Medicine 2018 part 3

[SomersetS]

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

@Mommymoomitzi - While I'm flattered that you think I might be either young enough or clever enough to be a medical student, I'm afraid I shall have to disabuse you of that notion. I'm an admissions tutor at a medical school and I teach students in years 1-3, although I also have some contact with them in years 4 and 5.

A&E, doing their best but it was chaos (& not busy yet!!). Great effort by a nice Junior Doctor - feel much more sympathy for them knowing more about what they've been through!
Now on a "short stay" ward. Gosh. It's a long term since I had to see this end of a hospital.
Thank goodness DD not this poorly while away, have to wonder how they'd cope!

So sorry to hear that your DD is unwell Somerset. I hope that they find out what's wrong and she is feeling better soon. I'm glad that she has decided what to do though. Hope this week is better for you both!

Somerset, hope DD starts to feel better soon. Big hugs to you, must be very stressful

Sliktan - I am quite aware of your position, you have mentioned it on several occasions. I was not presuming you were a student, rather that you would have a view of how the students might think, as you work with them. I am sorry if that was not clear. I understand that these next 5 years will see changes in the young people, but I think your comments regarding them trying to protect parents, by acting differently at home, is just another example of the masks we all wear - we are all different people in different settings. I do value your insight, experience and valuable comments.

Somerset really hope you’re DD is on the mend - what a traumatic week for you. Mumsneedwine have a great time in NY.
IKEA was packed full of DC with their Mums buying plates! Thanks for the plastic cups tip - we purchased a couple! I also brought decent desk lamp as I remember there only being a rubbish light in my eldest DS’s room.
We’re off to Lakes for family week away before DS goes to Sheffield x

SomersetS sorry to hear your DD not well. Hope she is sorted . My DD in same position and considered that , but also had mitigating circumstances this year so has decided she is resitting instead and trying that route .. remind your daughter if she hoping to transfer in year one to check as she may need to still do the UKCAT for the application I think, but not sure .

I think it’s a shame that if you don’t get the grades and you had a place and not far off.. why oh why won’t they let them have the chance of proving themselves on a foundation course.. losing great potential doctors ! Ludicrous

Esussexmum do you mean she needs to sit one now, urgently, to apply at the end of Year 1????? Nobody mentioned that. Perhaps DD will have to check when she's better.

I think you need to check. I’m not sure if she does if doing the course or they just accept getting a first at the end of year one. It is a first you have to get at the end of year one, as I rang them up to check. If you ring the biological department they are so helpful and will go through it all with you. Best to double check.
Hope your DD is feeling better.

Off to hospital, hopefully DD allowed home today. Not the Bank Holiday we had planned Very helpful ENT Junior Dr yesterday did GEM - he too said he felt it was a great way to do it - "have full University experience for 1st degree - 2nd degree just like a job & so much more mature to take on the challenges".
Fingers crossed she is much improved on last night!

That’s good . I sent you a private message

Somerset, so sorry to hear that your DD has been so poorly, but how encouraging for her to have met a junior doctor who did GEM, and who was able to share all the positives of doing medicine via that route. We know of someone who missed his grades, did bio med at Newcastle, graduated with a 2:1, and is now in his 3rd year at HYMS, doing very well....😊

Yes to confirm the first is for the end year one crossing over and is a 2.1 at the end of the theee year if doing GEM.. however look into the funding as is different now than those who previously took that route .. it should be available to all without self- funding a few years as yes it is an excellent route .. but only if you can afford it , which isn’t fair

Somerset - I hope your DD is feeling better now? My DD returned from Reading, (in onen piece) to find lots of emails - from uni re DBS and from her accommodation, which is private student halls. She now knows she is in a flat with 2 boys and 1 other girls - dentist, bio med and biological science - so, should be a good mix, as all have to work hard - they all live within 10 miles of us, I think the administration team work well at sorting these things out. She is talking to them on social media and is really enjoying herself. She has also been introduced to her “medsoc” mum and dad - they are arranging to meet her and show her the ropes. They also come from within 5 miles of us. Whilst I am still sad, I do feel a sense of calm, she is really buzzing and it is so well organised. How’s it going for everyone else?

Back from a little break and back to work today for me. But I have been following this thread, and send best wishes to all who haven't had such fun, including Somerset.

My DS has his accommodation which looks pretty nice in the largest catered blocks at Edinburgh. Not sure how we are going to get his things up there, I have booked one suitcase with the flights, it was so expensive to book bags it seems to make more sense to do a shopping trip once we get up there!

Non stop partying here... I think all the noise, beer cans, etc might be nature's way of easing them out of the nest for Mum (but I know I will miss tripping over all the big trainers in the hall when they have gone!)

Thanks everyone for your good wishes. Not the weekend we anticipated! DD home now & on the mend though many drugs & some longer term symptoms we hope will subside. So glad that didn't occur in Freshers Week. Eek.

Glad all getting excited about going away. We have begun rounding up bedding towels & kitchen implements. In need of an IT upgrade too so the credit card is quivering in my purse.

Dd just did her UKCAT and got 675 and band 2.
She is clearly not very happy and I am trying to support her as much as I can.
How did your DCs do in UKCAT to obtain an interview
She has 11A* in GCSE and is doing well in A levels - not sure what she will be predicted
Looked at TSR and it is scary how much the candidates have scored !!

Prof, DD got slighly less and fewer A* GCSEs. Scores at that level are disappointing but not disastrous.

Who knows how good the correlation is between UKCAT scores and actual performance. Not great I suspect. Very low UKCAT scores may help rule out those that might not be suitable but on the margins they may be rule out good applicants infavour of those what have prioritised practicing for the test. And SJ scores can be very weird/random.

You can only apply to four, so she will be fine, especially if she is taking BMAT as well. Have a look at KCL, QMUL, Birmingham, Nottingham and Swansea all of whom have a reputation for liking strong GCSEs/A level predictions. There are others that are quite UKCAT-lite like Bristol if she has an 'active' PS.

Spreadsheet time!

There are so many hurdles, you cant jump them all perfectly. This year there should be more places and fewer applicants. As long as she can interview well, she should not have a problem.

Thanks Needsmoresleep

Agree that won't be any correlation with the UKCAT and the performance.
We both know that she will make a good doctor but it is jumping the hurdles to get there
I am going to look at all the entry requirements and see where she is going to apply!

Prof don't get freaked out by tsr scores, only the high scorers tend to post what they got. The average is usually about 650 so your DD will be well above that. Think cut off for Sheffield last year was 672 to get an interview. Think Bristol are basing it purely on ukcat this year for the first time ever. With those grades and ukcat she'll have plenty of options.

ProfessorLayton1, as advised check various entry requirements, I always used Medic Portal for updates. My gut feeling is that it is a good score. e.g. HYMS the A will give maximum points for one section, check their website where they give details of how the scoring works. That score would have worked for Liverpool this year too and I think Manchester who wait for all scores and offer based on top third (more or less. You will know more in a few weeks at the end of the UKCAT tests. UEA won't given anything away about their scoring, but keep them in mind too as those are the schools DD got interviews at with not so many A and top third UKCAT (but not top 20%). SomersetS, sent you a separate message but really good to hear DD is back home and also such positive comments from GEM student!

my daughter sat Ukcat and achieved 680 with SJ1- is there anyway of knowing the cut off for say Sheffield before you apply?

wrong information she got 675 in her Ukcat

Shank2- trawling through various websites their cut off was 672 so it is cutting it fine with her score