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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:
HostessTrolley · 14/11/2018 16:52

Yay! Sheffield email received 😊

Good luck to all still waiting x

Monkey2001 · 14/11/2018 17:22

Phew!

Monkey2001 · 14/11/2018 17:24

So will you be playing 20 Questions over dinner tonight HostessTrolley?

HostessTrolley · 14/11/2018 17:31

@monkey2001 - it’s Greys Anatomy night 🤔

4catsham · 14/11/2018 18:07

Great news hostess trolley , from TSR Cardiff interview offers have started coming through, good luck to all still waiting to hear.

medlcmom · 14/11/2018 18:42

Great news hostess. 👍

Nightowlpossibly · 14/11/2018 21:22

So DD has come to me today to say she is no longer sure if she wants to do medicine!

The last couple of months have been stressful for her, Firstly studying for, and taking ukcat. Then her school initially refused to predict an A for her chemistry as she was on a B grade. However they gave her a chance to boost it to the A grade by giving her test papers nearly every day for two weeks. she had to revise all of last year's work ,and was working every spare minute she could trying to boost her grade. This resulted in her getting behind on some of her regular work. nevertheless she did get her grade to the predicted A

Immediately after that she started studying for the bmat which she feels she has done badly in. Since the bmat she has been revising for mocks and catching up on missed work. It has been non stop.

So I am wondering if it is just tiredness and stress giving her a bit of of a wobble about medicine? Has anyone else's DC been through this.? And had second thoughts during the process?

She says she is completely torn. Doesn't know if she can face 7 more years of study, or if she feels passionate enough, but also says there is absolutely nothing else she can think of that she wants to do! She still finds the idea of learning about medicine really interesting. She also says that if she got an offer, she could be taking a place off someone else who really wants it. She is really unsure of what she wants right now.

However she has now used her uni choices for medical schools. And is unable to apply for any other course, even if she knew what else she wanted to do . I am
Hoping it is just just a temporary wobble, but have told her not to pursue medicine unless she is 100% certain and committed. I feel this may be apparent during any interviews if she has any doubts or lack of passion. I Have suggested she research other careers that involve medicine and healthcare without being a doctor for example paramedic.

I really don't know what to advise her to do or what her options are at this stage anyone have any advice?

mumsneedwine · 14/11/2018 22:03

Nightowl I'd suggest a year out. If she gets offers then ask to defer. Have a breather from the treadmill that is medicine. I say this as a mum of a year 1 who is already working her socks off. It's a slog compared with other degrees and she might need a break from studying. If she gets no offers she can go into clearing early and chose other courses if that's what she decides. I think it's a unique degree as to pressure and work and they have to want it.

hoodiemum · 14/11/2018 22:24

Well done everyone who's got nice emails today. Yes, can confirm some Cardiff interviews have come through to DD's classmates.
Nightowl, big fans of year offs in our family. DD has applied deferred, and older DD had one too and was very glad she did. A chance to regroup and mature a bit before the next round.
Is it not possible to change your choices at this point, though, if she decides that's what she wants? I may be getting muddled with people who get 5 rejections, but I've definitely read about people applying for courses that don't fit their personal statement at all, and then sending an email to the dept they're applying to with an explanation and a different ps.

Nightowlpossibly · 14/11/2018 23:01

Thanks for quick replies. DD says you had to have requested to defer on applications, and that you cannot defer if you get an offer, she would have to reject and start the whole process again. don't know how true this is?

I think a gap year is a good idea, and actually suggested it before she applied for 2019 entry, but she would not consider it. I am surprised by her second thoughts about studying medicine, as she has been so focused and determined to do this. I am thinking we will just have to wait and see if she gets any interviews, and then have further discussions.

Monkey2001 · 14/11/2018 23:10

Nightowl what a horrible situation for you and DD. I can't remember whether she has interviews lined up yet, but if she has not, it would be good to clear her head a bit. Almost everybody thought the BMAT was dreadful, maybe she will be pleasantly surprised next Friday.

There are lots of great jobs in health. Nurse Consultants and Nurse Practitioners run clinics and have a lot of responsibility. If she does not want to take a year out, recruiters from other health degrees stalk the medicine threads and try to pick up some of the students without places.

Good luck!

3catsandadog · 15/11/2018 09:06

I think it depends on the university as to whether they will agree to deferring a year after offer. It is definitely not unheard of as one of my DS coursemates deferred for a year after A' Level results.

medlcmom · 15/11/2018 14:54

The email is finally here from Sheffield! Big relief.
Nightowl sorry about how your dd feels. It might just be how she is reacting at the moment after all the stress.
Lot of hugs to you and dd.

