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Higher education

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Original poster

Clearing 2023 - Medicine

45 replies

Strix · 16/08/2023 17:06

Any other hopeful medics looking at Clearing tomorrow? He has no offers at this time, so hoping for a pie in the sky tomorrow... More likely we are headed onto a Gap Year. Which isn't the end of the world but certainly not where he expected to be.

OP posts:
Sssudio · 18/08/2023 12:46

Once you accept an offer you are withdrawn automatically from other places to free up spaces for those not so lucky

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 18/08/2023 13:19

Strix · 18/08/2023 12:25

He has now spoken to three medical schools who have entered clearing. Had an interview with rwo of them and waiting to hear back. Interview with third will be next week. And, this morning, one of the schools he applied to last October through UCAS has written with an offer that has to be accepted today. Of the four that are currently possibilities, the one that has made an offer is his fourth choice. But he very much does not want to take a GAP year! If he accepts this offer and than another school makes an offer through clearing can he decline the offer he has accepted and put the preferred one in? If he accepts the offer he made today will it stop other schools from making an offer?

Honestly, I think he should take the offer he has been given- getting a medicine offer via clearing is very competitive and difficult, and presumably if he doesn't accept the offer made in a given time frame, then he'll lose it?

If his priority is to avoid a gap year, I don't think he can also have the luxury of picking and choosing favourite courses. If it's somewhere he originally applied to, he must like it to a certain extent?

He could also ring the unis where he has interviewed and explain the situation- maybe they will then make a decision for him today?

Original poster
Strix · 18/08/2023 13:22

His school has advised that if he receives another offer in Clearing that this one can be declined and then the preferred offer put in it's place. He has accepted the offer. He didn't want to risk being on a GAP year. So we think he can replace it, but we are not entirely sure.

I hope the government steps in and changes this system for future years because this experience has been so stressful. There must be a better way to attract and train good doctors.

OP posts:
Rummikub · 18/08/2023 13:22

⬆️ Good advice.

Beekeepersapprentice · 18/08/2023 19:21

Congratulations to your ds. As I said above, I suspected several medical schools would have got their algorithms wrong this year and I'm glad it's worked in his favour.

However, without wanting to sound too negative, this will be one of lots of similar hurdles over the next several years! Just wait till he wants an F1 or ST1 post in vaguely the same geographical area as his future-partner...
Enjoy the moment 🙂

Original poster
Strix · 19/08/2023 17:38

What does F1 / ST1 mean?

OP posts:
LIZS · 19/08/2023 17:47

Those are the junior doctor years, post medical school. Your ds will need to compete for placements to get experience and hopefully secure a permanent role.

GodessOfThunder · 19/08/2023 17:49

Strix · 17/08/2023 20:09

It's been a trying day. A levels were not quite what we were hoping for but still reasonably good. We've got three interviews through clearing. So there definitely are Medicine places in clearing. Should know more next week.

It's a really tough landscape in the UK for medicine. We are also looking at a different undergraduate degree in the uk followed by Medicine in the US - but only if clearing options for medicine are unsuccessful.

The US? I’m assuming you are very wealthy!

Beekeepersapprentice · 19/08/2023 18:10

Strix · 19/08/2023 17:38

What does F1 / ST1 mean?

Apologies - yes as pp said they are various stages in the junior doctor pathway. F1 is the first year after qualifying and St1 is the first year of specialist training. At each of those states there will be tough competition to get the posts your son wants.

(If you can afford for him to go to the States, have you looked at private options? There are 2 private medical schools in the UK, both of which give you a GMC registration. Also there is the QMUL/Bart's option in Malta).

Original poster
Strix · 19/08/2023 19:47

If he didn't get into medical school here in the UK, we were considering a different undergrad course here followed by medical school (all medical school in the states is a graduate course after bachelors). But now that he has a place to study medicine here, that is the plan.

He would potentially like to practice medicine in the US in the future. He'll have to explore how he does that and if he still wants to do that when the time comes.

OP posts:
Meli1349 · 20/08/2023 11:14

Have you managed to get an offer

jayritchie · 20/08/2023 14:44

Strix · 19/08/2023 19:47

If he didn't get into medical school here in the UK, we were considering a different undergrad course here followed by medical school (all medical school in the states is a graduate course after bachelors). But now that he has a place to study medicine here, that is the plan.

He would potentially like to practice medicine in the US in the future. He'll have to explore how he does that and if he still wants to do that when the time comes.

Great to hear things have worked out. As a warning (as I've read of plans to study undergrad in the UK then medicine in the US a few times this week) - medical school in the US is very hard to get into as an international applicant and would not accept any UK undergrad degree.

As a minimum an applicant would need to study some pre-reqs at US or Canadian universities.

Original poster
Strix · 23/08/2023 12:05

Thanks for your advice. But, he is a dual US / UK citizen so wouldn't be applying as international candidate.

Now... onto our scramble for student accommodation. Yikes! It seems the halls where the med students stay at full. sigh...

OP posts:
Sssudio · 23/08/2023 12:34

He may be intl, in UK it's not just nationality if's where you've been resident and as for meeting the entry reqs nationality doesn't matter it's where the degree was studied

mumsneedwine · 23/08/2023 18:00

@Katisha completely off topic, but hope DS is getting on OK. DD exhausted but happy.

To work in America they need to take the Step exams and do some electives over there. It's not an easy process and costs a lot of money. But many do it, especially at the moment.

Firstly though, enjoy medical school. The world is then their oyster.

mumsneedwine · 23/08/2023 18:01

@Strix which Uni ? Medical students will usually be scattered all over the halls. Not usually just one.

Katisha · 24/08/2023 23:24

@mumsneedwine Thanks for asking - yes all good I think apart from the emergency tax code! Sounds like mostly paperwork at the moment

Original poster
Strix · 27/08/2023 15:34

Thanks all for your comments. He looked into some options in the US over the summer, and was advised he could apply with UK undergrad. Said he would have to be 21. Currently his desire is to be a doctor in the US one day. We will see. For now he's only 18 and looking forward to his first year of med school in London. I am very proud of him and don't really mind if he wants to spend his career in the US or the UK. And I'm really looking forward to not doing his laundry. Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Strix · 09/09/2023 14:45

I want to come back and give an update for the benefit of those who may read this thread in years to come. DS is now going to study medicine at Kings. Two months ago he had no offers. The process of clearing was very stressful. But it all worked out in the end. So don't give up. Medical schools do go into clearing.

OP posts:
mumsneedwine · 09/09/2023 16:26

@Strix huge congratulations. Clearing us a tough, v fast process. I'm sure he'll have an amazing time at Kings.

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