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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 · 19/09/2018 23:46

@ProfessorLayton1 would you mind telling me which exam centre your people encountered their problems? DS did it in Bristol.

ProfessorLayton1 · 19/09/2018 23:59

Monkey2001 - have pm' ed you

swingofthings · 20/09/2018 05:42

I'm not a medic j2ennywren but work with and know many personally. Some feel like you - as many non medic NHS workers-- but some still love their professions and although tougher than it was before still enjoy their profession and managing thexstress. My experience is that there are significant differences between trusts/practices and a lot of comes down to the culture of the organisation but ultimately the main issue is the lack of staff that leads to so much added pressure on others and the vicious circle of unhappiness.

My DD has done a few placements and has experienced this herself. Her best placement was within a haematology service where she found all the staff pleasant, relaxed and loving their job. She is well aware of the state of the NHS, has seen it first hand with me but it hasn't put her off at all.

swingofthings · 20/09/2018 05:46

Jenny wren I meant to wish you good luck in your pursuit of another career. I sincerely hope you can find something that allows you to practice the love of medicine without that dreaded feeling that everything is collapsing around you.

Monkey2001 · 20/09/2018 08:32

Jennywren thanks for your advice. I agree with SoT that as an enormous organisation, there is a variation across the NHS in stress levels and quality of management. I think you may be in A&E, which seems to be the worst pinch point as you are squeezed between GPs, Social Care and the rest of the hospital. We have only used A&E when the we have had accidents and broken bones (or thought we had), but it is shocking to see how many people use it as an extended GP service, for whatever reason.

I have not read your full thread, but picked up on the change in UK culture to a general sense of entitlement and lack of respect for professionals. I find it deeply depressing that both teachers and doctors are affected by this. Because people have never paid for a service, some do not see it as having a cost. It would be very sad to move away from the "free at the point of use" but how do you make people accountable for the time they waste?

My sister in law is taking early retirement as a GP because she feels squeezed on all sides and is too nice to be firm with her time wasters and a Macmillan nurse friend is off with stress for the second time due to poor management. I know other doctors who get immense job satisfaction in spite of the frustrations.

After reading your post I had a chat with DS and he is aware of these problems and still wants to do it enough to jump through all the hoops before they get into the fire!

medlcmom · 20/09/2018 08:37

Monkey2001....indeed an expert!
He has A in chemistry and English!
I'm thinking his score is 26/40 for GCSE- assuming it's 2 points for an A?

Monkey2001 · 20/09/2018 08:53

medicmom - if the English is English language he will have 25 for GCSEs as they will count both the As and 7 of the As. Yes, 3 for an A and 2 for an A. That should still be fine, DS is applying with 24 for GCSEs and we think he will be very unlucky if he does not get an interview.

Do you know that the BMAT results should be released midnight today?! [fingerscrossed]

medlcmom · 20/09/2018 16:36

Pardon my maths! -monkey2002
Didn't realise the results are out midnight .
Has your son done his bmat?
According to the points system- bmat is not that important for Leeds if everything else is ok- am I right in thinking that?

Monkey2001 · 20/09/2018 18:40

Yes medicmom, you are right that BMAT is not nearly as important as GCSEs at Leeds (opposite to Cambridge). Somebody with 9+ A*s can completely bomb their BMAT and still get 36 (bottom quintile), which is considered to be fairly comfortable for an interview.

No, DS has not taken it yet as we were on holiday for the September one.

Good luck tonight, let us know how it goes! As long as he gets an average score (a bit under 5 in each of the first 2 sections), he will get 3/5 which will take him to 36, which should be good for an interview and even 2/5 takes him to 35 which is probably OK given cut off was around 33 last year.

medlcmom · 20/09/2018 20:02

Good luck to your ds for his bmat.
Has he done his ukcat?

When do Leeds publish their cutoff for interviews?

HostessTrolley · 20/09/2018 21:04

UCAS form submitted today 😳

mumsneedwine · 20/09/2018 21:21

Good luck everyone. Mine off on Saturday so I was you last year. It's a bumpy road but oh so worth it when it works

Monkey2001 · 20/09/2018 21:34

HostessTrolley - wow!

medicmom - Yes, did UKCAT in August. Leeds don't publish cut off, the information available is from FOI requests and what people can extract from Admissions team.

mumsneedwine - Yes, I have studied your bumpy road - thanks!

mumsneedwine · 20/09/2018 21:57

Anything I can do to help. As a parent watching my DD go through this I've learned a little. It's hard when friends will start getting offers within a few days and they are still waiting for an interview. Big girl pants on

HostessTrolley · 21/09/2018 00:22

All the best, @mumsneedwine

@monkey2001 - at a grammar school where there are probably more early entry students than not, they’re on it like a car bonnet! They don’t do anything for UKCAT or BMAT prep though, so that’s now the next hurdle. Although not stressing too much over BMAT as her top choices are UKCAT ones.

Just in the process of changing p/t job as her previous job were giving her too many hours and messing her around, she wants to work but needs to keep the hours down as she has study, sport and social life

medlcmom · 21/09/2018 07:04

No results yet!

swingofthings · 21/09/2018 07:11

Good luck to those waiting for their bmat results today. If I recall properly I think they came out around 9am last year.

Monkey2001 · 21/09/2018 08:27

medicmom - sorry, I appear to have misinformed you about times. It was midnight for the November results last year. Best of luck for 9:00.

medlcmom · 21/09/2018 09:11

No problem monkey2001. Don't think it's still out. Ds in school and may not find out till end of the day.

Monkey2001 · 21/09/2018 09:28

Looks like there is a technical glitch - strange messages coming up according to TSR

SleightOfMind · 21/09/2018 09:53

Can I join the party late?
DS1 has finally decided to go with medicine, his first love, instead of Maths, which is his strongest subject.

Because of the dithering, we’re using this year as a sort of practice run.
Off to a few more open days too this year and will change his volunteering position at the hospice to paid work once he’s 18 and has his A-levels.

He’s also going to spend 6 months working in a hospital in a developing country so he gets a real feel for whether this is right for him.
Flowers to everyone waiting for Bmat scores today. It’s all a bit of a rollercoaster isn’t it!

medlcmom · 21/09/2018 11:12

Just got a text off my ds.
He has got 5.1,4 and 3A
Not sure if it's enough for Leeds.
.......Ukcat next now!

Monkey2001 · 21/09/2018 12:49

medicmom I think that should be in the middle band which is good as it would give him 36, which should be competitive. I suggest you (or DS) e-mail admissions at Leeds with his BMAT score and ask which band that would have been for 2018 and 2017. That is an easy question for them.

Good luck in UKCAT

swingofthings · 21/09/2018 13:14

It was DD's score last year, definitely above for bsms and I think it was for Leeds too.

medlcmom · 21/09/2018 13:55

Thanks for the reassurance monkey2001 and swingofthings.

I have emailed the admissions at Leeds.
Anyone else had their Bmat results today?

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