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

Edexcel Maths yesterday was a disaster - no more can be said

DD not doing maths ...but yes, word on the grapevine was that the Maths was crazy hard and lots of DC's emerged sniffing. Apparently a lot of further maths techniques needed to be applied to get through the straight maths paper.

DS very worried about Edexcel Maths paper 2 yesterday (reassured that everyone else had similar experience). Found this ofqual blog
ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2019/02/08/new-a-level-maths-in-2019/ that implies that grade boundaries will be set to mirror the spread of grades from previous years (with an allowance made for the ability of this year vs other years, using GCSE data aparently).
Luckily biology went well today so he's in a positive mood for tomorrow's Stats and Mechanics paper. The end is in sight!

ladsmum, I think they will have to use the grade data from modular 2017 paper - 2018 linear was an odd small cohort of mainly further maths students and can't really be used for the 2018 cohort. I think 72-75 for an A*, less than 60 for an A on Edexcel maths this year. It will be like the GCSE maths our lot did where 70% for an A in 2016 moved to 51% for a 7 in 2017.

Yes that's true @Monkey2001,she was quite disappointed on the 1st paper on chemistry and said the 2nd part is better to compare to part1, wish they will bring down the grade boundary .Maths is not her favourite she seems disappointed but the 2nd paper better then the 1st one and she couldn't complete all question's hope todays paper goes well for our DC, so pray all our DC get their grades what they require.# yesterday Biology was quite disappointing not happy so sorry to see them stressed so much.

Crunching number what board is she doing my DD is ocr ?

@Welshmum2000 she is doing OCR

I have heard that for Chem OCR A paper 1 was bad and paper 2 better. Other way round for OCR B. DS's favourite teacher said he found part of the second OCR B paper challenging when he sat down to do it - included university level concepts.

Oh well, only one exam left here after this afternoon.

Two more to go from our side Monday Biology and Wednesday chemistry.:)

Same here OCR A .. wishing everyone all the best

I understand that the OCR had the distressing one today for maths. Hope all DCs coping OK.

Hi all, there is a petition running to ask Edexcel to review this year’s Pure Maths paper (paper 2).
If your DC found it confusing and off spec, it might be worth signing. Paper 3 was also apparently leaked online prior to the exam.

Link: (sorry, can’t do clicky as on phone)

www.change.org/p/edexcel-a-level-maths-edexcel-we-want-a-re-assessment-of-the-situation

Best of luck to everyone’s DC for these exams. End in sight for us now.

Dd has got bio today and chem on weds, has felt ok so far, said the second biology paper was ‘interesting’. She was gutted after the ocr maths paper on Friday though - said it was horrendous. I pointed out that the students at her school are not ‘average’ A level students - she goes to what’s regarded as a ‘super selective’ grammar in Kent, so if even the further maths students at her school felt it was a hard paper then this is bound to be reflected in the grade boundaries.

Will be so glad when exams are over, then it’s prom and holiday :-D

Biology here today. DD felt it went ok. Chemistry on Wednesday then that is it! Leavers dinner dance, then holiday, and a relaxed summer for us.

it will be great no longer having to focus on exams and medical school stuff etc. As DD has deferred a year we don't need to think about anything else until results day.

We will do something nice together to mark the end of exams and all her hard work, then just relax until August, can't wait! Well done everyone for getting through it all. And good luck to all the DCs who have worked so hard to get to this point.

I've just found myself on here trying to support a distraught DSD after the Edexcel debacle and thought I would say hi as a medic mum! And offer some gift suggestions

Don't get a stethoscope - they will either get given one or they will be able to get subsidised one at uni or when they sign up to the BMA. The anatomy colouring books are actually really useful and helpful for revision, as well as fun. Quite a few of DS's housemates seem to have Bristol stool chart mugs... Suture practice kits also seem popular.

More specifically, @HostessTrolley, they get given stethoscopes and lab coats at Imperial so your DD won't need either of those. They also get given mini iPads so maybe a decent cover would make a nice gift? If you want something more medical, one thing that she will need on placement that they don't get given is a medical fob/belt watch. Or scrubs... Not for in the hospital, for fancy dress! They seem to wear them at a lot of medic events, particularly Freshers' Week. They sell them for £10-15 from the student union.

