Medicine 2025 entry - part 2

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

Onto UCAT and personal statements now - good luck everyone!

@Niceday203 last year that would have been close so maybe worth a punt.

Yes she’s ruled out at Andrew’s but sad to do so
dundee possible but hardly any RUK places
Sunderland she says too far

I am curious why Sunderland is too far but Dundee and St Andrews, which are another three hours travel north by train (and bus for St Andrews which is not on the train line), are not?

St Andrews is also a slightly odd course. You used to only be able to do a preclinical degree there and had to move to a linked university (mostly Manchester) to complete clinical training. They have just, this year, started the option of doing a full medical degree but they don’t have a large teaching hospital - their linked hospital is Dunfermline which is a small hospital 40 miles away, not even the biggest in Fife as Kirkcaldy was already linked to Edinburgh University (Dunfermline only has a minor injuries unit, not a&e). So their clinical experience is ‘community based’.

My DD is also doing EPQ - not had it assessed yet. They sound very similar!

Ah it’s so hard isn’t it, my DD is adamant she’ll not sit ucat again as it was so awful but she may change her mind depending on what happens this cycle. For now she says she will go with a med school place where she can get it and apply strategically - so hard as her friends and boyfriend are all talking oxbridge and Russell groups (but for other courses).

She’s dyslexic and ucat did not play to her strengths at all. She did get 25 pc extra time but said it wasn’t that useful - she finished sjt with 10 minutes to spare but still had nowhere near enough time on VR (her weakest score). I get they need something else to assess when everyone is getting excellent academics but it does seem to me to be ruling out some excellent potential doctors.

It’s debatable what will happen with ucat scores this year as there is no bmat (I guess this may bring down results or conversely everyone will be focusing just on ucat prep so might bring them up?) and also the number of medicine applicants was on a downward trend so - it may not be all doom and gloom. Also gcse results were lower for our DC year. So really just a lot of unknowns esp with the old bmat unis having no published cut off.

Anyway I feel for you and I still think 2670 band 1 is a decent score and obviously excellent on sjt. I’m trying to keep hopeful and now we move on to PS and open days for the new ‘realistic’ list of unis

You’re right, Sunderland is closer. I think she just liked the prestige of St Andrews (after watching the crown! ) and she doesn’t really like big cities but we should probably consider Sunderland too. To be fair I don’t know much about Sunderland as a place or how big of a city it is so will have a look. Ideally I would prefer her to be within 2 or 3 hours of home because of her medical condition but I guess may not be possible now with her ucat score.

Plymouth I’m seeing mixed ucat cut off for 2023, saw 2680 somewhere but a lower cut off on another site.. Plymouth is also at least 7 hours away though.

off to look at Bangor again now as I don’t know why I thought you needed to learn Welsh ! Lol

this all makes me realise my knowledge of uk geography is pretty sketchy!

Also - I think Cardiff need pretty much straight 9s at gcse to get an interview and being Welsh helps so we’ve ruled out as only 5 x 9s at gcse

Hello - I have read this thread with interest - thanks all for posting it’s great to hear experiences and know that there are lots going through this.

My son is applying for 2025 medicine. It’s certainly a “journey”.

Just curious if anyone has any thoughts on what impact the scrapping of BMAT will have on UCAT cut offs and the deciles for UCAT when announced?

Will it help/ hinder our children?

@islaoo no prestige in medicine. They all end up doing the same job and Uni carries no weight in any job applications. No one cares.
Plymouth was about 2500 last year in the end - it's a brilliant course in a wonderful city. Look at trains - there is a direct one from Edinburgh ! It passes through loads of places.
Bangor is a great little city. Students I know there just love it.
It's now all about maximising chances of getting those interviews.

@OnePinkCat doubt it will have much impact on deciles - most students always sat it, even if sitting BMAT.
It MIGHT bring UCATs down at some Unis as less people apply because they are applying to ex BMAT but it's a guess.
It's not an exact science. Cut offs are determined by who applies and no one can predict that unfortunately. All we can do is guess as well as we can.

