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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....

OP posts:
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Original poster
Millylovespuddles · 02/11/2020 11:05

Lala - glad you had good trip. I think even wandering around the town is a huge help, and getting the chance to talk to a current student (medic?) is invaluable.

DD is staying at home until she does the BMAT, I'm sure it 'probably' would have been fine to chance school, but I'd have been a nervous wreck by then! Thankfully, she is much calmer than me.

I hope everyone else is doing ok too, and good luck to all the Wednesday DC.

OP posts:
MaddieElla · 02/11/2020 11:20

That's really sensible @Millylovespuddles I wouldn't take the risk either.

Good luck for the BMAT Smile

Powergower · 02/11/2020 13:39

Good luck to everyone sitting the bmat. I think it's easier than ukcat so fingers crossed for some high scores.

Ds finally submitted his keele rr form last night. Nothing to do here now but wait. Ds pleased everything is in now and he can focus on a levels. He's currently in his second period of isolation at home due to someone in his bubble testing positive. He's worried about missing lessons but there's very little anyone can do. We can't expect teachers to be teaching in school and providing good learning online for those isolating. I do think they'll have to close schools soon, the rates up north are rocketing.

Lala I hope you enjoyed the tour. I feel bad because we've done no tours at all. It's just been such a shitty unpredictable time and we've not really managed to get our shit together in time.

LaLaFlottes · 02/11/2020 14:58

@Powergower I'm so sorry to hear DS is isolating again. Would there be anyway the lessons could be recorded? Or could he dial in using zoom and watch somehow?

Hopefully the rates will start to come down in England with the 4 week lockdown? Maybe schools should be closed for even half of that? Who knows, it all feels so awful at the moment, like we are back to square one.

We did enjoy the tour thanks - but don't feel bad that you've not done any. This was a one off because we noticed Leicester were doing some campus tours, and we were free on Saturday. DD did like it and the Student showing us round was lovely. But seeing as she's already applied there it's a good job she didn't hate it Wink

They've all had to base their choices on what info they could get from websites and on line open days and I think any of our DC will just be so overjoyed to get a place that they won't ever think about where else they might have applied if they had been able to visit beforehand. In some ways maybe it's made them apply with their head rather than their heart - so more tactically, which is a good thing? Or am I clutching at straws for a positive here!!

opoponax · 02/11/2020 15:32

@Powergower I agree with @LaLaFlottes about not feeling bad about not being able to visit. These are very strange times. My DS has only visited one of his four options and that was just a walk around on our own. I think it did make tactical applying more straightforward for him as he wasn't over-invested in any single option. I'm so glad I've found this forum. None of friends really understand how stressful the process is. My DS has had an offer for his 5th choice bio-med and it makes you realise how straightforward the process is for non-medical degrees.

Powergower · 02/11/2020 16:48

Ah thank you for the kind words girls. Going into lockdown again is hard, maybe that's why I'm feeling extra miserable today. Ds isn't really that bothered about not visiting, and who knows, if lockdown eases in Dec we might still have a chance to go visit the unis and just have a walk round.

Lala I'm pleased your dd enjoyed the tour , sounds like it was a nice mother daughter day out.

LaLaFlottes · 02/11/2020 17:18

@Powergower I feel the same about another lock down - it's so hard, and so many people I've spoken to today have been speculating that it will last longer which has sent me into even more of a sad mood. Hopefully you'll get to have a wander around a couple of your DS choices at some point too. At least your DS isn't feeling like he's missed out which is the main thing Smile

@opoponax I'm glad you found the thread too - it's a nice supportive place to chat with other parents and a good place to put any worries that we don't want to pass on to our DC! That's great about the 5th choice offer - it must feel nice, but like you say it highlights the differences in the processes doesn't it!!

IsThisNameTaken · 02/11/2020 19:39

Good luck to BMAT candidates.

Keele RR form submitted (relief!), now on to the Manchester one for this Friday.

@opoponax congrats on the offer for BioMed - my DD has been asked to provide another PS for her BioMed choice as the one on her application was (not surprisingly) too Medicine centered.

opoponax · 02/11/2020 20:01

Yes, good luck to BMAT candidates. Thank you @IsThisNameTaken. It probably just varies by Uni regarding PS as his was very medicine centred too. He applied to same Uni for medicine too so not sure if they know that or not. Anyway, it's a bit academic as he says he will reapply next year if no medicine offers.

