Medicine 2023 Entry - Part 4

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Anyone out there with DC applying or reapplying for Medicine 2023, please join a friendly thread for mutual support and useful advice.

So sorry @MerchSwyddEfrog. It's such a tough process and so difficult to see such bright, hardworking, motivated students struggling to get offers. I don't think it's anything you did wrong... maybe just bad luck. Any one of us could have been in your position right now.

It's brilliant that your ds is so positive about a gap year. He might find that it turns out to be the best thing for him in the end... sometimes, it's the twists in the road that make the journey more interesting and enjoyable. I wish you and him all the best.

So sorry to hear about your DS's rejections, but you (and he) should really know this is happens a lot. One of the things that was really very noticeable on TSR last year and the year before (I haven't been keeping as close an eye this year) is how many of the people who gets offers seem to be second time around, having got all rejections the previous year. It is really very striking. If anything it sometimes felt like the DC who got offers while still at school were the exception.

Regarding interview practice, I don't know if it is still running - as it is now a couple of years ago and during Covid when more was online - but somehow my DS found a Discord server on which there were a whole bunch of DC applying for medicine, and they interviewed each other (on line). I started by trying to interview him and work through the book, but I confess it was very hard for me, and I wasn't able to be as available as he wanted. And then he found this server and it meant he could have as many pratice interviews as he wanted, so long as he interviewed them back. And he credits that with his most successful interview - because he says that he had done an interview on this Discord server with someone that actually had lucked out on the almost identical role play, so he was just so comfortable with it when it came to the real thing. He also said it was so useful being the "interviewer" and not just the "interviewee" - because it really made it obvious the kind of things one should never say (and he also had his "interviewers" giving him feedback saying - "don't say that, it sounds really arrogant" - when he hadn't realised it sounded arrogant at all etc etc). Interviewing is not something most DC of this age have any experience with, so no wonder it is a real struggle (and why DC a whole year old, who had had a chance to reflect on matters, grow up a bit, and practice, seem to do a lot better)

Sorry to hear about the Liverpool rejection @MerchSwyddEfrog. Please don’t think you did anything wrong though. As others have said, many young people fare well during a gap year and have more success with a subsequent application.

DD’s interview at Exeter was 15 mins and we both were surprised that such a big decision would be made on such a short on line communication. I’m still none the wiser about what makes for a med school successful interview or not. However DD used the Oliver Picard book so I’d recommend that. And she also took part in a sort of mock interview offered by BSMS which was run by current med students. Not sure it helped hugely in terms of steering her in the right direction about what to say but it did make her more confident than she otherwise would have been.

Also, did your son do the BSMS virtual work experience programme? DD found that quite helpful.

Wishing you both lots of luck over the coming year.

@MerchSwyddEfrog sorry to hear your news, but great that he is so positive. I don't know how DS2 managed to get 3 rejections this year despite having a hospital job where he works at part of an MDT. My two found the UEA and St Andrews interviews different from the others - not so many of the standard questions, the Picard book woouldn't help much there.

@MerchSwyddEfrog so sorry to hear about the rejections. It sounds like he has a good gap year planned.

The thing that struck me most when we did the open days was just how many of the medical students said that they had taken a gap year after not getting in first time. It certainly seems to be very common, and clearly, lots of people who don't succeed first time round do get offers in the following year!

I am sorry to hear about Liverpool rejection @MerchSwyddEfrog
From all the advice we received so far, it sounds like Gap years can be very beneficial to our DCs. I wish your family and your DS all the best for the future.

Could anyone with a DC in Newcastle comment on the clinical placements at Newcastle:- where are they based, and do people move there or is it close enough to commute?

Also, how do they find the CBL sessions? Is it hard to know what they should be taking from them and exactly what they need to be learning?

Any specific accommodation recommendations (apart from Park View, which she would probably include as a preference)? Thank you 😄

Hi

My son is in year 1.

His placements so far have been at RVI next to med school and a GP surgery in Middlesborough. The med school organised a taxi for this one.

They find out soon where their placements for y3 ono are going to be. Carlisle has been mentioned.

He applied for Park View, Park Terrace and Kensington. Got allocated to Park Terrace and loves it. 5 min walk to the med school.

