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....

This sounds less like labour calling for action but presumably not definitive as not covered on the today program that I have heard
No, although this morning it was could be delayed... and we are promised a decision very soon. So possibly only a matter of time (waiting to see what Ms Sturgeon decides SQA will do, perhaps? Yesterday morrning's radio of some persuasion had a Labour person on about it, ditto reports in print.

In the meantime, the advice really is to treat every piece of work as if it is the one thing your A level grade hinges on, methinks.

DD's school finishes at the end of June so I guess her school will go on for later until mid July...

God knows

Anyway, first thing's first. She has set off for her UCAT exam this afternoon with DH.

Eeekkkkkkk 🤞🏻 fingers crossed 🤞🏻

@GreyBow I hope it went well for DD today.

Interesting to hear they may sit exams later - I'm not quite sure how I feel about that really!

DH said this evening that he took it from what he had heard that exams would start later - so June rather than May - but that would be over in good time for our end of term (first week July) This is speculation and conjecture but I hope he is right

Whatever they decide needs to be done quickly. Our children and the teachers need to know so they can plan accordingly. No point waiting until Jan to announce the changes as it could have a detrimental affect on so many kids, especially those who are already disadvantaged.

@GANFYD please can I ask your advice.
My dd is very keen on applying to Liverpool but I am worried it may be a wasted choice due to what I have read on TSR. Her stats are as follows:

GCSE's : 9x 9's and 2 x 7's one of which was English Lang (wish we had got this remarked as was predicted a 9 but didn't realise it would be so important)

Ucat : 3030 Band 1 SJT

Are there any universities she should look at with these scores. I keep reading that we need to apply tactically but more sure where to start with this!
Thank you

Why would Liverpool be a wasted choice? She has great GCSEs and a high UCAT score. I’m sure she could apply to most places and be assured of an interview.

@Abetes because she loses a point on her English language and I have read that Liverpool use a 3:1 ratio on GCSE's to ucat score so if lots apply with better gcse scores it could possibly be a wasted choice. Would like confirmation from someone who understands it better than me!!

I agree with abetes
IDD about a point lower on Liverpool scoring than your DD and thinks it's a worthwhile option

Also I have read all 3 pages of the TSR Liverpool 2021 entry. There's a substantial post by GANFYD on there and cannot see anything to bear out your concerns.

Thanks @WithIcePlease I will try and find it. She is definitely going to apply as it's her favourite, I would just like a couple of really safe options to look at too.

@redtulip12
I think Liverpool may well be OK. Cardiff rejected people with 9 A equivalents last year, so there are enough people with these stats out there, but they have slightly fewer applicants than Liverpool. I suspect many people will not have spotted the change in scoring at Liverpool, whereas Cardiff's love of A GCSEs is well known! Somebody with full marks at GCSE is still going to need over 2700 to match your DD's score, so I think she will probably be OK.
Otherwise, can look at anywhere she likes, but will reserve judgement on Barts, Exeter and Edinburgh as you have not mentioned her A level predictions. Cardiff apparently decided who to reject with full GCSE marks based on PS (this was binary, a simple yes/no as to whether the criteria on their website are met) and then UCAT, so provided a PS is written to meet their priorities, she would be safe here, too, given her excellent UCAT

@redtulip12
Link to TSR Liverpool thread for 2021
www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6560734&p=90422402#post90422402

In terms of choosing, look at location, teaching, size, placements, accommodation, student satisfaction and "gut feel". If she is tied on a few, then things like interview to offer ratios (in a usual year, they may well be screwy this year!), F1 preparedness and performance in postgrad exams may be worth looking at and I can fish out some stats on this if there are some you are particularly interested in.

Thank you very much @GANFYD. The other two she definitely wants to apply to are Bristol and Sheffield which I think should be fine. She then wants a final safe option which we are struggling with. Ideally she is looking for a course with early patient contact, not fully pbl, and dissection/prosection. 3 hours max from Warwickshire would also be ideal. She has ruled out Manchester, Cardiff and Birmingham and any London uni's. Her predicted grades are likely to be either 3xA star (won't let me use the star symbol!) or 2x A star and 1x A.

@redtulip12
Then Newcastle, Nottingham (and Lincoln), Leicester, Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh (dependent on A levels).
Any of those should be fine. The Scottish med schools do tend to have lowish numbers for RUK applicants, but there aren't going to be many with better stats than your daughter (if her A levels match the rest)!

Brilliant, thanks @GANFYD . She doesn't want to go as far as Scotland but Nottingham and Newcastle were on her list so we will look at those and Leicester in more detail.
Now to start the personal statement! It's never ending.

Nottingham gives you a BMedSci intercalated degree without having to to an extra year, as well. This is not worth as many points for postgrad scoring as a standard BSc, but it's better than a kick in the teeth!
Southampton do this, too, and I forgot them on the original list!

I feel very uneducated on medicine courses reading this but my daughter is applying so I need to catch up! We have got the book of entry requirements and use the medic portal. Next week she is taking UCAT and has been practising through the summer. How do you know how much weight different medical schools put on parts of the application? Eg GCSE results, UCAT, A-level predictions

TSR (thestudentroom.co.uk) is helpful, e.g. this thread:
www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5622970

Have a look at the attachments at the top of the first page.

@ccrc28 They are all somewhere on the websites of the relevant medical schools, but often you have to drill down quite far to find what you are looking for, and it means you have to go to 31 websites if you want to check them all out. There was a spreadsheet bandied about on tsr, so you could check that, or do up your own (DS did one ages ago with all the universities he was possibly interested in).

Thank you so much for the replies. We’re now sorted with spreadsheets and starting to narrow down the options! Next step is to reassess after UCAT next week.

Does anyone know what a Ucat score Of 3100 actually means? TIA

@897654321abcvrufhfgg that’s a similar score to my DD and it is a very competitive score, likely to be in the top decile when they come out.

However on its own it doesn’t really mean much, you’d need to include GCSE results, A level predictions and Situational Judgement Band to get some advice on where best to apply as it’s important to apply strategically.

There is a thread on the Student Room which is linked further up the thread. If you post all of the stats there on one post you will get some great advice.

Thank you Laflottes. She got Band 1 for SJ apparently. I will read link. Thank you