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 😬?

@Thefatbutteredpig Thank you for your advice, it was very enlightening. Unfortunately Newcastle's location is not ideal as it is very far, but she will consider the others you suggested. DD is a little bit unsure on Cambridge and Imperial because she is aware the workload is very heavy, but she thinks she would regret not applying to Cambridge and really loved the open day.

@MedMother the work load will be heavy everywhere. If she loves the course structure then apply. But not because it's pretty 😊

My DD is applying

Cambs course still gives no patient contact in the first 3 years. If that's what you like, then great. It's not for everyone and course structure is very important if you're doing it for 5-6 years. Surroundings less so. And there is no extra kudos in your career for going anywhere.
So if like Cambs course, that's fantastic.

Been to Liverpool open day today. Disappointed to hear 50% of lectures are still online. They said ucat threshold for interview about 2600 but only 1 in 6 get offers interviews planned F2F this year

Thanks @mumsneedwine He is welsh and welsh speaking but it feels like applying blind re UCAT etc

Is the special measures of the local health board a concern do you think

It says the course has 'very few traditional lectures'. How many hours lectures would there usually be and this a red flag too?

Would there be a Med Soc do you think?

I'm a little wary as Welsh government seems to tinker with everything with not great outcomes!

@IGoWalkingAfterMidnight it will be smaller than other med schools, but Bangor is v nice. They'll be a v close cohort as the first year there.
I wouldn't worry about health boards or hospitals being in special measures, as loads are. No clue how UCAT will work out, but it might be worth a go if Welsh.

He likes the thought of the Mountain Rescue, RNLI in the Focus on Remote, Rural and Mountain medicine so I think he might give it a crack! I've told him to book an open day to see if it is for him.

@IGoWalkingAfterMidnight new courses are usually more inventive and forward thinking in the way they deliver the course. I think it looks like a fun place to study.

Can anyone advise please re which unis to apply for?

my son says he is applying for uni of bham, Nottingham, Leicester and KCL. Due to Sutton trust he has a guaranteed interview for Nottingham and if successful- reduced entry of ABB.

i posted up thread, but to recap, DS1 lots of contextual, state school deprived background cohort. Gcse 999988777 (999 in triple science) estimated a star Astar and A bio Chem math. Ucat 2920 band 1.

he said his teacher said he should make a fifth choice that is not medicine. Is that the normal thing ? Is it because she doesn’t think he will make it? Idk myself never went to uni. he is unsure of what course to choose but his teacher suggested bio med science

also I’m unsure about KCL - am I right in thinking that is risky choice for him?

can anyone also suggest somewhere other than Leicestershire? (No shade on the uni itself, but for personal reasons I would prefer he didn’t study in Leicestershire)

thanks in advance

@4andnotcountingI believe the UCAS form only allows you to put 4 Med school choices, if you wish you can add a fifth course but it can’t be medicine, so some students choose a bio med science course or similar, but others who are intent on medicine don’t bother with a fifth at all. So your son’s school is not suggesting a fifth non-medicine course because they don’t think he’ll make it but because it’s an available option.
From everything you’ve said I’d have thought he stands a really good chance - but I only know what I’ve read on this thread and someone will hopefully come along and give some advice.
@mumsneedwine I think is good at offering advice on good choices based on a student’s stats. Good luck to your son! 🤞

@4andnotcounting he has fantastic stats and has a great chance of interviews. His 4 options are not bad - he could choose others if wants to guarantee interviews as he has an amazing UCAT.
I'm sure school have asked for a 5th choice just for completion. Put whatever they want as it's nice to get an early offer, but if not going to take it, it's not really important.

@4andnotcounting sorry should have said that you can only apply for 4 medicine places . UCAS rules.

Thanks @mumsneedwine . Which universities would you suggest, to guarantee interview?

@4andnotcounting can you remind me of his UCAT and GCSEs. Can't seem to see them in thread (but know you posted them 😊)

@mumsneedwine 999988777 (999 is triple science) ucat 2920 band 1 . A level estimated a star , a star, and A in bio Chem maths .

thanks

@4andnotcounting unless something weird happens - Sheffield, Newcastle, Southampton,UEA,StGeorge's, Liverpool as all pure UCAT. If SJT 1 possibly Nottingham. V likely Birmingham, Manchester, Leicester. Where is he thinking ?

@4andnotcounting probably Exeter too

He’s thinking uni of bham (his first preference) Nottingham, Leicester and KCL.

I wanted to put to him other options than KCL (as I think harder to get in to) and Leicester (for purely personal reasons don’t want him studying in Leicester )

he’s pretty much sorting everything out himself. I try to give him a little input, but don’t know much - only what I’ve read on mumsnet(!)

You need to use the scoring process for Nottingham - it depends how he's scored on each section of the UCAT (it's not the total score that matters). He should be OK, but he'll drop 6 points I think for GCSEs so check the points carefully.

@Africa2go verbal reasoning 740,
decision 690, quantitative 770, abstract 720 situational judgement band 1

@4andnotcounting he needs to score himself for Leicester too. I don’t know the full breakdown of his GCSEs but from the info you’ve given, I don’t think he can score more than 55, so that would make it a very risky choice. Cut off for interview was 59.5 last year, but that is expected to drop because of the change in how they score but not sure by that much. So I’d be encouraging him to double check his score and swap it out if it’s much lower than around 57 (bit of a guess). With that UCAT, he’ll have much safer options (Sheffield, Southampton, Manchester and UEA should all be fine)

@Sybill gcses
9 biology, 9 Chem, 9 physics, geography 9, 88 maths eng lit , 777 eng Lang further maths spanish

@4andnotcounting as has been said, his choices are not the safest. KCL is no harder to get into than anywhere else (although I hope they have sorted their admin this year). He might get interviews from those 4, but as his UCAT is so strong he could play safer by choosing UCAT only Unis.
But it's his choice. Check scores for Notts and Leicester as he will be close.

@4andnotcounting i think that would be 55 for his score, so would be very risky I think. But get him to confirm it himself- the info on how they score applicants is on the website and very transparent with previous cutoffs available