Powergower · 03/11/2020 06:47

Isthisname - another personal statement! Good luck to your dd, hopefully she can tweak the first one. How did she do in her test? Ds is pretty frustrated that his test next month has been cancelled, but i keep telling him even if he passes there'll be nowhere to go due to lockdown.

IsThisNameTaken · 03/11/2020 13:27

Driving test wasn't successful unfortunately .... did get a cancellation for another test in 3 weeks but that won't go ahead now either! Good point that they can't go anywhere Smile

MaddieElla · 03/11/2020 13:37

Sorry to hear that; hopefully 2nd time lucky. DD also has her test in a few weeks but I imagine it will be cancelled to make way for the tests that have been cancelled before hers.

Gives us a bit more time to save for a car at least.

LaLaFlottes · 03/11/2020 14:57

@IsThisNameTaken sorry to hear about the driving test - but hopefully 2nd time will be lucky Smile DD has her test booked for 22nd Dec - she hasn't enjoyed learning to drive and really doesn't look forward to her lessons which does worry me a bit!

If anyone struggles to book a driving test that isn't months away, then the Tesi app is really good at flagging up cancellations in your test centres.

Good luck all the BMAT takers - I will be thinking of all the DC tomorrow and also all of the parents too Flowers and Gin all round!

Original poster
Millylovespuddles · 03/11/2020 16:46

Thank you for all the good wishes for DD and others for tomorrow - can't wait to have another box ticked.
Then, hopefully, it will be interview preparation....
It will definitely be a night for some 🍷....

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SATSmadness · 03/11/2020 17:24

Well DD managed to get all the way to the eve of BMAT day without anyone else in school testing +ve for Covid and providing a contact list which included her, so looks like she's all set for tomorrow.

Someone posted (elsewhere) that BMAT is easier than UCAT. DD and her school cohort BMAT applicants definitely don't hold this opinion. I presume nerves come in to play with this opinion given that they all have UCAT under their belts already.

Good Luck to anyone's DC sitting BMAT tomorrow morning.

GreyBow · 04/11/2020 11:09

Has the BMAT finished yet? Does anyone know the timings?

DD is sitting it at school and as she's boarding, I never found out the timings.

I am sitting here wondering if it's all over yet 😁

And good luck to all others taking it!

GreyBow · 04/11/2020 11:16

DD phoned me the moment I posted that 😆

She said it didn't go that well and was much harder than the 2019 papers. Section one was "okay", she mucked up section two as she didn't start it on time and ran out of time completely and didn't finish, and section three was just "okay".

Hope everyone else found it better 🤞🏻

MaddieElla · 04/11/2020 11:32

Do you get the results straight away as with the UCAT?

LaLaFlottes · 04/11/2020 13:11

@MaddieElla I'm pretty sure DD's friend said the results won't be until towards the end of the month. That was the only nice thing about UCAT wasn't it, the instant results.

LaLaFlottes · 04/11/2020 13:12

@GreyBow I have heard that often the level of difficulty changes year on year and sometimes candidates think they did badly but in fact everyone did and their scores are actually perfectly fine.
I really it's better than your DD thinks Smile

MaddieElla · 04/11/2020 13:32

Oh wow, I didn’t realise there was such a wait. Envy

SATSmadness · 04/11/2020 14:21

Just had a call from one of the teachers at DD's school about an unrelated matter.

He said that the BMAT candidates all looked a bit shell shocked when they were leaving the exam room and he also heard mutterings of having run out of time.

Nothing from DD yet. I think we'll have chips for dinner tonight as a treat.

MaddieElla · 04/11/2020 14:24

I feel nervous for you all. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. Smile

LaLaFlottes · 04/11/2020 14:37

@SATSmadness chips for dinner sounds like a good plan Smile

GreyBow · 04/11/2020 18:34

Mmmm, I guess it's better if lots of them ran out of time and not just my DD, but honestly
I don't hold out much hope as she says she answered so few of section two.

And yes, it's the end of November for the results 🙈

Ah, if she has to do a gap year, so be it.

Good luck to all! And now they can just concentrate on interviews and their A Levels at least.