Page 5 | Medicine 2023 Entry - Part 2

opoponax · 2022-09-21T10:32:22+00:00

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

Cat462 · 30/09/2022 13:51

@Monkey2001. Thank you. Is SJT Band 2 ok for Edinburgh?
I will ask him to look at Aberdeen and UEA.

Monkey2001 · 30/09/2022 13:54

@Cat462 Edinburgh with a band 2 is VERY risky, I would strongly advise not to apply there. UEA use SJT as a virtual MMI station, so a little lost there too, but will get full score for the UCAT 50%.

dustybee · 30/09/2022 14:03

@FullOfDoom i know - there is so much to consider. I was popping on the thread as I’m trying to help one of daughters friends who got no offers last year , but her repeat UCAT is still lowish 2660, - she has 3 A star relevant a levels and full house gcse 9’s.EPQ A. She doesn’t want to do bmat though…. I think she’s thinking UEA, HYMS, Plymouth and QUB which sound fairly sensible choices to me- I don’t know what others think

Monkey2001 · 30/09/2022 14:36

@dustybee did she apply to QUB last year? They have a weird rule that if you did not choose them in your first application you can't choose them for second! You don't say what SJT was, if a band 1 she should score herself for Nottingham/Lincoln.

dustybee · 30/09/2022 14:44

@Monkey2001 thankyou! No she didn’t apply there last year- that’s very helpful. Yes SJT band 1- I’ll tell her to look at Nottingham

Cratos · 30/09/2022 16:43

My DS decided to BMAT as well so fingers crossed.

Sorry that I will ask some UCAS questions since we need help with a few points please

Extra curricular activities section - Are we only allowed to enter 2 activities here ? The form doesn't seem to let him enter more than 2 without mentioning any limitations.
Employment - I think in the past it was confirmed in this forum that this is for paid employment not voluntary.
DOFE awards - where do you think these should go in the form? Or should we leave them out?
He also has a Level 2 Health qualification that he did with at his Secondary school and a First Aid training he completed last year. Not sure if these could/should be entered. Plus NCS programme?

Perhaps none of these are relevant but we are unsure.

Monkey2001 · 30/09/2022 18:34

@Cratos what you include depends on how much you have done and how well it hangs together because there really is not much space. Most medical schools don't really use it, so not necessary to spend too much time crafting it. I don't know whether they look at extra curricular activities, @mumsneedwine will probably know. Do you know what final choices are? Might be able to tell you how PS will be used, eg Sheffield totally ignores, Newcastle just a red flag check.

Monkey2001 · 30/09/2022 18:40

@coffeeandbiscuittime this is a good resource for info re A/A* www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6649138

mumsneedwine · 30/09/2022 19:13

@Cratos the extra stuff on UCAS is very rarely looked at I've been told. But add it on somewhere as you never know. Admissions staff tell me they look at GCSEs and predicted grades and then never see UCAS again, until decisions are made.

Cratos · 30/09/2022 22:04

mumsneedwine · 28/09/2022 18:33

I'm actually going to go against my normal advice about a 5th choice. Normally it doesn't matter, but with the rumblings of extra places it is possible that Medicine could appear in Extra. Happened a few year ago when Lancaster got given some extra slots. Advantage of having a 5th in place is speed. Easy to reject and apply via Extra than have to apply for a 5th, wait and then reject.
I'm only guessing about extra places but lots of political noise. However unless they increase the F1 positions it's a bit pointless.

@mumsneedwine could you please explain this a little bit more ? I was going through the posts again and I don't fully understand it since I am not familiar with these processes at all. Do you have to reject an offer to be able to apply via extra ? So without an offer you cannot apply ?

Cratos · 30/09/2022 22:08

Monkey2001 · 30/09/2022 18:34

@Cratos what you include depends on how much you have done and how well it hangs together because there really is not much space. Most medical schools don't really use it, so not necessary to spend too much time crafting it. I don't know whether they look at extra curricular activities, @mumsneedwine will probably know. Do you know what final choices are? Might be able to tell you how PS will be used, eg Sheffield totally ignores, Newcastle just a red flag check.

@Monkey2001

Thank you so much. Final choices are still up in the air.
Brighton
Bristol
Leicester

We are not sure about the 4th one at all.

Cratos · 30/09/2022 22:09

mumsneedwine · 30/09/2022 19:13

@Cratos the extra stuff on UCAS is very rarely looked at I've been told. But add it on somewhere as you never know. Admissions staff tell me they look at GCSEs and predicted grades and then never see UCAS again, until decisions are made.

