Medicine 2020

[EightToSixer]

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.

SirTobyBelech - have you asked them how many people they have taken without Chemistry and how many they have taken without both Chemistry and Biology? Have you seen anyone on the Student Room website or elsewhere say they have been accepted without either? Until such time as there is any actual evidence that they have done so I'll continue to regard this with scepticism.

If they ever take anyone it would be interesting to see if they survived the course.

@alreadytaken - I don't think you read my message. I said Obviously, most applicants will have biology or chemistry, or both, as they need them to apply to other medical schools.

First, the removal of science A-level requirements only came into effect for this year's applications for 2020 entry. Secondly, I've explained how their selection process works. If someone is expecting to gain good grades in non-science A-levels, she or he can apply there and will be assessed in exactly the same way as anyone else. Of course there won't be many of them, as it's a very high-risk strategy to apply to only one medical school.

The key attribute needed to study medicine is the ability to learn effectively under your own direction, and I think there are many students with good A-levels that don't include any "traditional" sciences who will be entirely capable of studying medicine at university. I have had doubts for many years about the necessity of science A-levels and I think a few more medical schools might follow Newcastle's lead in the near future. You do need to have confidence in the ability of your interviews to pick the right students, but if this works I'll be surprised if straight-A students without sciences do any less well than those with sciences. It's much harder to get biology/chemistry/maths entrants to learn the necessary behavioural & social science than it will be to get others to learn the necessary bioscience. Nobody starts a medicine degree believing they don't need to learn any bioscience; an awful lot of students do start a medicine degree believing they don't need to learn anything about patients as people.

@SirTobyBelch No point in tagging me, I dont see the messages until much later, if at all, as I rarely use that email.

What a patronising response Of course I read your message, however I do not believe that Newcastle's interviewers will be unbiased - and wont believe it until I see the evidence. Show me application statistics that show the same percentage of interviews/offers to those with no science A levels and those with science A levels and then I'll believe it. Someone with no science A levels will have taken a late decision to study medicine - but their choice is not only Newcastle, there are foundation courses, I think Cardiff, Dundee, Manchester, Keele, maybe others with widening participation criteria.

Actually I think I'd forgotten Newcastle's requirements and they didnt require Chemistry - but I've never seen anyone say they were accepted without it.

Interviewers don't know what A-levels a candidate is taking. And they don't ask questions about science (well, they probably do at Oxford & Cambridge but not elsewhere). So how can interviewers be biased on the basis of candidates' A-level subject choices?

Hello everyone - this is not my thread and I hope Sixer won't mind me commenting that it's all getting a bit heated on here so please can I remind everyone our purpose here. We all want to support our DCs, support others DCs and support each other so lets do that.
Anyway, DD was happy overall with the UEA interview - she wouldn't tell me specifics as they were sworn to secrecy and she knows I would blab something! She says it was good - she thinks.
Hope everyone's DC are having good interview experiences and roll on more interview invitations and offers.

Piggy - I'm glad your DD's interview in UEA went well. It's DS's favourite, but his interview isn't until 4th Feb. Hopefully more than one other inbetween to practise with...

Piggy glad your DD was happy. My poor old DS is struggling with interviews again, he hates MMIs, he was so much better prepared this time, but several of the Sheffield stations ended with a couple of minutes of silence this year, which is very off-putting. He was not the only one, so Sheffield people here, I suggest you tell your DCs to be prepared for silence at the end of each one - I would probably just chat to the interviewer in that situation about weather etc - no idea if that is a good idea, but may feel less odd than sitting in silence!

Hi everyone, my DS is in year 4 of his MBBS at UEA if I can help with any information. He is loving it and very glad he chose that one from the offers he had .
Good luck to your DC with their interviews, I remember it well....

Gosh @Monkey2001 I am sorry to hear that. I really hope the tenacity he has shown by going back and trying another year stands him in good stead. It should - it really should if there is any fairness in this process.
DD thinks it went well overall - tbh she got in, had the briefing, didn't faint, vomit or cry, kept relatively composed and answered everything to the best of her ability. Who knows what they want she says - we'll know in March anyway.
@sluj - if she is lucky enough to be offered a place she would be thrilled to find out things from your DS.
We will keep each other sane and give somewhere to vent as the weeks go on if/when required.

