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 think he would have really kicked himself if Bristol do interview people with his UCAT, and he hadn't applied.

He sounds similar to DD, with the 1st choice and the UCAT not quite going to plan. She knows her 1st choice is a shot in the dark but it's always been her favourite. In my head I'm expecting a rejection from then but her other choices are secure. Well, they would have been last year. #thankscovid

Today (after hearing the news about exam cancellations) is the first day I've thought that we may have to try again next year. There just seems to be so much stacked against them in this cycle. Some of them have to get offers though, right?

We’re in Wales and DD has no idea what to make of the news today that A levels have been cancelled. They haven’t announced how the grades will be awarded because they’ve not decided yet, unlikely to be decided before mid December.

DD is paranoid that universities will not give offers to students from Wales as they won’t ‘trust’ the grades. I’ve tried to reassure her that the grades will be fair and that universities won’t differentiate between students from Wales or elsewhere, but will they?
Argh, it’s all so complicated!!!

Whatever England decide I just hope they hurry up and do it. The students and teachers need to know now, not wait for Gavin to pull his finger out of his arse in late April. I have year 11 and year 13 dc and all this uncertainty is playing havoc with their mental health. If it's definitely exams that's fine, but just let us know and confirm how you plan to level the playing field when english students will be up against Welsh/ Scottish students. And vice versa.

Complete ignorance, but do the Welsh use their own separate boards, or do they (sometimes) use the English boards with the English spec? Are the Welsh boards government controlled, or private (like in England)? I guess I am wondering whether even if the government cancels the exams (ie they are no longer compulsory) individuals in Wales could still choose to sit exams. But that means there needs to be exams to be had, and whether the government has banned them or just made them not compulsory, if you see what I mean.

I mean, DS is, while sitting Chemistry with Edexcel, sitting Maths and Biology as a Pre-U. And the Pre-U have decided, in their wisdom, that while the A levels may have been pushed back three weeks, by government fiat, they are not doing the same for the Pre-U, so DS will sit most of his exams at the normal time. Given the positive news about a vaccine, it is not unrealistic to think that by the time the A levels would have been held, there will not be a problem holding them for Covid reasons, it is just the lost educational time - so could various boards as individuals decide to offer exams anyway for those who want them?

It is such a mixed bag this year (and such a messy on at that)

At my DDs school in NI, they use the Welsh board for some of their subjects, geology and PE for sure, and maybe more, so I can only imagine the senior management meetings as they try to deal with this latest curveball.

I have to agree with @MaddieElla and think that despite all the upheaval that our DC are dealing with, there are places to be filled and we just have to keep our fingers crossed for a positive outcome.

I'm hearing about interviews coming through for HYMS. They may be contextual applicants though.

@bimkom Welsh students in state schools are required to sit exams set by the welsh exams board, the WJEC. Private schools in Wales can select any board they like, so many pupils in private schools will have a mixture of boards. WJEC do run an exam board in England under the name Eduquas.

My DDs have been told today that they’re unlikely to have details of how they will be assessed until after Christmas so Greg agony of not knowing anything continues.

Congratulations and good luck to anyone that has secured an interview!

Thanks @Card1gan. My DS (and I have no clue where he gets his information from, given that we are here in London), says that he is not sure the unions in Wales will allow it. Because if the teachers have to assess, and do these mocks, then that means they have to mark them which is extra work for them, without an increase in pay. Often teachers supplement their income by marking GCSEs and A Levels, not have it dumped on them as part of their job. He thinks it is going to turn into a bun fight. Not that it helps any of us. At least the Scots said, cancel the equivalent of GCSEs, but keep the Highers, which are needed for university, not cancel the lot.

I wonder where your son has heard that @bimkom? Reports have said that assessments are to be externally set and assessed, which to me sounds like an exam! What I’m not sure about is who will be available to mark them? Teachers usually mark papers when year 11&13 have left but pupils will still be in school when these assessments need to be assessed.

I have a DD in year 13 and another in year 11, not great timing!

Hi all - I thought we might have seen a bit more movement on the interview invites this week but apparently only Bristol, HYMS and Kings have started to contact people so far.

DD hasn't mentioned any further e-mails from Sheffield so I am hoping their previous communication stands and we should hear something on Monday. It feels rather nerve wracking!

I think Sheffield was one of DD's choices where once the minimum requirements were reached, it's all about ranking based on UCAT to determine if you're given an interview - fingers firmly crossed for DD all the DC on this thread.

Yes it's very very quiet. The second lockdown can't have helped with the delays.

Card1gan- I also have yr 11 and 13 dc. Currently on our 3rd week of isolation at home. So much work missed and stress levels through the roof for the dc. I'm trying to remain calm but once they're in their rooms I've been overthinking and worrying.

A friend of my DS got a Kings invitation to interview today. He didn't apply to that med school. That's the only invitation he's heard of in his year group to date. The waiting is difficult for them isn't it. Hopefully there will be some news from Sheffield on Monday and fingers crossed all our DC who have applied get interviews there.

We'll have to support each other through this @Powergower, I have a feeling that I'm going to be significantly greyer by the end of next summer. Hope your DCs are back in the classroom and feeling less stressed soon. It's the lack of control and the unlevel playing field that concerns me the most this year, there will definately winners and losers.

Good luck to all waiting for news. I innocently asked DD if she'd heard anything and was that I didn't need to ask again as she would let me know when she hears!

Hello everyone,
Can someone please recommend me good books for UCAT?

Hi @manchestermom5 my DS found the online course Medify very good for UCAT and BMAT Ninja for BMAT.

I second Medify.

And also this book...(hope the picture loads)

@manchestermom5 yes Medify here too and also had access to Medentry for a shorter period of time.
There are free resources on the UCAT website too.

What sort of percentage of Ukcat for an interview? Top 20%? Top 50%? Top 80%? Trying to get a feel for this... thanks...

@ClarasZoo depends on the Uni. They all use it differently. Some in combination with GCSEs, some just rank just by UCAT, one uses predicted grades. There are many combinations !

For UCAT heavy ones then if in top 30% you could be in with a chance, but varies every year. Some you'll need to be in top 20%, but for others being in top 50% will work. Why it's such a rollercoaster ride.

I'm sorry to say that it really does differ with each med school. All we're able to do is trawl FOI requests and TSR forums for information about previous years' cut offs. It could be that numbers invited to interview are similar to previous years. Or it could be, as I'm fearing, that due to this year's grades debacle and a 25% increase in applications there may be higher cut offs than usual.

It really is a bit of an unknown year (thanks Covid) so join us while we all go slightly crazy waiting).

@MaddieElla at least when Sheffield release their cut off tomorrow you will get an idea how things are different this year. They usually interview over about 75th percentile - if it's much higher tomorrow then you may be right 😞.
Someone has to get a place though. 🤞🤞

Yea that's true, tomorrow will be interesting for sure.

Really hope those Sheffield applicants here get some good news.

You may well be right @mumsneedwine.

Whether or not they've applied to Sheffield, if the Uni declare their cut off point it may indicate how much tougher this year is for our medicine hopefuls all round.