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.

@GANFYD quick hijack of thread. Eldest DD has the 'real' SJT coming up in December and they've been told it's a bit of a lottery. Any tips ? She's not planning on a competitive Deanery anyway so not massively important but be nice to do ok. Registering with GMC this week and it's all getting a bit real, and hoping she learns left from right by next year.

The left/right thing was a bit of a problem for DS1 when learning to drive - he was so used to seeing the left side of the body on the right side of an image that left and right were no longer instinctive!

......not that I thought you meant that literally!

@Monkey2001 Oh I did. She has to use her hands to see which one forms the L 😂. How she's got to 5th year bemuses me sometimes.

Oh no, DS was fine with L/R before medical school. If you have a problem with L/R and then have to reverse for the patient, that must be a nightmare! I can really see how you get those stories of doctors removing the wrong limb!

My dd is the same and so am I!😅

@GANFYD thanks so much for your kind and helpful reply - lots of food for thought which I shall pass on to him. He’s gone off to Reading Festival with a bunch of friends today - hopefully just what he needs to take his mind off the blooming UCAT etc for a few days!

Sorry, I don't know anything about the SJT - not had one get that far yet, and I am not involved with it at all, just clinical finals. But I wish her the best of luck - I still have to think which hand I'd hold a pen in and reverse it for the patient!!

I also have to think which hand I hold a pen in to determine my left from right. I thought it was just me!

Thanks @GANFYD . DD tells me she's going to just go with her gut. She's been merrily working as an F1 this week under the guise of training - think it's really due to lack of staff.
Anyone going to Nottingham for the open day on 17th, DD is one of the ambassador people. If you are on her tour I'm v sorry - she will get you lost in the medical school. If she says go right, you'll go left. Sorry 😂

Eldest DD has the 'real' SJT coming up in December and they've been told it's a bit of a lottery. Any tips ? She's not planning on a competitive Deanery anyway so not massively important but be nice to do ok.

Probably best to talk to F1s about this, as they've done it a few months ago. Does she meet F1s regularly on the wards?

I presume she's done the sample questions linked to from this page and the practice papers. It largely comes down to making sure people are aware when there's a problem without generating hostile confrontation or immediately escalating it to an inappropriate level, the importance of trying to understand why situations are arising, and not doing other people's jobs for them.

It's always a challenging assessment for students who have been pushed over several years into having everything else assessed by single best answer questions. It is largely the fact there isn't one correct answer to each question that makes it appear random, when actually it isn't. Has she done the prescribing safety assessment (PSA) yet? That's a bit more of a conventional exam but it still stresses students out because it's not all single best answer format.

There are loads of tips available on web sites, although many of these are to some extent out of date inasmuch that they refer to the old paper-based test.

He re calculated his Nottingham score at 121, he'd been using 10 GCSEs instead off 8 .
He's thinking of looking at Exeter instead as an option or adding in another BMAT uni ( Leeds) but that seems risky to me .
Thankful to have found this thread

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne thanks for the advice. She is usually shadowing F1s (if she's not pretending to be one), and they've all said it's a complete lottery and every doctor they've met would give a different answer. The consensus among medical students is that it's a random number generator to ensure not all the 'clever' students end up in London 😂.

She'll do some of the practice stuff nearer the time - it's not until December. But she's not too worried as the range of marks it gets is so small anyway.

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne and PSA is in Feb I think. Finals in March. MAST (no idea what this stands for) in April, elective after that. And then travelling until Black Wednesday.

@Hopeful646 Exeter need 3 A star predictions and a good UCAT - they use this as the tie breaker now it seems. BMAT is a good idea if he fancies spreading the risk. Be aware registration opens on 1st Sept and exam is back to being pen and paper and is earlier than last few years

The consensus among medical students is that it's a random number generator to ensure not all the 'clever' students end up in London 😂.

I sort of understand why they think that but, like most exams, you can pretty much guess in advance who will do well and who will do badly. The ones in the middle might be a bit more random. And I know a lot of clever students who don't want to do foundation training in London. In fact, all the recent graduates I'm aware of who have done FY in London have either been from London or have been chasing ultra-competitive surgical pathways. The ones on academic foundation programmes haven't wanted to go to London, and some of those have been among the very highest ranked graduates in the country. Quite a few of ours want to intercalate in London, but 1 year is often enough for them. I've just seen that one of our graduates from several years ago has got a prestigious research fellowship in London, but he'd never worked in London previously.

Our PSA sitting is in Feb, too. (There are sittings in Feb, Mar, Apr & Jun, but the latter are usually for resits.) MAST is Nottingham's medical assistantship: 6 weeks shadowing an F1. At least, it used to be 6 weeks. Not sure whether it still is.

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne thank you 😊. It is still 6 weeks shadowing I think. Then 6 weeks elective, looking like Australia at the moment.
At least none of them seem worried about the SJT as they think it's a bit of a joke, so that's one good thing. Takes the pressure off.

Hello, hope it’s ok if I join in? My DD will be starting year 13 in September and plans to apply for the 2023 med intake. Im feeling totally out of my depth with supporting her to make the best decisions to maximise her chance of a place and would be grateful for any advice.

She is doing maths, chemistry and biology a levels and predicted 3 A stars, she got 2 grade 8 GCSEs and the rest were all 9s. Regular state Comprehensive which requires improvement.

She did her UCAT today and scored 2760 with a band 1 for SJT.

She has a part time job working as an administrator in a local CAMHS service and has done quite a lot of volunteering with children as a netball coach and girl guiding young leader. Struggling to find volunteer opportunities in local care homes currently.

Her 2 top choices are BSMS and Cambridge (Pembroke) which I know require BMAT and she likes Bristol, Southampton and UEA. We live on the south coast and she’s not overly keen on being too far away but willing to go wherever she can get a place!

I’m not sure how applying strategically works but would BSMS, Cambridge, Southampton and Bristol be a reasonable application?

Any help or advice very gratefully received. Many thanks. 🙂

That's a similar score to my DD. Her UCAT score is not high enough for Bristol and probably not Southampton. There are much wiser Mnetters on here - the difficulty she has is applying to 2 BMAT unis before she knows how well she's done. I think UEA is probably a good option. My DD is looking at Nottingham as they score the SJ1 highly, possibly HYMS then maybe Leicester. Birmingham might be an option if her school is on the school list.

@justjuggling a very good answer from @Africa2go 😊. I'm afraid Bristol is out and Southampton would be very risky. With his SJT1 Nottingham and Lincoln look good (can score it here - need over 127

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

UEA, Plymouth, Exeter good too as 3A star predictions and a good UCAT. If doing BMAT and wants to use 2 spots it's not a bad idea, but is risky as you apply blind to your score. Be aware Cambs interview loads so offer rate is quite low.

Just cooking dinner but will be back shortly. No gin tonight I promise 🫣

@justjuggling this might help.

Are people worried about the shortfall in student loans etc for medical students? www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/funding-gap-threatens-future-for-medical-students

@Copperas they can get jobs in first 2 or 3 years in the summer. And many work as bank HCAs in term time. 5th year is tough and bank of mum and dad is usually needed. But if they want to do it they'll get there. If money is an issue stay away from London and Bristol. Other places are much cheaper to rent in.

Some can certainly. Not everyone can though except to the detriment of their studies. My ds tells me of friends in great distress thinking they may have to give up (graduate entry).

Graduate entry doesn’t have the holidays ☹️