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 😬?

@losingtheplot999 any UCAT Uni !!!

@Randomactofkindness if it was me, I'd go for Newcastle, Sheffield (SJT is an MMI station so has full marks), UEA (50% of score after interview is UCAT), and Southampton. Maybe Exeter if have 3 A star predictions. But depends on what she wants in terms of location and type of Uni. If there are any she wants me to score just shout.

You have SO many options, if I were in your shoes, I will also look at interview to offer ratios, as of course, it should be quite easy to secure 4 interviews with that fantastic UCAT score. Birmingham does have a very good interview/offer ratio for non-contextuals, 2021, if I remember rightly from the FOI request I saw, 2021 - almost 90% of non-contextuals interviewed were offered, 2021, it was just under 80%.

@mumsneedwine thank you - you kindly scored Lincoln and Nottingham via PM for me - Lincoln a possibility but not Nottingham. She would rather stay up North - what about Liverpool? Will definitely look at UEA

@Randomactofkindness Liverpool a v safe interview choice. They do interview a lot so that's the only caveat with them. But fab course and city.

Thank you @mumsneedwine DS2 has also decided to do the BMAT. I think with that score he could've given it a miss but he is all set on doing it.

shes now discounted HYMS now as it’s not intergrated

Sorry, but I really don't understand what you/she mean(s) by that. In what way is HYMS's medicine course not integrated?

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne the HYMS course is PBL and she prefers the intergrated courses

Many courses use PBL, CBL or some other kind of small-group, self-directed learning. They all use other teaching methods alongside it.

That's a separate point, though. I don't understand why she would think the course isn't integrated. This is from their web site: "Your clinical placements, anatomy sessions, clinical and communication skills sessions, lectures, workshops, and your own self-directed learning will provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the issues raised by the PBL case." So the different learning activities are linked to a common theme, which is one kind of integration. They also say "Our programme combines patient-centred teaching, clinician-led problem based learning, rigorous academic study grounded in the sciences, and regular clinical experience from the third week of your first year." So the basic science learning and patient-focused learning are also integrated.

I don't have any axe to grind for HYMS. I'm just really curious why people say courses aren't integrated when they clearly are.

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne I’m just saying what she’s said to me! I will get her to have a closer look

Thank you.

I will suggest she signs up to medintry, to see if that helps. she has solely been using Medify.

Agree Emil Eddy's videos are excellent. i had a look at these over the weekend with her and in most instances he had the answer before I had even finished reading the question, good job it's not me sitting the UCAT

I agree that HYMS is integrated, it is a lovely course and really nice students but also sometimes pops it's head into clearing. If you have high GCSEs or contextual then it is perfect as a 'safer' course, if the application has some more risky courses. I seem to remember though that they scored 8 and 9s differently, only look at the top six GCSEs though.

Ultimately the medicine application will probably be a bit of a compromise list. If you put lots of courses which have a low offer ratio down or which your ucat score is borderline or with unknown bmat score then there is the risk you won't get as many interviews/a place but you can try again another year. If you apply strategically you are more likely to get a place but it might be in a place you wouldn't have usually in your top four. My dd was very keen to go on one application so applied more strategically even though one of the places was in a less favoured (for her hobby) location.

It is a tough time though as she will need to start preparing for interviews too. Dd went for one which was a little more risky, two fairly safe options for interviews and one very safe for interview and offer.

I would though agree with @mumsneedwine list possibly swapping Southampton for a wildcard course further north because she should be safe for interviews at Sheffield and UEA.

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor thank you - she’s spoken to her school and is now looking at Newcastle, Sheffield, HYMS and UEA - I’m hoping these are a good mix of aspirational and safe to get her some interviews

HYMS had been in clearing the last 2 years. It's a great course and I've been told Hull is a fantastic place to learn medicine - you don't get to choose which campus you are on.

If it helps, the lowest UCAT that got a place from our school this year was 2,600 (non contextual). It is possible if you apply carefully.
BMAT wise, it's hard to know cut off scores for this year as so few seem to be sitting it these days. Might make chances higher if an interview ?

