Medicine 2018 part 3

[SomersetS]

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

Movingmountains
Not sure Julian was impressed with the boy who asked what percentage of his lectures he was allowed to miss!

Brave boy. Likely to spend a fair amount of time in front of disciplinary committees. Knowing Julian Burton's penchant for sarcasm, I'd quite like to have heard his reply.

We often get parents - almost always fathers, for some reason - asking at open days how many students fail each year. Nothing like showing confidence in your son/daughter, is there?

Skiiiltan- his reply after a long pause was ‘we assume you will attend them all’ - think he was actually speechless! Yes we did have the question about how many fail - in fact twice as someone at the back obviously didn’t hear it first time!!!

Well done to everyone who has received offers, I have a very upset DD after receiving her fourth rejection this evening from the one interview she had. I wish I had known about these threads earlier you all seem really knowledgeable.

I'm hoping someone might be able to help me, my DD originally only made four choices and when her preferred uni rejected she changed to applied anatomy which she is very half hearted about now. She's questioning her ability and enjoys maths so am I right in thinking she can still use it as her 5th choice and apply for maths and if so how does the personal statement work?

As upset as she is I think she has the determination to get the grades and apply through clearing but doesn't want to take a gap year so having something she enjoys as a fall back seems a good option? Hope someone can help as I am absolutely clueless!

Look at Anglia Ruskin. A new medical school that is now taking applications. And ace the A Levels - I know several who have got in on Results day. Be ready to call round Unis a few days before results (Unis get results then) and sound out if they think they will have places. And be ready to drop everything for interviews.
I am so sorry for your DD as it is a brutal process and so many good applicants don't get an offer first time. A lot is down to strategic applying and luck. Stay on the thread as lots more people more knowledgeable than me.

Thanks mumsneedwine DD applying to Anglia Ruskin and we didn't know about phoning round before results day so that's really helpful. The whole process is so stressful mums definitely do need wine!

A message I've seen repeated again & again is "it's not over until August". The message is that DCs should not give up, work hard & get the 3xAs. They can then try to get a place through clearing (& there have been real successful examples on here or the Part2 thread) or take the year to develop, grow, travel or work getting an unconditional offer with grades in the bag for 2019 (when there will be even more places).
If it's really what your DD wants to do, it can still happen.
Anglia Ruskin looks like a good try too. Exciting to be there from the very beginning.
Good luck.

Also sign up for emails from The Medic Portal, they may give advice about clearing and which universities to call and when.

Also take a look at St Georges Tooting. Over the past few years they seem to have entered clearing rather than accept dropped grades. Not for everyone, but it has a suburban rather than Central London location so living will be cheaper, and is a stand alone school within a hospital. People we know who have studied there, speak highly of it.

I know someone who was offered a place there last summer. After working in a hospital during his gap year he decided he wanted to study medicine rather than take up his existing offer, so took UKCAT in late July, and was interviewed by SGUL in August. Things happen quickly so it is worth some early research to be sure that the medical schools that are in clearing are places where you would want to spend 5 years. If your DDs current UKCAT score is not great, it might also be worth planning a 2018 retake in advance of a general phone round.

Lots get places on reapplication. The extra year really helps with maturity and makes the first year that much easier.

If you can afford it, another option is Buckingham. Its a four and a half year course at a private University, so fees are apparently non-profit but without the NHS subsidy, so effectively at overseas student rates. Apply in August for a January start.

Good luck. It is so hard when bright, hard working and personable DC face failure.

Proseccoandwine - really sorry to hear about the rejections, as many have said, this is a brutal process. But I'd second what mumsneedwine says about contacting universities prior to results day. My niece works in the admissions dept at Kings and they have all the results well in advance so they can see how all their offers stand etc.
There have also been mentions in the previous threads about places being available through clearing. All the very best.

Thanks so much everyone for your positive comments and help. Can I ask with clearing I'm thinking you then have to interview so you get one last opportunity if you manage to get through, do I have this right? Presumably other courses will be snapped up by the time the interview took place?