If you want any advice on accommodation choices at Imperial, feel free to PM me.

Good luck to all your DC!

All over, hurray! Although for my poor DS, will not be long before he needs to start work for UCAT and BMAT again. I don't know whether he should try to get UCAT out of the way in July or wait until after results day in case any clearing opportunities come up. He does not think he has the grades for Cambridge, but if you want to do the August BMAT the entry deadline is before A level results.

Oh well, I will give him 2 weeks off before I ask him to think about it.

Happy summer all of you, best of luck for results day!

Monkey, dont know if it helps,, but:

1. I know someone who look UKCAT before results came out having made a late decision to switch to medicine, and got offered a place in clearing. Ie having a good score on hand might help. If he then gets good results he could then always approach places that rejected him previously.

1. I heard of someone who, last week, heard from one of the places that rejected him, saying he had now been placed on a 'clearing' wait list. There will be movement, especially if he gets the grades.

Good luck.

.....And Breathe! Warm congratulations to everyone now who’s finally done and dusted. Last few months have been gruelling in every way hence low posting. We had a traumatic bereavement end Dec which sadly took its toll on DD. We will see how the results do and how she feels but it was a blow. School have been amazing. A lot of unis talk big on MH issues but I’d be interested to know if they practice what they preach - from any posters already with Undergrad DC’a. I hope so. Be a shame if a life event and fallout like this dashed her long term plans. I can’t see it in this day & age but am interested of any first hand experience. She got offers x 4, great UKCAT, great interviews, great everything....just sometimes sh1t happens in life!

Tinkobell sorry to hear you have had such a bad time and a double whammy to hit at such a critical time for A levels. I have lost track, but is your DD going to Sheffield? They have excellent pastoral support, the daughter of a friend is now in her 4th or 5th year but she had a wobble and took a year out during the course and was supported through it. She and her parents were very positive about the help she received.

Last paper of OCR A In biology and chemistry not good here. Just hope it hasn’t destroyed all hope .. anyone else had that ?

lDS does not do biology. Last OCR B Chem was apparently a very easy paper but DS misread a couple of questions and mucked up a 6 marker which pricked the end of exams bubble. He also missed a bit of a maths question because he did not see it. Obviously could not remind him how often I have told him the value of underlining, highlighting and RTQ several times! At my niece's school they did OCR maths and she said the 3rd paper was very bad, but it was also off-putting that there were people crying all around her during the exam

Very few people come out feeling they have done their best so all in the same boat and will hopefully get what they deserve.

Same here Welshmum2000, OCR chemistry &Biology not happy , hope they bring down grade boundaries.
Any one knows good Dofe gold Residential in and around London or closer as DD has to complete to apply for completion of Gold.

@Monkey2001....that's a good sheffield story to hear, I will pass it on to DD. She's already looked into support services there and is determined to self manage (been part of the issue!) ...assuming grades come good, it's a case of an open & frank discussion with them. Still holding out for you btw ....hoping it will click together in clearing - everything crossed!

Feedback here was that last chem paper was felt to be tough, that was called chem unified?
@Crunching....OMG yes, DD still has a d of e residential to finish too! I'd nearly forgotten about that!

Feeling for you all with last exams. Hope everyone's managing to put to the back of their minds and have some well-deserved fun.
Can recommend a fabulous D of E residential in Swanage, that everyone goes to on public transport, if any use. Cumulus Outdoors. DD had the most amazing time ever last summer, and is having a reunion with some of the gang this weekend.

Sorry to hear about your loss Tinkobell. Sending positive bones your daughter's way. Life sure does throw it all on at once sometimes.

Hoping everyone is now relaxing somewhat. We came away a few days after the last exam, and dd has spent so much time sleeping. I can see all the anxiety draining out of her bit by bit. Of course, she came down with a cold almost immediately, as soon as her body could allow her be ill I guess. We did hear that she has had her d of e gold award confirmed, so that's good news. She did a superweek as a monitor for her residential. It's a summer camp type thing, and both girls have enjoyed them a lot. Probably too late for residentials this year, but dd is doing it again this year, ass he said it was more fun than when she was a paying guest.