Medicine 2022 entry - How difficult is it really? *title edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

[notmedicmum]

I couldn't find a thread for 2022 entrants to medicine - maybe I didn't look hard enough! DD is in Year 12 and has wanted to do medicine since Year 10. It's only this year that we realise the enormity of actually getting a place. Not only do you have to have brilliant grades, you must also have done work experience, volunteered (both difficult in the current situation), got excellent BMAT/UCAT scores. Oh, and you also must have cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for charity or climbed Kilimanjaro or won the Nobel Peace prize or found a cure for cancer (joking about the last two). How competitive is it REALLY? I'm not sure about the value of the last apart from being used as a selection tool as the unis get so many qualified applicants - and showing enterprise and drive. Apparently this sort of thing is even more important this year as getting work experience is very hard this year. How does climbing a mountain make you a better doctor anyway? And what can normal students do to improve their chances of success??

...to get into medicine in 2022

This is useful for virtual work experience. Think of the application as a hurdle race. Good GCSEs, bit of work experience (you don't need much), paid work is good as is long term volunteering, get good UCAT/BMAT, apply strategically as interviews are given out under different rules for each Uni, and then get A levels. Sounds daunting, but take one step at a time. It is possible ! My DD made it from normal comp with no medic relations.

medicmentor.co.uk/university-hospitals-birmingham-trust-virtual-work-experience/

And selection for interview is mostly on UCAT once you have cleared the minimum qualifications (a few exceptions though). Most don't even read the personal statement.

Thank you @mumsneedwine, it doesn’t sound so bad. We sat through a medicmentor virtual conference on applying to medicine and that really worried me! We can do UCAT, we have good GCSES, some work shadowing, Saturday job, hoping to get relevant volunteering experience in the new year. DD is also at non selective comp.

BTW how do I change the thread name to make it more specific?

@notmedicmum I have no idea ! Maybe need to contact MN.
Some people will tell you all sorts of rubbish about applying. That you need to have landed on the moon and have 975 level 9s. You don't. You need 6/7 level 7s and then it's down to those dreaded entrance exams. Horrible but doable. Medify is good for UCAT.

@notmedicmum - start a 2022 thread and I'll join you! DD will be applying. We're a non-medic family so are a bit clueless but DD has some good support at school.

@sandybayley happy to try and help. Learned a lot when DD applied. Lots of misinformation out there to scare you off. But apply strategically and you've every chance. Start by researching courses as they differ massively. Early patient contact/full body dissection/integrated or pbl. Lots of things to look at.

@mumsneedwine - I was hoping you'd be on hand when needed!

Very early stages for us but DD has very strong GCSEs so at least that's one thing ticked off. She's doing IB (Biology, Chemistry and Maths HL) - no indication of predicted grades yet. She's done online work experience (the Brighton one) and has some hospital work experience set up (prob next summer now).

She does want a shot at Oxford as has a brother is there and she likes the idea of it. She likes the idea of Edinburgh (family connections) but plans are fluid and we'll research to make sure we maximise chances with some places where she'll maximise her chance of an offer.

@sandybayley sounds like she has a plan ! Just be aware that Edinburgh has a limit on English spaces. Student who has Oxford interview tomorrow was rejected.

Just check she likes the Oxford course structure as it's v different to most places now. 3 years doing theory then wards. Majority of places now have them on wards/at GPs from term 1. Not for everyone though. Where you go to med school does not matter (despite what one poster will tell you 😂). Your DD will take the new national test and sjt to qualify.
Ask anything. If I can't help I can find out from outreach people I now work with at school.

And most care homes are recruiting for staff. It's fabulous experience and very rewarding.

Yes - she's applied for a couple of care home jobs but not got anything so far. She's a brownie volunteer and is part of a project teaching literacy to year 4s. Not 'medical' but good people skills I think.

My DD (summer birthday) has decide to defer applying so she can do some time working as a healthcare assistant both as experience and also to ensure she can actually handle the reality of the "yuck" side of it.

Not sure if it's a good plan or not but at least she doesn't have the stress of applying as well as her A levels

Mine did a week at GP. 3 days in hospital. And volunteered at a stables which taught kids stable and horse management. And had a job at a supermarket- they liked this ! Don't need loads of experience. Unless applying to Keele.
HCA work is fab experience and lots of yuck. But working in catering or activities at a care home is just as rewarding.
At this point in year 12 concentrate on a levels & researching Unis. See if your local hospital takes work experience/shadowing students - they might book you in for later in the year when COVID wearing off(🤞).

