trying to keep up

Did you throw in the name changing comment at someone else while responding to me? Or did your imagination run away again?

You haven't actually said that you were not referring to me changing name... Just like Somerset, I've never ever changed name. Have you? Ever changed name? In a weasly way? Is that why you think others do?

I don't know you. Why on earth would I even consider 'estimating' you in any sense?

I can't actually see anyone bullying you. Only a variety of users responding to your weird and inxeplicably combative issuings. By all means keep taking the s.

maryso I've not good a good track record at ignoring provocation but I'm entirely happy to ignore you :)

Also, you keep saying you're going away....and then don't.

But out of politeness, to answer your point as far as London medical schools go, you tried to make something out of the fact that I'd only mentioned two. So I explained that I only knew anything about two, or possibly three, so why would I talk about hospitals about which I knew nothing. Seems fair but hey! Sometimes nothing please certain people, so best to ignore.

I really need a new computer, or at least to read before I post (never do). So that meant to read: I've not got a good track record.

goodbyestranger having given you the benefit of the doubt and gone away, you could not resist making more false accusations, and despite being labelled clueless by you, it simply isn't done to ignore bullies.

I take it from your absence of denial, that you did accuse me of name changing and now proven to have been mistaken are, to form, studiously ignoring your error. Oh and that, unlike some of us, you have changed name yourself. Happy to go away now that's clear.

Apologies to the OP, and provided there is no further libel, I'll happily stay away.

I haven't name changed for years, I see no point.

I was the one who said I tend to not be able to ignore intimidation or bullying maryso (although I should do better I know) and if anyone chose to, they could juxtapose your recent posts on the two threads and my responses and I think the judgment would be easy to make as to who is more bullying than bullied. I really don't like bullying maryso. I don't understand most of your posts but the thrust of them has been very agitated and personal.

I quite see that you may think the medical application process is stressful and that you agree with all the other posters who clearly think the same. That's cool. However, a contrary view isn't treason, particularly when I think there's good reason for saying actually no, don't worry about needing money, skills or time, or a medic in the family, your DC can probably deal with the process quite ably alone. After all the fact that others on these threads have poured money, skills, time or professional expertise into their DCs' process doesn't mean their DC wouldn't have succeeded without it. By contrast I'm able to say I've seen DC get none of these things (not merely my own DC) and they've done fine - because they were good enough applicants. I accept I'm in the minority on MN and I'm cool with that too. But there's nothing wrong with saying it. It's not for those who are convinced their input has been key to their DC's success, it's for those who don't have the resources to help in the way so many MNers clearly do help.

Lastly, it's arguable that accusing someone falsely of libel is libelous itself. But I think it would be very hard to succeed in any case of libel on an anonymous internet forum unless you were naming a real person and then breaking the relevant law. So accusations of libel seem rather wild and crazy too.

goodbyestranger could you be confusing me with other posters? Or think there is only one viewpoint? If you see yourself being bullied, others may see you as the bully.

More to the point, I've no particular view on how people go about their affairs, so all that you say you 'see', even if it were true (and at best it would be a very flawed over-simplification) is mere distraction. Unlike some, diversity of viewpoint or choices is my daily fare. I'm not interested in whether you or I are with any particular consensus. I suspect most people aren't, either. They just set out their view. No decisions are required on these fora, so it really is just social nursing and/or entertaining hot air.

You made a wrong accusation. That is all. No need to go wild and crazy about anything else. Rest assured that I have better homes for my resources.

No maryso my responses on these two threads have been to your very odd and often agitated posts, which seemed to be a little too personal for me to ignore. I've not encountered anyone by the name of maryso before so I was surprised at the venom. I'm not that bothered, I just find weirdness....weird. Anyhow, long overdue to blank you!

goodbyestranger " long overdue to blank you!"

That's the best thing you've said so far! No more false accusations lobbed my way.

I can't describe how much I admire your daughter!
This kind of stories always make me inspired.

My sister is in Cambridge, and her opinion is that it's the best thing ever happened to her. But, I think it all depends what do you expect from college, courses, and so on.

If your daughter find other college more suitable for her, it is probably better option. The real knowledge is always better thing than just a name, don't you think? :) And we all stay motivated when we are working on things we like.

I think that in every college there are people to whom you can reach out with question like this who can give you more specific answer and help.

Also, why not try finding some tutor who have experience with this things? I know my brother in law used this one for getting in medical school www.crimsoneducation.org/standardised-testing/umat-tutoring. See if fits you, or maybe find something similar. :)

TheXXFactor

"Sure, there are some consultants who look down on GPs, but equally, physicians and anaesthetists look down on surgeons, surgeons look down on physicians, general surgeons look down orthopods (thick), orthopods look down on general surgeons (boring), everyone looks down on emergency physicians, and we all hate radiologists (stroppy). It's not a hierarchy, it's a cluster fuck "

LOL! How refreshing to find something to laugh about here! Thank you

Hi guys,
DS is in Year 12 and wants to do medicine next year, he's got his heart set on Leeds.

Just wondering how you helped your kids out, anyone in a similar situation?

There's a few courses available that offer UCAS proof reading and practise interviews - what are your thoughts on them? Would you consider putting your child through them? I have been told there are already a wealth of free resources available - can you imagine there being a demand for paid courses? If the free courses are so abundant and effective then why do paid courses even exist? Asking because there's a skype-based course that has limited spaces!

On another note, does the application/interview process vary a lot between universities? What is the consensus between universities, if any?

Thanks guys .