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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Medicine 2019

999 replies

kaykay72 · 05/06/2018 16:32

Hi,

Does anyone here have a DC applying for medicine to start in 2019? It would be nice to meet others as we embark on uni visits, predicted grades, UKCAT etc

We’re in Kent, d is planning to visit kings, UCL, Nottingham, Sheffield and Newcastle at the moment. She really wanted to go look at Belfast but they want three A’s plus an A at AS level but won’t accept her additional qualification in place of this (despite it having a higher UCAS tarriff). We went to an open afternoon at BSMS which she liked more than she thought she would, so is pondering the BMAT.

I have two older kids (well, adults now), one of whom has just finished his masters, the other just completed his first year elsewhere, but medical applications are just so complicated in comparison to their experiences at this stage.

Hope to hear from others in the same boat :-)

OP posts:
Monkey2001 · 06/11/2018 13:18

Hoodiemum So much for your "hopefully no interviews before Christmas" - looks like you may be done and dusted by then!

Tinkobell · 08/11/2018 10:56

Apparently Birmingham sent out a batch of interview invites last night......hopefully there's more to follow. Earlier than expected I think?!

Monkey2001 · 08/11/2018 23:44

A friend of DS said Leeds had 20 applications for every place, so not feeling very confident about an interview there now, I fear that all the 9 A* students discovered that they are no longer assessing PS.

Nightowlpossibly · 09/11/2018 01:21

DD has sent her NAI form to manchester. The hospice where she volunteers have kept her on, ( was talk of letting her go ) and she was able to write about her experiences there. I don't know if they will scrutinise her form too closely, her ukcat score puts her in the higher deciles. From information I have gathered about Manchester this should almost guarantee her an interview, ( perhaps. someone with more knowledge could confirm this)

DD is taking nothing for granted, and has spent a lot of time filling the form in, and ensuring the relevant information is on it. It has been like writing her PS again. So fingers crossed she will hear something soon from Manchester, and also Kings, now they all have the ukcat scores. It is all very nerve wracking. Although mock exam revision to do now , so that will Keep her mind occupied while she waits.

hoodiemum · 09/11/2018 08:05

Yes, that Manchester form is today's job. When DD first heard about it, at open day stage, she thought it sounded great - more space to write about extra curriculars etc, when the PS is so restrictive. Now it just feels like one more time consuming hurdle.
Sounds as though there may be a lot more news for everyone next week.

hoodiemum · 09/11/2018 08:23

Sorry about the numbers at Leeds, Monkey. That's crazy odds. Really hope she makes the cut.
So much for the 'There are more places to go around this year so it'll be easier' school of thought.

Monkey2001 · 09/11/2018 08:33

So glad DS has no more forms. He feels stressed enough waiting for results and interviews. Bristol.Uni (our local) did a free practice MMI session last night run by medical students which was good and made the MMI thing feel a bit less of an unknown (and most of them were not as odd as the rumours of what they fling at you!). School has practice interview evening for Oxbridge applicants at end of Nov. I have been impressed by the support from school after an unimpressive time in years 7-11, they have a great Head of Sixth Form.

oneteen · 09/11/2018 10:35

Good luck to everyone....I have that same sinking feeling that despite there being more places available there are also more applicants...which in some respects is great to see that we are "growing our own" doctors etc.
DD will be applying in 2020 and I think the medicine threads (plus TSR) have been really helpful in getting the message over that it is so important to apply to the schools where you have more chance of getting an interview and meet all their requirements. I had a conversation with DD yesterday where one of the girls in her year just wants to go to Exeter Med school and I explained to DD how difficult it maybe to be offered a place at Exeter based on their tiers being geared towards students who have already passed their A levels (A* grades) and who were taking a Gap year.

Monkey2001 · 09/11/2018 11:34

Apparently DS's friend got it wrong! The e-mail said there were over 2,300 applications, so that is about 8.5 per place and nearly half will get an interview.

