Medicine 2022 - Decision time!

[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.

Lots of interviews now done, fingers crossed for lots of offers, but we know it is a tough year and that most applicants will have a bumpy ride. Best of luck everyone!

Previous thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/a4358647-Medicine-2022-entry?msgid=114590369#114590369

2023 applicant thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4459778-Medicine-2023-Entry

Really sorry to hear that @Energytearo. All the issues around fair administration of the BMAT are worrying. We had an Oxbridge evening at DD's school this week and I so wanted to ask what they were going to do about the unreliable BMAT execution . However, it wasn't the right forum for it as the admissions staff participating were not med school specific. It is so difficult to quantify the impact of disruption. It may have been 15 minutes in real time but it could also have been enough to destabilise the whole exam, especially for such an exam when the right mindset is so relevant to performance.

@Energytearo that is ridiculous! Losing 15 mins in BMAT is huge.

The way it worked at Leeds last time I looked was that the academic score was made up of GCSE or AS results, A level predictions (AAA got full points) and BMAT where they gave 5 points for the top 20% of their applicants, 4 for the next 20% and 3 for the next etc. To get an interview you could not get an interview if you dropped more than 2-3 points for the last few years. I am guessing the BMAT score was not in the top 40%. They should have made allowances but as so many applicants would have had full points for GCSEs with CAGs, I am guessing they took the easy way and used the BMATs as it would be really difficult to scale for lots of different problems.

I hope she has offers elsewhere.

I think Cambridge Assessment have demonstrated that they are not competent to do on line exams and they need to go back to paper.

It seems crazy that something as critical to the selection process has been so flawed..two years in a row. And if you look at Oxford this year, so much significance was attached to BMAT with GCSEs disregarded. I wonder how much it will put candidates off the BMAT options next year.

I think the Aug/Sep BMAT will run this year, so everyone except Oxford applicants can take that so they don't have to apply blind.

@Monkey2001 think it's already been cancelled.
Leeds rejections tonight for lots of mine. Some with perfect stats. All had issues with BMAT. I'm holding fire to send an email as I'm so angry.

That is really sad @mumsneedwine. Rejection is tough enough when it is a fair process.

@Energytearo

My DD was rejected from Leeds today (3rd pre-interview rejection) due to her academic scores (13 A GCSEs and AAAA predicted grades). Doesn't make any sense to me. What more do they expect? Leeds communications has been appalling. There has been no transparency at all. And we are encouraged not to respond.

If it is any consolation, @Engergytearo (although i imagine it isn't) - it seems from TSR like the Leeds rejection email was just a cut and paste job - there were people who received emails saying the reason for rejection was their A levels were not good enough, and they had done the IB! ie they are clearly not being transparent across the board in giving these so called "reasons". The only bit of encouragement I can suggest is that TSR has been flooded with people who didn't get any offers last year, have taken a gap year, and have now got multiple offers - after researching strategically and with the added maturity and experience that working (eg as an HCA) can give. And most of them are now saying that they wouldn't change it, as they have learnt and grown so much from the extra year. That is, even if it turns into 4 pre interview rejections, that does not mean the end of the road.

Please also remember that Leeds was one of the unis that took extra candidates last year. That may have prompted more applications this year on the basis people thought they were undersubscribed and would be more likely to have space this year.

DS got an offer from Southampton yesterday. We are over the moon. It has been so hard this year. So sorry your DD had bad news today @energytearo. Fingers crossed for her last choice.

Congratulations @speedyhedgehog. Great news.

Really sorry to hear about your DD @Energytearo. I hope her 4th choice comes through.

Congratulations @speedyhedgehog DS! We have an offer from Southampton too!

Congratulations @speedyhedgehog. I have lost track, is that his first offer?

Great news @speedyhedgehog! My godson is at S'ton and loving it!

@monkey2001 - @mumsneedwine is correct that there is no September BMAT this year (www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/bmat/bmat-september/). I don't get the impression they're keen to reintroduce it any time soon.

Prospective applicants are often warned (e.g. by TheMedicPortal) not to apply to more than 2 BMAT schools. I think for now the that advice should be not to apply to more than 1. People really do need to make sure their UCAT performance is as good as it can be.

Ughh, there is really no excuse for cancelling the early BMAT again. I am apalled by CAT! If they muck up the administration again we need a petition to stop medical schools using BMAT.

Congratulations @notmedicmom! @monkey2001 yes this is his first offer, he is on the reserve list at sheffield and still on the waiting to hear list at bristol. Last choice he is unlikely to get an interview (KCL) but he wanted to try. I was worried for him. He is not a naturally chatty boy and takes time to warm up, not an option that works well in medical school interviews. It seemed like he'd done pretty well at interview but wasn't quite making the cut with being on reserve and waiting lists so far, so it is a massive, massive thing to get an offer. I have read it on here over and over 'you only need one offer' and we are so grateful for it in this house.

@speedyhedgehog

Congratulations *@notmedicmom! @monkey2001* yes this is his first offer, he is on the reserve list at sheffield and still on the waiting to hear list at bristol. Last choice he is unlikely to get an interview (KCL) but he wanted to try. I was worried for him. He is not a naturally chatty boy and takes time to warm up, not an option that works well in medical school interviews. It seemed like he'd done pretty well at interview but wasn't quite making the cut with being on reserve and waiting lists so far, so it is a massive, massive thing to get an offer. I have read it on here over and over 'you only need one offer' and we are so grateful for it in this house.

💜💜💜💜

@Millylovespuddles DD very keen to firm Queens offer and whilst hugely excited for her I definitely worry about the novelty wearing off and a smaller pool of friends due to students living at home and definitely leaving at the wkd . How is your daughter finding that aspect ? Am I over thinking it ?!!! 🙃

Has anyone heard anything from Liverpool?

Heading to Bristol with DD tomorrow. She has a 'why you should pick us' session in the afternoon, so we are going to spend the morning trying to orientate ourselves with accommodation areas / sports facilities / labs / lecture theatres etc etc. I think I'm right that they don't have a specific 'Med School' building?

The last time I was in Bristol was for my own university interview in 1987!!!!

@KingscoteStaff we looked round Bristol last summer and the definitely have a med school building.
If you can, take DD up to Clifton - it’s a lovely part of the city.

@ljw2025 we haven’t heard from Liverpool either

@KingscoteStaff from what I remember, Bristol had a large group of accommodation very close to the uni. Plus the main hospital is right next to the main campus

@justineatty socially it's hard to say how things might have been under normal circumstances. But DD has only been home once since Christmas and has a solid friendship group consisting largely of English and RoI and some NI peers. Her medic group of 10 is about half NI and half English/international. I think in years gone by, Irish students would have made up the majority of the Queens population, but there are definitely many more non-Irish there now. Also, the newer halls (BT1 and BT2) are in the centre of town and don't have the same number of students heading home at weekends. If I can help with any other queries, just shout.

@KingscoteStaff DD (vet though) at Bristol. Accommodation at Stoke Bishop (a bus ride) or in town. DD was at Orchard Heights. All of them are sociable so just need to decide if want to walk to town or not. Clifton is lovely - walk up to the bridge. And the walk along the river is also really nice, past the pubs and restaurants (3 storey Spoons). The hospital is massive and the children's hospital is right next door. Most 2nd years and above live in Redland - large Edwardian houses and tree lined roads.
Can't help with the course but DD loves the city. Loads of sports and societies and clubs and bars and shops. Expensive but seems a great place to live.