Medicine 2021 - Part 3

[SATSmadness]

Hoping for interviews and offers all round, now and well into next year !

UEA interview everyone who received a bursary for the UCAT so that could explain early interviews for those with lower scores.

@IsThisNameTaken that makes a lot of sense then - thank you - it still seems a high cut off though for UEA as the mean UCAT for an interview has previously been around 2600 - but that’s the year 2021 for you isn’t it!

Hope all who have had interviews this week have been happy with them. For those waiting, hope good news comes soon.

Final interview just done for my DS and he seems happy. He is taking the view that he has done his best and that it is all out of his hands now. It's going to be a long couple of months ahead.

@opoponax I'm glad DS is happy with his interview today. DD has also finished hers and it's nice to have them over but a little strange to think there's nothing more she can do.

It is indeed going to be a long wait.

I hope outstanding interview invites come through asap and best of luck to everyone.

@GreyBow I hope everything's been going well with the internet connection at the office?

Our school has had a number of UCL medicine offers this morning so maybe check track if anyone is waiting on them.

DD still waiting to hear from Birmingham - anyone else? She hears interviews are going on - but not heard anything. Keep trying to be positive and say there is still hope while there is no rejection! But it's such a long wait.

FanSpam - we are waiting to hear back from 3 unis! Really thought we'd have heard something by now.

@Powergower it’s a long wait isn’t it, I do hope you hear some positive news soon. DD’s friend who has also applied is waiting for word from Kings and Southampton still.

@FanSpamTastic I hope you hear soon - DD didn’t apply to Birmingham so I can’t help but will keep fingers crossed. I’m pretty sure Birmingham started sending interview offers fairly late though, so I would assume there are more to come, as even the Unis that started in Nov are still sending interview invites.

@SeasonFinale thank you for letting us know. DD hasn’t applied to UCL but it’s nice to think that some applicants have a reason to celebrate this weekend

Hello! It went "okay" according to DD @LaLaFlottes 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ I don't know what that means to be honest.

After three hours of interviews in the morning, she slept all of Thursday afternoon 😆

Leeds to come in mid February.

How is everyone this weekend?

@GreyBow I’m glad it went “okay”
3 hours though! Wow - exhausting - no wonder DD needed a good rest in the afternoon.

A little break now until Leeds - good luck when it comes though.

I’m trying to keep my mind off things this weekend as I need to acknowledge we are in for a long wait. I got a bit wound up last week and felt quite stressed about the situation, I’m not sure why, maybe something to do with interviews ending and it now being out of DD’s hands completely.

DD seemed a bit stressed over the last couple of days. She’s mostly worried about A levels and how the grades will be assigned.

How everyone’s having a good weekend

Yes, I am privately (or at least trying to keep it quiet!) stressing about A Level grades and how they might be awarded.

DD has an online parents meeting in a few weeks and we have been sent a letter from the Head saying he has told his teachers to not talk about grades at all, we are not to ask about them, and his staff will not answer any question about grades.

That's great. But what the actual fuck are we meant to talk about in February in year 13 otherwise 😆🤷🏻‍♀️🙄

It’s a real worry isn’t it - the uncertainty.

That seems a bit daft - surely they can discuss the grades the students are working at currently? So they know where they are up to.

I hope the parent meeting is ok - you may have to just talk about the weather

Have you seen the Government consultation? There is a questionnaire to complete here.

It seems a different basis than previous - they are not proposing any prediction of how they might have performed in an exam - which is I think how they did it last year. But rather an assessment of what has been learned by the time they have to decide?

How might this impact grades - especially for Chemistry where they have had no opportunity to do practical lessons for most of last year and probably most of this year again?

Lala - ds has also had a rubbish week. He's hating this lockdown, stressed because he's not heard anything from 3 unis, worried about predicted grades, and suffering with low motivation and mood. He's missing his friends and activities. Tbh I feel the same but keeping a brave positive face on for everyone.

His school have said they're not allowed to email teachers to ask anything at all about grades, not even to ask how to improve. It's beyond ridiculous. In any other year the grades would be the main topic of conversation and these poor kids need to speak to their teachers openly and honestly. Ds was perished good grades for UCAS but school are saying no one should be relying on UCAS predictions.

@PowerGower That's all most unsatisfactory isn't it.

Surely to goodness schools should be trying to keep any semblance of normal routine that is possible. At this point in Y13, 4 months away from final exams, syllabus pretty much covered, wouldn't it usually be all about "what am I on target for and how can I improve on that it necessary" ?

Ooops - "if" necessary, not "it"

And now we wake up to the news that they won't be going back until Easter.

