Medicine 2025 entry

[HGC2]

Inspired and slightly terrified reading the 2023 entry threads and how much prep has to go into a medicine application!

DC wants to do medicine, probably in Scotland as a Scottish student, doing well at school but this doesn't seem to be enough! School has little / no experience of applications for medicine as a not fantastic state school!

Can anyone advise what work experience / volunteering they will need (currently volunteering at sports club with hope of job)
what are the spreadsheets that people talk about?
How do you strategically apply?

I have one child at uni and they just applied and got a place, this seems like a whole other level!

I may be slightly happier with the one who read work experience than I was earlier this year - they were slooooww.

@mumsneedwine thank you for your response. She is thinking about Notts. But all will depend on her actual total score.
All the best to everyone sitting UCAT today and next few days. It feels like a long summer

So pleased for your students. It is great that you have been able to help them achieve their goals. From what you have said before it is not an affluent school but you and the subject staff really bring out the best in them. Hopefully they will all make wonderful doctors.

Agree completely. Well done to you and them. First year completely back to pre pandemic levels of scoring as well.

Was a good day. Had 2 sitting UCAT too so the cycle continues.
Can now go on holiday ....

I’ve been lurking on this thread for a while and already had some amazing tips/ideas. It’s such a minefield. DD took UCAT last week and scored 2830 but SJ3 - I’ve spoken to her about strategic applications (thank you @mumsneedwine !) so bookmarking here for now to come back when term starts. She’s at a good state school but focus is more on arts than science so I might be asking some very random questions in the weeks to come. Good luck to all still to take UCAT - so relieved that bit is over 😅 but a small taste of what next year will be like 😩

@MaybeaMedic that's a very good UCAT. Just ignore Notts and Lincoln for SJT.

When the actual cut offs come out later this year I'll update the spreadsheet as best I can. But Bristol out as a safe option.

Just ignore Notts and Lincoln for SJT.

And Manchester...

https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/medicine/apply/ucat/

V true. Manchester like a good SJT 😊

@mumsneedwine thank you so much!

Hi @mumsneedwine and everyone - joining the 2025 thread! My DD fell at the final hurdle and did not make her offer with grades with ABB so she starts again with UCAT sitting end of Sept. Last cycle she got around 2700 SJT 1 and three offers from Manchester Glasgow and Sunderland for AAA. Her A was in PE so she is going to need to retake her other two Chem and Maths. Also considering doing A level Biology in a year if possible to help widen her choices as PE was not accepted at every school.
she’s also considering a paramedic apprenticeship as a back up
was going to stay off MN as it’s been so stressful since the results but 2024 thread was so supportive here I go again !
I have just about calmed down about her ex who decided to dump her out of the blue 2 weeks before the exams leaving my DD here. She’s being pretty positive and resilient so I need to follow her lead x

Also Glasgow sent out a strange email in the application cycle pointing out their UCAT cut offs were not as published on various websites but much lower and also flexible.

Hello, please may I join? Been on other HE threads for older DC's Uni application journeys and always found them incredibly helpful.

DC just going into Yr13. UCAT in v early Sep, and they've been working solidly through summer to prepare but still not at all confident on that, so although predicted A-level grades are v strong it all feels like a long, long slog ahead.

Finding the process almost impossibly complex

@ipredictariot5 hi, still hoping the ex gets struck down with some nasty disgusting disease.

Glasgow use more than just UCAT but do have quotas (set by the Scottish government) for RUK students.

2nd time round it's going to be easier - you know the process. Go smash the UCAT and we go again.

Who didn't like PE as 3rd ?

@CopingHagen here to hold your hand 😊. Get the UCAT and come back so we can look at strategic options.

Thanks @mumsneedwine

@ipredictariot5 Hoping Glasgow are flexible on UCAT, my DD just needs to get this UCAT sat as her scores are going down with each mock she does! Thank goodness it is next week.

Think she wishes she had just sat it before going back to school but S6 has hit with a bang and she's already got prelims coming up. Its too much for wee people!

@ipredictariot5 what a shame for DD - so frustrating but well done to her for carrying on, that attitude will surely stand her in good stead.
I'm very worried that DS has taken his eye off the ball. He got 3 Bs in AS, one of which was one mark off an A and is on course for A or A* in Welsh Bac which Cardiff accepts. I'm just worried that even if he gets an offer he won't get the grades, although he has improved all year from his mocks. I wish they didn't do AS levels. He may resit the lowest scoring chemistry paper next year alongside the rest of A2. His maths result was better than he'd feared though and biology one mark off an A.
Also he has UCAT in a few weeks and although he has practised plenty of questions I don't think he is confident about his scores

@sproutsandparsnips for Cardiff he just needs full marks from GCSEs to get interview. And be Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@mumsneedwine thank you, that's reassuring as he fulfils both those criteria!
Think my main concern is getting an offer then missing grades......

it was the absence of Biol as she did PE Chem and Maths. Been through all admission/resit policies tonight to see if she needs to do Biol in a year and think she can just repeat the Chem and Maths. She can have a bit of a gap year and a breather. Three of her four unis will accept resits so she can reapply and just found out that the EPQ she got an A star at may be looked on favourably by Sheffield. So feeling much more positive tonight :)

@ipredictariot5 That seems the best plan - doing Biology in one year would be very tough.

There are a few Unis that will lower needed grades with that EPQ - Edge Hill, Keele, Belfast, Lancaster,Leicester and Sheffield.

I will keep everything crossed for a great UCAT.

There are a few Unis that will lower needed grades with that EPQ - Edge Hill, Keele, Belfast, Lancaster, Leicester and Sheffield.

...And Hull York.

How did I forget my lovely Hull. Have a soft spot for them

Hi - I'm totally new to mumsnet & medicine entry. My DD decided just before she sat her AS levels (we're in NI) there in May that she'd like to apply for medicine. She told me she had to sit UCAT over the summer but I had no idea she needed to do significant study for this - I was told by a doctor friend it's just common sense. I think she did 3 mock papers (scoring 2200 - 2400) and about 30 of the five minute tests in the various sections. She did her test last sat and got 2720 SJ3. I actually thought that was pretty good but I've seen some fabulous scores on here and I know now that she'll have to think quite strategically about where to apply, especially with the low SJ score. She'll definitely apply to QUB, but any advice on other places would be much appreciated.