Medicine 2019 - Part 2

[Monkey2001]

Oops, looks like none of noticed the old thread was full!

@HostessTrolley @Hoodiemum @4catsham @mamamedic @medicmom @mimiasovitch @Nightowlpossibly @ProfessorLayton1 @Tinkobell @Weaverspin @Itsthekissing @Sluj @Mumneedswine @Movingmountains

Apologies to any regulars I have missed

Thanks Nightowl... Dd liked kings as well but did not apply in the end. Good luck to her, we know few children ( well ... now doctors) who went to kings and they really liked it.

I've been following this thread as DS1 intends to apply for a Medicine place for 2020. Delurking to let @Monkey2001 know that Leicester is adding places for 2019 entry in UCAS Extra, in case it might be of interest?

^Medicine in UCAS Extra
Leicester Medical School has been awarded additional places for 2019 entry on its Medicine MBChB A100 course and is therefore open for applications from UK/EU applicants in UCAS Extra.

If you have no offers and have used all four of your medicine choices then you may be able to apply to University of Leicester through UCAS Extra provided you meet our entry requirements.^

Details at le.ac.uk/medicine/study/ucas-extra

DS1 went for a taster session last month and enjoyed it. New, modern facilities and caring staff was his verdict.

Thanks @242Mummy but they only want applicants with a achieved grades. I called them to check as the wording was a bit ambiguous. They are going to make it clearer.

Great news for applicants with achieved grades and no offers though.

Ah, sorry to hear that Monkey2001, I should have made it clearer that there were conditions attached.

Good luck to all as A levels loom. Rooting for all your DC (and you)!

And she's off! First exams this pm. Her 2 most revision-intensive subjects, history and bio, will be out of the way by Friday afternoon. Good luck, DD!

Blimey.....we've still got about 2 weeks before exams start 😩 So hard for DC's to keep the spirit lifted over this protracted time. The contents of my fridge / freezer are about the most interesting thing going on around here right now!

I think my DD would have paid a lot of money to have another 2 weeks! But I do agree, it's the run up that's the hardest bit. Once they start, not much time to think. And at least it's not the same epic test of endurance that GCSEs were.
I'm struggling to keep the fridge sufficiently stocked. But no problem filling the recycling with coke cans. :-(

Blimey those exams are early!

Dd has first exams after half term, four weeks from now. Life is Not Fun just now, I’m just focusing on the holiday we’ve got booked for straight after

We start in 13 days (Physics). DS said he would prefer to have them all the week before half term - but I think that is "grass is greener" thinking!

So Hoodiemum - does that mean just Physics after half term for your DD? DS also running on coke and tea and has put a request in for lemon drizzle to fuel the brain.....

Good luck to your DD, hope it went well this afternoon.

Thanks, Monkey. Yes, I think they'd all prefer the timetable that they don't have, whatever it is! No physics here. After History (finishing today - yesterday's went 'alright') and Bio, it's English, Maths, Chemistry and finally French. Fast and furious, and all finished before half term. 2 papers down, 13 to go!
Hostess Trolley: Gosh, that's a long wait still. But the Not Fun will turn into Fun eventually. Agree, lots of great summer things to look forward to once this is all over. And I even hear rumours that my DD is going to 'Marie Kondo' (sp?) her room, which I must admit is way more exciting than a holiday if it actually happens!

Dear Monkey, DS starts with Physics 20/5/19 too. Little bit concerned that the half term week off is creating a false sense of security - he seems to be only doing physics revision at the moment! Gently suggesting he may want to spend some time this week on Biology.
Just applied for student finance, thanks for the heads up everyone, think we may have missed the May deadline otherwise (no info at all from College :( Scary to think that by the time the application is processed all exams will be over!

@ladsmum DS has been revising since the beginning of April, splitting his time equally between his 3 subjects, but from tomorrow is just doing physics until half term (and study leave does not start until half term). I think that is fine as the rest are spread over 2 weeks after half term at which point they will be on study leave and able to split time between the 2 remaining subjects. The Physics paper after half term for DS is just over 25% of the mark, so the majority will be out of the way by the 25th. When is your DS on study leave?

