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!

Hello, just joining the thread, although I can't contribute to uni sport conversation as DD is my first child. She is in Y12 doing science A levels.

DD has just done a week's medical shadowing at our local hospital, which was brilliant - 5 days and she was in 8 different areas, including in theatre four times. She met about 15 doctors, and got to do things side by side with the medical students. We didn't have an 'in', this was just advertised on the hospital website. Definitely recommend it for others, it was so much more than I expected. The doctors were really generous with their time - explaining context to her between patients and asking her questions about why she thought things were happening.

This has made the idea of applying for medicine all seem more real. She needs to do some volunteering for DofE, so is hopefully going to do that somewhere care-based. Anything else she should be doing this year? I think we have missed most of the 2023 open days. Does anyone know when unis start advertising 2024 ones?

@ColouringPencils you can sign up for Uni open day advance warnings on each website. Or via Unifrog if have it.
Best to look at some before hand to get an idea of course structure, type of Uni (campus, city, big, small, distance etc) and also check you have the best chance of interview (tricky before UCAT, but pointless going to see GCSE selection heavy courses if have 7 and 8s).

@mumsneedwine thanks, am I right in thinking UCAT is usually done in summer holidays between Years 12 and 13? When do people start practising for that?

She has 10x9 and 1x8 at GCSE, so I assume that keeps options open before we kmow about UCAT. At the moment, she is not too keen on moving far from home, which might be tricky. We are in the North East, so only Newcastle and Sunderland near here. It sounds like Newcastle has a very high UCAT threshold and I am not sure about Sunderland, is it a bit more of a mystery? Although she would be contextual for both because of our postcode. She needs to visit other places to get a feel for what she might like. I will look into open days.

@ColouringPencils yes, UCAT sat next summer if currently in year 12. Usually 6 weeks prep is needed, and Medify (or similar) are useful for help. There's a great book too (see attached). It is the only exam I'd say you can over prep for. I won't lie, it is pretty hideous !
Newcastle UCAT has been getting higher every year. Are you eligible for Partners at all (lots of criteria). Sunderland use a numeracy test, academic and trialling CASPEr test, so this might be necessary next year (read up on their website

www.sunderland.ac.uk/study/medicine/mbchb-medicine/

If eligible for contextual then it is a good idea to apply ! How about Hull/York, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool. I know they are not v neat but all doable by train. With those great GCSEs they just need a great UCAT to get the interview.

Thanks @mumsneedwine that is super helpful. Yes, she would be eligible for Partners with Newcastle. I think with Sunderland she meets the postcode criteria, but that they ideally want 2 criteria when she would only have one, although they do seem to encourage North East applicants.

And yes those cities are all quite accessible by train. I think she might find Leeds and Manchester quite big and busy, but Sheffield and Liverpool might appeal. Lancaster sounds like somewhere she might like (I haven't been), but it is less easy to get to. Really we just need to go and look at some places and to build her confidence.

Off to buy the book, thanks!

Is Medify the best option for practice exams over things like The Medic Portal? Do schools usually have a login? Seems pricey!

Sorry, me again! What does it mean when a university says it has 'a contextual offer but you must still meet the normal entry requirements'? I thought a contextual offer meant you might drop a grade.

@ColouringPencils no, often does not mean drop a grade, just they will look at your application slightly differently (might need slightly lower UCAT). For some they will offer AAB but expect your predicted grades to be AAA. Some will allow AAB predicted but still need to meet UCAT and GCSE thresholds. It is different for each Uni I'm afraid.

@ColouringPencils Medify is only needed for a month - 6 weeks before the test, so about £40. Don't get it now ! There are also free practice tests on the UCAT page, and individual question banks. I'd suggest only doing the timed tests in the month before your actual UCAT though.
Some schools get a bulk membership so do check (ours does but we are v heavy FSM).

@ColouringPencils however Newcastle Partners offer BBB if you complete the summer school after an offer.

Fab, thanks! I will get the book but hold off on the Medify account for now. Looks like she is contextual for Sunderland too, but it's less clear what that means for them. Anyway, will need to do some open days and see what they look like.

Any news from the other BMAT universities what they will change to. I know imperial is becoming UCAT but any others ? Interested in UCL !

I believe UCL has declared for UCAT

Place marking and joining.

DD started Year 12. 14 GCSEs either 8 or 9 (2 were 8s) and A level maths, A* was also done in year 11.
In year 12 doing Biology, Physics, Chemistry and EPQ for A levels, with maths already in the bag.
She is a leader for scouts, started gold D of E and a few other bits. Struggling to get work experience though as local GP practice is a huge consortium type thing stretching around 15 miles away and you can’t do WE if you are a patient. She’s made contacts with a friends dad who is a cardiac consultant and a friend of mine who is a nurse at two local hospitals and will see what happens. I told her just to nail her assessments last week and she got 3 A stars and top of the year in all 3 sciences. So it is looking ok academically. Already has an A in Maths a level but I don’t think this will count as she won’t be doing it in the same sitting. Local uni is saying if she applies as FSM and pp that they will guarantee to give her an interview if she applies as part of their outreach for FSM and pp. Trying to look into summer schools etc

Don't forget @Rocksonabeach that other types of work experience can be useful. So get her to try Hospices and Care Homes too. Around here there's a very active swimming club for disabled teens and adults that a lot of DC volunteer with if they're doing DoE or applying to be a DR.

Thank you, is this confirmed as I thought it was rumor!

I think I saw it on their website somewhere but can't remember where off band, v unhelpfully :-)

So I guess not rock solid

https://www.uniadmissions.co.uk/ucat/guides/medical-school-bmat-to-ucat-2025/

Also the Medic Portal https://www.themedicportal.com/blog/bmat-test-scrapped-what-will-happen-at-bmat-unis-from-2024/

Thank you @Revengeofthepangolins and @opoponax . Appreciate the help.

Regarding work experience, clinical is not necessary, and absolutely do not pay for any WEX. Volunteering counts (aged care, homeless, soup kitchens etc) and don’t forget the online WEX available.

Thanks for the info @opoponax and @Revengeofthepangolins - good to know. More than ever riding on the UCAT then...
Hi @Rocksonabeach. Do you know about the Sutton Trust summer schools? If she's FSM your daughter might well be eligible and they are supposed to be really good. I think at Cambridge, Nottingham and maybe some others. Might be worth looking up.
Not sure if you've read back through the whole thread, but my DD and another (I think @ColouringPencils ?) have both recently done hospital work experience without an 'in'. Hardest bit was tracking down the application form on the trust website, but once that was done was all straightforward and she found it really useful. Might be worth a look too.

Hi all, just joining on this thread and bookmarking as my daughter is also a prospective 2025 medicine entry and it's the stress of my life at the minute trying to do all of the preparation. Main concern at the moment is the UCAT - have bought a book and also paid for a Medify annual subscription (because it was much cheaper than paying for just a couple of months).

From the Uni information/open days I've looked at so far, it looks as though the UCAT scores are not negotiable and never reduced - not even on contextual offers or widening participation routes where lower A-Level results would be accepted😬

it looks as though the UCAT scores are not negotiable and never reduced - not even on contextual offers or widening participation routes where lower A-Level results would be accepted😬

This varies from place to place, some will have lower ucat scores for people on widening participation routes and sometimes a local place will guarantee an interview.