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.

@Monkey2001 he just received the email from Leicester.
His interview score is 73 as well.😳 His QR was 740.

There is also something in the email about his organisational skills about sending the documents (which I don't understand since they were sent before the deadline but probably not very quickly)

@Monkey2001 do you think more people applied to Leicester this year than previous years? Maybe this is due to high GCSE grades.

Sorry was offline for a couple of days, congratulations for all the new offers and commiserations for the rejections, we have firmed now with Edinburgh, just need to survive the exams now and get the grades......I will be glad when the summer comes!

@Cratos I guess Leiester was just not the one for our boys! They included stats in the email:

We received over 3600 applications for the 260 places on the course, and interviewed over 1,300 applicants.
Only those applicants achieving the highest scores receive an offer. Your interview score was not sufficient to receive an offer for this cycle. Entry to medicine is highly competitive and we would like to reassure you that your application was given full consideration.

@Monkey2001 thank you. These numbers look high but I don't remember the statistics for last year. It would be nice to find out about other medical student statistics soon as well.
Did your son also receive feedback in the letter about organisation skills ? I am wondering if this is part of the email for all rejections even if it may not be one of the reasons for that particular candidate.
Reapplication to Leicester seems difficult too since they take an average of the 2 interview scores (the year before and the reapplication year) so they need to improve their scores significantly.

Great news. Edinburgh is my home city. DC got an offer there and we went up during Easter for a mooch. We had a guided tour of Sailsbury court accom which was a 5 min walk to main campus and 5 min bus ride to RIE. Everyone under 25 gets a free bus pass in Edinburgh.

Feel free to ping me with any questions about the city etc.

DC turned down Edinburgh in favour of a v late Newcastle offer from the waitlist. He’s loving Newcastle but we were gutted when he turned down Edinburgh

@kackle aw thank you for the offer, I was born and brought up here in Edinburgh and still here….should really escape one day…but it is a lovely city…..so hopefully I know most of the old haunts lol. Thank you for the kind offer though and she is getting halls, so she is away from home, but not too far.

Love Edinburgh. Got a wee bit excited when DD was considering applying there... and then she decided not to.

Commiserations to the boys about Leicester. The organisation thing seems a bit strange when no deadlines were missed @Cratos. At least they both have good offers already.

@Cratos I think the organisation bit was part of the standard e-mail, it was on ours too.

Sorry to hear about the Leicester news.

A question for those with DCs already studying medicine: DD was wondering how important they felt cadaveric dissection was to their education? She is trying to decide between her options and would find it helpful to know if it would be a shame to miss, or whether prosection is just as good.

@Peachy2005 DD thought that full body dissection was a really excellent way to learn. She's glad she chose a medical school offering this. I remember her offer holder day was on line, and dissection was definitely promoted as being a good thing.

The hard thing is though, that's all she has experienced, so it's hard to say really. Maybe she would have been just as happy with prosection.

I think @Haffdonga has two medical student DC and one has experienced full body and one has experienced prosection and both are very happy with their methods of learning.

DD did enjoy being able to do the actual dissection though. She liked the more intricate things they were asked to do, whereas I think some other students liked other tasks better. So I guess it does give them some insight to where their strengths and preferences may lie!

Sorry to hear about Leicester... DS got a Birmingham offer (only an email from uni no conditions yet- email says may take 2-3 weeks to appear on track....)
He is happy with 3 out of 4 offers. But now has a tough choice. Not sure he can get to Birmingham.or Exeter offer holder days....

Off topic a bit but - It's under-22s get free buses all over Scotland - still great but not quite 25, more's the pity !

Congrats to Pip's dc - my dd has not decided yet - she has different offers from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle so needs to think about it. Newcastle is least favourite but at ABB might be worth being insurance (contextual we think on postcode).

Congratulations to those with offers and commiserations to those who didn't.
Our update is that DS has been offered a place at Birmingham which he is chuffed about. He's booked onto the offer holder day in April.
Now just those A level grades to secure!

Will be keeping fingers crossed for those DC out there who are awaiting news of offers.

