Medicine 2025 entry - part 2

[HGC2]

Not sure how to link old thread, can anyone help me do this?

Onto UCAT and personal statements now - good luck everyone!

@Lurea can you link to what you mean?

Hi look at this document- https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/college-mds/courses/undergraduate/medicine-and-surgery-mbchb/mbchb-admissions-statistics-sept-2024.pdf

I can’t see that the document does say that @Lurea But I do find it interesting that the standard candidate average UCAT score for interview at Birmingham is 3000, or very close to it. So high. And pretty high for contextuals too really. Has never really looked properly as assumed high risk if not contextual so I guess it makes sense

Hi SlenderRations, what it surprised me is that for 2024 entry there has been a massive decrease in lowest UCAT for interview and a consequent decrease in total application score compared to previous 2 years. I was wondering about the reason of this jump

I think we need to be careful with minimum scores. There may be context we have not been given that makes it an exception. But otherwise, applicant numbers did drop last year?

If your child still looking where to apply then look at this document

https://www.guessandflag.co.uk/strategic-applications

I’ve looked at this and would just urge a bit of caution eg it says Sheffield and St Andrew’s are in the ‘places to apply with a low UCAT’ !!

@islaoo @Ib1234567 That 'guessandflag' site is interesting Sheffield also stuck out to me but looking on their website it is correct.

I wonder why the massive drop? My DD is in that bracket and we had thought Sheffield not an option but maybe it is? It seems risky though @mumsneedwine What do you think?

Sheffield uni entry UCAT cutoffs

I think the board has preciously concluded that there is something dodgy/misleading about that Sheffield stat - scroll up a way. All a bit odd

This has been discussed before on the thread and seems to be incorrect - either a contextual thing or just an error.

I’m not sure if anyone ever got an answer but I would suggest Sheffield would be v risky for under 2700 ..

they seem to have corrected their stats on st Andrew’s but a couple of weeks ago it was saying RUK 2500 + - I then realised that was because the contextual applicants got a 10 per cent ucat uplift that year so 2500 plus really meant 2750 plus - now they seem to have a more realistic 2800 ish cut off for RUK.

anyway it is a useful document but it states lots of things as if they’re chapter and verse where I would take with more of a pinch of salt. Xx

I emailed Sheffield and the response came very quickly:
The information on the website is correct. The cut off was lower due to those applying with lower scores.
Kind regards
Joanne Marshall

Sheffield had a massive drop after first wave rejected it seems - no idea why. It's not an exact science - so who knows if worth a go this year 🤷‍♀️. I'd love it, then could work. However lots with middle UCATs will now apply there. V likely pushing UCAT back up again. 🤪

So yes take the document and then do your own research, I believe that every year some univs go up and some go down depending on how many people apply to them ( mainly middle ucat univ). So like Southampton one year they went to 2800+ then they dropped the year after to 2700+ . So whatever you do there will be a risk applying to any univs , just you need to research then guess !

Yes its a risky process for sure with no guarantees!

Hello. DC is finalising choices but also going for a real wildcard 5th, which makes sense for them but on paper is highly unusual. Does anyone (a) have any views on whether medical schools are likely to care or look askance, and (b) best way to submit the necessary alternative PS? DC is asking college on latter point; but not entirely convinced by their advice.

Thanks, and hope everyone's applications are going smoothly.

As far as I’m aware, unis don’t see where else you apply to but you can only add one personal statement

@CopingHagen Unis don't see where else you've applied until next June. Contact the course admissions people to ask about a separate PS. It's usually quite a simple process.

Thanks both. Am advising from the margins over here so very helpful just to sense check

Is it normal enough to be second guessing everything now that daughter's form is submitted? Whole process bit daunting... Glad my other two went down different paths.

Thanks for all the advice on here. Wouldn't have made it this far without the help. Good luck to all.

@Optimum19 I hope it's normal! We're definitely doing it here - feels a bit weird to be just waiting after the flurry of finalizing the PS, choices of where to apply, 5th option etc. DD is trying to throw herself into college work now it's done (but did tell me she'd trawled TSR for when interviews were sent out by the places she's applied last year, so not completely managing to set it aside as much as she knows she should!).
Where did she apply to in the end?
Good luck to everyone making final choices.

Could I ask if anyone knows for the fifth choice if she puts pharmacology at UCL or Imperial, is this a non- starter given that
a) it is her fifth choice of medicine doesn’t work
b) her PS I’d totally geared towards medicine

thanks again everyone- this is a total nightmare process and all your advice is so so helpful.

Apologies typos

IF medicine doesn’t work
PS IS totally geared to

@Niceday203 should be fine. They are very used to being 5th for medics.

Try not to 2nd guess too much. So many students fail that last hurdle of grades because the process takes up too much head space. Keep busy !

We are postponing thinking about the fifth option until after the medicine applications have been submitted.