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Original poster

Medicine 2021 - part 2

995 replies

Millylovespuddles · 07/07/2020 16:15

Following on from the first thread:
DD now has UKAT booked for mid-August. She couldn’t get a driving theory test booked until after the UKAT date, but will keep an eye out for cancellations.
Now, her big dilemma is Oxbridge it not....

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Thread gallery
6
LaFlottes · 04/09/2020 14:10

No problem. Band 1 is great and with her UCAT there will be lots of options.

You’ll find that some Medical Schools are UCAT heavy and some are GCSE heavy and some are a mixture!

So depending on her GCSEs you’ll be able to figure out (or people on TSR will guide you) which she will have a good chance at getting an interview at.

If GCSEs are excellent too, then she will be able to apply to most places. So have a look at course structure, style of teaching, intercalation etc and see where she likes the sound of.

897654321abcvrufhfgg · 04/09/2020 15:04

Thank you so much. She doesn’t get her brains from me so it’s a bit of a minefield!! Luckily she got straight 9’s at GCSE but has no work experience due to Covid so this could be a big problem.

redtulip12 · 04/09/2020 18:15

@897654321abcvrufhfgg that's a fantastic score, and with those GCSE's your daughter could probably apply anywhere. I am sure they will be lenient this year re work experience. My daughter managed to get some in February half term, but had all the rest cancelled due to COVID. Does she have a weekend job?

897654321abcvrufhfgg · 04/09/2020 20:15

No weekend job sadly due to our remote location

MarchingFrogs · 04/09/2020 20:21

Entry requirements for all the medical schools, including info re work experience, is on the Medical Schools Council site.
www.medschools.ac.uk/studying-medicine/applications/entry-requirements

LaLaFlottes · 04/09/2020 21:11

@897654321abcvrufhfgg try not to worry about work experience too much

Has DD done the on line work experience that Brighton Med School organised? Also Observe GP?

Also reading medicine related books, articles and listening to podcasts can help. All things that can be reflected on in a personal statement and talked about at interview perhaps?

Original poster
Millylovespuddles · 08/09/2020 20:29

DD is most likely going to drop to 3 A-Levels (thankfully!). So, she'll stick with Chemistry and Biology, and really likes both Maths and Geography. She got 4 As at AS level and has predictions for A* in all. Have any of you wise MNers got advice that could be helpful? Are universities more keen on one subject than the other?
She is a little daunted by the fact that last year's deputy head girl didn't get an interview at Edinburgh despite having a very similar statistics to DD - She kept on Geography. DD is also keen on Oxbridge, Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff and Liverpool.
Thanks

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GANFYD · 08/09/2020 23:38

@Millylovespuddles

DD is most likely going to drop to 3 A-Levels (thankfully!). So, she'll stick with Chemistry and Biology, and really likes both Maths and Geography. She got 4 As at AS level and has predictions for A* in all. Have any of you wise MNers got advice that could be helpful? Are universities more keen on one subject than the other? She is a little daunted by the fact that last year's deputy head girl didn't get an interview at Edinburgh despite having a very similar statistics to DD - She kept on Geography. DD is also keen on Oxbridge, Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff and Liverpool. Thanks
The only med school with a 3rd science/maths requirement is Cambridge, other than that, none of the others will mind which one she does, so depends if Cambridge are on the list? If not, take whichever one she is most likely to do well in. Edinburgh probably have the highest interview requirements of any med school in the country and you need practically perfect stats to be in with a chance
Original poster
Millylovespuddles · 09/09/2020 07:54

Thank you GANFYD.
I had forgotten that about Cambridge. Her hesitation with maths is that school wants them to re-sit AS exams and A2 next summer (if there ARE exams next year!)

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GreyBow · 10/09/2020 13:48

Phew, DD has finished her personal statement. She emailed a flurry of drafts to me last night, with increasingly amusing titles exploring me not to read the last one, but to read this one instead.

How's everyone else doing on personal statements? DD's school want everything in by Friday.

