Medicine 2023 Entry

[opoponax]

Hi all,

I don't think there is a Medicine 2023 Entry thread yet, so it might be an idea to get one started.

Anyone out there with DC applying or reapplying for Medicine 2023, please join a friendly thread for mutual support and useful advice from those who understand the UK Medical School application process.

@Hopeful646 as a guide, I've made your score about 160, which would have secured an interview this year. Here's the guidance :

www.nottingham.ac.uk/medicine/study-with-us/undergraduate/undergraduate-medicine/undergraduate-selection-process.aspx

But I've guessed the other UCAT scores so please check carefully ! I think - score of 152 got interviews this year.

That's really helpful thank you

@Hopeful646 please please check the score and come back to us. And Birmingham looks like a good choice if contextual.

FYI everyone. BMAT date has been brought forward and is back to pen and paper. If you know about the last few years you'll know this is a v v v v v good thing 😊

www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/bmat/bmat-october/dates-and-costs/

He says he makes it 140 going by the Nottingham information . Would that still be ok to be offered an interview ? Thanks again

If he got a B2, that is unlikely, I'm afraid, as the whole thing is out of 152, and he would lose 15 for a B2.
He gets 32 for GCSEs, 45 for SJT, 16 for his VR and likely 28-30 for his other UCAT sections, depending on the breakdown, so a total of 121-123 looks likely. Cut off last year was around 127-129, and GCSE grade inflation may push that up this year, especially given the wide bands they score for UCAT

Ok thanks , Nottingham not a good option for him then in that case .

But Cambridge, Birmingham, Manchester all good for him.

A lurker here - have been following but haven’t yet posted on this topic. Long time Mumsnetter (18 years!).

I wonder whether you can give any advice or reassurance @Monkey2001 , @mumsneedwine @GANFYD ?

My son has set his heart on medicine. These are his grades etc:

• GCSE - 7 x 9s, 3 x 8s


• Alevels - predicted 3 A*s


• UCAT - got 2800 but (and here’s the problem….) band 3 in Situational Judgment

He had done lots of UCAT practice and had only ever got a band 1 or 2 SJT in all practices. But something went wrong in the real thing. He’s so disappointed and concerned he won’t now be considered for interview. He was hoping to apply to Manchester, Sheffield and Nottingham and with one of Liverpool, Newcastle or Southampton as his fourth choice. Sheffield is his preferred option.

Can anyone offer advice on whether these options are still open to him? He really doesn’t want to take a gap year but would do (to resit UCAT) if this is necessary.

Thanks in advance…

Hi @MakemineaGandT I am sure some of the experts will be along later. In the meantime I would look at the table from @Monkey2001 which is half way down page 2 of this thread, not sure if it is fully updated yet for 2023 entry. There are loads of options still available to him. Although some only select B1 and B2, many only reject B4 or don't use it at all. Others are marginally more risky with B3. Keele described it that there are many different pools of good potential medical students and the medical schools are all fishing from slightly different pools otherwise they would all catch the same fish. He just needs to find which pool he will do best in.

I am not entirely sure how it is used in interview at Sheffield - despite having read about it somewhere, but I think it is along the lines of each of 8/9 MMI stations is scored out of 5. So say the question about why medicine at Sheffield - a really good answer would get 5, a really bad answer would get 0 (or maybe 1). The SJT gets its own station, so someone with band 1 gets 5 marks, band 2 - 4 marks, band 3 - 3 marks etc. I think band 3 is still considered to have passed the station, but he would need to do better on another station than someone who got a band 1. If there are 9 MMIs then the total score is out of 45 and so in theory he could still get 43/45. I am sure an expert can clarify though.

There are still lots of options available to him though and only about 50% will get B1 or B2, so he is definitely not alone. Dd said SJT was much harder than the mocks she had practised.

I am sure he could get interviews but maybe just not at all his favourites. I would definitely try to apply strategically so he maximises his chances for four interviews and he might go to the interview and really love a wild card one. If not then at least see it as interview practise for next year.

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor Thank you so much for your reply - that’s really helpful. I’ve been awake since 5am worrying for him - aargh - it’s so tough isn’t it, that so much hangs on that two hour test. A whole school career of hard work can be messed up by just missing out on a few marks…..but I guess they need to select somehow. I’ll pass that info on to him. He’s going to go and speak to the careers advice person at school once term starts about where to apply strategically. I’ll update on how he gets on.

Best wishes to all in this nail-biting situation!

I think based on Monkey's table I would ditch Manchester and Newcastle but the others should be safer, there may though be even better ones to apply to. Does he have any contextual/ WP flags which might help or work experience?

I’ve been awake since 5am yes I have lost sleep over it at times and definitely more silver highlights. With 2800 he has lots of options. Presumably he doesn't want to go for the BMAT unis?

I think based on Monkey's table I would ditch Manchester and Newcastle Sorry @MakemineaGandT not Newcastle, ditch Nottingham - they reject B3 and B4. Too early, need a ☕️!

