Medicine 2022 entry

[Monkey2001]

Support thread for aspiring medics.

We want all our DCs to succeed, whatever their school type. We share knowledge to help them to achieve their goals, celebrate success and support if things don't go well.

As we press the "send and pay" buttons on UCAS, we wish all our DC the best of luck in this tough year with so much uncertainty.

You were one of the regular posters I was thinking of, @mumsneedwine! Along with @Monkey2001, as well as @GANFYD's excellent advice on TSR. Apologies for not naming any other regulars as I don't want to forget anyone and leave them out...

I guess a sticky would have to be quite generic so it didn't date eg things like what to consider when choosing a med school, where to find the info you need to decide how to apply strategically etc.

I know the info is out there in lots of places already but the same things come up on here every year so it could be helpful.

@chesirecat99 😊 I do think it would be helpful to understand the need for strategic applying as so many people just think they can apply where they like. Not sure how to do a sticky thing but happy to contribute.
UCAS has gone off today at my school so now we sit and wait (I hate this bit !).

This may be a bit late but can I ask you lovely wise MNers about DS' choices?

He didn't do great at GCSES but is predicted AAA

UCAT 2800 band 2

He's looking at

Bristol
Barts
Sunderland
&
Keele

What do you think his chances of getting an interview at those Universities will be?

I think 2800 is too low for Bristol @DuaLipaSuction - that's below the cut off for last year and it looks like scores will be higher this year.

Thank you @SandyBayley. I wasn't aware that the cut off was higher last year.

That's really helpful.

@DuaLipaSuction agree Bristol is risky (even with such a good UCAT). Maybe switch to Sheffield or Notts (if has SJT 1). Possibly Newcastle. The others look good.

@DuaLipaSuction sorry, seem SJT 2. UEA a possible.

UEA a possible.

Does that mean it's the only possible @mumsneedwine?

Maybe switch to Sheffield or Notts (if has SJT 1).

Isn't it worth applying to Sheffield with SJT 2 at all?

@DuaLipaSuction

This may be a bit late but can I ask you lovely wise MNers about DS' choices?

He didn't do great at GCSES but is predicted AAA

UCAT 2800 band 2

He's looking at

Bristol
Barts
Sunderland
&
Keele

What do you think his chances of getting an interview at those Universities will be?

Bristol - as others have said, cut off was 2830 last year. It might go down because people with UCAT between 2800 and 2850 see it as too risky, but he has safer choices.

Sheffield - band 2 fine. You lose 1 point out of potential 40 or so. Cut off was 2740 last year, so should be fine. You said GCSEs weren't great, Sheffield requires 5 grade 7+ and 6:in maths, one science and English.

Barts - depends on whether he has other UCAS points for things like music. What is his UCAS tariff?

Keele and Sunderland - depends on his work experience.

Without knowing his GCSE results, safest options - ARU, Edge Hill, KMMS if his GCSE results were good for his school, Southampton, UEA.

Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchester if GCSEs meet requirements,

[quote mumsneedwine]@DuaLipaSuction agree Bristol is risky (even with such a good UCAT). Maybe switch to Sheffield or Notts (if has SJT 1). Possibly Newcastle. The others look good.[/quote]
@DuaLipaSuction Newcastle UCAT cut-off was really high last year too, very close to Bristol's, I think around 2810. Of course, depends what happens this year though.

Thanks Monkey. Much clearer ! SJT 2 fine for Sheffield.

Thank you so much to everyone who has answered so far.

To clarify his UCAS points are 152 and his GCSEs are:

Maths 9
Further Maths 8
Business 8
Biology 8
Chemistry 7
Physics 7
English Language 6
English Literature 6
Geography 6
German 6
RE 6

I think that means that Liverpool and Manchester are both out?

