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??

I assume things will have changed at Edinburgh. We knew several London students people who went, pre Brexit, but all would have classified as home/EU so would have been given the same consideration as Scottish students including zero fees. (RUK students did not classify as home students so did not have to receive equal treatment.) Post Brexit, they won't, and will have to pay international fees, so probably won't be applying.

Brexit and Covid19 together have made predictions a nightmare for admissions officers.

[quote Monkey2001]**@mumsneedwine* I am amazed they found 195 people to interview from RUK if they needed 8A, at least 2xA* +A at A level, band 1 and UCAT over 3000! Less than 1,400 people got at least 3000, a lot of them would not have got Band 1, and some would have been international or Scottish, a very high proportion of the ones left must have been interviewed at Edinburgh.[/quote]
I wonder if numbers were down for interviews this year, as many places interviewed (and offered) less due to the CAGs situation. Edinburgh took quite a few more last year and you do wonder whether they also had some deferred using places for 2021, again lowering interview and offer numbers.
The gap between 2930 (top decile for 2020 entry) and 3000 may not sound a lot, but like you say, there would be a lot of people in that gap!

@Needmoresleep

I assume things will have changed at Edinburgh. We knew several London students people who went, pre Brexit, but all would have classified as home/EU so would have been given the same consideration as Scottish students including zero fees. (RUK students did not classify as home students so did not have to receive equal treatment.) Post Brexit, they won't, and will have to pay international fees, so probably won't be applying.

Brexit and Covid19 together have made predictions a nightmare for admissions officers.

Yes, Scottish applicants did well out of Brexit, as they got all the previous EU slots added to their pot. Not sure how many it was for Edinburgh, but for Aberdeen was around 70-140 interviews a year and at Glasgow around 80 interviews a year

It's a shame there aren't 'bonus' points for having two Edinburgh alumni as parents. That would help DD 😊

@GANFYD - thanks so much for your help. You gave my DD advice yesterday over on TSR after her UCAT and she was very grateful. She's a bit sad that Edinburgh is probably too risky but better to know.

@SandyBayley

It's a shame there aren't 'bonus' points for having two Edinburgh alumni as parents. That would help DD 😊

@GANFYD - thanks so much for your help. You gave my DD advice yesterday over on TSR after her UCAT and she was very grateful. She's a bit sad that Edinburgh is probably too risky but better to know.

Bless her - it should at least give her Home status! Happy to look at her stats again later in the cycle when Edinburgh publish this year's stats, but sadly it often comes down to whether studying medicine or going to a particular uni is more important! Good luck with her application

@GANFYD thanks for all you do on TSR. I often read your advice & pass it on to my students. I'm afraid I've advised all of mine this year to avoid Scotland as it's too risky. And other Unis are more likely to provide that interview. Lincoln v popular this year for some reason. And Sunderland (the free accommodation is v welcome for my lot).

[quote mumsneedwine]@GANFYD thanks for all you do on TSR. I often read your advice & pass it on to my students. I'm afraid I've advised all of mine this year to avoid Scotland as it's too risky. And other Unis are more likely to provide that interview. Lincoln v popular this year for some reason. And Sunderland (the free accommodation is v welcome for my lot). [/quote]
Thank you, that is very kind.
I have last one (hopefully) going off this year, so not sure I can be so bothered to keep up to date, but also feel there are lots of kids out there that do not have the advantages ours have - like parents to help research things! So maybe I will cut back a bit - or maybe not!
I agree that Scotland was especially bad this year, as even Aberdeen seemed to need really high scores - mind you, my latest did not listen and applied to 2!!
Lincoln is lovely and linked with Nottingham, who are very organised. The new scoring system this year is likely to put them out of reach for many, sadly, though a B1 evens the odds a little.
Sunderland is less aesthetically lovely, but it has its moments and has a special place in my heart as it is where I met my hubby!

@GANFYD I got so interested when mine was applying I started the Medsoc society at school and it's gone mad ever since. Went from getting 1 or 2 in to 24 offers (med/dentist/vet) this year. The kids now apply with the right strategic knowledge and better UCATs since I convinced school to subscribe to Medify. I've become quite good friends with several admissions people along the way - I'm never afraid to call (in normal times) and ask a stupid question 😊. And beg a few of them to visit school to run interview sessions.
Trying to level that playing field just a little bit - you have done much more on TSR as kids all know about you.
Not sure my DD would agree that Notts are organised 😂.

[quote mumsneedwine]@GANFYD I got so interested when mine was applying I started the Medsoc society at school and it's gone mad ever since. Went from getting 1 or 2 in to 24 offers (med/dentist/vet) this year. The kids now apply with the right strategic knowledge and better UCATs since I convinced school to subscribe to Medify. I've become quite good friends with several admissions people along the way - I'm never afraid to call (in normal times) and ask a stupid question 😊. And beg a few of them to visit school to run interview sessions.
Trying to level that playing field just a little bit - you have done much more on TSR as kids all know about you.
Not sure my DD would agree that Notts are organised 😂.[/quote]
It certainly sucks you in! I also started with the eldest who had "difficult" stats and have ended up far more involved with med admissions than I ever thought I would.
Anything that levels the playing field is great and it must be very satisfying to do it for people you actually get to meet

@GANFYD there is a v big chance I will be crying on Tuesday. Results day always a bit emotional and this year they are coming in to get them. I'm taking lots of tissues 😊🤗.

