Medicine 2021 - Part 3

[SATSmadness]

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

[SATSmadness]

@21stcentury, that is most unreasonable of them. Are they legally allowed to do this ?

Congrats to her on the interviews though. If the first interview ends at 9.50 then chances are it's early enough in the day not be be impacted by any over run situation and from DD's cohort's experience things are very much sticking to timings so although it's annoying at least she'll have her interview head on already with a good warm up from the first one before going into the second.

Is your DD doing these interviews at home ? Bearing in mind her anxiety, it might be best for her to have support by her side to ensure smooth termination of one and logging in to the second.

Fingers crossed and best wishes for her, anxiety can be so debilitating.

[21stcentury]

Thanks for the replies. We have arranged to do the interviews at home and I have taken time off so I can be around to support. Both Universities pointed out that their interview dates were published in advance so we had no grounds for asking to move. At the moment my daughter appears to be okay about it, having no experience of any interviews ever I don't think she knows how it can go wrong so the anxiety is so far ok. I, on the other hand, may need to take the whole day off to recover 😝🤣

[opoponax]

Last interview invite just came from Newcastle. Relieved to get them all booked to fit around mocks.

@21stcentury that is really tough for your DD. Wonder what would have happened if interviews had been face to face this year. Would the med schools have made your DD choose to attend the interview of the med school she preferred of the two?! Agree with other OPs that as long as the tech works, it could work to her advantage as her nerves will probably have gone by the time she gets to the second one. It might be worth calling the second one to have logged in advance that there is a risk of overlap. Then surely they can arrange some contingency for her.

[SATSmadness]

Wow @opoponax a full house of 4 medicine interviews then ?

Congrats

[LaLaFlottes]

Congrats on the full house @opoponax that's great news

[opoponax]

Thank you @SATSmadness and @LaLaFlottes. Now the small matter of actually doing the interviews! He's taking it in his stride but I'm a bit worried about the internet connection holding up. They have set up a room at school for interviews but he would rather do them at home.

[Powergower]

Well done to all with interviews, and those who have sat them. It's no easy thing this year.

We are probably the only ones still waiting to hear from 3 unis, I suppose no news is good news for now. But the waiting around is awful.

[opoponax]

@Powergower I agree that no news is good news and some of the med schools are only just starting. Newcastle just started sending out their undergraduate invites today. Hope your DS gets more good news soon.

[bimkom]

Hi @powergower - we are also still waiting to hear from three, although one of those three we are not hopeful about, given that UCAT thresholds have shot up. The two others have now sent out some interviews, but none to DS, even though he is on or above the threshold for those who have been given interviews both of the others. Somebody on TSR actually phone Nottingham and were told that they are not sending them out in any form of rank order and not to worry.

[IsThisNameTaken]

Great news @opoponax

@Powergower yep, waiting is awful and DD is only waiting to hear from one of hers so must be worse for you.

DD did her first interview at home last week but is going to try tomorrow's from school as she said she felt a bit too relaxed at home and thinks she'll perform better in a more formal environment. Apparently stress is good for her - I would argue but she's 17 so obviously knows far more about everything than me

[WithIcePlease]

@bimkom
I'm so sorry you are still waiting for Nottingham!

[opoponax]

@bimkom hoping your DS hears soon.

@IsThisNameTaken that's a good point about possibly being a bit too relaxed at home. He took that view when doing his UCAT in a test centre. It will certainly be more relaxing for me at home if he did them at school!

On another note, Scottish Highers just cancelled. Do we really think England will go ahead with A levels given the Scottish and Welsh position?!

[emummy]

I didn’t know they’d cancelled highers! Just had DD2 stressing about exams - not sure if this is better or worse! Thankfully not an issue for Dd1 as she has left school and just needs to deal with the interviews. All the uncertainty is very difficult for them all; I hope the English exams are confirmed one way or the other so they can just focus.

[MaddieElla]

I think they will go ahead here. They have set out their plans with regards to content, grade boundaries and the extension of 3 weeks. That is enough for me to want DD to take the actual exams. I am saying that as someone who's kids haven't had any gaps in learning (lockdown teaching was good) and neither of them have had to self isolate as numbers are low here (up to now). BUT it's a tough call because there are many many more who have lost that learning time and feel that exams would be unfair. You really can't make everyone happy with whatever outcome happens.

And I wouldn't be surprised if we have another monumental u turn.

[opoponax]

Just announced in last hour @emummy. Glad it's not an issue for your DD1. From our perspective, although he has excellent predicted grades, DS would rather sit, after watching the CAGS debacle last year. Feels it's a bit ironic to go through all this and then final grades end up somewhat arbitrary.

[MaddieElla]

I do feel for DD though (and no doubt all of yours too) that they are constantly being assessed at the moment. They're doing it in case they have to go down the CAG route but at some point schools need to be told unequivocally what's happening.

Normally we gear up for exam season in May/June. At the moment it feels like exam season started in September.

[opoponax]

I agree@MaddieElla. It seems there is pressure from all angles at the moment. Daily pressure to do their best in absolutely everything in case of CAGS, whilst still keeping their eye on the end game of the alleged final Exams and Mocks that could effectively be final exams in all but name. Plus navigating this med school application process and interviews whilst keeping up volunteering/jobs. A lot is expected of them.

[Powergower]

Thank you everyone, feeling much better now. Ds first interview next week and I've told him it might be better to do it at school as he had awful IT issues doing his ukcat at home.

Opoponax - congrats to your dc on 4 interviews!

MaddieElla- we have the same issue, ds constantly doing tests and exams every week, but then also being told to prep for exams in June. There's no downtime between the numerous tests each week. Ds would prefer exams in June, but without the added and constant pressure of weekly tests. Fatigue has well and truly set in here. He's ready for the xmas break even though he's missed 7 of the last 8 weeks of school due to isolations.

[LaLaFlottes]

@bimkom that's good that someone on TSR called Nottingham and they confirmed that the interview offers are not sent in any order. If you've seen others with similar stats to DS then that's really reassuring that it's just a matter of waiting (although I know that's hard).

I wonder what will happen with A levels given the news on Highers? I feel like it's only a matter of time before a U turn but hope I am wrong - or do I? I don't really know any more! It's all so confusing. I do know that DD treats every test, no matter how small, as if it's her actual A level exam as she's so scared of the CAG situation.

Good wishes to all - this is tough for sure.

[opoponax]

Thank you very much @Powergower. That's just awful having to miss 7 out of 8 school weeks. No wonder fatigue has set in. Thankfully, we haven't had any isolation periods since September and things ran pretty smoothly with remote learning during the first lockdown. The situation varies so much by area though and even by school. It is really not fair to the DC who have been badly affected.

[opoponax]

We are the same @LalaFlottes, every test is treated like an actual A Level. I just wonder if that is really sustainable for DC right through to July! The trouble is that it doesn't matter what the Government says about exams going ahead, due to the last minute U-turn last year, they won't quite trust that ongoing work won't end up being the deciding factor. The only real clarity is if they cancel now and the parameters are clear. It must be very tough for med schools too as they will have candidates even in the same year group who are sitting and others who aren't.

[bimkom]

Well the good news is that the Nottingham interview has now finally shown up. As suspected, the dates in December had all gone, and it is the end of January now (between set of mocks number one and set of mocks number two). But at least it is here and booked.

[opoponax]

Great news@Bimkom. A good day for you!

[WithIcePlease]

So pleased it's here @bimkom 🎉
Sorry re dates though

[LaLaFlottes]

@bimkom yay! So pleased the invite has arrived.