Tinkobell · 09/11/2018 12:14

Gulp! Sheffields interviews are coming out......DD's received!

oneteen · 09/11/2018 12:26

Cut off points are up for Sheffield too www.sheffield.ac.uk/medicine/prospective_ug/applying/whathappens

Tinkobell · 09/11/2018 12:38

Very best of luck to all waiting and hopefully some might get happy news today. Our impression is offers are going out in batches.

Monkey2001 · 09/11/2018 13:37

Yes, Julian said they are going in batches. DS thought may be alphabetical, but I expect they do it in UKCAT order or UCAS number. Tinkobell - did DD have a very high UKCAT (over 3,000)?

hoodiemum · 09/11/2018 15:35

Well done, Tinkobell junior!

hoodiemum · 09/11/2018 15:38

Oneteen: Yes, it's tricky when their heart is set on just one place. We had the studying medicine at Edinburgh dream for years, but reality was grasped eventually and she applied elsewhere with no major regrets (so far, at least...).

3catsandadog · 09/11/2018 15:48

Oneteen: Not true re Exeter my DS is first year. As long as they have a good UKCAT 675 last year and either predicted 3 x A or have acheived 2 x A plus an A they should get an interview.
They have many more spaces for 2019/2020 than 2018 anyway.
Contextual offers are less than these ^^

Monkey2001 · 09/11/2018 16:23

I find it really annoying when med schools give you more points for A*s than As although they then offer As.

Edinburgh is the same - their standard offer in AAA, but you only get full points if you are predicted AAA* and schools vary massively in their policies on predictions!

Monkey2001 · 09/11/2018 16:24

Doh! Did the bold thing instead of showing 3 x A*!

hoodiemum · 09/11/2018 17:12

With you 100%, Monkey. Edinburgh and Exeter almost seem to favour kids from schools that overinflate predictions. The average achieved grades for successful Exeter applicants is AAA so why make it virtually impossible to get an interview without AAA predictions? But then I wouldn't want to be in charge of selection policies. No easy answer. UKCAT worked out great for my DD, whereas persuading teachers to give her high predictions didn't, but it's a pretty nutty test.

hoodiemum · 09/11/2018 17:15

Weird Mumsnet thing.^ They autocorrect it when you write 3 A*s - do they know something we don't about how impossible they are to achieve?!

Tinkobell · 09/11/2018 17:33

Monkey - yes it was a high UKCAT so that must be how first cut at Sheffields been taken.

Tinkobell · 09/11/2018 17:36

Don't think Birmingham have offered YET to applicants with predictions of less than x 2 A*s + A .....🙁 Early days though.

oneteen · 09/11/2018 17:36

3catsanddogs I think I was Ok stating that the tiers at Exeter were steered towards DC's who had already got 3x A (tier 1), tier 2 was Dc's who had 2AA or predicted 3A's....so it is very much geared to students who have their grades already for 2019 entry and unless you are predicted 3A ...I think DD's school tend to be quite conservative with predictions too.

3catsandadog · 09/11/2018 17:41

Oneteen yes thats true - would be a risky move to apply without either 2 A on a gap year or predicted 3A plus a good UKCAT if not a contextual applicant.

swingofthings · 11/11/2018 07:34

Congratulation to those who have interview offers already. It certainly helps the nerves when you do but ultimately, many will wait longer to hear after interview if they've been successful so either way, the time between deadline for application and March is a very testing time for applicants and parents.

Nightowl, unless they changed the process this year, which I don't think is the case, you DD will definitely get an interview. They don't really look at the form to select for interview for applicants who automatically get an interview but is part of the process for the 30% who didn't make the ukcat cut off but are still in for a chance.

By the way, DD absolutely loves the course there. She came home for a week last night and spoke about it all with such passion, I certainly have absolutely no doubt she made the right choice for her. I still can't believe it was her default 4th choice and only put it on paper due to her chance of an interview with no intention then to go there!