Excellent news @toomuchlikemyusername . Many congratulations to your DS.

To answer @Peachy2005 's dd about dissection vs prosection, comparing what my ds have each said about their experiences to me it sounds like there's not such an enormous difference between the 2 styles of teaching that I'd base a choice of med school soley on that single factor (unless she already knows for definite that she wants to do surgery in which case dissection might give an early chance to experience the job hands on).

In both styles the students are in small groups and up close to the cadaver or part of cadaver and the only real difference is they'll either be watching the demonstrator doing the dissecting in front of them or they'll be taking turns to do it themselves under the demonstrator's guidance, which can have advantages (hands on experience) and disadvantages (if a student is a bit ham-fisted and messes up it makes it difficult to see the next bit). They might also look at the other groups' cadavers e.g. to compare male/ female anatomy or signs of disease.

Both my ds have said they've found it very powerful, an excellent way to learn and realise they're very priviledged to experience this. The unis are extremely careful to ensure everything is done with the utmost respect and privacy. In Sheffield the students are invited to a memorial ceremony for the people who have donated their bodies and their families. I'm sure other unis do a similar thing.

@Haffdonga and @LaLaFlottes

Thanks for the extra info. DD got an email from Sheffield today saying cadaveric dissection suspended at Sheffield due to ventilation issues detected…that almost implies they don’t expect to have it back for the new intake or why would they be advising them now?

I think she has been having her head turned by all the positive things people have been feeding back about Sheffield on here …so good job you guys 😂

DD rejected from Nottingham. Sheis heartbroken (first rejection, no other offers yet). I know lots of MNetters have been through this, and we still have options, but its so difficult to console her. Think this is perhaps the first time she's been classed as not good enough for something academic - perhaps we should have been more prepared for this but still horrible.

@Africa2go I'm so sorry. It's such a tough process and it's very often the first disappointment these bright students have had. The mantra, you only need one is so true, and if not been rejected you are still in the game.
Let's hope the next few weeks brings that one. 🤞

@mumsneedwine thank you. Trying hard to stay positive!

@opoponax thank you!

@Africa2go I hope your DD is ok. Awful to see DC upset isn't it. Let's hope some positive news is around the corner. Has she had other interviews?

@Peachy2005 having only known cadaveric dissection myself I thought that DCs would appreciate it. However their response has been tepid, mainly due to enough of their small groups "messing up" the cadaver presumably through unskilled and possibly less than careful attempts. I don't remember this in my day (very long ago) but back then we didn't have gloves and perhaps overall dexterity has been hampered by modern living? Anyway DCs say it's probably no great shakes between the two, however that's easy to say if you have actually had hands on already. Overall it doesn't seem to be a large let alone main factor in choosing between schools.

Yes 4 interviews, QUB, Liverpool and Leeds. QUB sent offers to the top 250 (she wasn't one of them but there may be more offers, but not feeling too positive) then Liverpool poor interview to offer ratios and then Leeds.

Thank you @justjuggling , @Pip4764 ,@Monkey2001 and all for the best wishes.
Congratulations on all the offers. commiserations for the ones receiving not so great news.
Was travelling and just back home today. That's the reason for late reply.
Anyone's DC in Imperial for medicine? Would love to have some inputs on which accomodation is good and other general inputs.
The accomodation we viewed on open day is just opposite the main campus. However those are quite costly and generally home students choose a bit farther options it seems. Travel wise, if the farther options are chosen, then she might as well commute from home. DD wants to stay in student accomodation for first year atleast. For the second year onwards she wants to decide later in first year.
Also, in the offer email it says the candidate needs to get the DBS done. Not sure which one. There are 3 options for DBS it seems. Basic, Standard and Enhanced.
Still waiting on interview results from UCL, Southampton and Leicester. All interviews done. UCL are interviewing until end of March and have said the results will be only towards the end of April. No news from Southampton and Leicester as yet.

@Africa2go I'm so sorry. It's so hard when they are upset. Still 3 options open though and that's a lot. Hope your DD gets some good news soon and then this rejection will soon be forgotten.