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 😬?

@4andnotcounting I think it's 134 for Notts, think you needed 129/130 for an interview this year so it's above that, but pls check.

@Africa2go thanks for your help. He already has a guaranteed interview with Nottingham as he took part in the Sutton trust. He has lots of contextuals. IF the interview is successful, then the offer will be ABB he said

Lectures are only a small part of the teaching in a medical degree. My dd has mainly online lectures which can be accessed anytime which gives some welcome flexibility. She still has a lot of face to face time.

Hi all, can I ask do any of your kids read medical journals? DS reads New Scientist at school but am wondering whether he should be reading BMJ or Lancet as well? We don’t subscribe.
he also reads stuff in mainstream media obviously but am just thinking ahead to interviews. How in-depth does their knowledge of current issues have to be?

@Mumofboys2006 mine read nothing (except Instagram). They need to know about the NHS troubles, strikes, what they are getting into and how it's all about teamwork. And good to know something innovative (why EPQs are useful).
If they want to read the BMJ that's fine, but not expected.

@mumsneedwine - do you know the points cut off for Aston last year? Dd scores 31 for her GCSEs and UCAT - would that give her a chance?

@mumsneedwine 🤭🤣- same except YouTube is his main source of info. I send him links all the time - and I doubt he reads them but seems to have acquired some rudimentary knowledge - osmosis?!

@LaMereDuChat think Aston was 32 last year. Not published so can only go by my own students and TSR gossip. Sorry not more helpful.

@mumsneedwine - thank you. I'll check out TSR more!

@LaMereDuChat my DD also looking at Aston and she thinks last years cut off was 31.5, but with GCSE grade deflation, it could drop down a bit this year so a score of 31 might be ok?

Thanks @Sybill - I hope so as it ticks all dd's boxes - a campus but not in the countryside.

My experience is It’s very broad topical stuff such as advantages/ disadvantages of remote consulting - the main thing to practice is being able to give a coherent answer and able to give examples ( eg elderly people can’t always use the internet/ hard of hearing on phone ) if students go into long explanations of complex things they have read about they always run out of time and steam explaining it at interview. Also tend to tell interviewers facts not balanced opinion
advice I have always given is to assume you will get an interviewer who knows more than you about the topic so the broader the better so you can both have the same level of knowledge. Most doctors get a lot of their knowledge on new stuff from bbc news/ Twitter too !

DD followed doctors on twitter. I think it was a case of finding one she liked/found interested, then starting to follow others. Some doctors are great communicators.

So we think DD has narrowed her choices down to the following:
Bristol, Exeter, Southampton, Sheffield, Nottingham and UEA.

Anybody have dc at these medical schools that can offer some insight into what it’s like to attend them? Particularly interested in contact time and how much self directed study is required. Also living in these cities generally from a student’s perspective would be great. Thanks in advance 😊

Hi my ds is at southampton. He says 3-4 hours a day of lectures and tutorials and they had GP placement in the first year. All in person. He is really happy there. Plenty of sport and plenty to do around the uni so he doesn't go into the city centre much. He also appreciates the better weather down south!
In contrast dd in edinburgh has had very little in person. The lecture she was doing when I last called her had been recorded in 2019. I know you didn't ask about Edinburgh but might be of interest to someone.
DS's girlfriend is at Bristol so if no-one has information on there I'll try to find out. There seems to be a lot more CBL and DS has said he prefers doing the systems in depth which is how he's being taught. For eg he's looking forward to neuroscience which they haven't done yet but his gf has. But topics he has covered has been done in a lot more depth.
That is just his personal experience.

That’s great info! Thanks so much @speedyhedgehog That sounds exactly like the kind of info DD will be looking for! We are booked onto the Open Day on 8th Oct 😊👍

@Groundhogday2021 DD was at Nottingham. Lots of contact time, lots of skills labs and full body dissection every week in first 2 years. Lectures mostly in person (but recorded if need to access remotely). Dedicated medical school in the QMC hospital. Lots of early patient contact both in hospital and GP.
Fab city to be a student. Loads of clubs and trams make it easy and cheap to get around. Societies covering sports and music as well as Quidditch etc. medSoc v active. 4th years put on a musical (with lecturers). Medic only sports, music and other clubs.
Hope that helps. Oh and campus is beautiful.

@Groundhogday2021 and Notts provide accommodation if placements are too far to commute. Or pay petrol/transport costs if commutable. Derby has a free bus.

@Groundhogday2021 sorry, me again. Youngest DD is a vet student at Bristol. She loves the city !!! So much to do and v student friendly. However accommodation is expensive (last year Bristol was £165 a week and Notts £95).

Great info @mumsneedwine.
I’m taking her to see Nottingham and Sheffield next week (we missed the Open Days and the next ones are too late for application) but I’m hoping a look around the cities will give her a feel for them. 👍

@Groundhogday2021 if you go towards the QMC side of the campus you'll see the Medical School at the bottom of QMC. I'm sure they'll let you look around the communal areas. I'd ask as if free I'm sure they'll let you see the lecture theatre and maybe the skills labs. Worth a try.

We are still looking at another UCAT uni - provisional SGUL but now DS has zoned in on Exeter - last years UCAT cut off was 2790 which is what DS got - is this wise? Pls share your wisdom - seems to have early clinical.
I know a few have said to play to his strengths of strong GCSEs which we are doing - applying to Bham - but we have to put another choice down. Predicted 2A stars 1A

@Mumofboys2006 here is Exeters new scoring grid.

@Mumofboys2006 last years cut off what for those with 3 A star predictions (as that was all they used). New scoring this year so hard to judge what will be needed.

Ok thanks - I knew there was something we didn’t quite fit into! ;)
SGUL it is then!