Medicine 2018 part 3

[SomersetS]

Hope you all find this - didn't realise I took 999! Whoops.

UEA recommend the Pittman Classic III too DS got a purple one engraved with his name and football team 😁

Littman obviously

@muddlethro thanks re stethoscope, might have a cheeky look.

He's applied for catered halls so will be interesting to see what he gets.

Ooh my stomach and nerves are going to be in tatters before then!!

Awww, I really feel for you Watfordmummy, and all you mums waiting for results, it is pretty tortuous... 😩, but I’m looking forward to celebrating with you all as your DCs places at medical school are confirmed.... 🙏🏻🤗

Just popping in to say (from a year ahead). I wouldn't buy a stethoscope yet unless specifically told to by the uni. Ds has one but as far as I know he hasn't needed to have his own yet. All kit they did need (lab coat, certain books) they got at a discounted rate through medsoc membership.

Thanks Halfdonga that's useful to know.

Good luck to all your DCs.
Bit of a lurker here as DD has had her heart set on medicine since she was 10 and is currently waiting for GCSE results - may I ask a question?
Did all of your DCs apply for just medicine? If they don't get a conditional offer or indeed the grades for that offer, have they got a back-up plan?
Anyone look at alternatives like radiography? What other courses are there for someone who is very interested/science focused if you don't quite get there?
She feels that if she doesn't get mostly 8's in her GCSEs then 'the dream' is over. In case things don't go to plan on results day I would like to have a few more options. I hope you don't think I'm cheeky to ask but Mumsnet has such a wealth of knowledge.

Welcome & thank you.
She will be ok with 7s I think. Anyone with 5 or 6 A/ A*s & the rest Bs with careful choices & a good UKCAT score & Personal Statement can still get interviews. Does depend on As being in certain subjects. Also the more A equivalents, the easier it gets to find universities to apply to. It's about applying smartly.
All 8s would be fantastic & open most doors.
Students can only apply for 4 Medicine & most make a 5th choice of something similar - BioMed, Applied Medical Science etc.
But, I think I'm not speaking out of turn in saying that any student lucky enough to get 2 medicine offers would keep one as Firm & one as Insurance even if they want the same grades. (We did, both AAA offers - just hoping one takes pity on a dropped grade).
No real Plan B here though DD says she won't resit, so I guess we would be looking at clearing options (non Med). Trying not to think about it at the moment.
Which A Levels is she thinking? Again advice is do just 3 and aim for As though another subject to AS is appreciated by some. Biology & Chemistry required but 3rd can be whatever she's best at & enjoys. Can be language or humanity. My DD did French & got 4 offers.

Please ask us for whatever info you like. We can cover most Qs now I think!

JugglingMum
Our 5th choice was Applied Medical Science at Swansea. Got an offer of AAB. Declined it in favour of medicine as was lucky enough to get more than one but fairly certain it will be in clearing if we fail. It will be our first phone call!
There are some genetics, immunology, (Bristol) Medical
Imaging (Exeter?) etc courses about. Try the Which University Guide &/or UCAS sure for a browse & inspiration.

Hi Jugglingmummy...my DS did not use his fifth choice, so didn’t have a plan B, despite my best efforts to persuade him otherwise! He was adamant that he didn’t want to do biomedical sciences (or other) if he didn’t get an offer for medicine, and was equally adamant about just doing 3 A levels (Bio, Chem, and Phys), although he did do 4 AS (Spanish). His view was to concentrate on getting 3 top grades, since this is all they ask for. Re GCSE’s, good advice from Somerset...
Last year, there was definitely leniency from some unis with grades. My DS’s friend just missed a grade for Bristol , but did get in with AAB, and they certainly weren’t the only medical school who allowed a dropped grade...it might have had something to do with it being the first year of the new A level, perhaps... 🤔

Gosh - thank you so much.
A levels will be Biology, Chemistry and Geography ( providing she get the minimum 7's she needs to do the first 2 and a 6 at least in the last that her current school demand).
She just has this tunnel vision approach and I keep trying to broaden the base with what about.....She is very interested in genetics - will take your advice and have a look at the Which university guide etc.

