Medicine 2018 part 3

[SomersetS]

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

Thanks for the response swingofthings This is as the teachers explaining it to me...
9=A**
8=A*
7=A
6=B
5=low B high C
4= C
and they didn't mention below that level but it does go all the way down to a 1.
We will have to see what we end up with and apply accordingly.

Unfortunately, @JugglingMummyof2, it's not quite so simple. The fixed point is supposed to be that the 4/3 boundary is equivalent to the old C/D boundary, with the old A/B boundary being pretty much equivalent to the new 6/7 boundary. So 7 covers most of the old grade A but probably the very top of the A range is now in 8. Old A* is covered by grades 8 & 9. Grade 5 is the top of the old grade C and bottom of the old B; 6 is top of the old B.

This is all expressed in terms of proportions of students gaining them: it doesn't mean that a grade 7 indicates the same academic standard as the old grade A. The grade boundaries for the new English & maths GCSEs last year were much, much lower than the approximately corresponding boundaries for the old GCSEs the previous year, which is pretty much inevitable in a move to assessing everything at the end of the course. (But the mark required to get a 4 in higher tier maths really was astonishingly low.) Also, the old English A, B, etc. aren't necessarily "the same" as the current Welsh (still modular courses) & Northern Irish A, B, etc., even forgetting about the new Northern Irish C* grade. It's impossible to make an accurate comparison of academic standard between a linear GCSE on the new grading scale and a modular GCSE on the old grading scale, or between grades from England and those from Wales or Northern Ireland.

All you can really do is wait & see what grades your son/daughter got and what the universities are setting as their requirements.

Two weeks ladies 🤞

Inter-railing ticket bought for after results - he's doing 14 days around the top half of Europe with his mates.

Hope everyone is holding up.

My stomach lurches every time I think about results day. DD seems relaxed about the whole thing at the moment. Friend at work has DS beginning the process of applying , has just sat ukcat. Don't envy him at all .

We've run away to Greece to forget about it all but did grimace at 1st August means counting down the days. Yikes.
My niece sitting UKCAT this summer for Grad Entry Medicine. No don't envy any of them.
Still no Plan B.

DD is seemingly calm, whereas I am feeling really nervous and trying to go through all possible scenarios in my head which isn't particularly helpful! Managed to to talk to DD yesterday about what happens if she doesn't get the grades and I think she will reapply and retake. She doesn't want to, but there is nothing else she wants to do. Hopefully it wont come to that!

She is off to the Ukraine on Saturday to help at a children's camp for a week, then to a festival in the UK the Saturday after results day. A group of her friends managed to get a free inter-rail ticket, so they are doing 9 days in September. Not much time for getting ready to go to Med school!

No Plan B here either and we're now back from the action packed Big Post-Exam Holiday so it's all looming a bit now...

Really feeling for you all, and rooting for your DC....hoping none will need a plan B either...🙏🏻💕

What on Earth is that middle emoji, and where on Earth did it come from...?!! 🙄

Now it’s disappeared...! 😳

We are in Mauritius but will be back in time for results! DD has decided that she won’t retake if she doesn’t get the grades so it might be a Gap Year for her which I will encourage rather than rush into something through clearing.

Anxiety kicking in here too and flahsback to GCSE results when DD didn't perform half as well as expected (and as she had for her mock). I know DD is going through the same emotion, balancing between thinking she's done ok, but past experience showing that her results are not always a reflection of what she thinks. Very unsettling.

No Plan B either, she refuses to talk about it, is taking the pretending it is not happening and enjoying life. Thankfully been very busy myself so not so much time to think about it myself. It's hard though as circumstances mean that I have had to plan next month on the basis that she was definitely off to Medical School, so if that doesn't happen, it will mean a change to these plans too.

Still, reminding myself that nothing is the end of the world and I have faith that her complete dedication to becoming a doctor means that if she doesn't want to think of a plan B now, she'll come up with it in time and will just take a different route to getting there.

My daughter’s medicine course was A*AA A-level entrance but she knows a few people with Bs who were accepted. That was this academic year just gone.