Innertiger you mention about the admissions dept is this just for a heads up and you still need to go into clearing? Thank you!

proseccoandwine - yes, just a heads up. They will be looking through all the results so they can work out:
a) how many offers have been met
b) how many they'll accept lower grades for (based on total cohort performance)
c) how many places that will make available.

I understand that some universities will go through their lists reducing offers down until they fill up but I think med schools tend to accept possibly a grade or so lower but then they'll go to clearing as they know there will be plenty of students out there with the grades.

They may even approach students directly as they will see everyone's grades, so presumably can check their lists for who they rejected. I am fairly sure they will have rejected some students on fairly minor points and they may still offer once the grades are known.
I don't know how much of this goes on now - certainly did back in the long distant past when I was 18!

Working hard to get the best grades possible now is key - it must be very hard when you don't have a firm place to go to but it will help if there are any places popping up. And if not this year, then puts you in a great position for next year.

We're in a similar situation, Proseccoandwine. I'm encouraging DD to focus on 5th choice so that she has a goal to motivate her revision. If she decides to do something different on 16 Aug, there will be lots of options for non-med subjects in clearing. In the meantime, she is on one reserve list and knows she was a near miss for another med school, so there are teeny weeny glimmers of hope.... we are trying to put those to the back of our minds.

Great advice re. clearing. I have been told that not all uni will 'advertise' that they are in clearing and a few were last year with few being aware of it, so it's definitely worth calling, and maybe not just even once just after exams results, but a couple of weeks later.

I remember reading a poster on tsr who was contacted by one of the schools that rejected them after interview with an offer only a couple of days before the start of the course!

Student at my school got into Imperial last year after getting no offers. Called up few days before and was advised to call again on results day. He did and had interview the next day followed by an offer that evening. They don't advertise in clearing as very rarely need to as people are so proactive. It's not over til August 😁

Great visit to Edinburgh for offer holders day. My DS loved it and will be his first choice. The students had a full orientation day, so I spent the time looking at the accommodation and the city. Students seemed v enthusiastic about the course and the city especially. It's long, 6 years with a compulsory intercalation, but there are definitely worse places to spend 6 years! They also took the students into the anatomy building and showed them the frozen bodies and all the skulls and bones of which there are many thousand. No one seemed to pass out at that, but I think it was still a slight shock to my DS!

So, fingers crossed for the A levels and he could be there as early as first week of September as they start early in Scotland.

booface good to know a clear favourite has emerged and it is a lovely city. I also think it is good that intercalation is for all. Funny enough I couldn't be a doctor but I love the anatomy departments!

I hope DD will come to a conclusion over Easter; she was upset and annoyed today that her school have cancelled Prom - apparently not enough sent in the deposit. It was a bit pricey but what a shame .

Happy Easter everyone. Hope all our DC can enjoy some time off revising this Easter and also make those decisions! Think DS is just about decided ....

Decision made tonight by DD. Nottingham firmed and Sheffield insured. She said it felt strange declining offers as she'd worked so hard to get them. But now can concentrate on exams and once accommodation sorted hopefully stop thinking about it all.

mumsneedwine, DD's will be starting together in september then! (fingers crossed, grades permitting etc!!)

mumsneedwine and specialted, how great it is that you'll still be able to share your DD's experience and tips.

Final decision made here too after the offer day and Manchester won it by a long shot. That's the choice I bullied her into changing after she'd already sent her UCAS application. Never thought then it would end up trumping all the others!

Oh specialted maybe we can put them in touch after results day 😁. Mine has spent last night planning Freshers week and what societies to join - am v glad she's made the decision as she can let herself get a bit excited now. I spent last night working out how to pay for it all as going to have 2 at Uni for 3 years if youngest becomes a vet. Might need to sell a kidney 🤪

swing my daughter is a first year at the medical school she said she would never choose. It’s obviously the best one the country now...

mumsneedwine, yes good plan to put them in touch after results! DD put in for accommodation on university park but not heard back yet. She's not even thought about societies yet, think she almost doesn't want to get too excited just in case.

Swing, manchester is a fab city, funny how things end up. DD always had her heart set on birmingham but changed her mind post interview to Nottingham. And as we have said, how lucky that they had a choice.