Please be careful with historic data and entry requirements. The cut off for UKCAT and BMAT at many unis is a fair bit higher this year and even Exeter who used to guarantee an interview with straight A* predictions does not now. Remember last year one uni changed their criteria mid cycle too.

Thank you @mumsneedwine, @SeasonFinale for all the helpful tips so far. MN have changed the thread title to what it should have been now. Would love to learn more from the Medicine 2021 and Medicine 2020 posters about how best to prepare - have a feeling we’ve left it a bit too late.

@notmedicmum you are not too late at all. As stated Zion's change their entry criteria so do your research - don't rely on information on here ! Cut offs this year are very high, due to CAGs, more applicants from year 12 and deferring students. This may carry over to 2022 to applying strategically will be even more important.
Over Xmas holiday get DD to look at a few Unis and course styles -I'll find the useful booklet that outlines these and link when can. Look at register date for UCAT and BMAT and decide if want to do both - Oxford need BMAT as do a few others, but most use UCAT. They are v different tests!

Zion ??? Entry requirements 😊

Firstly, thank your lucky stars that it's 2022 entry your DD will be applying for.

If DD's school are anything to go by, many more of this year's Y13 applicants of very high calibre* are being rejected pre-interview than their admissions advisor, who's been doing this for years, has ever known.

• = great GSCEs, very good UCAT / BMAT scores, work experience (if they were lucky and got it in before Covid prevented it) plus charity work, Head Girl status/ other accolades etc.

She simply can't believe it and is wanting them to ask for feedback in due course so that she can understand the reasoning.

@SATSmadness - thanks for the warning. I wonder if it will mean there are higher numbers of re-applicants in 2022 or if the increased entry requirements are the result of a surge in applications (2020 cohort with higher than expected grades and high profile of medicine as a result of the pandemic)?

Either way I'm very mindful that DD needs to be cautious in her choices. I know when DS1 applied (non medic) for university last year we were advised to go for no more than 2 aspirational and at least one 'banker'. Do you think with only 4 medicine choices it would be wise to not risk more than one 'aspirational' if there aren't any true 'bankers'?

@sandybayley most ask for the same grades. It's not applying 'aspirational' it's applying where you will get an interview. No point applying to Cardiff unless 8 8/9s. No point applying to Exeter without 3 A star predictions. UCAT cut offs are v high this year and I am worried this will flow into next year as lots will have to reapply.
Someone will be along shortly to disagree with me but medicine leads to you becoming a doctor. No one cares where you went once qualified. Students will sit a national exam and sjt to decide their F1 position.

@mumsneedwine - I don't mean 'aspirational' in the sense of prestigious, I mean 'aspirational' in the sense of reduced chance of a successful application.

Isn't it the case there are some medical schools where if you tick all the right boxes then you have a better chance of interview and offer than others? So (theoretically) for DD Oxford might be a long shot (aspirational) but Cardiff would be better odds. It may be (from what you are saying) that there are no 'bankers' for med schools in the way there are for STEM subjects.

@sandybayley sorry missed the point. Yes you are right, your statistics will make some Unis more of a certainty for interview than others. Eg Bristol and Newcastle if you have very high UCAT. Oh great GCSEs then Cardiff is a no brainier. And Notts worth looking at too as they use mixture of UCAT and GCSEs.
Hopefully this will help get started.

www.medschools.ac.uk/media/2701/msc-entry-requirements-for-uk-medical-schools-2021.pdf

@mumsneedwine - DD has 'perfect' GCSEs (10 9s) and an A in Ad Maths. So I'm guessing that will steer us to a uni that places weight on that. I suspect she won't be as unusual in her year as in previous years as these were 2020 results. Very proud of her nevertheless though.

@sandybayley she should definitely apply to Cardiff with all those 9s. And with a good BMAT she should have a good chance of Oxford interview. I'd look for other Unis that give GCSEs higher weighting. Obviously CAGs will play a part but 🤞

Glad to know it’s not too late @mumsneedwine! DD is ahead of me - she has already looked at unis and course styles. I think the key as you say is to apply strategically....