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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Medicine 2023 Entry

1000 replies

opoponax · 21/01/2022 19:05

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
justjuggling · 25/08/2022 22:06

mumsneedwine · 25/08/2022 19:30

@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 🫣

Thank you so much for your replies, I really appreciate it. So do you think Southampton is too risky? Such a shame as she really liked it.

mumsneedwine · 25/08/2022 22:33

@justjuggling it is risky. But, if he absolutely loves it then use it as a punt as the score is v close to previous cut offs. None of us know what the score needed this year will be. So choose 3 safer options and keep fingers crossed.
I always bear on the side of caution and suggest those safer options. But I've had many students go against me because of a real love for a place and mange to get in. It's a game of odds !

mumsneedwine · 25/08/2022 22:34

@justjuggling apologies. She. Not he. Yes the gin is out again. GCSE results day and it was epic. Students smashed 2021 results by actually sitting exams.

justjuggling · 25/08/2022 23:04

Thank you @mumsneedwine - you definitely deserve the gin. I feel like I’ve let my daughter down really by not being totally on top of this. Her school has not offered any support at all and now I’m thinking I should have poked my nose in much earlier. 😔

mumsneedwine · 25/08/2022 23:10

@justjuggling your nose has poked at just the right time 😊. She just needs to choose 4 that she has a good chance of getting an interview at. She has great stats so it's v possible. There are lots of open days coming up (Nots have one on 17th) so if can visit a few of the 'safer' options.
I love UEA as it's a fantastic hands on course on a lovely campus. Lincoln is really lovely too. She has options. Now she needs to maximise interviews. You've helped her by coming here as she's more clued up than others.

justjuggling · 25/08/2022 23:21

mumsneedwine · 25/08/2022 23:10

@justjuggling your nose has poked at just the right time 😊. She just needs to choose 4 that she has a good chance of getting an interview at. She has great stats so it's v possible. There are lots of open days coming up (Nots have one on 17th) so if can visit a few of the 'safer' options.
I love UEA as it's a fantastic hands on course on a lovely campus. Lincoln is really lovely too. She has options. Now she needs to maximise interviews. You've helped her by coming here as she's more clued up than others.

Thank you, that’s so kind. She is such a good kid and so wants it and I just hate the thought that I’ve let her down in any way. We’ve booked on to the UEA open day and will look into Lincoln too. This is a great thread, have spent the day reading it on and off, so supportive. 🙂

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 26/08/2022 00:04

@justjuggling Plymouth is also worth looking at and possibly KMMS. KMMS has an obscure and non transparent way of selecting for interview - so it is a risk, but her GCSEs will be contextualised against her school average GCSE score, which if it is a failing comprehensive, she is likely to have done much better than the school average. They are available Wed lunchtimes on Instagram to discuss admissions. I think many are (rightly) put off applying due to the complex interview candidate selection process, but she might consider it and Canterbury is a nice uni city.

Having said that UEA is really great too so definitely worth a visit. She definitely has options.

Cratos · 26/08/2022 06:16

Hi All, I have been following the recent posts. It is certainly an exciting and stressful time for us all. My DS has got his UCAT at the end of August. I think that he has not prepared enough. He is using Medify and Medentery currently. He is getting scores around 2700 for his mock exams but I am unsure if he will achieve that or if he can improve his score at the actual exam. Should we postpone the exam? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am grateful for this thread. Thank you so much.

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 26/08/2022 07:45

In dd's experience the UCAT score was towards the top of her average scores, but still 100 marks off her top score. There are certainly places he could apply to but he might be limiting his options. Has he tried watching some of the you tube channels on exam technique? They were really useful for bumping up the marks. Also don't ignore the SJT which was harder and being below band 2 can limit choices.

I guess it also depends whether he is planning to sit the BMAT or has exams to bump up predicted grades in September. It is all a balancing act.

Maybe discuss using the chart which places he might get in with 2700 and what he thinks. He will be limiting his choices but they are all ultimately equivalent. Depends how much he cares about where he goes.

mumsneedwine · 26/08/2022 09:54

@Copperas DD has graduate friends who work as HCAs. Yes it tough, but needs must. No one should have to give up, especially graduates who by final year will be classed on their own incomes, so should receive the full NHS bursary and student loan. And all Unis gave hardship funds if they are struggling.
Doing graduate medicine is expensive, always has been.

mumsneedwine · 26/08/2022 11:05

@Copperas reread that and it sounds a bit harsh. Sorry.
I think getting through medical school is financially hard,unless you are rich (& many of them are !). DD has worked 2 summers, and also throughout the first lockdown, while also writing a dissertation. She worked from 16 in a supermarket as she knew it was going to be costly. She did everything right, including choosing a cheaper city to live in.
But with energy costs going up we will now have to help out again I'm sure. With a younger one also at Uni we will be supporting 3 households on not massive wages. I am frankly a bit worried.

