Medicine 2021

[Millylovespuddles]

Hi all
It looks like there’s no medicine 2021 entry thread yet, so it might be an idea to get the ball rolling.
My DD is getting stuck into her A level course, doing well so far, but I’m guessing we parents could do with some mutual support and advice from parents who’ve been here before.

I was on the 2018 thread (name changed since then) and found it very helpful and supportive. DD was applying from a state 6th form that couldn't remember when they last had anyone applying for medicine! They were very supportive, but couldn't really offer any guidance, hence MN and tsr were useful! We also went to 8 medicine open days (slightly excessive, but useful!) and most, if not all, did emphasise that the PS should reflect what you've learnt from your various experiences. DD is now in her 2nd year at Cardiff, and after every GP, hospital etc day, they have to do "reflective writing", so I guess there is a reason that they look for this in the PS!

@LaLaFlottes sounds like your DD has a great approach to the UCAT.

For my DS the big issue on doing well in BMAT was state of mind.

He did it in October for 2019 entry with about 10 days of moderate level prep (revised the Biology content as he had dropped it after AS and did about 10 years of past papers) and got 4.8, 5.2, 3A which was good enough for top 20% at Leeds and just over average for Cambridge but significantly lower than all the practice papers he had done.

For 2020 entry he decided to do the August one, and we entered him before he got A level results as the deadline for entry was before results day. His results (before an appeal) were not good enough for Cambridge which was the only BMAT one he was applying to, so he was not sure whether he would take the exam.

He went to a festival for the bank holiday, came back exhausted and did 4 days of light prep because he had been entered and we were appealing an A level results, so he thought he might as well, but was very laid back about it. He got 7.0, 6.8, 2.5A, which was in line with the results he got in past papers at home under exam conditions.

My conclusion was that for BMAT state of mind was critical for him and I have seen a lot of people on TSR who get much lower results in the real thing than in their practice papers. I would encourage people not to burn out and get stressed over the preparation.

@LaLaFlottes - My main advice on preparing for BMAT would be to focus on the bits that are unfamiliar. Most of the sixth-formers I talk to have dropped physics, so one of the things they need to do is go over the GCSE-level physics topics covered in the past papers. More significantly, I think, is that so many medicine applicants are taking biology, chemistry & maths A-levels, and therefore the BMAT writing task doesn't come at all naturally to them.

I'm afraid I don't have a feel for how many hours of practice people should do for BMAT. I haven't worked closely enough with students taking it.

I’m interested in the UCAT preparation routes too....
One friend said her DS waited until all school exams were over (we still have AS) and then have one good month to prepare. She said the book appears very overwhelming at the start, so she though it was best not to panic would-be students by throwing this on top of regular revision. Opinions anyone?

@mumsneedwine and @SirTobyBelch thank you - appreciate your input and that’s really interesting about BMAT. State of mind is so important isn’t it!

DD is taking Biology Chemistry and Maths therefore she will need to brush up on Physics - and essay writing!

@millylovespuddles - I can only speak as another Mum of a DD trying to navigate this process, but we are finding that by doing a couple of hours a week, DD is already seeing a reasonable improvement and is getting her head around the style and the patterns of the questions for UCAT. She then plans to do the 4 weeks of being totally immersed in it prior to the actual exam.

This may be unnecessary but I think it’s giving her some peace of mind and is avoiding her having a panic 4 weeks before the test - she did find it a bit overwhelming at first but is becoming more at ease.

She absolutely recommends the medify UCAT on line course. She has a book too but finds the on line resource really informative and said it’s helped a lot as it has video tutorials. We bought the season pass which is £110 and lasts until 31.07 or you can do 4 months for £60, 3 months for £55, 2 months for £50.

I hope this helps. She was looking at the situational judgement section last weekend and finding it really interesting!

Thanks for the pricing info, it’s not very obvious on their site without having register.

I’ve been hinting for my DD to get it out of the way late in June, as we are away for 3 weeks in July. That frees up August for BMAT - and tbh, that is her biggest dilemma - to do BMAT or not.

But she will have AS exams till the end of May, so getting her convinced to getting stuck in again so soon, is an uphill battle!

Millylovespuddles my DS also did ASs and didn't do any ukcat prep until after them and had a break first. I can't remember exactly when she took it, but I think in August. I know she found medify more helpful than the book.

Peppermintea - It’s if she does BMAT that is the spanner in the works! August would be perfect if she doesn’t.

If you take the UCAT early enough, you can decide whether or not to take BMAT based on UCAT score. If they get a really good UCAT score, BMAT is much less necessary unless they want London/Oxbridge. The only other BMAT ones are BSMS, Leeds and Lancaster.

..... and Medify is by far the best resource, we got the book, but it was not a significant help. One of the things about Medify is that it mirrors the actual experience; short cut keys, skip and move on etc which saves precious time in the exam - almost everybody has difficulty finishing in the time allowed.

DD found the book useful for the explanations about why the answer was right - some of them seemed impossible to me. Mine did AS exams,went to Xante and then did 3 weeks solid work before taking UCAT. Didn't want any BMAT Unis do didn't bother with it but friends who did seemed to do 3 weeks work for that too. However it has changed slightly so this year might need a bit longer as new format.