Newcastle needed a high UCAT though so not the safest. Would he consider Plymouth? Lower ucat, don't look at SJT

@MakemineaGandT of the ones you listed, Southampton is fine, Sheffield is OK if he really wants it, but will lose 2 points for B3. Liverpool have a dreadful offer to interview ratio, so I would not advise unless he really wants it, Manchester he would be on holistic assessment route, which makes it more risky, Nottingham is out.

Leicester is a great medical school which would suit his stats. Is Aberdeen too far? Aston, Exeter, QUB, SGUL.

I would be going with Leicester, Southampton, Sheffield and QUB or Aberdeen based on what you have said. DS1 loved Leicester at the open day, liked it much better than Edinburgh. The course has a lot in common with Sheffield.

@Hopeful646 Nottingham does sound a risk with B2 and I'm sure there's another one that he likes that is less of one. Plymouth, UEA, ARU ?

Thank you @Monkey2001 thats really helpful and I’ll show him - shame to have to rule out Nottingham but never mind. This whole process seems so arbitrary but I guess they’re all in the same boat

@MakemineaGandT lots of great advice already. Sheffield should be a good choice and it's a great course. I agree that Leicester is very similar. Not Nottingham with B3 these days, you lose so many points (entry stuff here if want to score it - add up better than I did last night 😂)

www.nottingham.ac.uk/medicine/study-with-us/undergraduate/undergraduate-medicine/undergraduate-selection-process.aspx

Thank you @mumsneedwine - I’ll suggest Leicester (I think it might have been on his radar already). He really likes the look of the Sheffield course as it’s a bit more practical/patient-focussed from the outset I believe. He was really impressed by the open day. I just hope they’ll interview him - aaargh

@MakemineaGandT good thing about Sheffield is their transparency. In a normal year they publish their UCAT cut off in late October/November(ish) and then start issuing interviews about a week later. But they have a v clear timeline on the website, which they update with info as they know more. If you are above the cut off, you get an interview. DD was interviewed there and says they are really kind and make it as stress free as possible. Good choice !

And huge apologies for my v dodgy adding up last night. There may have been gin involved - was on way home from a rather boozy long lunch 🫣. Note to self - don't post when full of Sipsmiths.
As wiser (& clearer) heads than mine have already said, Notts is out of 152 and you need about 127 for interview. So a B2 already drops you to 137 so would need an almost perfect UCAT and GCSEs to compensate. Notts seem to be using SJT as a heavy screening tool these days.

Aww, bless him. SJT is weird, as it is so unlike real life - my kids stopped asking me, as I argued avery answer!
He still has loads of choices, But I would avoid Nottingham, Newcastle and Manchester - very few B3s got interview at Manc last year.
Sheffield's use of SJT is discussed, and would not be a dealbreaker.
Courses that are similar where he should interview are Leicester (scores 60, cut off 58.5 last year, so even with grade inflation, should be fine), Dundee, Southampton, Aberdeen, QUB . Dundee the most risky of those, but probably would be OK, Aberdeen use pre-interview scoring for 50% of post interview score, so he would carry this forward. I make his QUB score 37, cut off 36, and they may be hit my grade inflation this year, but I really can't see they have anywhere much further to go! Plus check their 2023 scoring when it comes out, as they may spot this and change it!
There are lots of other options, but they are more PBL-y, but this suits people far better than they expect it to, generally, and Manchester of his original choices is similar.
Look at Plymouth, Exeter, ARU, Aston, Liverpool (recent poor interview to offer ratio, as noted, but should improve a bit this year, I think), UEA (use UCAT as 50% of interview score and SJT at interview, so 1 should balance the other a bit and B3s definitely got offers this year), Exeter, SGUL (actually do not think they are that PBL). If he has any more UCAS points lurking, then Barts comes into the mix. He is teetering on Kings' cut off in recent years, but I think they may also be affected by grade inflation (as will any that use GCSEs). Does he have contextual points for Brum? Would probably interview anyway, but they use SJT the same way as Sheffield.

I know it seems disappointing now, but he really has amazing stats, and you should be celebrating them (join mumsneedwine on the gin!), not worrying in bed! I don't usually make recommendations, especially not on TSR, where they would want to know what was wrong with the others, when the answer is nothing - I like all gins, but would choose Harris or Botanist, usually, given a choice, but am happy to give some if you feel it woudl help. You can PM me her or on TSR and I can look at them both in order of certainty to interview, risks post interview and what he wants from a course?

I love this, and no need to apologise, sounds like a lovely day!! I am like this all the time, and usually can only blame the menopause. For some bizarre reason I told some poor child on TSR to avoid Leicester with a gazillion A*s and about 2800 UCAT! No idea what was going through my head, but I tell them all to check it themselves, and luckily they clarified and some other poor mum politely told them I seemed to be talking rubbish! As my kids tell me all the time......😂😂

@GANFYD 🤭 was a good day, but I'm suffering a bit now. Afternoon nap on the cards I think. Need to have a clear head for tomorrow and GCSE day.