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??

@SATSmadness I have definitely seen welsh candidates getting interviews without 27 academic points. Their Open Day is on Wednesday this week, the Medicine Admissions talk is at 5:00 - If at all interested in Cardiff it is worth registering, we will be watching it. There will be Q&A.

@Monkey2001

I didn't mean to imply that DD is Welsh, just asking whether the odds against getting an interview/offer are greater if you're not Welsh as they are with the Scottish Uni medical schools.

@SATSmadness, Cardiff give a maximum academic score of 27 for 9 best GCSEs and 3 A levels, your DD would get the maximum. For 2021, standard applicants needed 27 points, the PS needed to pass the pass/fail assessment and then a UCAT cut off was used to decide which of the remaining candidates would be interviewed. This year the cut-off was around 2,700.

As long as she has covered what they want in the PS, she would get an interview at Cardiff - they assess 5 criteria:
• Insight into a career in Medicine,
• Evidence of experience and reflection in a caring environment
• Evidence and reflection of personal responsibility,
• Evidence of a balanced approach to life
• Evidence of self-directed learning.
They seem to check a) whether the item is mentioned in the PS and b) whether it is evidenced.

The Scottish thing is different. Places for Scottish students are ring-fenced, so they will have different cut offs for short-listing and offers. I thin the Welsh applicants just have an advantage at the shortlisting stage because they are under-represented (probably because London/SE are generally over-represented).

I occasionally pop by the medicine threads and thought I'd say that DD is in her 3rd year of medicine at Cardiff incase anyone has any questions. She's not Welsh btw, but is loving her time there.

As DD will be a re-applicant does anyone know why some medical schools do not allow a re-application (Aston, Anglia Ruskin, Imperial and Keele according to medic portal) ?

I think I’d check the individual uni websites or give them a call as medic portal and similar sites are often out of date - and also some that didn’t accept reapplication in the past have changed their policy due to the current exam situation. Or look on the medicine threads on the student room as they’re usually very up-to-date

Hi @SATSmadness - I would be a bit leery of Cardiff, having read TSR last year (which had something to do with us having eliminated it on our shortlist) and this year. My sense from reading people's experiences on TSR was that who got an interview was not fully transparent - there were people who claimed to have full number of points and to have carefully structured their PS, and who were well above the UCAT cut off that Monkey mentioned who appeared to be very frustrated not to have received an intervew. Obviously TSR is not the most reliable source, and this could be totally wrong, so please don't rely on my say-so (although I think a bit of research reading people's experiences on the various threads on TSR is worth while - I know they are long, so it is a fair amount of scrolling, but it does give you a sense of what to expect, unversity by university). It might be worth asking GANYFD on TSR, because I got the impression she had the same sense- ie for someone who is a slam dunk for an interview at other places, Cardiff might not be the best bet (obviously Monkey2001's situation is different, due to the A level's).

And regarding who takes reapplicants - at least last year ecolier and Ganyfd on TSR could produce a list at the drop of a hat (I am pretty sure I saw numerous requests on TSR, and they were a font of information).

The only ones I know of who don't like re-applicants say that if you were some way off the cut off after interview, they would not interview again. Leicester used to say that, may still do so. You can ask for feedback and at the same time ask whether they would welcome re-applicants. DS1's were all fine with it, but only re-applied to Cambridge and Sheffield.

QUB have an odd rule that you can only apply to them as a re-applicant if you choose them first time as well!

Feelings were particularly high on Cardiff thread this year because it is the first time they have used the UCAT - used to be the place to apply with stellar GCSEs and weak UCAT.

Very quiet on here. Anybody doing open days?

Guessing they're all online again this year @Monkey2001 ?

DD and her friends all seem to have the bizarre idea that there’s no point thinking about which university until they’ve got their UCAT score...

Also they are up to their armpits in revision for summer exams straight after half term.

DD is hard to pin down on universities at the moment. The latest wheeze is a road-trip across the country with friends if/when one of them passes their driving test. Shudder....

@KingscoteStaff it's a v sensible idea. Need to know UCAT before knowing where it's worth applying. Although might be worth them having an idea what type of course and Uni they'd like so can narrow it down.

Think Nottingham are doing in person open days. Only know as DD said she'd signed up again to do one.

I think you should not choose finally until you have UCAT, but should be creating a shortlist already and taking the opportunity to hear the open day talks. If they want to apply to UCL, Cardiff, Keele they have to work on things for the PS which may determine whether they pass shortlisting. Most barely look at PS now.

I believe Nottingham (and presumably Lincoln) might be the only one differentiating between 8 and 9 at GCSE in case that is relevant to anyone.

Has anybody heard about whether they are respecting interviews to be on line or F2F?

When are interviews? Before or after Christmas?

I saw this thread was active again so thought I’d pop on!

@KingscoteStaff DD had interviews at St Andrews in November, UEA and Leicester in December and Sheffield in January. I think it really varies though! Hers did seem early but I’d recommend definitely being ready from Nov onwards.

Re GCSEs I think Queens Belfast also score 8 and 9 differently.

I would say it’s good to have an idea of medical school requirements and criteria for interview before sitting UCAT but not to be too over invested until you know your results.

Once they know their GCSEs UCAT etc their choices become a lot more realistic!

I’d also say, don’t rely on any previous info being current for 2022 entry. The criteria could change from 2021 entry - so definitely check very carefully.

@LaLaFlottes

I saw this thread was active again so thought I’d pop on!

@KingscoteStaff DD had interviews at St Andrews in November, UEA and Leicester in December and Sheffield in January. I think it really varies though! Hers did seem early but I’d recommend definitely being ready from Nov onwards.

Re GCSEs I think Queens Belfast also score 8 and 9 differently.

I would say it’s good to have an idea of medical school requirements and criteria for interview before sitting UCAT but not to be too over invested until you know your results.

Once they know their GCSEs UCAT etc their choices become a lot more realistic!

I’d also say, don’t rely on any previous info being current for 2022 entry. The criteria could change from 2021 entry - so definitely check very carefully.

Thoroughly excellent post!

Has your DD decided on firm and insurance?

DS had end of year exam at home yesterday. I was impressed by how much he had learnt, and it is clear that the St Andrews course is more hard core science than the ones DS2 is looking at - I think it is easier to understand the differences when you have experience of a real course. Somebody on TSR said she had not used her A level Chemistry as a first year at Bristol, so quite different. Of course all are equal, so it just worth choosing one which suits your interests within the context of where you will get interviews.

Thanks @Monkey2001 on the heads up re Nottingham 8/9 GCSE scoring. I've just checked to confirm it's true. That's useful to DD. I've been lobbying for Nottingham and this will be an added piece of supporting evidence 😊

Wow, looks like DD got through by the skin of her teeth if Nottingham are now scoring 8s and 9s differently, I hadn’t realised that had been updated.

Possibly yet another Covid side effect, or they feel enough time has passed since the new grading system came in.

@KingscoteStaff Few years ago DD had 2 before Xmas and 2 after, so does depend on the Uni (& if back to normal or not).

@sandybayley need any info my DD is a 3rd year there.