So should we phone the Uni if the grades are just missed? One of dds is a new A level syllabus this year, completely different for teachers who just shrugged, so causing lots of angst, but what if some boards in the same subject were NOT new? Would they care?

Won’t everyine be phoning! How does she get through? How do we know what number to call.

Au79 I know what you mean. Guess the numbers will be on the websites? Might Google the week before.
Think all the kids felt a bit out in a limb with new style exams & syllabuses. I know the French my DD did was very new. No past papers etc.
I would love some advice too from anyone who's been through it. Any top tips gratefully received.

I am also wondering! Woke up this morning wondering about it all and what happens if a grade is missed! I don't think DD is even thinking about it at the mo!

Leicester and Plymouth are both in clearing for Medicine. The medical schools would have received the A level results in the last few days.

@Naturelover3 - You're a bit premature. Universities get access to the A-level results on 11 Aug; students get them on 16 Aug.

I heard Leicester might be doing some extra interviews in early August. (I haven't heard anything about Plymouth.) This isn't the same as clearing, which doesn't begin until A-level results day: I assume they are interviewing some more people who applied to them last October because they feel they have too few holding firm offers.

Gosh. The worrying begins.
Off on holiday this week - hoping to put it all behind us until at least beginning on August. Just 2 more weeks of ignorant bliss... please....
Since finishing DD has kept busy so can't worry, Gold DofE, music exam & now a week's course qualifying as a Lifeguard for a Sat job or somewhere more glamorous next summer!
(Or even a year out I guess if it all goes pear-shape).

Au79...I think if a grade was (just) missed, it is probably worth having a remark. In the case of my DS’s friend last year, they just missed one A, but HYMS (insurance choice) accepted her anyway. However, she wanted Bristol (firmed choice) so rang the admissions office, and although I don’t know any specifics about what was said on the phone to the admissions team, they did eventually accept her.
Last year, my DS had his place confirmed on UCAS Track at 7.30am, a full two and a half hours before we knew his grades.... so we enjoyed a stress free journey in to school to collect them!
So for all you mums, it’s worth getting your DC to check UCAS track early on the morning of results!
🤗

I don't think I will sleep that night!

Somerset, I surprised myself and did manage to sleep, so hopefully you will too. Hope you are able to have a stress-free, relaxing holiday this week too.... 🤗

Heart in mouth moment, Leicester just rang for DD but just a "catch up" call from a Med Student about stethoscopes, lab coats & any Qs. And wishing good luck for results day. 🙄. As if we could forget!!
Nice touch to keep in touch though & I expect they get paid.

My dd got a buddy assigned from her first choice, Which was kind of charming, must ask her if she has heard anything. She went out with a school friend after work today which I was glad to see, she’s been so weird and quiet since the exams ended, and this job kind of sucks too but she’s determined (kids camp assistant leader).

Some universities have a "family" system where a student is allocated one or even two people to help them settle in. I sometimes claim my child had an absent father - but they angrily dispute that. Still their medic "mother" was more use.

Good idea to check track before you go for results, unless your school does them early. One friend of my child dropped a grade and was panicking but they checked track and had been accepted. Places arent always confirmed until later, though, so no acceptance doesnt mean bad results.

You've all just reminded me I'm supposed to be checking DDs emails while she's away for a month. And I totally forgot. Fortunately doesn't seem to be any important emails - just 100s of messages from Notts medics and Ancaster halls residents. Not reading those / might scare me 😁

jugglingmum, I am not totally clear how the new grading system works and what grades are expected, but just to say that DD got three interviews and three offers with 2A* (Maths and FM so the second didn't count for most), 7As and 2Bs at GCSEs.

It is possible to get offers with not brilliant GCSEs (for medicine purposes), it's all about selecting the right ones.