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!

Might be helpful

www.sgul.ac.uk/events/preparing-for-your-medicine-interview-1

DS has had an offer for his 5th choice medical pharmacology in Cardiff AAB. He knows of another Welsh student who has had an offer ABB. Does anyone know how they decide on offer grades? Is it because he is a weaker candidate?
No prep here yet for interviews. He's likely to get an interview for Cardiff but possibly not any others.

@sproutsandparsnips I would have thought if someone was made a lower offer that either they were contextual in some way or actually a stronger applicant as the university was making him/her a lower offer so that they would be keen to take it.

@sproutsandparsnips This information is on the Cardiff University web site: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/course/medical-pharmacology-bsc (click on Entry Requirements) and https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/applying/contextual-data.

I know medical pharmacology at Cardiff is one of the accepted degrees for graduate-entry medicine at Cardiff and at Bangor (i.e. grants exemption from entrance exam).

I'll have double sprouts and no parsnips, please.

Thanks both - I hope it's not because he's a weaker candidate, I don't know anything about the other student.

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne ooh can I have your parsnips. Roasted in honey 🍯

@mumsneedwine By all means. I don't like them at all. I'm not keen on root vegetables in general, apart from carrots & swede. I really, really like sprouts, though.

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne fried with bacon ? Yummy. And I love them raw too

Any advice for online interviews as some of universities that my son applied for will use it? We can prepare for the usual stuff but any advice specific for online ones. Thanks

@Ib1234567 Have a look at:
https://www.medschools.ac.uk/studying-medicine/interviews
https://studyinghealthcare.ac.uk/interviews/medicine-interview-preparation/
https://studyinghealthcare.ac.uk/interviews/online-interviews/
Online interviews will usually align with general MMIs or panel interviews, but there are a few hybrid forms. Preparation should probably involve setting up a few Teams/Zoom calls with one or two other people, doing a practice MMI station (e.g. discuss the arguments on both sides of the debate on assisted dying) and getting feedback on how you came across, whether you seemed to be listening to & responding to other people's points, and whether you were aware of other people's body language (e.g. noticing that someone wanted to ask you a follow-on question). Engaging in a dialogue or three-way conversation online is very different from doing it with people in the same room.

Nothing specific apart from the obvious, pre-test any login codes, log in early, make sure you’re somewhere with good Wi-Fi, laptop fully charged. Have your ID ready to show, glass of water nearby.

I hate online appointments though they are now such a feature of interacting with the nhs that I can see managing online is a required skill too. My worry is the internet connectivity. I’ve had several appointments turn into phone calls (which can sometimes be easier). The problem not normally at my end. Travelling four hours across the country somehow feels more control-able (though I turn up four hours early to be on the safe side).

@NoNotHimTheOtherOne @W0tnow Thank you for the advice. Will try to do these online checks and 1-1.

@KielderWater yes it is out of control the online bit , but also I feel they don’t see you. But we work with what we have.

Oh, and not that it matters that much, I guess? but we set her up so there was just a plain wall behind her. 🤷‍♀️

Have screen at eye level so you're not looking down. Don't be too close to the screen - look at yourself first. Smile ! Make sure no background noise (having phone plugged in near by can give static).

Thanks , I didn't know about the phone thing!

I applied and got offers from Sheffield and Birmingham last year. Limited by what I can say of course but I found Birmingham the easiest of the 4 i applied interview wise. They do have the calculations station so make sure to practice it. Really only needs an hr of attention but would be a shame to mess up the interview because of it

Sheffield was also a fairly conventional mmi interview. Prepare the basic questions and it should be okay

How do you practise the calculation station for Birmingham? Do they have examples online?

It is about how much they want the candidate yes.

Yeah think they can be found online if I recall correctly. They aren't too difficult just read the questions but it's important to at least know roughly what to expect.

https://www.themedicportal.com/blog/how-to-do-drug-calculations/

This may be worth your child flicking through it shouldn't take long at all

https://london.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/practicedruggcalculations0.pdf

Thank you both so much for those links & advice.

Thank you @Chemistrytutoring and @mumsneedwine

We can help with UEA side of things

They are normally quick off the mark for arranging interviews which seem to start towards the end of Nov

We’d better get on with the interview prep then! Thanks, I think having one interview lined up would be a good morale boost.