Monkey2001 · 26/08/2022 15:09

@Copperas Graduate medicine is an odd thing - the funding model does not really work for grads, particularly if they do a non-graduate course. It is frustrating that schools and people in general think that graduate medicine is an option for people who don't manage to get in Y13. It is not - it takes longer (7 years even if you get onto a GEM course), costs more (if doing A100 as a grad you have to fund your own fees for the first 4 years, making it harder to save for the funding gap in Y5/6) and is MUCH more competitive if you are trying to get a place on a GEM course. Also WP advantages are lost if you apply as a grad at many places.

Whilst there are so many people desperate to study medicine there is little pressure on the govt to increase funding. The £5k pa is absolutely earned by nurses, who are properly useful from the start and helps to encourage applicants. The model clearly isn't working, I don't understand why SFE reduce the loan so much in Y5/6, it might make sense to deduct the bursary, but not to reduce overall funding available to each student.

It is something to be aware of when deciding between 5 and 6 year courses.

@Cratos we can't answer that as it will be different for different people. Burn out is a thing and some people just don't get on with the UCAT and once they have done the initial familiarisation will not really improve. I think mental state is HUGELY important, so I would be encouraging a routine where they are doing a mock at the same time of day as the actual test and getting enough exercise, rest, sleep, food, drink to be at their best.

justjuggling · 26/08/2022 17:41

Cratos · 26/08/2022 06:16

Hi All, I have been following the recent posts. It is certainly an exciting and stressful time for us all. My DS has got his UCAT at the end of August. I think that he has not prepared enough. He is using Medify and Medentery currently. He is getting scores around 2700 for his mock exams but I am unsure if he will achieve that or if he can improve his score at the actual exam. Should we postpone the exam? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am grateful for this thread. Thank you so much.

Hi Cratos. My DD got approx 150/175 lower on the actual UCAT compared to the mock ones she did at home and I’m not convinced she’d have done any better with another week or two practising. As it is, she’s just glad it is done now, is cracking on deciding what her realistic best options are and getting ready to sit the BMAT. The response to the process seems to be different for everyone with no perfect way to approach it!

Cratos · 26/08/2022 23:03

Thank you all for your advice 🙏🏼fingers crossed

Ihavethisthingwithcolour · 27/08/2022 01:08

Hello everyone.

I’ve been lurking on these various medicine entry threads for a while..

Can I join? My ds has had medicine on his mind for a while now but getting all a* and 2 as yesterday he now feels confident to go for it.

he’s young for his yr so has only just turned 16. He starts yr 12 in a few weeks (at a state sixth form). He is going to go and volunteer next week for a few hours each day at my dads dementia home.

I know this is for entry 23’ but can I ask what else ds could be doing right now?

I’m not remotely medical but I do have friends he could probably shadow etc.

The strategic planning of where to apply sounds very daunting. We’ve just been on a train journey and we looked at a bmat pass paper - it was quite fun - a good way to pass the time 😉

Apologies for being so green and/or asking silly questions!

tia

GANFYD · 27/08/2022 02:03

Ihavethisthingwithcolour · 27/08/2022 01:08

Hello everyone.

I’ve been lurking on these various medicine entry threads for a while..

Can I join? My ds has had medicine on his mind for a while now but getting all a* and 2 as yesterday he now feels confident to go for it.

he’s young for his yr so has only just turned 16. He starts yr 12 in a few weeks (at a state sixth form). He is going to go and volunteer next week for a few hours each day at my dads dementia home.

I know this is for entry 23’ but can I ask what else ds could be doing right now?

I’m not remotely medical but I do have friends he could probably shadow etc.

The strategic planning of where to apply sounds very daunting. We’ve just been on a train journey and we looked at a bmat pass paper - it was quite fun - a good way to pass the time 😉

Apologies for being so green and/or asking silly questions!

tia

Whilst I am not going to say "there are no silly questions", asking what needs to be done is not one of them, especially if it is all new to you.
Have a read of this and see if it crystallises things you want to know!
docs.google.com/document/d/1oZtGNsHs71AzElhdWoAS7kdDvvrhuVtQOERUpUnGQds/edit#

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 27/08/2022 07:42

Loads of excellent advice in that document. I think applying to medicine is one area where having a supportive adult or two is really useful, I am generally a 'let them get on with it' person but I think taking an active interest as a sounding board has really helped. This is why sometimes I will write 'we'. The decisions though have all been from dd.

