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Higher education

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

Original poster

Medicine 2020

990 replies

EightToSixer · 30/09/2018 20:53

Ok, so I know it's super early, but I've been hovering at the medicine 18 and 19 threads. DD is keen to apply for medicine in 2020. Is anyone else in the same boat?
I thought it would be useful to share info and stories, it's all a very steep learning curve because despite me now having a PhD and working in a RG university I was late to learning and not a patch on my DD who is very driven and organised.
Hopefully people will find this group and we can share the rollercoaster of the next two years.

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Original poster
EightToSixer · 20/10/2019 09:46

@medschoolrat I'm glad you're back to normal teenage parenting again
Smile seems a relief! I also love the way you're viewing the applications as an experiment, I think I should view things that way too and reduce the stress DD and I are both feeling.

10 days until BMAT and I really hope things quieten down after that, DD has been having panic attacks again and school workload is kicking her in the butt in addition to the daily BMAT mocks she forces herself to do. I just wish I could get her to be more balanced. I've been in a stress course at work so have some coping mechanisms and am encouraging her to take daily walks, see friends, eat well etc but it's a difficult time. I have told DD that she can't keep this intensity up all year and needs to cut herself some slack but it's exhausting for us all to be in this high pressure zone for so long. She knows that med school and a career as a doctor will be full of stress so she really needs to find some coping mechanisms if she's going to be able to do this.

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Monkey2001 · 20/10/2019 10:46

@EightToSixer I have a case study on BMAT/stress for your DD. Last year DS was desperate to get into Cambridge and worked (for him) quite hard for the BMAT and got 4.6, 5.4, 3A which was OK-ish but not good enough for the college he chose. He had always done much better on practice papers. This year we booked the August BMAT before he had his A level results (the booking deadline was before results day) and then he got AAA (Cambridge needs 2 As, A).

He went off to a festival for the bank holiday weekend without deciding whether he would do the exam. When he got back, 5 days before the exam, he said that as we had already booked it and teachers had hopes that reviews of marking would push at least 1 of the As up to an A*, he may as well do it, but he did not really think it would be used. The only preparation he did was to look through a tiny bit of the Assumed Knowledge Guide and spent a total of 12 hours over the 4 days before the exam doing papers from 2013 to 2018.

This time he got 7 and 6.8 for the first 2 sections, we think the difference in performance was solely due to the fact that he was not at all stressed as he thought he had no chance anyway as he did not have the grades - Cambridge was the only BMAT one he was considering.

As it was so high, he has been told he can have an interview at Cambridge now, but if he had thought the results would mean anything, he probably would not have done so well. This shows me that state of mind is absolutely critical for these exams, more than detailed practice. Please share this with your DD if it helps her to rationalise preparation.

Original poster
EightToSixer · 20/10/2019 11:49

@monkey2001 that's really helpful thanks. I'll show DD.

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ladsmum · 20/10/2019 15:40

@monkey2001 - great news for monkey junior re Cambridge, with that more relaxed attitude he'll probably perform much better at interview as well. I think my DS could do with being a little less relaxed :)

PiggyPokkyFool · 21/10/2019 14:32

Hi @Shangrilalala - DD too had the request from Nottingham for a reference and yes a quick turn around.
She currently has the joy of writing a new personal statement on ' What does Global Health mean' for QMUL in 5000 characters or less. She is cursing this as at the talk the lady actually said that they acknowledged most PS they receive will be about medicine and that was fine and now this bloody request and a 10 day turnaround which is only 4 days as we are away. How can you write a PS to answer a question anyway? Anyone else got this to do?

Baytreemum · 21/10/2019 15:02

Piggy - I think Barts will just want to see why your DC is interested in this course and from which angle of interest they are approaching it. Global health at Barts is such a broad subject, they just want to know what your DC is interested in. Perhaps you can relate reading/EPQ/projects to aspects of the course in order to demonstrate real interest rather than simply a back up choice?

PiggyPokkyFool · 21/10/2019 15:10

Yes @Baytrreemum - I would agree if the question was:
What does Global Health mean to you? or Why do you want to study Global Health? but the question is What does Global Health mean?
I think she is planning to show her knowledge of it as a subject, relate it to the course and then relate all of this to her A levels subjects and extra interests.
She is more cheesed off as this was not mentioned at any stage as being a requirement and it involves 4/5 hours of time that she hadn't bargained for in a very short space of time.

PiggyPokkyFool · 21/10/2019 15:18

@Baytreemum - please may I also say thank you for replying - seeing the pressure being heaped onto DD from all directions has made me a rude old grouch!