4catsham · 15/11/2018 16:43

Great news Medlcmum!nightowl my D used her 5th choice for biomed8cal sciences at Newcastle..emailed them to explain she was applying to Medicine and asked if they would require a different Personal Statement, they said she coyld if she wanted ,so she didnt!!Got an offer !!I might be wrong but reading a few threads on tsr suggesting u can still add in a 5th choice before the January deadline but i ve no idea how it works! My niece is a first year medic and describes year 13 as hell because the pace is relentless, Applying for medicine is like having another A level to do. It sounds like your D is very diligent amd concientious but worn out from it all..i m a great believer in leaving it all behind even for 1 night ,going out and having some fun and having some space to think and figure things out. It is sooo hard..but sooo good she is talking to you about how shes feeling.

swingofthings · 15/11/2018 16:47

Your poor DD. What I can say going by DD's is that so far, her time at med school has been much less stressfulthan doing her A levels. She is like another person as she just loves every mi utes of it. She says that studying what you enjoy rather than to get a grade is a fantastic experience. She still has exams, just took one, but because she enjoyed the learning, she didn't need to revise like you do for a A level exam and she still s ored high.

I think I remember DD going down a bit around this time of the year last year until she went for interviews and it all felt real again, meeting current students, visiting the school etc... and her positive attitude returned.

Monkey2001 · 15/11/2018 16:50

Great news medicmom! When is the interview? DS is 30th Nov.

MarchingFrogs · 15/11/2018 17:07

I might be wrong but reading a few threads on tsr suggesting u can still add in a 5th choice before the January deadline but i ve no idea how it works!

If you haven't used up all 5 choices and it's still before January 15th, you can just add the final one(s) in Track.

www.ucas.com/undergraduate/after-you-apply/making-changes-your-ucas-undergraduate-applicationAdding more choices

(The same page explains abput using Extra, which is a sort of early Clearing).

Extra is our free service –available for you to apply to one course at a time between 25 February and earlyJuly.

If you didn't use all five choices, you can add more in Track:

as long as it's before 30 June and you've not accepted or declined your offersif you only originally applied to one choice (so paid at the reduced fee).All you have to do is pay the extra £11 in Track to allow you to add more

If you've used all five choices, you may be able to use Extra if

you've received decisions from all five course providersyou weren't accepted or you decided to decline any offers you received

MarchingFrogs · 15/11/2018 17:10

Ooh, not sure how those two words escaped the ^ (or being parsed...) - obviously, more choices^ is part of the link address

medlcmom · 15/11/2018 17:19

@Monkey2001 it's on 12 dec. Now I get the 20 questions!

4catsham · 15/11/2018 18:24

Just got a no from Cardiff..😥aah well!

Monkey2001 · 15/11/2018 19:41

Sorry to hear that 4cats. Cardiff require amazing GCSEs - I think it is very tough unless you have 9 A*s and they count 8 as A so that Welsh students are not at a disadvantage.

Just remember that she only needs 1 offer - the lovely Julian of Sheffeld said he only got 1 offer when he applied.

4catsham · 15/11/2018 20:22

Thx for your kind words Monkey ..yes her gcses were pretty good she scored 26 out of 27 as far as i know ,but guess theres also an element of luck too 🙂,she really liked it when she visited but at least she has Leicester interview,visting there on sat as wanted to see the place before interview,hanging on to that as a positive!😺

Katisha · 15/11/2018 20:33

Yes my DS only had one offer. He'd have tried again the following year if it hadn't panned out.

HostessTrolley · 15/11/2018 21:42

So pleased it came @medIcmom 😎

@monkey2001 - same day as my dd - she’s mid afternoon

So sorry to hear about those going through difficult times and with difficult decisions to make. At the end of the day, taking a year out is not the end of the world if they’re then on the track they feel is right for them. My D had to take a year out, it was really difficult to make that decision but it was absolutely the right thing - she’s happy and has fitted into her new cohort with few problems

Nightowlpossibly · 15/11/2018 22:24

Monkey2001- hope you are right about the bmat hopefully my dd has done better than she thinks has.

Medicmom - good news about sheffield! You must be so relieved! Am hoping you are right about DD just being stressed and worn out she does get a bit down and a little less positive when she is really tired and stressed so hopefully it's just a blip.

4Chatham thanks for the advice. Sorry about cardiff, it is disappointing news. But good news that your dd has Leicester interview wishing her good luck.

Swingofthings - thanks for your kind words, it is comforting to know that you dd had a bit of a dip around this time last year,but that she picked up and became more positive again. I am Hoping mine will do that , maybe if an interview came through She might pick up and feel more focused again. Glad to hear that 1st year medicine may be less stressful than doing A level.

Great news that a lot of interviews are coming through. None so far for my DD, I know kings are sending them out but she hasn't heard anything. Waiting for manchester, and her 2 others are bmats so longer to wait.