At this stage I would think about whether going to the open days is important for your ds. Dd definitely wanted to have seen the place and go to the talk - it is expensive though so you might want to narrow the list a little now and try to see some over the autumn as well as the summer. You will find that some open days clash, the 10th of September is insanely busy as an open day. There are generally also online recordings as a legacy from covid years which are really useful for sifting out places.

We discussed what dd wanted in a uni town - they are there for five years so location is important and a useful way to weed out places. We quickly ruled out London for example. She also wanted early patient contact so ruled out Oxbridge. I am guessing from the A* that you are possibly not in Scotland, we ruled Scotland out because it is harder for someone outside of Scotland to get into medicine in the places she liked due to fewer RUK (rest of UK) places. We also looked at teaching style, disection/ prosection/ virtal anatomy, all detailed on GANFYD's document.

We ended up with a list of about ten places she wanted to see. I think you could easily aim for less than that, maybe six. I would though recommend having a few lower UCAT/BMAT options in there so if they go badly (and you don't know BMAT when you apply) it doesn't seem like the end of the world. If you can see a few of the nearer ones on your list this year, it will ease the process next year. Try not to get too attached to any one university because if he is applying strategically there is absolutely no point in applying somewhere he won't get an interview.

Another thing that I have done is lurk on The Student Room where GANFYD and the other volunteers field no end of (sometimes silly) questions from prospective students. Dd found it all quite hectic, but I guess being one step removed I find it easier and I draw her attention to important posts.

Obviously also focusing on the A levels (or equivalent) is really important, especially for those unis who use predicted grades in determining interview invites. A few reduce the offer if he has an EPQ. Biology and Chemistry are the most useful, only Cambridge I think want maths so unless he loves maths go for something he can get an A in. Only do three A levels, very few (think only QMUL) give any credit for doing more A levels or an AS. Ultimately see it as at least a two year process to include plans for a gap year, then if he gets an offer in yr13 it is a bonus. It is much easier though to repeat the UCAT/BMAT than A levels so they need to be a priority. Do not do another degree with a plan to do graduate medicine, it is more competitive and more expensive. There are quite a few unis which take students with resits but sometimes they ask for higher grades.

Volunteering and work experience is great but try to get a variety and don't overcommit.

Finally if he is deciding between medicine and something else the general advice seems to be to do the something else. Also buy lots of wrinkle cream and hair dye for yourself!

mumsneedwine · 27/08/2022 10:57

"Also buy lots of wrinkle cream and hair dye for yourself"😂😂😂

Sooo true. There is a reason for my username too 🍷

Ihavethisthingwithcolour · 27/08/2022 13:52

Thank you so much for this! @GANFYD and @Unexpecteddrivinginstructor 🙏🏻

I’ve spent the morning reading through all this.
I think ds would prefer a small town near the countryside…

ok, so another stupid question probably…
should we be looking at open days this autumn while he’s in yr 12? His sixth form is state and he went to a comprehensive so he might not get much help… but we’ll see.

thanks so much again!

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 27/08/2022 14:09

We did look at our nearest one in autumn yr12 then most of the rest in Spring/ summer y12. The applications need to be in by mid October of yr13 so it doesn't leave much time to visit the autumn ones in yr13. It does though mean that he is looking at unis without knowing his UCAT score - he won't know BMAT before he applies anyway. I think either you end up attending far more open days than necessary or not being able to see them before applying due to clashes, UCAT revision etc.

Smaller towns near countryside often have lower UCAT/BMAT requirements and all medical degrees are equivalent. Will PM you.

mumsneedwine · 27/08/2022 14:15

@Ihavethisthingwithcolour I work at a comp and like to think my students get pretty good advice, so you might be surprised.
And I really would not get hung up about location as UCAT score will determine where you apply.
We went to 6 in the summer of year 12, having narrowed down choices to dissection, early patient contact and no where near London.

Ihavethisthingwithcolour · 27/08/2022 14:23

@mumsneedwine this is good to know re comprehensives thank you. 🤞🏻 Difficult to know exactly until he’s started …

Anothernamechangeplease · 27/08/2022 16:36

My dd is at a state comprehensive, and the support that they have received has been excellent in my view.

Cratos · 27/08/2022 19:05

I wondered if anybody has any experience and/or advice about Plymouth University? We live in the South and this uni might be an option but we couldn't visit it. Exeter, London, Bristol, Cardiff and Cambridge are not going to be possible it seems like.

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 27/08/2022 19:41

They have an open day coming up beginning of October. They have an emphasis on early clinical experience. Placements are in Devon and Somerset. Seemed friendly and had a supportive atmosphere. It is rather concrete but modern facilities. Good for watersports and Dartmoor nearby, at the open day they were keen that people chose it for the life balance it offers (not just because it usually has a low ucat threshold!). Other places he might look at are Southampton, UEA and KMMS (if his GCSEs were much better than average for his school).

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