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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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Monkey2001 · 12/11/2019 10:57

ladsmum my DS sort of thinks that if you have bought a book that is all you have to do, some kind of osmosis gets it into your head without having to read it! You should not need to worry about yours though, he managed to get 2 offers last year and will have an extra year of maturity this time round.

ladsmum · 12/11/2019 19:30

@monkey2001 - heehee! Yep I'd originally typed "learning by osmosis" but decided I'd made that term up so deleted it!
Hoping DS doesn't get too complacent about interviews (like with his A-levels!).
Any interview news for monkey junior?

PiggyPokkyFool · 13/11/2019 16:23

No interview at Exeter for DD - UCAT of 2810 cutoff.
She's ok about it.

ladsmum · 13/11/2019 21:09

@PiggyPokkyFool 2810!!! 91st percentile - that's crazy. Feels like they just want an easy way to reduce numbers rather than selecting the candidates with the greatest potential to be good doctors. Perhaps with that elitist attitude mini piggy is better off not going there.

mumsneedwine · 13/11/2019 21:28

Think Exeter use predicted grades to select for interview. Normally need 3Astars to get one although I think they did go to 2 A* A last year. Only need one offer .....

PiggyPokkyFool · 13/11/2019 21:29

Maybe - she said the message was v polite but said with her band that was their cut off. Wonder how many they are interviewing with the bar set there.
I am actually just as proud of her for how she dealt with this as for getting the Global Health offer and UEA interview. She told me, had a shortbread and threw herself into homework.
Very fond of mini piggy Grin

Monkey2001 · 13/11/2019 21:34

Sorry to hear that Piggy.

Exeter is a strange one as they put them in tiers based on A levels. I think they are giving interviews to all Tier 1 (AAA achieved) and Tier 2 (AAA achieved, AAA predicted) and the cut off applies to people in Tier 3 (AAA achieved, AA*A predicted).

It is a ridiculous system as some schools will change the prediction if a student asks and others give much less flexibility. They don't have to then get all the A*s they said they were going to get!

Several med schools have bad systems, which is why it is such a difficult journey to travel the first time you do it. Angry

Monkey2001 · 13/11/2019 21:35

Forgot I could not write A* 3 times - I think you know what I meant!

242Mummy · 13/11/2019 21:42

"PiggyPokkyFool" Sorry to hear the news but glad to see that your DD has taken it in her stride and shown great resilience. She still has 2 unis to hear from and she only needs one offer!

PiggyPokkyFool · 13/11/2019 21:44

Might make sense as she is A A A predicted and for that band it is a very ridiculous 2810 - DD would never have thought to ask the school to change the grade and looking at the boost they give to grades achieved (and tbh I can see why they do) Exeter was always the dodgiest one but I never expected the UCAT to be that high.

mumsneedwine · 13/11/2019 22:07

They don't count the UCAT unfortunately. It's all done on predicted grades. With her exceptionally high UCAT she will get her other interviews I'm sure.

speedyhedgehog · 13/11/2019 22:43

Sorry to hear the bad news piggy but well done to your DD with her reaction. Exeter will now never know what they've missed out on.

PiggyPokkyFool · 14/11/2019 09:04

She is fine about it - just to be clear her UCAT is good but not anywhere near the 2810 required. Hindsight is 20:20 vision as they say.

Original poster
EightToSixer · 14/11/2019 11:10

Oh @piggypockyfool I'm so sorry to hear that. DD heard yesterday she got an interview there and was not too far ahead of your DD on precentile (96th, so only a few answers different in reality). Well done to your DD for having such a great attitude and good luck to her in her other applications. I'm confused by their cut off though (as is DD) as a friend from her school got an interview offer there with a UCAT of 2450, so only 40th percentile. She also had AS results of BBCC and is predicted AAB for A-levels so I'm really surprised she got an interview. She does have every contextual consideration going though, she's had a hard life so far so maybe they are considering that more than they did on previous years. I'm pleased for DDs friend but it doesn't seem fair to your DD at all.

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Monkey2001 · 14/11/2019 12:42

Sheffield interview here. They have introduced a booking system so we were able to select an interview slot which DS can do on his way to the St Andrew's interview - the route passes through Sheffield so he can just get off it for a couple of hours Grin . As it is second time round he knows what to expect and where to go so is happy to do it like that and it saves me another train fare (and hotel if he had been allocated a morning slot). So 2 interviews out of the way in November, phew!

speedyhedgehog · 14/11/2019 13:23

Yay great news monkey!

Original poster
EightToSixer · 14/11/2019 14:28

Great news monkey! 2 interviews in one day that's impressive time management :)

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Monkey2001 · 14/11/2019 15:41

No, not 2 interviews in one day, that would be a bit much! He is doing Sheffield on 27th Nov and St Andrew's on 28th, it is just that it takes a whole day to get from Bristol to St Andrew's by train, so why not stop off for an interview on the way! Halloween Grin

Monkey2001 · 14/11/2019 15:54

Another bit of good news today - we appealed DS's Chemistry A level mark back in September and just heard that he got the extra 2 marks he needed for an A*. That means that he now has the grades for Cambridge so the interview is more secure and if he gets an offer it will not be conditional on re-sitting.

Most of you have the joy(?) of results day ahead. It was so frustrating for us and it is outrageous that we had to pay around £500 for reviews and appeals to get the 7 marks he needed to get an A* - Chemistry should be objective to mark and if they get it that wrong (went up by 3.5%), it feels too arbitrary for something which has such an impact on their lives. We will now get that money back as they have admitted they were wrong, but it is so unfair that you can only access the reviews if you can afford it if unsuccessful and have the time and support of the school to do all the work required - DS owes me big time for the 30 hours or so I put into it!

ladsmum · 14/11/2019 19:47

Sheffield interview!!!! Hooray!
DS's first choice - so very happy house tonight!

Monkey2001 · 14/11/2019 23:44

Hey! When is he doing his? We went for 27/11, but most people wanted late dates.

SummerbodyIwish · 15/11/2019 07:42

Hi, please may I join this thread. My ds also applying for medicine. Sheffield interview also.

Hattifatteners · 15/11/2019 08:52

Congratulations to everyone for interviews. I have been quiet for a long time (reading through all the posts though) as I feel I might be tad too involved... DS got UEA interview yesterday! Very pleased for him as it was his favourite :-)

Original poster
EightToSixer · 15/11/2019 11:37

Welcome @summerbodyIwish.

Congratulations to all those hearing about interviews and patient vibes to those left to hear. We are still waiting to hear from Southampton and Oxford (BMAT results are out a week today!)

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Monkey2001 · 15/11/2019 11:44

Hello Summerbody - good to have another Sheffield applicant, last year about half the posters on this thread applied to Sheffield. Congratulations on the interview, where else has he applied?

Happy for you and DS Hattifasteners!