Thanks Abra1de that's good to hear!

Muddlethro it's namaste, sort of peace be with you greeting used in Yoga but also in most Hindu and other Asian cultures - if you have ever watched The Real Marigold Hotel you will see all the retired B list celebs using it - actually quite an interesting and watchable programme!

DH & I back from first holiday without children in 24 years - of course I rang them all, texted, sent WhatsApp photos and left instructions for everything. Middle DS a messy B caused the usual upset by not clearing up his chaos, then DD flew out to Denmark to meet up with a frienf before we got home, organised all on her own even though she hates flying - another sign to me of how much she has matured in the last 18 months. I do wonder whether something about the medicine process does this, or whether it is the types who want to be doctors - chicken/egg who knows? She also got stung by a wasp, which has been a fear of hers - so actually getting stung was a good thing because she was fine - once her friend had lifted up her long skirt and got the wasp out!!

Not discussing results day here, always hard to tell especially with new specs and first year for new Geography. I don't think I know many confident DCs or parents, but every now and then I meet a parent who says quite confidently their DC should get the three A* they want - so no sleepless nights for them:)

I am not sure whether having applied for deferred entry is a help or hindrance, I do feel a little more relaxed about DD not having a plan B because of it though.

A few friends DCs sitting the new GSCEs and found them tough, more of the application questions and seemed to be a few bizarre ones just as for the A levels. It will be interesting to see how they get on, one super bright (thinking of Harvard and Oxbridge, which in their case are realistic goals) and the other always does better than I expect them too and hoping to apply for medicine.

Sleep well in this heat all.

Lovely to see Julian back on TSR! Gotta love that man.

I literally keep having bad dreams about DS not getting in! He seems remarkably calm - having the summer of his life! We haven’t had the what if conversation- I don’t want to bring it up in case he thinks I have no faith in him. DH and Iare on holiday for first time as well - left loads of instructions which DS is following to the letter and older DS is ignoring apparently! Hopefullly house will be in one piece when we return.

Movingmountains, I like that your younger DS is following instructions - great doctor material - isn't it fascinating how different siblings are. My sons are so different, looks, body shape, degree choices - but similar sense of humour. DD is somewhere between the two, leans towards science like DS 1 but messy and not a visual person like DS 2.

Told DH to take a deep breath before opening the door, DS1 sent a video of his tidying and said any mess after that was down to DS2 - who just doesn't see it, hob covered in grease, empty packets on worktops... and his girlfriend was staying, she is lovely but doesn't seem to notice mess either! DD was in Denmark and left her room in a reasonable state - big post revision clear out has helped.

Yes my DD had a bedroom blitz. Many trips to charity shop, few ££ on EBay. Locals also benefited. Anyone would think she was planning on leaving home soon!

Have never left my 2 overnight on their own. DD v responsible & would have no qualms about state of home, Food etc but younger DS is a completely different fish. I'm not sure he would even notice we had gone until he ran out of Pot Noodles!

Thank you for the insights 2B1Gmum, and I might check out that programme too...
It’s interesting to hear that some of you have taken your first holiday without your DC, and I do wonder if we had done so (before both our DC had left for uni), whether this would have somehow eased the whole ‘empty nest’ thing...It really did take me by surprise, I did not expect to experience this at all! My DH felt very different to me. He said it felt like we were dating all over again! 😝

DD also undertaking big bedroom clearout. I'm not sure how on earth she's functioned in it until now but she assured me she always knew where everything was! I've also never left my two overnight. Think they would fight and like Somerset said think my DD would be fine but not sure DS would be. He'd probably attempt a 24 hour fortnite session !

DS is not moving anything until after results are out - a bit superstitious!!

But he's off inter railing on the Monday after results so not sure when he's intending to do it.

If he’s anything like my DS watfordmummy, it’ll likely be last minute! Very relieved he hasn’t applied this principle to his uni studies though!

@muddlethro very true !!

Anyone else’s DC receive an unconditional offer for a Bulgaria med school today? DS said it came this morning! It is completely unsolicited.