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!

Isn’t that the 2023 table @mumsneedwine ? I think he scored 52 on this year’s table, assuming not WP and not grades in hand?

Or am totally losing my bearings? 😀

2025 entry table, so 52?

Sorry - am hopeless addding images

@SlenderRations no you are correct 😊. Here is this years scores - things change and I'm old.

So 74 points is a lot (thought it was too low )

DD just got an invite for Glasgow, she now has 3 interviews the day after each other but at least they’ll be over snd done with! Just Aberdeen to hear from now

thats fantastic news. Well done dd.

Wow!! That’s awesome news

Congratulations and all the best to everyone, we are still waiting here. And being pragmatic. DD is taking it all in her stride, so I’m taking a leaf out of her book.
Good to read the good news in here, keeps my hopes up. None of her choices seem to have invited anyone yet

That's great- well done to her and it'll be good to get the interviews out of the way before Christmas.
No word here - good nor bad

Great news on all the interviews. For the aspirational ones that didn't invite, it's only one, plenty more shots. For those waiting, still early days and when they do come out, it tends to be a bit like London buses!

Well done on all the invites to interview! DS just got invitation from Leicester 😀

Oh well done. My DD didn't apply there but it was one she had on her shortlist.

Does anyone have good books or resources that they can recommend to prepare for an interview? Could anybody give advice on what to wear as well? Thank you for any help.

@Marvelfan54321 this is good

Thanks

My son wore a suit with shirt and tie.

Daughter wore a shirt/ thin knit polo neck (from Zara), blazer and either a skirt/tights and loafers or a pair of smart ankle grazer trousers with loafers.

hope that helps

DS had virtual interviews in Covid so shirt and tie. DD wore dress or smart trousers and blazer with flat loafers. No need to buy a suit for boys, smart trousers, shirt and jumper is absolutely fine. As long as they look smart and professional.

DC was told school uniform is fine at open day. DC was sceptical but suspected this was to do with avoiding discriminating on ground of income - they can’t expect students to buy new clothes and school uniform is smart (generally). DC is intending to wear the clothes they wore for work experience.

Yes I agree, most were in jumper, shirt/ blouse and trousers. The blazer top and skirt were discarded after the first interview.

Great to hear the interviews have started to come in - DD got her interview for Sheffield on Thursday. Planning to wear the clothes she got for work experience too. We have booked a mock MMI at Imperial at the beginning of December - I think she just wanted to feel like she was doing 'something' in preparation. Good luck to everyone waiting - I keep repeating @mumsneedwine 's mantra - 'You only need one offer' and I've heard her say it to other people now so 🙏

😊 just one. Can only go to one. Practice talking to strangers, know that things go wrong but that's ok, and smile.

Congratulations to the new interview holders. Many more will be coming through soon. I'm dropping in to re-post some advice that I put on last year's thread which people found useful (in response to a poster asking how people helped their dc prep for interviews).

Just dropping in as a veteran mum of 8 med school interviews (both ds are in the trade), to say informal interview practice practice practice at home really helped both my 2 feel ready for interviews. Applicants need to be able to talk comfortably around a number of quite predictable topics so the more your dc practice talking it through with mum (which is embarrassing anyway) the less awkward it becomes when doing it in front of a panel of interviewers.
Use the book as a base for prep ('Medical School Interviews' by Picard and Lee - if you haven't got it yet, do fork out, it's well worth it). We didn't do formal practice at home, more just throwing them a random question from the book while washing up or whatever, or just talking through 'what would you say if they ask about X,Y or Z?' or doing the roleplay type scenarios e.g. tell a neighbour you've scratched their new car, help a confused person who has got lost.

As I said, it's lucky that the question areas in every med school tend to be fairly similar so although you shouldn't learn rote answers you can prepare roughly what you would answer if they ask:

• about you, your motivations to study medicine, what you're like as a person
• about the uni, med school, course and town - why this uni, this course, this city? Are you aware of any downsides of this course, place etc? (Both my ds got asked what they thought the negatives were of a particular med school)
• an example of time you've experienced good (or bad) teamwork, leadership, care, giving support, teaching/ learning, dealt with stress, conflict, achievement/ failure etc (and what you've learnt from it)
• make sure you know the basic 'knowledge' (all in the book) - e.g. the structure of NHS, the ethical pillars and how they apply to common ethical topics e.g. euthanasia, abortion,
• have something to say about important science/medicine developments in the past and future

And just practice smiling and making eye contact - smiling helps the interviewee feel more confident too 🙂
Good luck everyone!

@Haffdonga thanks, really helpful ideas. I’ve ordered the book too.

Thanks so much @Haffdonga. Think we've a bit of work to do here...

Thank you @Haffdonga - this is really helpful.
DD clinging to 'I don't want to sound over-rehearsed' like a mantra at the moment - I suspect a) this is because she is up to her eyes in coursework over the next month or so (does the IB) and b) it will change if/when there are some actual interviews in the diary.
Let's hope for lots more invitations this week!