I hope to goodness they at least let the year 11s and 13s back. How the hell are they going to do mocks? How are they going to be prepared enough for these exams they're replacing with...exams.

They need to bring some clarity very soon about how these assessments are going to take shape. It worries me that they are saying that these results will look different to previous years. What the hell does that even mean? And they will be awarded grades based on what they know now and not what they 'might' have received.

Teachers have been quite transparent with the kids and they haven't told them not to discuss it; I've heard many conversations. But they can't tell them what they don't know.

Regarding the practical side of subjects, DD has done all of them. Yet other schools haven't done any. So no idea what will happen about that.

Still waiting for decisions here too and her interviews seem like a lifetime ago. It all just seems quite bleak at the moment for our kids doesn't it.

As a mum of a medic, mum of a student from last years year 13 and as a teacher I just wanted to say it's all so uncertain at the moment. And a bit shit.
As a teacher I have v little idea his grades are going to be awarded but we are planning right now. Teachers can't talk about grades as part of the consultation states that students and parents can appeal against a teacher decision personally. So if I now tell a student they are 'doing great' and I think they could get an A, if I then give a B (because the process tells me that's the grade I can give from the evidence allowed) then I can find myself in a whole heap of trouble. Potentially lose my job. It's ridiculous but heads are trying to protect teachers from months of aggro. I think things will become clearer in the next month but for now it's horrible for everyone.
Hang in there for the offers. Unis must be working out how many they should give this year which must be so hard when they don't know what is going on either.
Teachers will do all they can to get their students the grades they deserve. Please join in the consultation as the more people who have a say the better.

@mumsneedwine I really feel for all the teachers at the moment. It must be very hard. I hope you’re hanging in there.

I think it must be very difficult for the medical schools to work out how many offers - they will probably need to work out how many over offers they normally make because they are not chosen as a firm choice, and then how many because applicants miss their grades, then meet somewhere in the middle! Some will still miss their grades I suppose, so they will still have to take that into account.

I think there will be a slower trickle of offers with a waiting list so that they can fill the spaces as they go - I wouldn’t be surprised if there are then offers on results day too, if more people have missed grades than expected - depending on how lenient each university is about missed grades.

At DD’s sixth form they have just been issued with their progress grades as they would be normally at this point in time, but it’s by no means them saying that these will be their grades and all of the messages are basically to keep working hard, and don’t stop as there’s still time to improve your grade or work hard to maintain it.

@Powergower I really hope your DS hears from his other three this week with good news about interviews - having three more interviews booked in would be such a great boost for him. Fingers crossed for him

@LaLaFlottes 🤞🤞for all your DD. The process is brutal in normal years (I've had the please of doing medicine and vet med as a mum), but this year it's so tough for them. Talk about resilience ! Anyone calls this lot snowflakes ever again and I'll punch them.
Definitely keep working hard. Grades will be as fair as we can make them. Last year I think most of our students eventually got what they deserved, even with the stupid algorithm.

@mumsneedwine - it’s really brutal isn’t it - it must have been horrible last year too, with so much disappointment on results day, then the U turn and the general chaos that followed! I think the hardest part for all the DC is not being able to see their friends and do fun things to offset all of the stress. Although DD watched a movie on line last night with some friends and they had a good laugh and it seems to have given her a little lift.

I’m sure all teachers will do their absolute upmost to make things as fair as possible. DD is currently sat doing a maths paper, just trying her best to stay on top of everything.

I keep thinking there’s always next year if need be, and trying to stay calm.

I meant to say - very best of luck to those waiting for Cambridge results tomorrow. I’m sure today you are in much need of or or or or perhaps all of those as the hours drag by.

Best wishes for a good result x

Yes good luck to the Cambridge folks. How wonderful it would be if all decisions could be expected on a given day.

DD has also been having Skype calls with her friends and hearing her laughing does settle the stomach somewhat.

She’s been revising for a while and is sticking to her schedule. School have said there will be mocks two weeks after they return, whenever that might be.

I agree - if there was a set date for interview invites and then a set date for decisions that would be so much nicer!

@MaddieElla I’m glad your DD is also finding a way to have a laugh and stay connected with her friends

Hi there. Happy weekend everyone. We have lots of snow today so that is a welcome distraction from the tedium of lockdown. @LaLaFlottes, @MaddieElla same mood here generally. It's all a bit meh with the A Levels and uncertainty about place numbers but what can we do except support them through it. Good luck to all awaiting Cambridge outcomes and let's hope we see some more interviews come through this coming week.