Yes Monkey, DS not on study leave until after half term (back to lessons in between Physics papers). More worryingly they still haven't finished all of the curriculum for Physics and Biology yet.
Good Luck to your DS, hope he gets the grades he deserves and fingers crossed for a Med School place.

I don't know what to say about not having finished the curriculum yet, that is dreadful! Do you know any tutors who can provide some last minute support or can you ask the school? Do they think they will complete the course over the next couple of weeks?

DS is at a not particularly good comp, but they have just finished teaching and are just doing revision now. Maybe you could ask the Head of Year to do something?

2 weeks here until first exam, 4 weeks until chemistry, the one DD most concerned about.

She has been doing well on past papers but they are the old spec. However she has just done a mock paper at school with the new spec and feels she
Has bombed it! Stuff in the paper she has not revised and teacher has admitted that they have not even covered yet!

DD now panicking, as not many resources Available for new spec, apart from the text books. if anyone knows of any please let me know. I am hoping the school will sort it before they finish in the next two weeks. At least the mock paper will show the gaps in her knowledge.

I can see DD starting to feel stressed and worried she will run out of time for her revision. Anyone else's DC feeling the same?

Good luck to them all.

Nightowl which Board is she doing?

DS's teacher said that the old papers are not enough in themselves so he recommended the CGP revision guide which has questions at the end of each section, but DS has not really looked at it as he has just focused on questions.

We also got the workbooks for the new syllabus where available (not available for OCR B Chemistry, which is what DS is doing).

My understanding is that the new linear exams require the student to draw more bits of syllabus together when answering questions and DS said that the workbooks reflect that better than the legacy papers.

Monkey2001- thanks, DD doing AQA chemistry. She does have the CGP practice exam workbook. Not sure if that is the same as revision guide. But believe all the books she has are for new syllabus, I just got her the books she asked for and she said they were the correct ones. Will re-check.

good luck to those sitting exams. Spanish is a good language to keep up as when you are planning your elective there are lots of countries that speak Spanish.

Worth keeping an eye on Leicester to see if they drop the requirement for achieved grades/ still have places in August.

To find out what gaps DC might have get them to look at the exam spec. Available on exam board websites. They lost every topic and break it down into sections. It's what teachers use to plan lessons !

Hope this helps. Get past the first few pages and you'll see each topic listed and broken down. My DD used to revise from it.

filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/chemistry/specifications/AQA-7404-7405-SP-2015.PDF

Night owl - these are the 2 things we have where available for the syllabus on advice from school

Revision guide - www.cgpbooks.co.uk/secondary-books/as-and-a-level/science/chemistry/car73-new-a-level-chemistry-aqa-year-1-2-comp

Work book - www.cgpbooks.co.uk/secondary-books/as-and-a-level/science/chemistry/caq71-new-a-level-chemistry-aqa-year-1-2-exam

Monkey2001- thanks for the info, we already have the practice exam workbook. That revision guide now ordered. Hopefully that will help with anything she has not covered yet.

Mumsneedwine- thanks for the link showed it to DD she says she knows the spec but will still have a look at it in case she has missed anything.

My main concern is that like ladsmum DS, DD school still not finished the chemistry curriculum!

Thank goodness chemistry exam still four weeks away.

For people asking about cost of living, here is the info from a slide at a recent presentation at school. I think it comes from Student Finance England, may or may not reflect reality.....

Thanks, Monkey. Really interesting. I wonder what city the rent and bills figure was based on, though. In our dreams!

quite a few universities will have some sort of cost guide on their website. However any cost guide is only an average and your child may have different needs. Mine hardly ever bought a book (no need if the library is good) but did have considerable sports costs. Rents vary quite a bit even within a university and you may have little choice over the cost for at least the first year.

It is so good not to have to deal with Student Finance (we found on the phone they were fine but there always seem to be mistakes so you have to phone ) - the NHS bursary is a bit better when you get there but they will insist on original documents, so it can affect holiday planning.