Very helpful to know. Thank you very much @mumsneedwine

Monkey2001 · 30/09/2022 22:14

I can answer on behalf of @mumsneedwine

In order to apply to something in UCAS Extra you have to have used all 5 choices and all must be rejected (either by uni or applicant). When it gets to May and Extra opens, people who have not used all 5 choices have to quickly apply to a 5th if they have not already, so that they can reject it and become eligible for Extra. The main advisor on TSR used to advise people to apply to an Oxbridge course, they would get rejected as it was well past the deadline.

This year there is a lot of talk of needing to fund more places at medical school, so it is possible that something may happen through Extra. Things have not got back to normal yet, so it is hard to guess what might happen so safest to prepare for all eventualities!

Monkey2001 · 30/09/2022 22:18

@Cratos

BSMS - not used
Bristol - if candidates have equal interview score, first tie break is UCAT, second is PS, otherwise not used..
Leicester - used for borderline candidates near cut off threshold.

So don't worry too much about it.

Cratos · 30/09/2022 22:22

Monkey2001 · 30/09/2022 22:14

I can answer on behalf of @mumsneedwine

In order to apply to something in UCAS Extra you have to have used all 5 choices and all must be rejected (either by uni or applicant). When it gets to May and Extra opens, people who have not used all 5 choices have to quickly apply to a 5th if they have not already, so that they can reject it and become eligible for Extra. The main advisor on TSR used to advise people to apply to an Oxbridge course, they would get rejected as it was well past the deadline.

This year there is a lot of talk of needing to fund more places at medical school, so it is possible that something may happen through Extra. Things have not got back to normal yet, so it is hard to guess what might happen so safest to prepare for all eventualities!

Thank you so much for this explanation. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 Knowledge is power.

Cratos · 30/09/2022 22:24

Monkey2001 · 30/09/2022 22:18

@Cratos

BSMS - not used
Bristol - if candidates have equal interview score, first tie break is UCAT, second is PS, otherwise not used..
Leicester - used for borderline candidates near cut off threshold.

So don't worry too much about it.

One less thing to worry about. Thank you very much for the information 🙏🏼

Original poster

opoponax · 30/09/2022 22:57

@Monkey2001 @mumsneedwine do you know if Edinburgh uses the personal statement for RUK applications? Also, Nottingham?

OP posts:

mumsneedwine · 01/10/2022 00:09

Sorry, had nodded off on sofa. @opoponax Notts and Ed don't use PS in selection process.

MarchingFrogs · 01/10/2022 01:14

UCAS Extra opens in February - no need to wait until May, if you are already in a position to use it.

coffeeandbiscuittime · 01/10/2022 07:02

@Monkey2001 thank you so much. Font of knowledge and direction as usual.
DD in Plymouth today to look round.
I think ( but it's not up to me!) that she should apply to the ones where she knows she can get an interview with her UCAT and then practice, practice, practice and use the available resources, hopefully working will build her confidence up and then study hard ( which she didn't do for chemistry as she thought she would be ok) and get an A star.
She has now got a Chem tutor starting after half term. It will be a tough year for her ( and your DS) working full time and doing all this whilst trying to keep their hobbies/ interests/ life going.
Good experience for your DS esp in hospital as he will meet lots of different HCP and learn how to interact with anxious kids and parents. Glad he us enjoying it. How is he doing his A level?

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 01/10/2022 07:45

MarchingFrogs · 01/10/2022 01:14

UCAS Extra opens in February - no need to wait until May, if you are already in a position to use it.

What would be the best type of degree to put down as a fifth? Dd has no intention of doing a different degree at the moment, she is only yr13 and would take a year out. It would purely be for Extra opportunities. Her true back up plan varies but wouldn't be put into place yet. She obviously doesn't want anything involving an interview. Her PS is just focused on medicine. Psychologically is it better to put something she would actually have a chance of being accepted onto and then turn down (her back up subject) or something she is automatically rejected from because she doesn't have the grades. Presumably her other choices can't see what or where else she has applied for. It does seem like a crazy box ticking exercise for a medicine applicant.

