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 😬?

@ClarasZoo not usually. Wait list is if no other offers. But it changes every year so who knows what 2024 will bring.

So DS has his UCAT score today. No idea what it's means just that both him and us are really happy after a few stressful days when his friend didn't do particularly well.

Anyway he's got:
Total 2780
SJ band 2
VR 760
DM 780
QR 660
AR 580

He likes Edge Hill and Liverpool after open days. We're going to try and visit a couple more to rule in/out. He likes campas style and ideally we want north of Birmingham. He loves swimming so a university pool would be a bonus.

How does Sheffield, Leeds, Nottingham or Newcastle sound?

He has GCSE all 9s and 8s roughly half of each.

He's doing chemistry biology and maths as A level.

Lots of volunteering and a job as a lifeguard. Limited clinical work experience (5 days in total).

Any guidance or suggestions on next steps please would really be appreciated.

@BlueMum16 that score wouldn't have been high enough for an interview Newcastle, Nottingham or Sheffield this year so those are risky choices. Leeds is unpredictable as its using UCAT for the first time. I think he needs to reconsider his choices.

Thank you. I wasn't sure how to work out Nottingham. Based on the spreadsheet quoted I thought Sheffield would have been ok?

We'll have another look. We don't want to visit somewhere it isn't worth applying.

I don't think that @Monkey2001 has updated the spreadsheet for the 2023 entries. In 2022 and previous years 2780 would be a comfortable score for Sheffield, it is a really good score, but last year Sheffield was really popular. The score threshold will move each year so although it might be worth visiting I would have some safer options in there too. What about HYMS (Hull-York)?

It is also worth looking at what proportion of those interviewed are offered places. TSR had some freedom of information details on that. Historically Liverpool interviews lots of people but doesn't offer as many places. Interview:offer can vary from 30% to over 70%. When dd was choosing she had one wild card in there, which she knew was a long shot in terms of getting an interview but also some which she was likely to get an interview and which had high offer rates.

The spreadsheet is for 2022 entry i think so a little out of date - I think the cut off for Sheffield was 2850 this year (for 2023 entry). For Nottingham, if your DS has half 8s and 9s at GCSE his score will be say 16 + 12 (28), 45 for SJ2 and 44 for UCAT so 117 or thereabouts? I think you needed high 120s for an interview this year

Sound advice. That’s a strong UCAT and will be enough for a number of medical schools, just not for the very high UCAT ones, which are usually Newcastle and Bristol and Sheffield last cycle. Congratulations to your DS. I would just add that Liverpool’s interview to offer % has been as low as 25%, so very low compared to others.

@BlueMum16 I think that UCAT should be ok for Plymouth, UEA, ARU and Manchester (based off last years cut offs). As he has a lot of volunteering, then Keele and Sunderland can be options too. If he wants to look at London, St George’s should be ok. Also worth scoring for Birmingham if he has any contextual flags as I think his GCSEs will help him there. You can email them to find out if your state school is on their contextual list (they have a long list) and so get extra points. They publish last years cut offs on their website.
My DD took her UCAT a couple of weeks ago so have been looking at all of these too! (Although her score wasn’t as high as your DS, well done him!) Advice I’ve been given is to check the deciles when they come out in September as it will give a sense of overall UCATs are going higher (and hence cut offs going higher) or not.

Currently on holiday but will score and check when back. I have a feeling UCATs might be less this year - no idea why, but last year was a bit nuts.
I'll try and update the spreadsheet when home and distribute asap. Some Unis still considering their policies for next year so will keep updating as they decide what to do.
Off for a cocktail 🍹

Just joining for some moral support! It’s such a stressful process for the parents too! My dd did the UCAT today and I was a nervous wreck… 😅. She has excellent grades but has some processing issues and puzzle type questions are really not her thing, so this was always going to be a hurdle. She managed to get 2940 so i am incredibly proud of her.

I see that there has been a trend for the cut offs for the different deciles to increase every year. Should we expect a big jump this year?

Hopefully you now know GCSE results, and it's all worked out okay, but if not, I would strongly recommend doing chemistry. If she doesn't do it, she'll narrow the number of schools she can apply to a lot, if there are other issues with her GCSEs, then that may narrow options further AND then UCAT score etc may further limit where she can apply to, which can mean you end up with only 1 or 2 choices that would even look at you.