Same here guys, dd came out happy and relieved but saying she felt she answered some well and some poorly. She felt she had learned a lot about trying to compose herself because as more time passed the more she thought of better answers she could have given. I said thats the point though isn't it - they're trying to see how you answer without prep time. She did her best. And monkey, she has always been one that you have to stop talking and even she had some quiet moments at the end of several stations. Some she had a pause and started to speak again which drew a couple of smiles. Overall she felt like it was a practice and she hadn't done the real thing yet. Quite surreal. And absolutely horrible to see the horrific events 24 hours later at the location. So sad.

I would not worry about the silence at the end of each MMI stations.
Although, I have not been a interviewer I am pretty sure that some of the medical colleges do not encourage in small talk at the end of a station to avoid any unconscious bias towards the candidates. If they have answered the questions/ tackled the scenarios then that's fine.. as they have said what they have to say within their allocated time!

Agree. DH interviews and says small talk is not encouraged here and is irrelevant as they are sticking to a tight mark scheme. But so difficult for our DC to know what to do, when confronted with silence, particularly under pressure.

DD still waiting to hear from Edinburgh and is slowly realising that it might not happen. I’m dreading the rejection email and am working on my positive responses.

@Monkey2001- Dd had the same at Sheffield last year. She said it felt really awkward because she could hear people in adjacent interviews still talking but she felt that she’d answered as fully as she could but didn’t want to waffle. She got an offer so it cant have been viewed as a bad thing. Good luck to your DS x

Thanks all for the words of encouragement, it is good to know that silence is better than small talk. Good to hear of lots of positive experiences.

@speedyhedgehog yes, it must make the tragic terrorist event all more real if she was there the day before, hope it is not making her anxious about the idea of London.

Hello everyone, sorry I've been off thread for a few days. Glad to come back here and hear positive stories of interviews.
DD got rejected from Oxford without interview. She was just pleased to hear I think and isn't too disappointed as she still has her other 3 choices interviews and thought the more applied courses might suit her better than Oxford's essay based first 3 years. Thinking of the positive.

Any more news of other interviews.? DD has a selection day at Southampton on Thursday which looks a little different to the MMIs she had at Plymouth, should be interesting to see the differences.

Soton is group task and panel interview. DD said smile, include everyone and be prepared to speak about PS

Thanks @mumsneedwine. Good advice

Bit of a lurker but thought I’d fully join in now.
DD applied for medicine. Yet to do an interview.

Welcome aboard @strawberrypopsicles. Sorry to hear that news @sixer. Glad she's not dwelling on it.
Bit of positive news tonight dd got an offer from her 5th choice. She currently thinks she'd take a year off and try again if it doesn't work out this year but it's nice to have something.
Any interviews this week to think positive thoughts for?

We are still waiting to hear from Manchester bit of a delay apparently. DS has Sheffield interview on Thurs. He’s had man flu for a few days so preparations have come to a halt! Trying to revive him with honey and lemon infusions with lashings of aspirin. He said last year when he finished a station early he sat in silence in case he said something stupid (his words). All the best for others with forthcoming interviews.

So 2 to think positive for on thursday. Good luck to them both. DD also in bed today, her back pain has flared up, hopefully will settle b4 next week.

We are also waiting to here from Manchester. Although, DD is fairly sure she doesn’t want to go to Manchester anymore. A bit of a waste of an application.
DD also applied to Oxford, KCL and UCL.

@strawberrypopsicles I wish DS had one he did not want to go to as he performs much better if not bothered about the outcome! Has your DD heard from the others?

@ladsmum, that is rubbish timing for being ill. My mum swears by manuka honey for colds - I am sending DS2 to school with medicinal honey sandwiches as he sniffs his way through Y11 mocks. You can get it for about £20/jar from Waitrose, or eat twice as much of the less powerful Aldi one which is a quarter of the price. Hope he recovers by Thursday.

Hi all, my son has heard from Cambridge and Sheffield. No wrod yet from Edinburgh ( although a couple of friends have had rejection lestters). Has anyone had notification about interview for Edinburgh or Birmingham?

DS got an invitation to Nottingham! Very happy mum here :-)

Welcome @strawberrypopsicles.