Medicine 2024 part 3

[mumsneedwine]

Saw we needed a new thread. Hope revision going well.

Hi all, not posted in a while. Interesting conversations around pass marks.

i have nothing contribute other than that we are both lawyers, and I’d say I’m the more academic one while DH always scraped through but is now more of a ‘high flyer’🫣 - I hated practice etc he loved it!

Has everyone firmed offers? We are still dithering beteeen our two choices waiting to attend virtual offer holder days…

Does anyone know if Bham guarantee accommodation to first years?

Ds has firmed his choices, focus is now all on the exams. Or it should be, ye Aldi seems very focussed on planning his summer.

Only three days of actual school left. I really dislike this term of sixth year, no structure or pattern and I live in fear of missing something!

Yes, guaranteed accom for first years at B'ham but I believe they allocate as they go, so choice narrows. But can't swear to the latter

My dd has firmed but in her case it was straightforward because there was a clear favourite and then her insurance had to be one with lower grades.

She has been revising but I almost feel like she has run out of steam… I think she still has four weeks of school.

DD has one more offer holder day this Saturday and will then firm - she’s 99% sure that it will be her favourite but just wants to be sure. Then she will insure her second favourite, which helpfully has a lower grade offer.
Both guarantee accommodation to first years and don’t think they allocate on a first come, first served basis, but will look to do that soon after.
Revision going ok, I think - she’s always been pretty good at pacing herself as she has some full-on extra curricular stuff, so doesn’t seem too stressed (yet!) Has a few 18th birthday parties coming up, which she’s looking forward to, so that’s a good sign I think. She doesn’t go on study leave until all exams start in May, although her first paper isn’t until June, so she still has quite a bit of time.

yes, DS has also been focusing on revision…seems to be going ok 🤞🏼

He just reminded me about applying for student loans before the end of May….has anyone else already started the process…we are just working out what he’ll get…

Apply to SFE asap. You can change the Uni if needed at a later date. If you leave it too late you run the risk of it not being sorted by September.

Probably a very stupid question about student finance- am I right in thinking that they can't necessarily get the maintenance loan for all the years of their course?

I have come across slightly conflicting information about this and thought people here might be able to shed some light on it! I also wondered how finance worked when an intercalated year was added in?

@OwlMother you get the amount split into 3 terms, so it can last a year if you need it to.

Intercalated works the same and is just another year of finance.

Sorry, the loan is available for first 4/5 years. Final year the fees are paid by the NHS so only a minimal loan is possible (was £1,900 for my DD) and the NHS give a bursary (£1,000). So they'll need some extra cash for that last year.

Sorry, I didn't explain myself properly. Are they able to get a maintenance loan for each year ( of the. 5 years course) or six years if they do an additional year? My older two have only done three and four year degrees and school is giving mixed messages.

Ah, that makes sense. So intercalated year would be another year we would need to finance I presume. Thank you!

SAAS give the option of monthly payments which my dad has found very helpful in her budgeting.

@OwlMother you'd get the normal loan for an intercalated year - I think you can get 8 years max. The loan is so small in final year as the fees are covered by NHS. But you can claim expenses from NHS (& Uni) for travel (& many provide free hospital accommodation for some placements). But they'll need topping up

@mumsneedwine That's good to know, thank you. Nothing about applying for medicine feels as straightforward or clear as "other" degrees!

Have anyone's DC book the Imperial offer holder day for next Wed 24th, 2pm to 3pm?

We have fill the form but yet to hear anything.
Even though it says "will be in touch with more details closer to the date" when filling the form out, but it's only in one week's time and still received no update.

@cherrymarshymallow ok, head space change needed! He has 3 offers. 3. That's amazing. Why do you want him in London - as a Londoner myself, it's expensive, crowded, and the hospitals can be over populated with med students. The cities he has will be great. Fun, full of things to do, friends to make, experiences to be had, doctors being made.

He's going to be a doctor. Breathe and be proud.

@mumsneedwine thank you so so much for writing ! It’s brightened my day already and I feel less lonely. Not easy being a mum :)

@cherrymarshymallow have you been to the offer holder days (or can you?) or can you go to visit the 3 places again just to see if your DS feels differently about them once he sees them again?

I would be tempted to put the AAB as the insurance, and firm one of the AAA offers, that way he has a safety net given his science grades at present - I think the question he has to ask himself is what would happen on results day if he firms / insures the 2 x AAA offers and then misses a grade and doesn't get a place - would he be happy to reapply and have a gap year, or would he be kicking himself he didn't have his place at the AAB uni to become a dr? Its a touch decision because its a long course - you have to see yourself at the uni (and its surrounding area) for 5 years, but given the competitiveness of medicine, he has done so well for getting 3 offers - the luxury of choice often complicates things! And hope you're OK - its tough for parents as well as students at this time of the year!

(Just edited this to say my DC sat A levels last year with lots dropping grades / not achieving their predicted grades which may be swaying my view about having a safety net! Sorry!)

@cherrymarshymallow 3 offers is amazing! Well done to your son! Can you say which the unis are so maybe people can reassure you about them?
I am feeling very sad and unsettled about my daughter (hopefully grades permitting!) going to uni - change is hard but be super proud how well he’s done.

Well done to your ds for those offers @cherrymarshymallow ! That’s a great achievement and I totally agree that the lower offer could be a fab insurance if he’s worried about grades.
I also fully understand the feeling of change and how we are going to miss them terribly but they have been given an amazing foundation on which to base their future lives and careers. They will still need all our support in whatever they do and I’m pretty sure they will be home lots too! 😊🤞
FWIW we are also London based and my dd did not want to apply to any London med schools but did choose geographically based on ease of getting home by train or car.

Thank you so so much for these sweet responses.

At home I keep a 😀on my face yet feeling 😞 .

Have always worked FT since DS was a few weeks old and am rather introvert and overthinker, so I guess I am overwhelmed a bit with how things stand, but have to be kind to myself right now for the benefit of all the family and focus more on joyful things and having some fun, swim, dance etc.

Happy to know so many of your DC too will be training to be Drs and it looks like a nice community where DS will make friends.

Hi@cherrymarshymallow. Well done to your DS. We are also London based and my DC couldn't really have gone any further away in England than the med school they chose - Newcastle. When it became clear that was the favourite, I hid my feelings but I felt sad that it was so far away. I secretly hoped they would choose Bristol. Now I see how happy they are there, I feel really positive about it all. Medicine is not the type of course where they can always be popping home for weekends in any case and it just makes the full nest holidays more special. Don't be too tough on yourself. This year is a lot to support them through and then you have no time before you feel you are readjusting to the next phase of them leaving home. Remember you still have a long summer ahead to enjoy before then, with choices made and exams done. Agree a lower grade insurance is a good plan, if DS feels he could be happy there. Even if grades are not in doubt, it takes the pressure off a bit during A-Levels. Good luck.

@cherrymarshymallow and @Randomactofkindness i am also feeling a bit sad and unsettled at the moment. Hopefully it will pass. I felt so proud and elated when my dd got her offers - sounds cheesy but it felt like a dream come true. But now reality has hit - DD has A levels to get through and I am starting to think about the future. I don’t like change!