Medicine 2023 Entry - Part 2

[opoponax]

Anyone out there with DC applying or reapplying for Medicine 2023, please join a friendly thread for mutual support and useful advice.

@opoponax @mumsneedwine thank you. Can't decide between Liverpool and Manchester. Some are scaring us about Manchester being the most applied university in North so very competitive yet some are saying as @opoponax you mentioned about Liverpool low success rate. Manchester interview sounds quite scary too but DS thinks he would be more comfortable with Manchester style. I have not heard anyone say anything good about Manchester. On the other hand, we haven't heard much good about Liverpool offer rate. Very conflicted. Maybe we are now overthinking :( Our DS is in his first gap year so trying to maximise his chances

I think the main consideration with Manchester is how your DS feels about PBL. If he likes that style of learning and doesn't mind a large med school, I think it is a very solid choice. My DS got an offer from Manchester two years ago. He didn't find the interview scary. I think it is the luck of the draw with interviews and you could get a brusque interviewer at the friendliest of med schools. If his UCAT is really safe for Manchester and if it's about maximising his chances, I think I would opt for Manchester given the low Liverpool offer rate. But of course, his gut feel and personal choice are really important to consider too.

I would also say Manchester if he likes the course. They have a much better offer to interview rate - 369 places v Liverpool 309 and fewer interviews. Cut off last year 2730, so 2750+ should be very safe for an interview.

@opoponax @Monkey2001 Thank you. DS is also keen in Manchester so we will keep our fingers crossed and put Manchester as our final , fourth choice

Good morning!
Is there any statistics that we can look at about medical schools' final exam/assessment pass /success rates ? Like the school league tables.

@Cratos there are F1 lists but as each Uni examines differently and at different times it's hard to compare 'success'. Also, some allow years to be repeated and some don't. I wouldn't worry too much about it as most students who make it to 5th year will pass all the relevant exams - SJT, Prescribing as well as finals. Finals don't impact on the academic points at some Unis as they are too late in the process. For instance. All Nottingham 5th years know their points already.
If you Google UKFP it will bring up a long document on the Foundation programme which has all the data in.

@mumsneedwine thank you very much for sharing your insight. That is a relief.
I will check the document you mentioned.
I saw some posts on TSR yesterday from a while ago but it was a bit concerning.

@Cratos here it is. Grab a cup of tea before you start 😊

healtheducationengland.sharepoint.com/sites/UKFPOT/WebDocs/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FUKFPOT%2FWebDocs%2F3%2E%20Programmes%2F2%20Year%20Foundation%20Programmes%2F2%2E%20Foundation%20Programme%2F2023%2FUKFP%202023%20Applicants%27%20Handbook%20%2Epdf&parent=%2Fsites%2FUKFPOT%2FWebDocs%2F3%2E%20Programmes%2F2%20Year%20Foundation%20Programmes%2F2%2E%20Foundation%20Programme%2F2023&p=true&ga=1

Sounds like fun. Thank you 😀It asks me to sign in. Perhaps I need to use a another laptop with microsoft.

Oh not sure what happens. Try Googling UKFP applicants handbook. It's full of stuff - confuses the hell out of me but DD has vaguely explained how it works

Have been watching these threads on and off for a couple of years as DD has been set on medicine since year 10. always impressed by the support and knowledge. I can’t believe how much of a dark art it is- and how many fabulous kids the med schools miss out on. It seems a bonkers system. She had sent in her ucas and I’m gently worried she has too much risk, but I’m not opening that can of worms as she is happy with her choices . They have a very supportive medics group at college who didn’t flag it as a problem but she has gone for Edinburgh AND Bristol , alongside Southampton and Sheffield. She has 2850 score which she was chuffed with but seems like it might still be borderline for the first 2? 9s at gcse and predicted A*s .

On the plus side we have met lots of medics at open days who were graduate entry or who reapplied after A level so she does have a plan B. Her 5th choice sent her an offer straight away and I’m going ‘that’s what ucas is like if your don’t do medicine!’. Happily DD2 has no interest, I don’t think I could go through this twice.

Finally application done...phew! Now begins the waiting and then interview prep. Can I please ask suggestions on how to prepare for barts article? Does barts ask for a presentation on the article? How does it actually works at interview?

@Cathpot If I was in your position I would advise her to change Edinburgh for something else tomorrow unless she is contextual as it is very very unlikely that she will get an interview. She could apply for St Andrews Scottish route and plan 3 years in St Andrews and 3 years in Edinburgh. I assume she has a band 1 SJT? Bristol may go down a bit if they interview more this year, so less risky than Edinburgh, but still risky. Are the other 2 safe? With her stats there are not many unsafe options for an interview, unfortunately she has gone for the 2 which want the highest UCAT and her other excellent stats will not counteract the very good, but not excellent UCAT result.

Most people who have been in this for a long time would say plan for a gap year rather than graduate entry as that is even more competitive than undergrad entry, particularly if you can't afford to self fund fees for the first 4 years of A100. Sorry to be negative, but we go for honesty here!