He’s loving the course and all that Newcastle has to offer

Y3 onwards Newcastle placements can be anywhere in the region and in any order.

One of the things we didn't like about Newcastle was that it seemed that most students will not be able to live in Newcastle for the full duration of the course, but will be expected to relocate for at least some of the time. Newcastle people - please feel free to tell me that was a misunderstanding.

Yes that's correct @Monkey2001 . DD is quite chilled about it but it wouldn't suit everyone.

Thats right.

My DS is hoping for Carlisle as its closer to home

One of the things we didn't like about Newcastle was that it seemed that most students will not be able to live in Newcastle for the full duration of the course, but will be expected to relocate for at least some of the time. Newcastle people - please feel free to tell me that was a misunderstanding.

This is the case at most - if not all - medical schools. It's something prospective students do need to research carefully.

DD was at offerholders' day in Glasgow and enjoyed it immensely. A nice mix of talks, an hour in the clinical skills room (had a go at things), tour of sports and campus - she chose not to tour accommodation but there was a talk about it.

Anyone else's kid there? What were their thoughts?

Maybe it is just random that our two will be able to live in one place. I know that travel is always involved on a medical degree, but I think being able to have your main home in a place where you can choose to live with friends is quite important.

Manchester (where DS1 is going after St Andrews) allocates you a base hospital which is where you are based for the three clinical years, so although you will go to other sites, you don't have to move house. UEA provide accommodation if you are allocated a placement too far to commute from Norwich, so you keep your Norwich base. Bristol is the same, you can keep your Bristol base and stay in hospital accommodation for more distant placements.

Manchester (where DS1 is going after St Andrews) allocates you a base hospital which is where you are based for the three clinical years, so although you will go to other sites, you don't have to move house. UEA provide accommodation if you are allocated a placement too far to commute from Norwich, so you keep your Norwich base. Bristol is the same, you can keep your Bristol base and stay in hospital accommodation for more distant placements.

Yes, but you're still not living in the same city for 5 years, which is the comment I was replying to. Even if the university/trust is paying your rent for the place you relocate to, you're still relocating for some of the time.

It's fairly obvious that a student who goes to St Andrews will have to relocate, as it doesn't have a clinical medicine course. But a proportion of students who started at Manchester will also have to relocate to Preston for 3 years, many of whom will have hoped to spend 5 years in & around Manchester.

dd has firmed Nottingham and put Lincoln as her insurance. We hope that was sensible rather than her neuroscience offer as insurance as she would take a gap year and resit if she didn’t get the grades. So didn’t seem sensible to waste a Med offer by not putting it down. If anyone has any Nottingham accommodation tips pls let me know! Thanks for the support to get her to this stage.

Yes, but you're still not living in the same city for 5 years, which is the comment I was replying to. Even if the university/trust is paying your rent for the place you relocate to, you're still relocating for some of the time.

My point was more that you can stay in one flat with your other university friends, maintaining some of the social life you have established. You don't have to uproot yourself, just go and work away for periods.

At Leeds, you do stay put for the five years! You may have to travel for some placements (my DD is very popular in her group as she has a car and is willing to drive!) but everything is roughly Leeds based. Absolutely no need to change accommodation/city/living arrangements/friends.

@Thethingswedoforlove all Notts halls on campus are nice and all will have medics in. Lots of friends are made walking across the Meadows every day. Older medics meet them at their halls on the first day and walk them all together to the hospital,
For placements Notts provide free accommodation if at Mansfield, Lincoln or Boston, and pay transport costs to Derby.

Thank you @mumsneedwine sounds very friendly

My DS has got a medical school offer from Liverpool. Ucas states that offer is AA (grade A in Chemistry & grade A in Biology or Maths)
No mention of the 3rd A level.

Considering he is in year 13, we are wondering if they accepted the A level he completed in Year 12 (achieved A*) as the 3rd A level.
He is doing Chemistry, Biology and Maths this year.

We will need to call and clarify.

Well done @Cratos ,. There are some medical schools which will accept a Y12 result as part of the offer, looks like Liverpool is one of them. Just got to make sure of the A in Chemistry, which is the one which most often lets medics down.

Congratulations Liverpool is a great place to live and study, shouldn't break the bank either 😀