Getting good year 12 exams is vital to secure the necessary predicted grades. Doesn't matter how good your UCAT if you are predicted BBB.

Was described by Liverpool admissions lady as a hurdle race. Just need to keep clearing the next fence.

@sendsummer

My responses are considered before they are posted and simply mirror the tone of those I am responding to.
It appears some of the people on this thread are easily offended. I had no idea my thoughts were so important! And apologise if any of the lovely people on here have been upset by my posts

Hello all, checking in having caught up with the thread!

Pepermintea (or any of the other wise people on this thread!) any hints and tips on the reflective writing? Ds completed a weeks work experience over half term and I've encouraged him to record what he did, his observations, conversations he had, what he learned etc but not sure how to most usefully structure it! Any advice would be very welcome.

GANFYD that is absolute bollocks I'm sorry to say. And fortunately very easily disproven by a read over the past five pages or so. Your posts hoist you with your own petard, and then some. My own posts are resolutely polite. It's open to you to ask for your posts to be deleted or they can stay, as evidence of gross immaturity and incontinence in the face of even the mildest of challenge. As sendsummer says, startling from a medical professional. I would say that I'm shocked at the level they plumb, but then there's this very odd phenomenon of self appointed internet superstardom which is too beyond my ken to dwell upon. Just too weird for me! I like normal!

I simply suggested that a straightforward approach to the personal statement was a valid approach, not stating the obvious and therefore not treating admissions tutors as idiots. Nothing whatsoever to prompt the sort of response that we saw.

It's a real shame that too often advice is given on these threads which is actually incredibly poor and suggests a dull, grey, middling approach to med school applications with work experience done by rote, personal statements standardised, a set number of weeks for UCAT/ BMAT revision, regardless of individual temperament, websites recommended to give applicants 'something to talk about' at interview and then general exhortations to 'ace' exams and aptitude tests, as if applicants aren't going to go all out to do that anyway. As I said earlier, a race to the middle. Parents with no experience can be super gullible and it's almost certain that poor advice is worse than no advice.

The best place for all advice is the websites of the individual unis. Easily accessible by the young people themselves who are probably going to give a better account of themselves if they don't have parents adding pressure by quoting med school statistics or passing on reams of untested advice from anonymous internet sources.

Pumpkintopf your son should record as he thinks, in his own style, with his own individual take.

GANFYD since goodbyestranger is unlikely to take you seriously, your responses on this thread only do yourself a disservice especially if they are ‘considered’. They just don’t display the maturity and reflective self awareness required to be a good medical professional. If that is true of you rather than an aberration you will not be able to stop yourself making another similar type of post.

To be absolutely fair sendsummer, I have struggled to take GANFYD seriously. Well spotted.

@goodbyestranger and @sendsummer you two demonstrate the reason MN has such a bad name in the real world, which is a shame for the rest of the posters. Good luck to you both!

@Pumpkintopf reflecting is mainly saying what they have learned. So as an example, working in a hospital they have learned how important teamwork is and that the porters role is vital to the functioning of a ward. Can't move patients out, can't move them in. Or for a job they have developed resilience dealing with angry customers, and commitment turning up on time every week.
Look at the competencies that the GMC say are needed and use those as a guide. Hope that helps.

@GANFYD do not engage, they won't stop so let them crack on and you can carry on giving that great advice. I'll now get a load of abuse but I won't read it 😊

YY to what Mumsneedwine said
I'm a medical professional and doesn't mean I don't get irked and bite back in other circumstances. Dealing with patients is completely different. Ive been in plenty of departmental meetings where very senior people become very unmeasured and irascible when discussing issues they are passionate about.

mumsneedwine thank you, that's very helpful.

reflecting is mainly saying what they have learned. So as an example, working in a hospital they have learned how important teamwork is and that the porters role is vital to the functioning of a ward. Can't move patients out, can't move them in. Or for a job they have developed resilience dealing with angry customers, and commitment turning up on time every week.

That's an example from observation/shadowing placements. It's helpful also to be able to reflect on things you've actually done yourself, e.g. in supportive roles, caring volunteer roles, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, etc. Here, you can try to highlight how you communicated effectively, worked in a team, demonstrated commitment/responsibility/empathy, and how what you did made a difference. If you've volunteered in a care home, to use a common example, how did one or more of the residents benefit from your presence? This is why it's often recommended to keep a work-experience diary: it's easier to remember on the day how you've demonstrated one or more of these characteristics and make a note of the time/place/activity/point for reflection.

For actual, meaningful reflection - the kind of thing healthcare students and professionals have to do - you would also want to identify things you could have done better and make a plan for how to improve. It wouldn't be appropriate to include this kind of detail in an appplication or interview, though (unless you're explicitly asked to), as there is too high a risk of its overshadowing the positives. If you are conscious of something you found difficult intially and then mastered, this is worth mentioning, but only if you have space/time.

@GANFYD do not engage, they won't stop so let them crack on and you can carry on giving that great advice. I'll now get a load of abuse but I won't read it 😊

Absolutely this.