DS1 has been asked to be an interviewer for St Andrews, I hope he does it as it would be really interesting to hear how it feels from the interviewer perspective.

@kk10 I don't have any expert advice, but this looks interesting www.themedicportal.com/blog/how-i-mastered-my-barts-medicine-interview/

You can google videos about Barts interviews - Youtube is a treasure trove!

@Cathpot having a supportive group is great but how many of them got interviews and offers in previous years? With her UCAT she should be able to get four interviews, but it depends how much she has looked at other places and whether she would rather take a year out and try again another year at her preferred courses.

That sounds exciting for ds1 @Monkey2001 poacher turned gamekeeper! Probably good experience for him for the future too.

Thank you @Monkey2001 . Yes Band 1. The issue is Edinburgh is the one she is really set on- and although she knew it was an outside chance she didn’t want to not apply and then regret it. It’s the realisation that Bristol is also high risk that is worrying me- that would be the one she would swap I think. She is doing an EPQ which I think helps with Sheffield ? We are in the southwest so a low uptake area but she doesn’t tick any WP criteria- although I have a vague memory of our postcode helping with Newcastle. I would need to double check . That’s good advice about the gap year. I didn’t even think about the funding . I’ll have to talk to her tomorrow. She doesn’t want to live in London and nowhere else has really caught her eye. She is looking for a mix of PBL and lectures , with early patient contact. How difficult is it to change a choice at this point?

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor - the medic group at college seems to have a very good hit rate for interviews, which is why I hadn’t been worrying as they hadn’t flagged it as an issue . I am dithering because I know she is feeling really happy with her choices ~and has ticked off the ucas as done , so I don’t really want to throw a spanner in the works at the last minute. Anyway I need to go to bed, but all good food for (very hurried) thought!

@Cathpot it is very easy to change, you log into the UCAS Hub and it is obvious. You have not said what her other 3 are, but Exeter is safe with 3 A*s predicted and do PBL. The other PBL ones I can think of are Manchester and UEA, but there will be others. The problem with changing Bristol is that although an interview is unlikely, it is just about possible, maybe 10-15% chance. I think Edinburgh is less than 5% chance, I would be slightly surprised if 2850 was enough for Bristol, but very surprised if it was enough for Edinburgh unless WP.

The funding issue is that SFE only finance fees for 1 undergraduate course, so if you do a second undergraduate course you have to self fund the fees, although you can get a maintenance loan. If you get a place on an A101 course it is different (just need to self fund around £4k), but that is very, very competitive.

A WP postcode at Newcastle at this stage would mean a reduced offer if she is successful, but if she is predicted all A stars, that is not really an issue. Same goes for Sheffield, the EPQ would mean she could get AAB i A levels.

Actually, Exeter may not be safe, you may still need top decile UCAT score if non contextual and 2850 is top 12%.

Exeter score would be 98 with 3 A stars predicted and top 12%. They are anticipating interviewing 800 this year, so I think it might be safer than Edinburgh. But if you are South West might be too close to home. I think you said the other two are Sheffield and Southampton which should be safe choices.

It is the anticipated regret isn't if if she finds out she would have got an interview but she didn't put it down.

Do Exeter do a score now ?. It's usually predictions and then some mysterious way of ranking them. I suspect UCAT as the only ones to get interviews last ye are has over 2,900 and 3 A stars.
Edinburgh is a long shot for any English student. And Bristol is risky as Monkey says.
It's a tough one. As long as she's prepared for disappointment and won't be ticked by it then it's worth a go. But, being honest, Sheffield and Southampton are safer options - both fab Unis but neither do PBL.

Really shouldn't type while eating breakfast ! Rocked by it, not ticked.
PS I love the courses at S and S !

Hopefully <a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/recruitmentsites/docs/bmbsfaq_2022.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjK6dO7id_6AhUVSUEAHf1hC2kQFnoECAEQAg&usg=AOvVaw2HXlHvt4eQp87JUuwSOoZf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this link works. They have a table for Exeter - different table if WP or graduate further down. On that 3 A stars and top decile is 100, 3 A stars and next decile is 98, 2 A stars and top decile is 93 etc. More people from WP backgrounds fall into the 100 score. If OP is right about the postcode then her dd might even get 100.

Last year they only interviewed 350ish people because half the places were already allocated. This year should be better.

Can't get the link to work but google 'exeter batchelor medicine frequently asked' and there is a PDF as top search term.

Thank you for advice. Yes Exeter would be very sensible but too close! Had a chat this morning and I think she is going to swap out Bristol- which I realise is a compromise of heart and common sense. Possibly for cardiff as we went for an open day there pre ucat. I am secretly hoping she interviews for Southampton we both really liked the people running the course and the campus. With my parent hat on I think accommodation is easier to find etc. I am working very hard to be reasonable and neutral as clearly she needs to be properly invested in the choices to perform at interview.