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 01/10/2022 08:01

AliceUK · 29/09/2022 15:42

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor I see, it’s wonderful to see so many supportive parents, medical school applications are one of the hardest parts of going to medical school and being a supportive parent can mean the world. My top interview preparation tips would be:

read the GMC documents about good practice, you don’t need to know it inside out but it is fundamental to be familiar with the guidelines so you know what is expected of you during a career in medicine and surgery and be able to demonstrate this knowledge at interview
read a few articles and make some notes of what they have taught you, not just the obvious (such as the study outcome) but things like the way the study needed to be adjusted several times to give the most reliable results, or how a team of individuals mentioned in an article worked to one another’s strengths to achieve an outcome. They don’t have to be medicine related, they just need to teach something that can be transferred to working in a clinical or other relevant setting. Several unis are known to ask you to discuss what you have learnt from reading an article so it may well come up
know the curriculum structure and other specific details of the university you are interviewing with - do they have an area of research they specialise in? Are they affiliated with any specialist hospitals? Do they teach preclinical medicine followed by clinical, or is the clinical experience integrated alongside the non-clinical teaching? Do they teach a spiral curriculum? What is their university life like, including sports facilities and society opportunities? (They will want you to show there is more to your personality than just medicine)
don’t be too rehearsed, on many occasions they won’t ask a question looking for a specific answer, they want to see how you communicate and engage with them so try to speak with confidence and back yourself up!
have a couple of examples from your work experience that can be used to answer questions about how you have dealt with disagreements or difficult situations during your work experience, look online at situations they may ask for and think about times you have experienced these situations and how you would discuss this with the interviewers
be familiar with your CV, they may ask you questions about what you have written on there
ask them questions - show that you are interested in their university. Easy all-rounder questions you can ask any uni are things such as what activities are available on campus, does the medical school offer extra curricular opportunities for you to further your learning within medicine outside of the taught curriculum, what do they think is the best part of living in that city/part of the country, what do they think sets their medical school apart from the rest that would make it the best choice of school for you to attend?
finally, don’t stress over it. Many interviewers are asked not to show too many emotions (although a selected few medical schools are known to have very friendly interviews!) so just go in there, be yourself, once you’re out of the interview don’t worry over things that are now out of your hands just reflect, make notes and move onto the next. Many successful clinicians went through multiple application cycles to get into medicine, some even had to undertake a whole separate degree first before applying (which is also another perfectly viable option for anyone worried they aren’t going to make the grades).

Good luck to all the 2023 applicants, I’m sure all your (not so little) ones will get their place at medical school when the time is right and will thrive in their careers. Just keep supporting and they will do you all proud

Thank you, some really useful pointers. So far the school hasn't offered any interview prep, although they have said there will be some. We are doing some prep at home and will find some friends to do mock interviews. We don't really have any medics to help though. Her friend is paying for lots of courses which has unnerved her a little but they all seem quite expensive and she doesn't want to be over prepared. I think most/all her choices go for the friendly approach. Are there any reasonably priced options which anyone would recommend or is interviewing with adults she doesn't know well enough?

mumsneedwine · 01/10/2022 08:27

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor put anything down as 5th if not going to take it. Over the years we've had kids choose some seriously weird degrees. Unis can't see what else you've applied for. Standard choices are Biomed and Biochem, with Genetics another favourite.
There is no need to pay for interview prep. It can even be a disadvantage as you sound too rehearsed. Practicing with adults and having some idea of answers to stock questions helps - why medicine, why this Uni, an example when been resilient, shown initiative, had to lead/work as a team. The Medical school interview book is good.

Monkey2001 · 01/10/2022 08:40

@coffeeandbiscuittime he only works 21 hours/week (2 full days and 2 afternoons) and is in school 7 hours over each 2 week timetable block, so that allows him to fit 10 hours/week in gym plus interests and social life. There is another Y14 in his Chemistry class who was very unlucky in the exams - had an offer from.Cardiff and missed an A in Chemistry by 1 mark! He had papers reviewed, but no change.

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor the medical schools all say that interview courses won't make a difference, and my DSs didn't do any, but I can't help thinking that all prep helps, and guided prep can be very effective, but my two think it gives an unfair advantage and they are big on fairness! I think the most helpful thing is answering (to anyone) out loud. Anyone can ask the questions using the book - www.amazon.co.uk/Medical-Interviews-Questions-Analysed-Multiple-Mini-Interviews/dp/1905812051/ref=asc_df_1905812051/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310970710731&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17351115948912280850&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045628&hvtargid=pla-332661423756&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

mumsneedwine · 01/10/2022 08:50

This is the one I like. Currently £23 on Amazon