@DuaLipaSuction Sheffield looks a good choice. They look for 5 7s snd then it's all down to UCAT. Need good work experience for Keele and Barts so assume he has that.
UEA also a good option, as is Kent. Hope this might help (thanks again to Monkey 😊)

@dualipasuction I would say Bart's is a bit risky - one of the examples they give is 168 points with 2750 UCAT. There are a lot of people with extra points from music etc.www.qmul.ac.uk/smd/undergraduate/courses/admissions-statistics-for-medicine--dentistry/

Sheffield a good option, maybe Plymouth, Southampton, UEA.

If he likes Manchester and Liverpool he could resit Eng Lang. As long as be was predicted a 7 he would get interviews at both, but offer would be subject to getting the 7.

Dog walking right now, will answer more fully later.

..... and SGUL if he likes London

Just to add re Sheffield, that last year they were really clear and transparent with their timelines for offering interviews and also gave out their offers on over a period of a few days from a pre-determined date, rather than drip feed them in batches over weeks/months like many of the others do. Also, there is some leeway for dropping a grade if you get an A or above in an EPQ, if your DS is doing one.

Sheffield are always so lovely and transparent. Stick to the dates, v clear about procedures and give out interview questions in advance. It's a fab course too.

Hi
Would like to join this thread as DD applying for med school for 2022.
2nd time around for her, she previously applied in 2019. Accepted a deferred offer for Kings, but unfortunately
Missed her offer as got a B instead of an A in her chem. Was planning to take a gap year anyway, then covid struck so skipped 2020
Found out this year that there were some schools that she could apply to with her B grade, plus an EPQ A/A* So she has decided to to
Reapply for 2022. I was a regular poster on the 2019 thread, under a different username. Found it very supportive. I recognise some of the posters still here , Monkey2001 glad to see your DS was successful second time around. Mumsneedwine, and needmoresleep also familiar posters.

DD has done well in her UCAT surpassing her score in 2019. So hopeful for interviews. Has spent the time since working in a hospital, volunteering with St John's Ambulance, and administering covid jabs. Hoping to be successful this year.

Welcome back @kellysi, I hope your DD has managed to make good use of her gap years. A year of extra maturity certainly helped my DS.

Looks like Sheffield and Newcastle might be the most popular courses on here this year. Nottingham losing out because there is so much uncertainty around the new Admissions scoring.

Everyone loves Sheffield and their Director of Admissions, Julian. Definitely the most engaging open day talk we went to (and we went to quite a few)!

I am going to try to inset a strategic application chart I made, it is a bit late now really, but I had difficulty getting a format which I could upload on here - my computer died and I am a little old one my kids had and trying to get used to Windows again!

@mumsneedwine it is an update on my old one.

Does anyone else think that applications at ARU, Aston and Plymouth are going to absolutely rocket? I've talked to a few students where those are historically almost their only options due to 3rd/4th decile UCAT scores but I'm seeing so many people on TSR with 5th-7th decile scores who were bitten by applications to Bristol and Newcastle last year who are applying to those 3.
I'm really worried that their cut offs are going to be higher than others and my students would unexpectedly have been able to get offers from Newcastle or others that they've completely ruled out..
It's going to be another tricky year isn't it?!

Aston was always going to rocket because of the grade inflation on GCSEs - in 2020 the number of people getting all 9s in GCSEs was 2,645 (2019 - 837), grades 7-9 in England went up from 20.6% of entries in 2019 to 25.9% in 2020. I am expecting to see jumps at Birmingham, Leicester, King's and the Scottish ones which use GCSEs will be even more ridiculous than they already are!

I agree that the UCAT cut offs are going to see big jumps too.

@Monkey2001 😊 thank you. Mine is far too detailed to post anywhere ! Contains dentists, vets & all Gateway courses.

@Chilldonaldchill I have a sneaky feeling that Newcastle and Nottingham are going to have surprisingly low UCATs this year. It's a pure guess, but looking at the way things bounce around over the last 10 years it is possible as people put off.
Think ARU, Kent and other newer ones are going to be v popular choices.

Yes! A bit anxious that my advice (based on best interpretations of previous years and following TSR advice slavishly) will turn out to be worse.. however I suspect the reality is that students with low UCATs just won't get interviews anywhere this year...