GreyBow · 10/09/2020 14:05

*imploring

WithIcePlease · 10/09/2020 14:30

Done a PS here too but I've no doubt it will be extensively revised

bimkom · 10/09/2020 16:11

PS basically done. Just has comments back from one teacher which suggested he make three minor changes. Sending to his main tutor this afternoon (tutor saw the first draft last term, but it has been substantially revised and tightened). Spent Sunday trying to help him eliminate seven characters!

emummy · 10/09/2020 16:13

The characters limit is a bit of a nightmare! Dd is reapplying this year so off to rewrite her statement.

bimkom · 10/09/2020 16:26

BTW does anybody know why, on the UCAS form, all the other universities come up with medicine A100 - five years, and a note saying you may be interviewed or asked to provide additional information or a portfolio (I assume that is just standard UCAS language, given that we are expecting interviews for medicine), and Sheffield, alone, it comes up just with "Phase 1" when you choose the A100, and it only says a year for the course, and it doesn't say anything about an interview - just that you may be asked to submit additional information or a portfolio.
We went down the list of possible Sheffield options, and there was no other that came up for Medicine. And the website seems to suggest that the A100 is the standard entry (and not a foundation course, which is what worried us by the reference to only a year).
But does anybody have any idea why it is that they do not say five years, they only list Phase 1, and they don't suggest that they interview on UCAS, when all of the other universities do?

redtulip12 · 12/09/2020 14:23

My dd is also trying to cut out characters from her personal statement - harder than we thought. There is so much more she would like to include!

Have everyones dd's/ds's decided where they are applying to? My dd is definite with 3, not sure of the last medicine choice and isn't going to put a 5th choice.

GreyBow · 12/09/2020 15:27

That's interesting @redtulip12 re fifth choice. DD wasn't either, but after the chaos of this year, she did. She's put BioChem down after reading that particular course guide and realising it's much the same sort of content as medicine, and so she could easily move onto graduate medicine afterwards.

She's sorted with her four medical choices too, after a last minute contender with Lancaster.

Lega · 12/09/2020 20:11

My DS hasn't decided on his choices yet - he's got about 6 on his shortlist and thinking of registering for BMAT too which throws up more options. Still not got final predicted grades which may help him make up his mind too. He's finalised his PS though which college tutor is happy with so one thing off the list!

Original poster
Millylovespuddles · 13/09/2020 17:45

Covid-chaos has just struck in this house... we got an email this afternoon from DD's school saying a boy in her form class has tested positive and she must self-isolate for 2 weeks... Just what they don't need this year!

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Powergower · 14/09/2020 06:54

Oh no milly. Ds also has someone in his bubble waiting on a test result and was then emailed by school saying yr 13 content is likely to be moved online. I really despair that this year is going to be an absolute nightmare. Ds did a first draft of his statement in July and handed it in, no feedback at all from teachers to date and when he asked about predicted grades for Oct ucas applications he was told it was not a priority right now.

Original poster
Millylovespuddles · 14/09/2020 07:43

Power, yes it's going to be so hard for our lot trying their very best to get top grades, navigating the application process, and already worrying about how many places they will all be chasing.

In DD's case, only those sitting in close contact need to self-isolate, so most of the class will be taught in school, with the unlucky few working from home. It would be much easier for the teacher (and kids) for them all to be online for the quarantine period. Not one bit happy, especially if this is the way it will be for the foreseeable...

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IsThisNameTaken · 14/09/2020 12:48

Hi all - very pleased to have come across this thread for support and advice! Pleased the UCAT is over for us and now trying to help DD decide where to apply for - limited options as she doesn't do Biology - she's predicted AAA and has reasonable UCAT with band 1 SJ. Looking at Leicester, Manchester, Sheffield and poss Liverpool. She was keen on Bristol but don't think her UCAT is high enough to risk putting them on the application.

Lega · 14/09/2020 15:43

Has anyone heard when the interim UCAT deciles come out? We thought it was today but I think it may be delayed ..hoping it will help DS whittle down his choices a bit!

Lega · 14/09/2020 15:56

Actually I can see it's next Monday now - just seen UCAT's update on Twitter!

LaLaFlottes · 14/09/2020 16:12

DD has to finalise her UCAS form with college this week. She's almost made her choices, 3 of them she's definite about and the final one she has a few contenders for but she's almost there.

I think their UCAT score goes automatically to the Universities they apply to? I think it does - I assume they match up name and address? It that everyone else's understanding?