Experience of Exeter or Leicester medicine?

[Sybill]

Didn’t want to clog up the main medicine thread with this one, as many are still waiting to hear back.
DD has all her med offers through now and has done lots of research on each and booked offer holder days etc, so this is more for my benefit really, ahead of those visits, so I can provide some sort of informed perspective!
Does anyone have DC at these uni doing medicine? Curious to hear feedback, specifically on how they have found the course itself - contact hours, teaching/feedback, pastoral care and support. Any surprises (good or bad!)? Less worried about locations (they’re obviously very different places) as she can judge that herself when we visit.
Any insights welcome, and thanks in advance!

For what it's worth, in the 2023 National Student Survey Leicester had the highest ranking for medicine. (I don't work there, by the way.)

very helpful @NoNotHimTheOtherOne thanks for sharing - off to Google that now!

My daughter is in her last year at Leicester. It’s been good. No dramas over the 5 years. I think pastoral care has been good. Plenty of hands on experience and teaching, even through Covid years.

Exeter means 2 years in Truro. Or 1 of gave a v g good reason to stay in Exeter (eg top sports person, illness).

Leicester is a cheaper city.
I'd say closeness to home should be a factor, in case they need a hug every now and then.

That’s great to hear @SomersetS - glad to hear that your daughter has enjoyed her time in Leicester.

We’re only slightly closer to Leicester, compared to Exeter, so wouldn’t be a deciding factor between them, but I do agree with you on that @mumsneedwine !

Congrats to your DD on securing more than one offer!

DD is 2nd year Exeter medicine and loving it. It's a nice city to be a student in, and often considerably warmer than further north!

The med school is pretty, but not on the main campus. The medics live on their own campus so are undeniably quite separate from other students. But they share the same night clubs and play in the same sports teams so there is the opportunity to integrate with other students should they wish to.

DD is really enjoying the course and not put off by spending 2 years in Truro. She loves beaches - running on them and sunbathing. She spent a lot of time at the beach last Summer! She's an outdoorsy type of person.... Exeter suits that!

My daughter's in her first year at Leicester and is really enjoying the course. 300+ in the year. Good medics social groups. Lots of contact time (which is probably similar anywhere) dissection rather than prosection. Very ethically diverse cohort, which I'm guessing would be different to Exeter. They also study for HCA certification in the first year, which gives options for paid work and is designed to get them 'ward ready'. Accomodation cheap and plentiful.

Thanks @MidLifeCrisis007 and @Felixinthefactory - really helpful!

On intercalation, do the majority/minority tend to intercalate at either uni or does it vary? And do they tend to go external for that? My DD tells me both unis have specific research areas so assume that internal intercalation might be focused around those areas?

From a health professional perspective I would think that Leicester would have a greater and more exciting range of placements.

An advantage of Leicester is that it is a cheaper city to live in. Doing medicine this can be particularly helpful if they don't really want to deal with flatmates in later years - dsd rented a bedsit, bills included for less than my dd paid for a room in a shared house without bills in a more expensive city. Another issue for medicine is that owning a car is often important for placements and Exeter is trickier for parking.

Thanks both - great to get a health professional view as I have zero knowledge on that front.
She’s got her spreadsheet going again (now that the application one has been retired 🥳) with her pros and cons for all of them and cost differences are quite obvious already. Some significant savings could be made for sure, depending on where she goes. Excellent point about the car and parking too!

@MidLifeCrisis007 my daughter is firming Exeter. At what point do they need a car for placements etc? She’s not got her license yet, but it’s on our list!

I'm not sure they do ever need a car tbh. I think the placements are all accessible on public transport!

Brilliant, thanks.

Exeter do GP practices so would imagine a car would be handy for those and choice of placements more limited without a vehicle. I live in a rural area (Wales) and although not a GP work in the community, we don’t accept students who can’t drive.

They don't need a car, but in 3-5th year it can be handy. But if you don't drive you'll get the placements accessible by public transport.

My DS qualified last year from Exeter and had a great 5 years experience. Liked it so much he's training down there now. Benefits are the vocational course, city and surrounding beaches and countryside. He only spent 1 year in Truro and would recommend a car as the students tend to live in the outlying areas not the city,

It sounds like she can’t go wrong either way. I’d see how they both feel on the offer days. DS graduated from Leicester medical school in 2020, and thoroughly enjoyed his whole time there.

Thanks everyone- it does indeed sound like a nice problem to have! Heading the Exeter for offer day this Saturday so hopefully that will start to help decision making.

Exeter students do get placed at NDDH in Barnstaple, for some hospital rotations, & GP placements can be in the Barnstaple surgeries.

NDDH organises funded lodgings in Barnstaple (not sure what the criteria used by the medical school for this is - perhaps it’s open to everyone or perhaps it’s open to those without cars? No idea). Several of my friends who work at the hospital will have a medical student lodging with them mid week as it’s a nice way to make a bit of cash! but it is possible to commute between Exeter and NDDH by public transport, it makes a long day though.