Medicine - 2024 Entry

[LaMereDuChat]

Just thought I'd start a thread for anyone else who feels like me... Dd has just announced that she'd really like to apply for medicine. It seems pretty much impossible to get into and I'm dreading the process as the odds are stacked against her - private schooled, grades a bit iffy as she's chosen a language as an A-Level and it's hard, though she loves it. Anyone want to join the pity party 😬?

@Undecidedat46 yes, UCAT deciles. And Leeds used to be BMAT so first year of the new system so no one sure where things will land.

@Undecidedat46 last year 2680 was 7th decile. Obvs nay be different this year but gives you a benchmark.

I'm not an expert by any means - lots more knowledgable people on here - but those unis were also on our radar last year. Leicester's cut off was 59.5 last year, I think your DD's score would be 58.5 so that looks to be a risky choice. Liverpool is odd - it has a lower UCAT cut off but the interview ratio is quite low. QUB is a good shout, Plymouth too - not sure what the cut off was last year - but I think Leeds might have a high UCAT cut off. Here, its "the" uni of choice for lots of (non-medic) students, I think making it UCAT will make it much more attractive for would-be medics.

Sorry, just checked my notes and there were some people invited by 59 points at Leicester, but not everyone with 59. TSR is your friend for cut-offs! Good luck!

Thanks so much @Africa2go @Lottsbiffandsmudge and @mumsneedwine - it’s so helpful having people that know stuff that we can check in with. My DD has her spreadsheet made and has stalked TSR for cut offs!!

When the preliminary deciles are released, are they usually higher than the final thing? And do they release numbers sitting the UCAT also? Numbers going for medicine has almost halved from historic norms in DD’s school, wondering if similar elsewhere.

@Africa2go Leeds is v. popular round here too with non-medics so I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up needing a higher UCAT too. Might go into the risky bucket. On their website, Leicester say they’ve updated their scoring system for 2024 and score 9s and 8s separately now so might impact the cutoff, given less higher grades about? Still in the risky bucket too though

As a BMAT option, she likes the look of Lancaster - does anyone have any experience of it?

@Undecidedat46 yes prelim UCAT is usually about 40-60 points higher than the final figures.
The problem at the moment is so many Unis are just using UCAT as cut off they are fighting over the same pool of students. Final cut offs are tricky to find as wait list places have been moving so I'm not sure of cut offs this year yet.
With all 9s at GCSE I'd say Leeds looks risky (everywhere is !) but not too bad. No one knows how it will work this year as Leeds are taking a holistic approach, using all past & predicted grades as well as UCAT.
Def choose Unis scoring GCSEs (but prob not Notts or Lincoln, unless VR score is v high).

Thank you @mumsneedwine - yes, the UCAT cutoffs all seem to be so high in so many unis. If she can get 2 “reasonably” safer options, I think she’d include one riskier one if she really liked it, and then a BMAT one too. She’s scored herself for Nottingham and think her band 2 scuppers that one, which is a shame as she really liked it, but that’s ok.

@Undecidedat46 yes, I think that change to score 9s higher at Leicester will make a difference Agree Notts is out without SJ1 but Lincoln might still be an option. For UCAT, yes when they publisht the deciles, they publish the rough number of people who have sat UCAT - the numbers have increased in recent years because of all the issues about places / re-applicants I think - 2019 was just over 29k, went up to just over 37k in 2021 but dropped just slightly last year to just over 36k.

And UCAT is also used for dentistry so they are not all for medicine 😊

Nottingham possible with SJT2 if have v high VR scores. Why I mentioned it as don't know the breakdown.
Plymouth, UEA, Liverpool all good options. Possibly Keele if have v good work experience.
Lancaster is great and I've sent many a happy student there. Brighton the other popular BMAT one here.

Good to hear about Lancaster @mumsneedwine , she really likes the look of it from online research and we’re thinking of visiting if we can in September. Will also look at Keele as she’s got lots of volunteering, work experience and job to talk about.
Her score for Lincoln/Notts is 119 so well below the cutoff I think? That extra 15 points from SJT1 is hard to make up!

Oh my gosh, I’m so lost now! What is this about deciles? I don’t even know what TSR is!😬
anyone able to link to a dumbo guide pls.
DS just aiming to get the highest scores poss for UCAT and worrying about the rest later.
Is a spreadsheet just for cut-offs and application process for each uni?

@Mumofboys2006 TSR is the student room, a type of chat thing for students. UCAT deciles means how the scours are split into 10 groups.
This is the 2022 spreadsheet - I don't have 2023 one to hand (it's a brilliant resource !). It will give you some idea of how each Uni selects for interview, although a few fact changed since this.
Best thing to do is get a huge UCAT score and then come back and ask 😊.

@Mumofboys2006 link to decile scores attached. Interim 2023 will be out in Sept and final results in Oct.

www.ucat.ac.uk/results/test-statistics/

Ok thanks - you are all so helpful!
Ive figured out that based on predicted grades and grade 8 piano what the UCAT tariff is. But can someone explain the decile table pls! Sorry to be such a dunce!

Thanks! That UCAT link is super helpful! I didn’t understand the screen shot which has numbers under 100 with grades!

@Mumofboys2006 highest UCAT score is definitely an excellent plan! I think it’s actually really difficult to shortlist until you’ve got that in hand as every university treats admissions so differently, but higher UCAT gives you maximum options (from my experience of looking at it over the past week, so no expert by any means!!) Worth your DS reading every link on every website too - some important details are squirrelled away and some have changed since 2023 entry too

He’s got really good GCSEs so thinking we should include those unis that weight that. Thinking Birmingham might be an option. Looking at that spreadsheet it says 7.6 is that a different scoring system for cut offs for 2022?

@Undecidedat46 until you have the UCAT score it's impossible to know your overall points for each Uni. Birmingham usually needs over 8.2 (they give points for contextual).
I'm afraid UCAS tariff means nothing for medicine, and grade 8 piano won't help (might be interesting at interview). It's all down to UCAT/BMAT score, and/or predicted grades and GCSEs.

Sorry, that's 8.2 without contextual.

@Mumofboys2006 which Uni are you looking at ? Each one has different criteria as fi how they select for interview, and that's the important bit. Pretty much everyone has the admissions requirements.

Birmingham calculator tool

www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/college-mds/medical-school/medicine-guidance-calculator-tool-2020-21.xlsx

Sorry, tagged wrong person @Undecidedat46 . Meant @Mumofboys2006

No worries @mumsneedwine , you explained it much clearer than I did 😁
It’s been a fascinating afternoon looking through all the websites with DD this afternoon - apparently the University of Bangor are starting a new medical degree course for undergrads, for entry in 2024. Think Welsh-speaking applicants will get extra consideration but might be of interest to some.
@Mumofboys2006 DD also has good GCSEs and the unis that seem to use them to some degree in screening for interviews are Birmingham, Leicester, Leeds (not sure how much though), Aston, Kings, HYMS, Nottingham/Lincoln, Cardiff, QUB. Might be some in Scotland too but we’ve not looked at them. But you need to have UCAT too to get a final score

Thanks so much! Just tried the Birmingham calculator. Do they all have one of those.
so one of the unis in the running is Barts which does seem to look at UCAS scores but yes get your point to focus on UCAT 🙌🏼