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 😬?

@Groundhogday2021 Ds1 is at Bristol and ds2 has just finished at Sheffield (now an F1 elsewhere) so I can give you some impressions of these.
The courses are quite similar in terms structure (first year focuses on the working body bit by bit, second year goes into the illness/ disease side of things, later years become increasingly more clinical with longer hospital placements.) Both courses have high levels of contact time delivered in a whole mix of ways every day - lectures, tutor groups, GP teaching, anatomy labs, clinical skills groups etc. In fact there is very little 'empty' timetable time to do any self-directed learning of which of course there's some too (probably the same in every med school).

That looks similar to last year's grid, do you know what has changed? Worth noting that anyone with contextual factors uses a different table which is more generous.

Thanks to all for sharing so much useful information. My DD is considering Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle. She is struggling w a fourth choice, possibly Sheffield. UCAT is 2890. SJ1. Her GCSEs (6 - 9s and 4 - 8s). Her school have advised against applying to Liverpool, Exeter, Shampton, Notts or Birmingham. She wants to be in a city, but not in London. any other suggestions ? thoughts on Sheffield?

@mumskies do you mind me asking why school have advised against notts? Have you scored her agains the notts criteria? Her ucat is great but I would have thought newcastle seems a bit risky- and it depends on the breakdown of her ucat but potentially quite a lot riskier than notts. Her predicted grades are crucial re Exeter as per the table above.

"@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor last year was predicted grades with UCAT as tie break. The grid is new for this year, with actual point against both.
Offer will still be AAA though.

@mumskies I'm intrigued as to schools thinking I'm not applying to those Unis, as all seem v good options (agreed, Notts needs scoring).

@mumskies you've chosen 3 that are not 'safe' as you can be. Manchester score a bit if everything, Birmingham ave 15% contextual and Newcastle was 2,880 so should be ok, but Bristol keeps heading upwards so who knows. I'd definitely choose Sheffield !

@mumskies sorry, Leeds we have no idea what's going to happen with UCAT score as all new.

They definitely had the grid last year as well so 95 should be an indication of where they usually go to. Although of course with all courses it depends on their own algorithms of rates of interview to offer to taking up the place as to how many are interviewed. I know last year they said they planned to interview 800

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor Where can I see the contextual factors table please? I’ve only just learned from my ds that what has heavily influenced his choices are the pathways to medicine universities - so he has 3 guaranteed interviews and the fourth (KSL) he wants to just chance .

The whole document is here https://www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/recruitmentsites/documents/BMBS_Detailed_Admissions_Process_2024_entry_V4.pdf you need to scroll down to page 7 for the widening participation grid. Also here https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entryrequirements/contextual/ are their definitions of who they consider to have contextual factors, only need one of them to qualify.

It would also be worth him talking to school about whether an A* prediction in his third would be possible to nudge him into the next column. It is definitely worth considering for students with high predicted grades but a slightly lower ucat and contextual factors.

Asking for a friend's son - which Unis don't care about predicted grades? He is currently predicted A star A star C (his German teacher won't increase this, even though she says he may well do better in the exam as they have a lot to learn between now and then). GCSEs are all 8s and his UCAT was 2730 SJT3.

Nobody can quite reason why the grade can't be increased - all help & suggestions gratefully received!

Has anyone been able to get info on Leeds selection scoring from open days? I know there’s nothing useful on their website and they’re tight-lipped about it when asked on email but just wondering if anyone managed to get something out of them? Even knowing whether they treat 8/9 or Astar vs A predictions differently would help!

Keele used to not look at predicted grades.
This may have changed , worth a look on their website.

Possibly Sunderland too

Keele

https://www.keele.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduatecourses/medicine/medicinehowtoapply/#academic-screening

Under academic screening

We do not use predicted grades at any point in our selection process for medicine.

DS2 has submitted application into school to check before it is sent off.
He has all 9's at GCSE and score 3220 band 2.
He is also doing the BMAT.

He has picked
Cambridge
UCL
King's College
Leicester

He is predicted 3 A stars. I am hoping he will get 4 interviews but to be honest I don't have a clue as I never went to university and neither did DH. TIA for any feedback.

Only issue is that two BMAT med schools is a lot with that great UCAT score. BMAT score is as yet unknown whilst he could make UCAT choices with guaranteed interviews. Depends how much he likes Cambridge and UCL however and he may feel confident with his BMAT and happy to take that risk. Only other comment would be is to ask if he is aware that Cambridge interview lots more than Oxford do and their offer to interview ratio is much lower? If he much prefers Cambridge then that may not matter to him but if he just wants that type of course and is confident in a very high BMAT, Oxford could strategically be a better bet.

@losingtheplot999 has he thought about Bristol? I’d say he has a decent shot - my DS really liked it ok the open day

Aston, Lincoln, Nottingham, Liverpool, keel, queen balfast, Sunderland, Brighton and Sussex, Kent and medway. That what I remember.

He is above Liverpool ucat so maybe that is another option ( I know that the interview to offer is low).

Thank you @Thefatbutteredpig and @Ib1234567 - really helpful. He'd resigned himself to applying next year but all is not lost!

Yes it is better that he apply this year as he can get taste and have experience for next year if he doesn’t get in . Good luck to him .

Regardless of predicted grades, he won't make the cut off score for QUB with 8s at GCSE, nor for Nottingham / Lincoln particularly with SJ3.

@losingtheplot999 unless things have changed since last year, with that top 1% UCAT your son would be guaranteed interviews at Bristol, Newcastle, and Sheffield. Bristol don't use the SJT and Newcastle just reject B4. He would lose a little bit on the Sheffield SJT MMI station with a Band 2 but that is hardly anything and I wouldn't be put off applying because of that. Also with Sheffield, if he is doing an EPQ, he could drop to a B in one subject as long as he gets at least an A in his EPQ. Even if he doesn't need that leeway it does take the stress off when they are sitting their A Levels. Worth noting that UEA is all UCAT too and SJT is just at interview. With UEA his post interview score is 50% UCAT so he would have a huge advantage with that score.

Some fantastic advice on here 😊. Feel I can retire happy 😂😂