Medicine 2021 - part 2

[Millylovespuddles]

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....

I keep thinking DD maybe left out a few things from her personal statement that should be in there but then I calm down by remembering that the Unis she’s applied to don’t even use it really - except for red flags etc.
I’m not sure about how they use the references though - maybe just checking for red flags?

Hello all, may I join this thread? My DD is finalising her UCAS this week, she is set on applying to 3 Scottish unis and Kings. Her GCSEs are four 9s, six 8s and a 6 in English literature. Her UCAT was 2980 band 1, predicted A levels are A biology, A chemistry, A* physics, A maths. Do you think she is in with a chance for Edinburgh (her favourite)? She is a bit worried about the 6 in English literature, although she has an 8 in English language and she is not planning to sit BMAT. Many thanks for your advise

advice!

hi @Onesunnydayiniceland

www.themedicportal.com/blog/where-to-apply-with-a-high-ucat-score-2021-entry/

Have you seen the info on The Medic Portal webpage ?

There's similar pages for high, good, average and low UCAT scores.

Naturally it's someone's opinion based on previous year's entry statistics but it also provides a lot of info about interview selection criteria.

many thanks for the link SATS

Onesunnydayiniceland, that's a great UCAT score and fantastic A-level predictions. She should get at least a couple of interviews if not all four. I love her Edinburgh and King's selection - both are absolute world-class medical schools consistently ranking in the world's top 20 (out of appx 2000)! I wouldn't worry too much about the '6' in English Literature as her UCAT would more than offset that little glitch - as far as King's is concerned.

many thanks @peteneras this is very reassuring

@Powergower PS has been completed, thanks. Not entirely sure how many awards it would win, but I am #soblessed as at least 2 of my children luckily know everything - including the fact that I am entirely clueless about anything of relevance! Ah well, not going to be scrutinised by any of his choices pre-interview, and he will do it his way, anyway.

For others, the UCAS process removes any lines between paragraphs when it send the PS to unis anyway, so it is not necessary.

A good friend politely asked me to fact-check my last posting here:

"(out of appx 2000)?"

Well, I'm clearly out of touch since I last checked.

"Results:There are about 2600 medical schools worldwide. The countries with the largest numbers of schools are India (n = 304), Brazil (n = 182), the USA (n = 173), China (n = 147) and Pakistan (n = 86). One-third of all medical schools are located in five countries and nearly half are located in 10 countries."

So I'm appx 23% off target.

But otoh I'm quite right about the world-class medical schools though. . .

Fascinating list. Must say though, can't believe how high the Australian Universities are ranking in this (considering the numbers of Australian students compared with the rest of the world). I have degrees from both Melbourne and Monash (not medicine), and we never saw ourselves as world class anything, certainly not compared with British universities.

GANFYD correct about the lines, hence my point about finishing paragraphs mid sentence. Any admissions tutor will tell you that reading a personal statement in block form is harder than reading a de-lineated one.

Pete, what is the table measuring?

There is a lot of difference between great research and great training. DS enjoyed her placement at a smaller hospital every bit as much as an earlier one at a well known regional hospital. She probably learned more as staff were more willing to find time for students. And for all it’s faults the NHS provides sound experience. An overseas friend who has an international reputation in her field sent her son to Ireland to study and wanted him to go on to the U.K. for F1 and F2. (COVID-19 means he was graduated early and has stayed in Ireland.) There is little scope to gain experience in her country as private patients demand to be seen by the consultant and the state system is pretty basic.

DD just saw something on TSR that we hadn't considered before so I wanted to share. Sorry if you all knew this already and I'm the one that's behind!

DD has not put a 5th choice on her UCAS form. In a way I wanted her to, but she's so sure she'd take a gap year and apply again if she doesn't get a place, that she stood her ground and has left the 5th choice blank.

She's told me that if she had put a 5th choice, and had an offer from that University, then she wouldn't be eligible for clearing.

I know not many medical schools go into clearing, but it's not unknown.

It's just something to maybe consider if you're in two minds about that 5th choice.

Actually another post has said you could "self-release" into clearing - so it might be a bit of a pain to do, but you could still do it if need be.

@LaLaFlottes it is now a simple "button" to press on UCAS to self-release. You used to have to contact any uni you held an offer from and get them to confirm they would release you before you could enter Clearing and this would indeed hold people up getting a Clearing number - though you could contact med schools to enquire without one.
I guess the issue is would you ever use that 5th choice? Is there any circumstance under which you would accept the place and not try again for medicine? And that varies from applicant to applicant and cycle to cycle. Bear in mind as long as it is not Oxbridge or another early entry course, a 5th choice can be added up until Jan 15th, so people can have some time to see how their application is going or how they feel nearer A level exams

Thanks @GANFYD that's good to know. DD has not added a 5th choice as she's so determined that she would try again.

