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 😬?

How is your DD getting on now @LaMereDuChat?

Hi PritiPatelsMaker - she is now volunteering at the hospital and we've signed up to one of the online UCAT help courses. Unfortunately she now needs to work on her grades as she got 2 x Ds and a B in last term's progress tests. Ah well - at least everything else is under control now!

@LaMereDuChat just found myself in the same boat! Thought I’d talked DD away from medicine but apparently medicine and dentistry are all she’s interested in. (We’d looked at gcse requirements where internet suggested 7xA’s and we didn’t think she’d quite get there so suggested she keep looking at other courses)

She did ok at GCSE - 8877765554 but English language was a 5. She’s doing really well at A level, predicted A*AB so far in biology, maths and chemistry.
She’s a lovely determined child who came out of primary school not meeting expectations in reading/comprehension at the start of secondary, so she’s come on such a huge amount as she’s got older.

I just don’t know whether if she gets predicted eg A*AA and does ok at the UCAT, does she still have a chance.

Would she qualify for any contextual offers like if her school was in a low performing area her she's on pupil oremium?

@RedHelenB no, in a decent area, good school, earning well (feel like the things I thought I was doing well for the DC are now doing the opposite 😂)

@TiaraBoo she'll be absolutely fine. Keep away from GCSE heavy Unis like Cardiff and Notts. But loads to still apply for - UCAT is vital.

@TiaraBoo sorry, missed the Eng Lang grade. Can she resit this as it will open up lots more options if it's a 7. Still have choices but will need to target carefully with a 5.

@mumsneedwine I didn’t know if resitting to get a higher grade was a thing. Will email the head of year and see what the options are. Thanks for the suggestion.

Just checking in so that I can properly follow the thread and support DS this time around.

Just joining this thread as my DD is planning to apply for medicine for 2024. Has anyone done any university open days yet? I was thinking it might be good to get a feel for different types of unis, but without getting too fixated to any one in particular before knowing what UCAT she has. Seems like it might be a bit of a rush in September otherwise? Or maybe the UCAT naturally thins out options anyway? Also my DD noticed that Leeds will be using UCAT instead of BMAT for 2024 entry - wonder if any of the other BMAT unis will follow?

Think Cambridge is supposed to be ditching the BMAT for 2025 entry, so I suspect more will follow. We're going to go to a few open days in June to get a feel for everything.

Also checking in. Dc4 wants to apply for medicine 2024 entry, been through this with dc1 and dc2 so know what a ride this can be.

Joining this thread as DD is considering medicine. She's doing 4 a levels and I am trying to persuade be to drop 1 so that she can focus on 3...

So after applying this year and being unsuccessful post two interviews, one preinterview rejection due to UKAT score and rejection due to RnR form, does anyone have any advice on reapplying?

How do we support DS? He intends to get a HCA or Hospital Porter job or similar after A Levels, then cram for UKAT and reapply.

Would anyone recommend Summer Scools that are sold to help with interview techniques? Any other resources or anything he should be foing we might not be aware of?

I’d like to join this chat as my dd is also wanting to apply to medicine 2024. She wants to look at Exeter, Bristol, Southampton but not sure if she will apply to those as yet.

@Groundhogday2021 welcome, and for those Unis she'll need a UCAT over 2,800 (Soton), over 2910 (Bristol) and a fab UCAT and A star predictions (Exeter).

Let us know how UCAT goes and hopefully we can advise.

Best plan for reapplying is to get a customer facing job. It builds so much confidence with talking to people and helps with resilience, patience and time management.

I heard about an excel sheet explaining the cut-off marks and options to apply based on GCSE/Predicted/UCAT scores....Please can anyone help

For 2022. Changed a bit this year, unfortunately mostly UCATs gone up.

And Exeter have changed so now a grid based on UCAT and predicted grades - look at their website under selection criteria.

My daughter is thinking of starting (and possibly completing) biomedical science and switching to medicine as she’s not 100% certain about medicine at this point. I’m not sure how easy or practical this is. Notwithstanding the extra £££

Switching mid-degree - almost impossible. I say almost as I have heard rumours there might be a couple of universities who claim that that the top student in a biomed type degree can switch into medicine at that same university (but I am not sure whether in fact that is true or just rumours) - from what i understand though, if that is/is still the case, everybody in the class is trying for that slot, and any given person is highly unlikely to be that student - much, much better statistical chance of getting in by applying for four universities straight from school (or after a gap or numerous gap years).
Applying after finishing the degree - more possible but still very difficult. Aside from the more difficult funding aspect, as you have identified, graduate medicine is even more competitive than undergraduate medicine. You need higher UCAT scores etc. The advice is always - if you know you really want to do medicine, apply as an undergraduate., and if you aren't sure, take a year out and work as an HCA or similarly within the healthcare world to get a better sense of what you want. People who only realise that they want to do medicine after they have started (or finished) their undergraduate degree have to go the graduate route, but the odds of getting in are significantly lowered - so you might well find yourself in the situation of having now decided you want it, but the hurdles are so much higher. Why the need to rush off to university? Take a gap year (or several), and thereby give your DD time to decide whether in fact she really want to do medicine or do biomed (or indeed some other health related job that she might not know about now).

Exeter used to offer the top Biomed students the opportunity to transfer after a year but apparently it led to hideously competitive cohorts. So they've now stopped that practice although they do seemingly look favourably on Exeter Biomed graduates who apply for the Exeter A100 course. DD reports that there are several Biomed graduates on her course.

@W0tnow it's not a very good idea. Will cost lots more ££ as funding for a 2nd degree is limited. And v v v few students transfer every year, maybe 1 or 2 out of the thousands who start Biomed with that plan. Only 2 Unis that I know still offer the option (and that might have stopped as not checked this year).

If not sure about medicine then I agree that a year out is the best option. Get some work in a hospital, go travel and see the world. Jumping into another degree is not a good plan if not sure as you'll need to complete it, when not really wanting to do it.