Anyone out there know much about St. Andrews? @mumsneedwine @monkey if you're still around? DD is quite interested in applying there. I think her UCAT would be high enough at 3150. She has experience shadowing drs at a hospital, she has tons of experience volunteering with peer support at school. She doesn't have specific experience working with people with disabilities. Other than me. So she does have a disabled parent and therefore a good understanding of the impact of disabilty, the progress of disease etc as she has to live with my limits and it can't help but impact her at times. Any advice/ thoughts on if it covers that requirement for entry? Obviously I don't want her to waste a slot.

@speedyhedgehog is she classified as a young carer ? This will open up contextual stuff for her.
With her UCAT and lots of work experience I'd think St Andrews would be ok. It's a strange one as you are only there for 3 years then off to somewhere else for clinical. But if she likes 6 years not 5 and a change of location and cohort, then go for it. It's a lovely place (v expensive and I believe accommodation is an issue and some students live in Dundee)

Thanks @mumsneedwine. She isn't now but looking into the criteria I think she could be. I will look into it more.

Will look at the accomodation aspects too. We visited in 2019 before her sister did her applications and she really liked the place and likes the initial 3 years traditional and then 3 years clinical as a separate thing. We shall see

I wonder whether anyone else can relate to unhelpful comments from close relatives. DD has obviously mentioned that she is applying for medicine when discussing her future with close relatives. The problem we have had is that we have had lots of very unhelpful comments along the lines of “that uni is not one of the top ones, why are you not applying to x”, etc. This has been from various people who think they are being helpful (“surely with your grades you can get anywhere” etc) and one relative who thinks they are an expert because they used to deal with uni admissions (but years ago and not anything to do with medical schools).

Just very frustrating as no one seems to understand how difficult it is and that getting a place anywhere is a huge achievement…

I think also they don't understand that five years is a long time so looking for somewhere with the right fit is important. Dd knew that the Oxbridge traditional approach wasn't for her. She didn't want a big city either so that cut out other places. Some of the places which people assume are 'top' ones are not that supportive. Dd's view was that she wanted to be somewhere she liked the environment and she would fit in.

It can be annoying but just smile and say it's all different for Medicine and any place is a huge achievement. If you are feeling a bit more direct, tell them to do a mock UCAT before they pass judgement. My (otherwise lovely) elderly MIL said only degrees from Oxbridge and LSE really count. I told I would be a bit worried about seeing a LSE-trained doctor!

Ask them how many times they've asked a doctor where they studied. No one cares.
It's always been the same. You're clever, of course you'll get in. Not realising everyone is clever who applies. And it's a bit more complicated than other courses.
Just smile and move on. And I like the idea of making them sit the UCAT 😂.

And don’t get me started on “oh I thought she’d/you’d be applying for more Russell Group unis”. Has anyone ever in the history of the world asked a doctor if they’d studied at a Russell Group uni, or even cared??? It’s irrelevant at the best of times, never mind for medicine

It happens. Oxbridge trained doctors can be quite snobbish. Equally when DD started her intercalation in London the other external students in her tutor group were from another London medical school and immediately asked how she had got her place given that she was "only" at Bristol. A week later they asked her if she was finding the pre-sessional maths course hard. She wasn't, some of them were. End of discussion, though it came up again when some of the medic sports team asked freshers where else they had applied. Oxbridge.... So not Bristol? (The freshers did not know that DD was an external intercalator.) Of course not, they were far too clever.

Does it matter? I am not sure, and different people will give different answers. Getting on specialist training can be extraordinarily competitive. DD has decided on a less than popular deanery for her F1. She may regret not having applied for Oxbridge, or for F1 in London. Then again it might make no difference whatsoever.

And these attitudes are why dd avoided them all despite having grades which could take her anywhere. She chose places where the students seemed happy and supportive of each other. She doesn't have aspirations though to be a world leader, just a good, decent doctor.