Medicine 2018 part 3

[SomersetS]

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

It's always best to call medicine admissions first. If you need to talk to clearing they'll pass you on. If you call clearing first there's a chance you'll speak to someone who doesn't really understand how the medical school deals with cases, which tends to be different from other courses because of the number cap.

That's what I thought, but just wanted to check. Thanks.

Quick question if any one knows the answer, DD applied for deferred entry so has not had to fill in any further forms (jabs info.etc) - I presume in her case it is the grades at this stage and form filling if she gets them nearer the time for 2019 entry?

Yes, @2B1Gmum - Whether her place is confirmed will depend on her grades this week. All the rest - occupational health & vaccinations, DBS - will be done next summer. The DBS needs to be done as late as possible to avoid having to redo it before the start of third year. Certain vaccinations are the responsibility of the university and they will be finalized when the student is definitely starting the course. If she does have a criminal record, a blood-borne virus or TB, though, (or any other significant illness or disability) it's always worth discussing it with the medical school at the earliest possible opportunity.

Thanks Skiiltan for very useful post hadn’t thought that firm might offer alternative course before the insurance could accept them! DS has picked up that his insurance uni tend to be lenient about grades ( think bloody Biology might rear it’s head again Weds evening!).

Good luck to all of you waiting for results - my best bit of advice for any of you without places is to have the direct Clearing numbers of all the med schools that are going into Clearing and if your DC gets the right results hit those phone lines asap! We were in the same position last year DD is now at the end of first year of Med school

Thank You Skiiltan for taking the time to share that very helpful information.

Good luck to everyone!

I’ve been very brave and spoken of that which must not be named (results!)-warned dd about being offered a different course by her firm, Which may require action on her part. Because she has not chosen her firm for love of the place, but for the course! And in many ways would prefer the insurance anyway. She didn’t believe me but I tried to be authoritative- she won’t be happy I went on Mumsnet or that it is my source of knowledge but hopefully won’t stalk me, too busy at summer job yay. Thanks so much especially Skiltan, did you say you work in admissions? I could pretend I know “someone” in person as I am Uni connected too, I do but wrong country.

Next I need to sketch out her order to call, with AAB and after demanding remark (do we have to wait for result?) she has 1) a third offer (same AAA but may as well call), and 2) another interview but no offer, and there are two more I think with standard offer AAB, one 3) ok uni, and 4) one of which is in our home area so she actively didn’t want to go there- however she could do the course she wants and live out surely. That will be the end of the road for her for this year I think, then hope I can stop her impulsively grabbing any old thing on clearing, then we are onto resit, gap and maybe rethink the whole shebang. I think if she doesn’t get in she may well decided she’s had enough of it and it’s not worth it for her, from the noises she made this weekend.

Thank you Skiiltan. DD currently getting ready for second interview for her gap year job, part time retail, so far the process had included pages of questions online, group interview, role play, individual interview (seems familiar somehow) and now a meet the manager interview! It is keeping her busy, that and going to see Mama Mia 2 on Wednesday with her good school friend, who has already decided to change her plans regardless of results and take a gap year. I recommend Mama Mia 2 btw! If only for the great 70's clothes :)

@Au79. Sounds similar to us here. DD picked her first choice for the course, not the place and would be equally happy with her insurance.

We also have a list of numbers to ring, if needed (and if we can get through!). I just wondered which 2 uni's have AAB as their standard offer?

I’m actually an interloper on this thread, it’s vet med but the situation is similar. There are vet schools with theoretical AAB, I don’t know but imagine some of it is to do with newish so not quite accredited fully yet, also there is a massive weight on absolutely required work experience so maybe they have to balance some years to get the right candidates in. Of course they will take the applicants with higher grades but the hurdles to apply at all are very high so some years they are a bit flexible and have even gone to clearing.

I just wondered which 2 uni's have AAB as their standard offer?

The only ones I'm aware of are the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Aston, but both have restricted intakes for home students. UCLan only has 15 places and only recruits from certain areas in north-west England (or students currently in its own foundation year). In 2018 Aston is only taking disadvantaged home students from in & around Birmingham through the Sir Doug Ellis Pathway to Healthcare. Aston will open to general entry in 2019. UCLan didn't get allocated any further places for 2019 so I assume it will still only be recruiting locally.

Au79 Surrey offer AAB ( chemistry an A) and I think Bristol give out contextual offers of AAB. Are there any others?
I was reading last years students room and whilst some got in with AAB not all did. So was there some other factors affecting their position?

@teta - Surrey doesn't have an undergraduate medical school. Its standard offer for veterinary medicine is AAB. Bristol does make a lot of contextual offers but I don't know whether they can do this for people wanting to join the course through adjustment or clearing (if they have any places available).

Well thanks for adding the vet med conundrums to this discussion guys! I realise it’s not that interesting for most here, but maybe it’s a distraction from Thursday! Yes Surrey is notionally AAB and last week that clearing site, not the official one, had RVC in London on, at AAB. Dd didn’t apply there as she didn’t want to stay too near us though Surrey is not commutable in any case. RVC we have gone to t@lks in the early stages and I get the impression they try really hard to widen access so maybe they were fishing for people who had dismissed the possibility but dreamed of vet school? Notts she got an interview but no offer, she felt it went fine but that they have more applicants because it is AAB. She is predicted AAA at least and literally nearly killed herself getting amazing work experience, I think must have had a very strong application as she got 4 interviews and 3 offers, and can only choose
4 just like human medicine- seems that is unusual. No maths A level, couldn’t manage the workload of 4 as well as her weekend work experience, extracurricular sport and music, couldn’t give up her beloved music A level, so that cut out Glasgow, Cambridge and Dublin.

It would be interesting to know how many get in without the grades. There are anecdotes in TSR and they have a thread for posting predicted vs actual results already going I guess some will edit when they get them.

Also the one we are most worried about is a new, very changed, syllabus so we can only hope the grade boundaries are low, failing that that someone can be found at the end of the phone who can use judgement. At this stage I wish that she had simply been told she had to do maths, then we probably would have a much better idea. Music is wacky enough to be marking you as if it determines your attainment and ability for the rest of your life, without even the teachers having no idea whatsoever what is expected this particular year.

Ah my daughter has done Music too with Biology and Chemistry ... where is she hoping to go?

Good luck everyone. Just found this thread and it's nice to know I'm not the only stressed out parent.

I need to be circumspect but the words stone and scone spring to mind...

Thinking of you all as the final countdown begins! Hoping you manage to keep your food down today, as I’m sure your tummy’s are doing somersaults! I wish all your DC every success tomorrow....🤗

Good luck to everyone’s DC. Bag of nerves here 😱

Bag of nerves here too!

Never has my username been more appropriate. DD convinced she's not made it. So we've had a chat about spending rest of her life travelling and rescuing orang-utans. There are worse things to do.
Good luck everyone. Tonight is going to be looooooooooooooong

Had a really good chat with DS who like yours doesn't think he's made it, have been honest with him and said will be disappointed but won't be disappointed with him - he understood the difference.

Have spoken about other courses he'd like to do and have also spoken about taking year out to decide what he wants to do.

Not going to knee jerk rush into anything.

Good luck for tomorrow ladies, it's been a blast sharing these last 9 months or so with you all, I don't feel I would've survived this far without you all xxx

I so agree Watfordmummy, it has been a pleasure to go through this with you all. Thanks for everyone's support and help. One day we will laugh about this !