Because the UCAT is a standardised exam and the percentiles do move anywah it won't help nor hinder. Like another user pointed out almost everyone applying does UCAT very few would have taken only the BMAT. I myself only took the UCAT.

Due to the nature of the test your performance is fairly compared to everyone else's when the results come out and cutoffs will adjust accordingly. When the universities really look at UCAT the probably choose the percentile they want rather than just a score so your son will be fine. Good luck with your son's application I had offers from Leeds,Sheffield,York and Birmingham so if he wants any of those feel free to ask any questions

Thank you both - chemistrytutoring and mumsneedwine.

He has 2870 ucat - band 1 (he was disappointed as his mocks were 3,100).

He really liked Cambridge (but I think out of running now due to ucat bad day).

He has 9 x 9s and predicted 4 x A*s - uk state school.

He loved Birmingham and really wants to go - he thinks he is out of running though as does not know where else to apply.

Any thoughts where he should shortlist ?

Hi
Where did you read that about St. Andrews? I can't see it on their website, although says info is for 2024 entry. Will this be open do you know for RUK or only Scottish students. Wonder if it's 5/6 years.

My GCSES were 9 grade 9s one grade 8 and one grade 7. My A levels were predicted 3A and I did achieve 3A but predicted is really way more important obviously. My UCAT was 3000 band 1.

So your son has similar stays to me I think he has a good chance and Birmingham. Feel free to ask more specific or dm me if you want any advice for Birmingham or in general. I found the interview to be okay

I meant 3 A star predicted and 3A star achieved. Sorry the formatting says grade A... just clarifying to not mislead anyone

its all about applying strategically now to maximise chances of interview. I prattle on about uea but looking strategically your ucat score makes up 50% of interview score with the other 50% from interview performance. Sjt band is a virtual station so band 1 is great as get max points.

worth a look for high ucat scorers

Sheffield, Southampton, Nottingham and Lincoln ( because of B1), Newcastle. I think he will get interview in all of these.

also there is others but I am sure of those as we researched them.

I am not sure of Birmingham ( did you check the how much points he gets , they have in the website)

i think he needs to look at interview to offer ratio after he decides his shortlist, as some universities have higher offer ratio. Good luck

@OnePinkCat If it helps my daughter had similar gcse results and A level predictions. She had a 2950 UCAT SJT 1. We were super strategic in our applications and applied to QMUL, St George’s, Exeter and UEA. UEA for precisely the reason @Thefatbutteredpig mentioned. She interviewed at all four.

@OnePinkCat who on earth has made him feel bad about that UCAT !!! It's fantastic. If he likes Cambs then give it a go - we have no idea how they'll use it but imagine they'll look at grades too. He can easily guarantee himself 4 interviews.

Oh and Birmingham should he ok too. But as others rave said he'll easily get 4 if he applies carefully. Just Avoid Bristol 😂

Thank you all that’s helpful.

He definitely won’t apply for Bristol. Fortunately, he had already ruled it out.

@Justlikingit

Which bit? The BSc (Hons) medicine course is 3 years and then you take another 3 years at a linked university to get the MBChB so six in total. Their community based medical degree takes five years. I know about the hospitals because I was asking an admissions person about it as I was curious. St Andrews is a very small town in Fife (population less than 20,000) so doesn’t have a hospital. The closest large hospital is Ninewells in Dundee but Dundee Medical School is based there. I assumed they would use Kirkcaldy as largest in Fife but was told no Edinburgh uses that. Hence their community focused degree.

www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/medicine/medicine-mbchb-scotcom/

Ah okay. Thought that was a different course altogether. Thanks

It is poor that they haven’t updated their page for 2025 but they have always just offered a three year BSc rather than MBChB of a full medical degree so you had to go to another university to get the full medical degree. I note for their graduate route you do two years at St Andrews then transfer to Dundee.

Could I ask please if people think a UCAT of 2990 is a bit too close for comfort for an RUK applicant to Edinburgh? Thanks