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 😬?

He is in band 2.

@losingtheplot999 probably not Notts then (can score if you'd like).

Please can someone explain something to me like I’m a toddler.

Barts uni says the following: Applicants will be selected for IV based on UCAT score, UCAS tariff of qualifications predicted or achieved….(my bold). How is UCAS tariff of qualifications predicted or achieved different to A levels predicted or achieved? Are they different things?

@mumsneedwine , all

My DS has scored 3010 in UCAT and Band 2, with predicted 3A*s in Bio, Chem and Maths. GCSE Eight - 9s and two - 8s

Please can you suggest whether the below are safe choices with no weightage for SJT pre/post interview - No Contextual or additional UCAS points

Bristol, Queen Mary’s London, Kings College London.

Many Thanks

I’ve been reading along to try and stay in the loop as my ds seems to be sorting everything out himself (with help from 6th form I’m guessing) - says he doesn’t need any help from me. He got 999988777 ebacc (does doing the ebacc help?) and ucat 2920 band 1 estimated A star, A star and A bio chem maths and IS contextual? (Both me and his dad have never been to uni and from very low income) he attends a normal comp who’s cohort is largely deprived backgrounds. Thanks to the Sutton trust, he says he already has a guaranteed interview at Nottingham and reduced grade entry of ABB.
he’s mentioned he’s also considering Leicester uni of bham and I can’t remember which else?
He has done duke of Edinburgh bronze and silver - is this worth mentioning in personal statement? He has done volunteering in his school, Covid clinic and 3 days in a gp reception and runs the medical society at his school. He still hasn’t secured that long term customer facing job role which I worry about as interviews are around the corner .

@4andnotcounting it sounds as if he has lots of other experience. The forward facing customer role is more so he is confident talking to strangers and communicating. It sounds as if he has probably developed some of that with volunteering.

Where you might be able to help is in preparing him for interviews, get him to think about what he will say, google interview questions. See if any friends/ work colleagues/ relatives would be willing to do mock interviews with him. Practice will really help with that.

@MaximusM they should be good choices but the London ones are more opaque as to how they select. With that UCAT he should secure 4 interviews if applies carefully.

@4andnotcounting Leicester and B'ham should be good. He has a great chance of interviews and hopefully some nice contextual offers. V good UCAT !

For anyone reading this whose child has not got a UCAT of 2,900+ please be reassured this is normal !! Last year the top 10% of takers got 2,880 or above, so 90% got less. Lots and lots of these students got places - even UCATs of 2,600 can get in if they apply carefully.
I feel sometimes the v high UCATs being posted can demoralise people a bit.

@mumsneedwine

Many thanks for your feedback, really appreciated.

Please can you let me know whether Bristol considers SJT/UCAS tariffs post interview....just wanted to double check before finalising.

Thanks again.

@mumsneedwine tjanks for saying that! I feel like everyone posting here has UcATs over 3000! DS tells me too this is unusual.

@MaximusM no they don't.

@MaximusM unless there's a tiebreak and then they'll use UCAT score. But most do this. Bristol has an insane UCAT the last few years so be interesting to see what happens now - it can't keep going up !

Agree thanks for saying that x

So just to check: someone mentioned first and second choices further up. As I understand it that’s not how it works now. It’s just list your choices without any order.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
we are probably putting one BMAT down and the rest UCAT although DS still not convinced he’s scored enough for Birmingham even though their calculator says he has.
We felt he’d done well in his UCAT but seeing all these scores over 3000 is making me wonder now!

@Mumofboys2006 don't worry too much, most people get between 2,600 and 2,800. Not over 3,000 - this is rare.
Just put 4 Unis down for medicine, there is no order. Unis don't know where else you've applied until offers and rejected toons are all settled.

@Mumofboys2006 8.1 fir Bham last year.

Is anyones DC applying to Leeds? Mine has just decided at the last minute that they might want to put it down as an option but UCAS form needs to be confirmed with school before the next open day. Just wondering if anyone who’s visited heard anything about scoring applications as the prospectus is quite vague now they’ve moved from BMAT. Good UCAT 2950 and 9x9 and 1x8 at GCSE no contextual but other choices are already risky as there’s 2 BMAT unis in there so needs somewhere they’ll have a good chance of interview (that’s also a place they’ll be happy living for 5-6 years!!!)

@XmasEveshopper with that UCAT and those GCSEs they could guarantee (almost !) 4 interviews. Why are they not applying to places that they they'll get that interview ? No one knows what Leeds will require as it's all new, so it will be riskier than others would be.

@mumsneedwine because they’re a teenager so not necessarily full of common sense!!!🙄 I think I’ll try and sway them away from Leeds for something with a better chance of interview though. I think their logic is to apply to where they really want to go this year (UCL) and other places they like the look of but if they don’t get any offers this year take a gap year, we live close to a hospital so they’re hoping they could get a job there then apply next year much more strategically although why they’d choose to do UCAT again if they didn’t have to I don’t know. Thanks for the advice

@XmasEveshopper 😊 teens ! If UCL is the dream it's definitely worth applying. But it's maybe worth a word (maybe a teacher as who listens to mum 🤓), just pointing out that his UCAT this year is fantastic, and that might not happen next year (it's a weird exam).

He should get interviews at almost all UCAT Unis so fingers crossed for him.

Leeds might be ok, and if picks 2 v safe ones, and he loves the place/course, then try. He should be ok anywhere but Bristol (I still hope their UCAT stabilises a bit, but was still 2980 last year).

But as long as he knows he could get 4 pretty definite interviews this year whatever he then decides is up to him. Gap years can be great, as long as you want one.

Hello - i am a bit behind in the process as dd is currently in yr 12 but she has just been told that some unis - eg Cambridge - would be less keen on a candidate who doesn’t have bio,chem plus maths or another science. My DD is doing English lit (she loves it) plus bio and chemistry. Is it true that in some places that would count against her, and which are those? Any insights much appreciated. Also is there any info at all on what the BMAT will be replaced with, given it is disappearing from 2025? ( I think…). Thank you so much

@Stranger3 nothing yet about BMAT replacement. And only a v few Cambridge colleges like maths. No one else cares what the 3rd A level is in. Newcastle don't even need sciences.

@Stranger3 there is a lot of rubbish tales about needing maths for medicine by people who know very little about the actual process. Not sure why as Unis are very clear on the webpages and at open days.

My son has just gone into y2 at Newcastle with A levels on English Lang, Bio and Chem

He got 4 interviews/ 3 offers and taking English as his 3rd A level didn't hinder him at all.