[quote mumsneedwine]@GANFYD there is a v big chance I will be crying on Tuesday. Results day always a bit emotional and this year they are coming in to get them. I'm taking lots of tissues 😊🤗.[/quote]
Best of luck to all of them, and I hope they appreciate all the effort you put in

Hello all! Having started this thread months ago, this is the first time I’ve checked back in ages, mainly because I stopped getting alerts when someone posted something. Great to see so many helpful and supportive comments from those that have “been there, done that”, thank you!!

DD has just over a week before her UCAT. Has been practicing hard using medify, averaging 2900 (apart from one blip). She’ll be doing the official UCAT papers this week. She’s got mostly 9s at GCSE, predicted AAA, has done all the virtual work experience available plus a week shadowing our GP pre-COVID. Also waitresses at a cafe at the weekend (so interacts with adults) and volunteers at the hospital COVID vaccination centre. Doing EPQ on a medically related topic (not Covid) which she is really enjoying. Not sure what else she needs to do! Although she wishes she had hospital work experience…..

Would appreciate advice on the best universities to apply in her situation. Current shortlist (it changes day to day) is Sheffield, Nottingham, Cardiff, Southampton and Oxford. I have suggested Bristol as she would receive a contextual offer also. We are waiting to see what UCAT score she gets.

Oxford obviously needs the BMAT and BMAT appears to be a different beast to UCAT. Wondering if, post-UCAT she still wants too sit the BMAT what the best resources are. I have heard that there is something called BMAT Ninja. Anyone know if it’s any good?

Thanks

@notmedicmum hi. If she gets 2900 on UCAT (& B1 for Notts) then all those choices are great. Bristol would be a good back up if gets contextual as AAC is nice to have as an option.
BMAT is more knowledge based so Ninjas good but expensive and can do past papers to get an idea of the format and level of knowledge required. This is helpful from Cambridge

www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/bmat/preparing-for-bmat/practice-papers/

Here's the Ninja

6med.co.uk/bmat/ninja/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt46VxeSh8gIVM4FQBh0swAo4EAAYASACEgIeuvD_BwE

That’s reassuring, thanks v much! What’s B1(For Nottingham)? Am I being dense?

@notmedicmum sorry. SJT 1. They are giving it double weighting this year, as well as verbal reasoning. Sheffield use SJT as one of the stations at interview so get max points if get a 1. To get 1 just follow the GMC guidelines and can't go too far wrong.

@notmedicmum I don't know if it's changed, but when DD applied for Bristol, she had the contextual AAC offer, but they specified As in both chemistry and biology. This would have meant that she could get a C in maths- but as that was her strongest subject it didn't really help, if you see what I mean! So, in the end she didn't choose Bristol. It might have changed, but it's worth checking on what contextuals actually mean.
She went to Cardiff and is very happy there!

Last year they weirdly didn't specify (I checked, twice). But I'm the end no one needed the contextual anyway so not sure what they'd have done if got a C in chemistry. Still nice to know you can get a C in your 3rd subject if you're worried.

Bristol website still says A in Chemistry

@Monkey2001 the website said that but the actual offers on UCAS didn't. I called Bristol (was for 2019 entry) and they said grades could be in anything. As it was both got all As so never found out if this was right or wrong.

Bristol is not a favourite with DD anyway. I took her around the campus a few weeks ago and she was underwhelmed. Even walking up to Clifton didn’t convince her but it’s a back up option like you said, @mumsneedwine and beggars can’t be choosers

@notmedicmum my eldest hated Bristol on sight. Youngest now happily there and loves it 🤷‍♀️

Interesting re Bristol and Chemistry as there are a lot of applicants who are weak at Chemistry who qualify for contextual at Bristol who would love to know they could get in with a C!

Notmedicmum, the medical school is one thing, but Bristols big advantage is the range of placements. The GPs are in both rural and urban areas; I think one of DDs was on a farm and that they have one for homeless people. Then two large teaching hospitals in Bristol, plus a range of small and medium sized hospitals spread across the West Country from Swindon to Yeovil. So a good chance to see the full diversity of patients.

In addition they allow external intercalation, which not all medical school do. (For example Nottingham limit you to the course they offer.) I recently met a newly qualified doctor who warned me that the field DD wants to specialise in is seriously competitive. However she agreed that DDs intercalation, at Imperial, would impress when she came to apply for junior doctor jobs, . DD is now planning on applying to F1/F2 to less popular deaneries, but deaneries which have a strong reputation in the area she wants to work in.

The Severn deanery, along with the London ones, is really popular for F1/F2. DD has been there at UG level, so has been there, done that and will spend the following two years hopefully in the right field not worried about location.

It depends. All medical schools produce doctors. However some provide broader experience, or better pathways, particular if an applicant is interested in more academic medicine.

@Monkey2001 I'd say check with Bristol ! As I said we didn't try ours out as both got that A in chemistry. No one applied this year - we get lots of contextual places so they have a choice.
And DD is v proud of her BMedSci and is now happily a 4th year with an extra degree and without having to take an extra year, with the costs this involves. Money matters to some I'm afraid.
Wherever they end up they'll enjoy and become doctors.

All medical students are eligible for 4 years student finance, and then get an NHS bursary for the remaining one or two years.

There is a huge range of careers in medicine. Rightly or wrongly, it probably helps to have taken six years, with a relevant intercalation, if you are interested in academic or research medicine or a competitive specialisation.

As for all doctors enjoying medicine, one of the best pieces of advice my daughter says she was given was to stay away from the moaners. Like teaching and other rewarding professions, some seem to gain most satisfaction from continual complaint, to the extent she wonders why somd bothered to apply in the first place. . DD found it both wearing and contagious. Her friends who started graduate medicine a year ago, confirmed that it is easier to enjoy medicine if you surround yourself with others who also enjoy it.