We always advise any prospective med students that they really should take chemistry and biology. Yes, in theory it's not necessary, but it can make it so much harder to find places to apply to if they haven't.

@Notcontent that's a fantastic UCAT and should guarantee 4 offers. Southampton, UEA, Liverpool,Sheffield, and v likely Bristol and Newcastle.
Others such as Plymouth, Hull York, Leicester should also be safe options.

@Notcontent sorry !!! 4 interviews. I've had gin. Really should learn not to post after gin 😂

Have just spent the afternoon outside a UCAT centre for the third time. It doesn't get any easier! DD has done really well and I'm over the moon for her. 3150 band 1. I can't believe it as her medify tests were averaging a lot lower, but I'm so so pleased for her.

Now have to pray for an offer and good A level results so I can never think of UCAT again!

Wow @Notcontent thats such a high score! Well done her, that will keep so many options open. She must be delighted!
I guess the preliminary UCAT deciles will give a hint on overall trend, but my (very limited and recent!) understanding is that it really depends on who applies where. I assume the higher UCAT-requiring unis generally attract higher scoring UCAT people, so it could be a bit self-fulfilling. I do wonder if having Leeds as UCAT will dilute it a bit? It’s such a popular uni, I’d imagine it’ll have way more applicants than when it was BMAT, and might displace another UCAT option?

That’s an incredible score @speedyhedgehog - she can pick anywhere she likes with that!!! She’s done really well 🙌

Thanks undecided! I think I'm a bit in shock tbh. We're not a medical family so no one understands how well she's done, except her 2 older siblings who are also studying medicine and are thrilled for her. Its always hard following in your siblings footsteps. And she's seen the process and fully understands there's still hurdles to jump ie offers and grades. But today we can celebrate a little! 🎉🎉🎉

My DS reckons the numbers of applicants are going to drop - he thinks that all the publicity about the BMA and striking and how awful it is to be a doctor, coupled with the fading of the boost that being a doctor got from the pandemic will lead to drops all round.
No idea if he is right.

We will have some idea when we see the number taking UCAT this year. Although we are getting into more baby boom years, so would expect there to be increases. If there aren't that will tell you something.

@Bimkom i think he might be right. Up to last year, my DD’s school regularly had 8-10 applying each year to medicine and this year it’s 3. Dentistry is gaining popularity, as is Maths. And Economics.

@speedyhedgehog cant believe you’re doing it for the third time!! You must be able to write a book on med school applications 😂it is tough being the youngest and having inevitable comparisons being made, but lucky that she’ll have the benefit of their experience too. Does she have an idea of where she wants to apply to yet?

Thank you @mumsneedwine and @Undecidedat46

@speedyhedgehog well done to your DD!!

BMAT prep next! On the one hand it’s good that different medical schools have different criteria, but on the other it does make things difficult as there is so much strategy involved.

Purely anecdata, but two of my students have decided not to apply for medicine due to the BMA strikes- the rotational training stuff is what has put them off, as much as the wages. They don't want to be sent miles away upcountry for two years and have to move around potentially knowing no-one and having a lot of expenses.

They're both looking at pharmacy/allied health careers now.

I know you could argue it shows they aren't committed enough, and one of them was borderline on grades, anyway, but I think it's still interesting!

Thanks @notcontent.
Not an expert @undecided we have @mumsneedwine and @monkey for that! But I definitely know much more than the first time around and have kids in 2 med schools currently if anyone needs info about those unis later on. DD has refused to look at med schools so far. She wanted her UCAT score first. She's a practical soul.

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne I posted a while back to say DS didn't want PBL and you replied saying you were going to rant and stopped but to ask if I wanted to know. I'm interested to hear your thoughts pls?

UCAT is 2780 band 2 so we're looking at options now and HYMS has been recommended and potentially Manchester. I believe both are PBL. DS had ruled out Manchester because of this. We've not looked at HYMS so far.

I get the feeling he wants nearer to home (he likes Liverpool and Edge Hill) if possible and from a cost of living/travel/accommodation perspective we ideally need north.

What was you going to say about PBL that I can share with him? TIA