Baytreemum · 21/10/2019 15:57

Yes I sympathise - had the same with Keele’s r&r form last year - total pain! However, knowing Barts a bit (5weeks in now!) I feel that if your DD drafts a piece about her area of interest in global health, that that should be well received. Perhaps just set it in context showing appreciation of wide spectrum of study in BSc global health. Am afraid that it’s a case of ‘no pain, no gain’, but it’s far worse when you’re in.

PiggyPokkyFool · 21/10/2019 16:01

She has the r&r to do too but not due until the end pf the month.
Yes she knows and I do too - no pain no gain x

Baytreemum · 21/10/2019 16:29

Oh poor you! The r&r is awful because they want soo much in so few words!

PiggyPokkyFool · 21/10/2019 16:56

It's all bloody awful - why she couldn't have applied for a Geography degree and have three offers by now I don't know Wink
Ho hum!

Monkey2001 · 21/10/2019 18:31

@PiggyPokkyFool I think she was unlucky to have 3 who want you to provide more info - most don't want anything.

PiggyPokkyFool · 21/10/2019 20:22

@Monkey2001 - she is feeling very unlucky at the moment! Has spent most of the day on the Global Health PS and is nearly there. She doesn't want to do a half hearted job as she is really interested in the course - it was the only one aside from medicine that really sparked her interest. It never rains but it pours Grin
She also knows she needs to do a good job on the r&r form for Keele at some point AND she has a Geography nea to finish by the end of tomorrow and three exams on the first two days back after half term.
I was just thinking that some people who attend private schools must have already gone on holiday when these requests came in - how are they supposed to meet the deadlines?

ladsmum · 22/10/2019 21:07

I can understand medical schools' wish to explore a candidate's interests, motivation, work experience and insight wrt medicine in more depth but surely they could work together to devise a standard form that could be completed once rather than multiple variations of the same theme!

plantainchips · 22/10/2019 22:05

Thank you goodbye and aurea

I totally agree. The BMAT has a multitude of resources, though. I suspect it’s because a bit more involved than the other admission tests as far I know. E.g. relearning all 4 GCSE sciences, an essay, problem solving, math, comprehension.

plantainchips · 22/10/2019 22:06

Sorry wrong thread :)

PiggyPokkyFool · 26/10/2019 23:45

Hello all - thank you for your support and words of guidance. We are delighted to say that on the second day of our holiday, DD was offered a place on Global Health at QMUL and she is so pleased.
Now we wait to see what else the next weeks and months bring.....

Monkey2001 · 27/10/2019 11:37

Good to hear Piggy, hope that is the start of lots of good news stories!

PiggyPokkyFool · 27/10/2019 19:44

I'll drink to that @Monkey2001 - I hope all of our DCs get where they want to be. It is so bloody hard for them and lots of people at DD's school are concentrating on getting the grades this year and applying next year as they feel it is too much to do all in one go - from the original 7 there is now only 2 of them trying to push through.
I can see @Baytreemum that the offer for Barts has really helped her feel more secure as she loves the breadth of the Global Health course and will happily take it if medicine offers do not come.
I am sure there will be peaks and troughs for all of them ahead and I am feeling very envious of those of you that have successfully negotiated this obstacle strewn road already.

mumsneedwine · 27/10/2019 19:48

Those of us who've been there send all your DC huge bundles of best wishes. It is a bumpy road and a bit of a hurdle race. But baby steps was our motto - deal with one thing as it comes along. Good luck to everyone as interviews start to come in.

speedyhedgehog · 28/10/2019 07:20

Congrats piggy and piggyDD. That's great news! Hope for more good news trickling for all our DC over the next few months.

Baytreemum · 28/10/2019 07:23

Glad to hear that Piggy! Super well done to your DD! Hope the rest of the applications go equally well xx

Monkey2001 · 29/10/2019 16:21

Good luck to any DC doing the BMAT tomorrow; any lurkers for future applications, it is so much less stressful doing it in August!

Hope you manage to convince them that a clear thinking state of mind is THE most important thing, much more important than last minute preparation. Try to persuade them to relax this evening so they maximise their chances of a good nights sleep.

Original poster
EightToSixer · 29/10/2019 16:36

Congratulations piggy DD. Great news.

Thanks for the advice @monkey2001. DD is sitting hers tomorrow with a horrible cold and a chest, ear and tonsil infection. Apologies if any of your DCs are in her school test centre, she is coughing approx 10 times a minute.

I'll be so glad once BMAT is over. Knowing that rejections or interview invitations are coming up in November from UCAT unis is a relief.

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