Medicine 2023 Entry - Part 4

[opoponax]

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

Ah, Edinburgh has gone now. Could have been a mistake or they might be using Clearing to manage their waiting list.

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor it varies. Leeds took loads of applicants with AAB in 2019 because they under-offered, so not nearly enough got the grades. Last year I knew someone with an offer from Cardiff who missed the A in chemistry by 1 mark and was rejected.

Thank you @Monkey2001 , I imagine the last few years with grade inflation have been tough if you miss a grade. Do the universities know you have missed by one mark though? I imagined they would just get the overall grade.

I think they get the overall grade and then the component marks for each paper.

But, grade boundaries aren't published till results day so I guess they won’t know you have missed by a mark or so unless they take an educated guess when they get the results s few days before the kids get the results.

https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/results-day/sending-exam-results

And for A levels, we include the unit grades as well as your overall grade.

Just wanted to say that the 'Extraordinary Portraits' episode that was just on BBC One this evening is well worth watching. It's about a sculpture commission to capture the essence of Martin Griffiths, a London trauma surgeon from a background where few would have made medical school. It goes into his life story and the resulting sculpture is a stunning tribute to an amazing man.

Thanks, @opoponax I've added it to the iplayer to watch next week.

DS went to an NHS jobs fair today - applied for a position as hospital porter and is registering to be a hospital volunteer too. Fingers crossed for some good luck and a year of valuable insights and experience.

@IGoWalkingAfterMidnight it's great that your DS is being so proactive. That should give him lots to reflect on for interviews. Wishing him all the best.

Thank you for sharing this @
opoponax

Really powerful letter here about why a consultant oncologist is striking. I have sent it on to our Labour MP, I am so cross that they are not supporting the doctors any more than the Conservatives.

https://lucygossage.com/my-reasons-for-striking/?fbclid=IwAR0g3LOyGfkSnqWVfKTpaCK0pH4dL3_DyVkm4x5LS5pQa4xQNolfy2aL57w

@Monkey2001
i read this on Twitter last night.
So powerful and as a fellow consultant it absolutely reflects our experience at the moment. I’m close to retiring but I haven’t known morale so low in the 35 years I’ve been working in the NHS - I provided Xmas day cover yesterday but have been on strike today primarily for the next generation (DD is about to start 4th year). There will be no nhs to look after any of us without them.
I am so sad it has come to this and so frustrated that a way out of the impasse of industrial action seems so far off - which I fear is exactly what the government wants 😢

Just a bit of info - a parent has posted on WIWIKAU that her son (with IB results) has just been offered a place at KCL after being rejected initially. Got better IB results than expected - contacted KCL when it appeared in clearing, had an interview and now been offered a place.

Think IB results were odd this year (lower than expected) so bit of a strange year - wonder if its going to be the same for A Levels! 😬

I also heard that IB results were low, but they also had to lower boundaries to achieve these lower grades.

starting to get bit worried for A levels now

It seems a bit unfair to offer IB students places in clearing before A-Level results are out.

@mumsneedwine did your dd have her first day of F1 yesterday? How did it go?

@Thethingswedoforlove first day as a proper doctor 😊. They did a week of shadowing first, which was v helpful. Yesterday was good. Today she is doing a 13 hour shift as surgical on call. I find that a bit nuts. 👩‍⚕️

For £14.09 an hour. She's striking next week. What a time to start their professional lives.

Wow. That really puts it into perspective. I couldn’t support a strike more. But I would say that. All the very best to her.

Dear Lord.
DS is 19, just finished his 1st year of med school (loves it) and is earning about this working at our local London pub. This is shameful.

(I’m a teacher, only in 3rd year, and never thought I would be going out to strike age 50. I am gutted my union accepted the not-fully funded pay rise: we are sooooo broke, I think my HT will have to let TAs go to pay my salary… time for a 3rd career change.)

Best of luck to your DD.

My dd hasn't even started her medical degree yet, and she is already earning an hourly rate quite a bit higher than that! It's awful that they get so little after so much hard work.

Oh well, at least dd will have another option to fall back on if the medicine career doesn't work out!

I think the main issue is the late A level results. If dd gets the grades then there will be less than a month before the course starts. Her work is already planning September shifts and she doesn't know if she will be home or not.

Good luck to all the striking doctors. The more I read the more I think she would do well to plan at least a few years abroad to get some cash behind her/ chip away at the loan. Whether she would then come back though to the working conditions here.

Good luck to our Scottish applicants. Hope this week brings good news. 🥂. Stay away from any press stories about results !!

We are waiting for results tomorrow. I feel sick but DD was staying at friends all weekend and working tonight so not discussed it. Blocking it out. Wish I could.

One exam didn't go well at all and she needs an AH grade B in this. Both firm and insurance very similar. There really is no plan B. I think she will need a gap year to reevaluate what's she wants to do.
I've never heard of anyone resitting advanced highers unlike A levels. Although medicine is her dream this year has been so tough and she said she's not sure she could do it all again.
She gave it her all. UCAT was brutal. Interviews in middle of prelims was horrendous. I'm so proud of her. It's strange that tomorrow will decide what path she takes.
Results will come through at 8am by text. No access to UCAS till 9am.

@wontsleeptonight we are in the same boat, was a tough year for them and one exam didn’t go well for us either, absolutely dreading tomorrow morning. Other than biomedical sciences, what are others plan B? Medicine is all she wants to do? Assuming if we drop a grade we can’t get any ‘rare’ medicine clearing spots, so at a bit of a loss as to what to do, just in case tomorrow doesn’t bare the fruit….trying not to worry….but would like a plan up our sleeves just in case. If they were to resit, how many universities would even consider them next year? Fingers crossed for all the young people tomorrow and next week!

@Pip4764 same here. She hasn't got a plan B and refused to discuss other courses.
Says she definitely doesn't want to do a 'subject' course like biology or chemistry.
She did give it everything this year so I don't think she would do any better if repeated.
I'm looking at clearing (she hasn't ).
She's young though and only 17 in January so a year out to decide and mature wouldn't do her any harm.
It's the waiting till 9am to get ucas update if she drops a grade .....
is your DD holding offers for Scottish unis? I'm not sure they will accept any reduced grades due to being oversubscribed for Scottish quotas I imagine.

Yes all Scottish unis, same boat with me looking at clearing, but think a gap year would actually do her good, although that is definitely not our plan A! Good luck tomorrow x