I was a little worried when I saw the note on TSR about clearing as I thought it could potentially cause issues for people - but it seems like it's nice and simple now. Thanks for sharing the correct info!

Just an update for you all re ds. He submitted his appeal against the b in biology. Meanwhile his chemistry teacher decided to predict him a C based on Oct 2019 test results. He sat additional exams in both subjects and managed to score a high A in biology and a B in chemistry. As things stand his predicted grades are a*ab and he has been asked to appeal the b in chemistry (last appeal was due to getting a predicted b in biology). It feels like a never ending round of emails and appeals, all the while the deadline is fast approaching and ds still has no idea if he's going to apply or not. We've passed the form to school and paid the ucas fee but still none the wiser.

During the past 2 wks ds has also had to isolate due to one of his siblings being sent home from school with symptoms and has missed lessons. The online provision is just some very basic power points. I really don't know why school are making this incredibly difficult. Just give him his final predicted grades, confirm the result of his appeal and let him decide if he wants to apply. I'm worried he's going to miss the ucas deadline on Thursday. When he first submitted his appeal to the head of sixth form it took 10 working days for him to reply to say he'd be in touch and nothing since then. I'm hoping he does apply this year but thin m he might want to apply with grades in hand next year.

Clean - we are also waiting for school to confirm final predicted grades. It's actually very stressful as i know other schools have already submitted their forms. School are not making it easy for your ds are they.

I know the ucas website specifically has a section on predicted grades and covid, advising schools to take into account the missed learning, the missed face to face lessons, the sometimes positive impact of aspirational grades which can motivate students to work harder etc.

Our school is taking it right to the wire.

Crikey @Cleanmean and @Powergower that is really stressful.

I could understand if they really didn't think they were capable of getting an A, but based on their previous exams and getting As and Bs, what are they thinking?!

And to leave it this late in the game, two days from deadline is fairly cruel.

I thought DDs school were last minute sending it on Monday!

I really hope they get some clarity (and As!) by the 15th.

DD has had an acknowledgement from two of her choices so she's excited that it feels real. I'm preparing in case of bad news and trying to keep her eyes open, but I don't want to take away from her excitement either.

”Pete, what is the table measuring?”

Sar, right at the top of the table there are two tabs, “University Rankings” and “Rankings Indicators”

The “Rankings Indicators” display 4 columns: ‘Employer Reputation’ – ‘H-Index Citations’ – ‘Citations Per Paper’ – ‘Academic Reputation’; the aggregate of which effectively measures the ranking of a particular university (medical school).

Please don’t be unduly fussed over the rankings in the table. They only give a guide to a particular school. If you’d asked me, my “world-class” medical school(s) is the school that produced the doctor(s) that saved my life as it happened last March when I was diagnosed with the damn Covid-19. That includes my GP (Cantab/KCL)!

”. . . private patients demand to be seen by the consultant and the state system is pretty basic.”

However, there’s a lot of truth in the above statement. In the UK we have the NHS and most people know of nothing else except the NHS. Step outside these shores and you’ll be shocked to see the other systems from the rest of the world. I know of a country where people generally pay to go to see a doctor; even for a simple ailment like a common cold. You’ll be surprised how much it means to them just to be seen by a doctor they perceive to be “properly qualified from a known or reputable medical school”! They are quite prepared to wait at the surgery reception from 8.30am till 4-00pm just so they can be seen by Dr. No about a little flu/cold that they have.

That’s not to mention about a major operation by a popular surgeon of which they are prepared to pay mega bucks for the privilege.

Exactly Pete. Our GP is from a non traditional background, first in his family etc, and got his medical school place on clearing. He is very good indeed, has a real commitment to improving inner city health, is adored by his elderly patients, and is involved in GP and medical school teaching. One of his younger colleagues studied at SGUL. She is also very good.

What matters to those applying now is that they get a good training, and the NHS is capable of providing that. Some styles of teaching suit some better than others, but doors remain open wherever they study.

DD is intercalating in London and was bemused at how sniffy one group was about her studying at Bristol, even expressing wonder that she had been accepted onto the London course. Then they started discussing the six week pre-sessional course, and how hard it had been. DD was immediately reassured that there was no need for an inferiority complex.

Pete, I also hope you are fully recovered.

Can i ask if anyone here (@ganfyd ?) thinks it's worth applying with aab predictions? Or should ds apply next year with grades in hand? My view is that the forms are all fine and it's worth applying just for the experience but ds is convinced that an aab would be an automatic rejection.

I simply cannot believe that school refuse to predict an A for a student who scored an 8 at gcse and is getting a B in recent tests. Ds is crushed but I'm hoping he goes ahead with his application this year.

I can't tell you how awful the last 2 weeks have been. I will be submitting a formal complaint to school at their handling of this situation and leaving it all so late.

@Cleanmean Sure, there are several places that will accept AAB predictions. PM his stats if you don't want to post on here and I can take a look, or head over to TSR as I am busy dealing with last minute problems there, too!