Too early for a Medicine 2027 thread?

[SuperSue77]

Just wondered if there was any interest in a medicine 2027 thread for those of us with YP going into year 12 who plan to apply for medicine? I've seen one or two lurking previously and will try to tag if I can find their user names. Just conscious that I am always posting on the 2026 thread, yet DD is a year behind them and so my comments aren't so relevant.

Please come and join me here if you are interested.

Thank you. Very helpful.

Thank you so much @Zokaluse73. We’re excited to see Liverpool. Even more so after reading your message. The medical school looks great and we’ll try and look around some of the city in the short time we have tomorrow. (Making a day trip from London) which student hang out area should we not miss?!

Thanks @renamedaccount for the image. We are aware of the risk with Leeds, although DD has strong GCSEs, which might help to compensate for her UCAT score.

At this stage, we’re still unsure about our 4th choice and are debating whether to add an aspirational option like Leeds or go for a safer choice such as St George’s. We live in London, next to the Northern line, so St George’s would be around a 30-minute commute for DD.

My DH thinks we shouldn’t risk any of her choices, especially as the deciles have jumped up and it seems even more competitive than before. On the other hand, I agree with the experts (@mumsneedswine and DD’s Head of Sixth Form), who have both suggested having one aspirational choice.

Leeds is DD’s absolute favourite. She loves the campus, loves the city and really wants to take the risk. So we’re torn!

Definitely not an easy decision — cue the sleepless nights! 😩

Any further views or opinions would be very welcome.

I think DD is going to go for an aspirational 4th - or even a “don’t stand a chance but stranger things have happened” 4th! We’re hoping Keele, Sunderland and KMMS are not too risky (well, the least risky with her stats) and for number 4 we were advised to look at Bangor, but she has no desire to study there and so she’ll probably go for Exeter (she has 3 x A* predictions) or maybe Leicester.

I see lots of people with lower UCATs than DD referencing Aston, but Dr Admissions suggests minimum of 1920 and @mumsneedwine spreadsheet says 1990. DD scores 22/24 for GCSE at Aston (that blasted English language again - it would be full points if she could sub in English literature).

@mumsneedwine just noticed your spreadsheet suggests UCAT of 1980 - or is that just what is needed to be safe?

You are welcome.
On campus make sure to explore the Guild of Students - The SU.
A short walk from campus is the town centre & then head to Concert Square, Wood Street & Ropewalks - bustling areas of restaurants, bars & clubs loved by students.
The Georgian Quarter is where a lot of med students move to in years 2 & 3.
Take a walk along the pier head.
Have a great time

@SuperSue77I'm really sorry, but there is never a safe. There's a 'I'm close to previous UCAT) but things happen every year. Plymouth shot up this year as it was traditionally a safer option with a lower UCAT so lots of people applied there.

My numbers are the last known UCAT score for interview. I've now revised a few as Unis given us more accurate information- nothing changes drastically!

Leeds is tricky as it's that fine balance between GCSEs and UCAT. If you love it then give it a go - might be an outright rejection, but if you don't try then it's definitely out.

@SuperSue77and @mumsneedwineThanks for your replies as always. @SuperSue77My DD has also have a "no desire to study there" options so I understand where your DD is coming from. My DH's cousin is a consultant in Canterbury and she regularly has medical students from KMMS. She speaks very positively about the medical school.

@SuperSue77According to myUCAT Plymouth cutoff was 1850 last year. This could be an option for you too.

Thanks - we’ll take a closer look. That isn’t a contextual score is it? We’re in Sunderland today, just sat through a rather boring Welcome talk! Hoping the medicine talk is more interesting - it’s an hour and a half long!

Non contextual. Enjoy Sunderland!

St Andrews have a new community medicine 5 year course a10c - awarded by St Andrews

ucat cut off was around 1700 last year.

Ah wow, maybe we should consider it, though scores are up again this year, and it will always depend on how many apply, which no one can predict of course.
We loved Sunderland, not wowed by the accommodation, but the med school facilities are brilliant, so new and hi-tech! I think the intake number is nice at 117. It had a similar feel to me to Keele, though perhaps not surprising as Keele were their sponsor med school (probably not the right term) before they got GMC accreditation.

DD is sure on Keele, Sunderland and KMMS, and probably going for Leicester as the 4th, but I'll get her to think about Plymouth as well, though I loved Leicester and also think it is quicker/easier to get to for us than Plymouth. Her application is meant to be finalised on Tuesday!

Just to say regarding those ‘applications need to be finalised by x date..’ that’s a school date not the actual date (I’m sure you all know this…!!). But don’t panic if you do decide to visit other schools or if there are virtual open days etc post these school dates. You can change them. The school date is for school to do their statements etc.

good luck everyone!

Also you don’t need to decide on your ‘non-medical’ fifth choice until January (unless you are applying to Oxbridge, though doing that as a fifth choice would be unusual).

My niece thinks that she got an offer from Durham (non-medicine) and her Oxbridge friends did not, because they submitted their UCAS choices in October and she did hers in January. There has always been this thing that Durham want people who want to study there, rather than Oxbridge rejects, so maybe there is some benefit in adding the 5th choice at a later date so they don't think you are a medicine wannabee choosing them as a fifth?

They would normally twig when they read the personal statement

Great to hear that you liked Sunderland! We have Leicester as one of our definite choices, but we’re still unsure about the fourth one, whether to go for an aspirational choice or not. Our deadline to submit the UCAS application is Thursday. Good luck to everyone with those final decisions!

I was told that many don't read the personal statement.

Many medical schools don’t but I wouldn’t assume the same for your fifth choices. My DC never got an offer/rejection for his as he got his med offers first so withdrew. Some people got offers almost by ‘return of post’ for their fifth choices (not Durham though). But others got rejected from popular courses they easily met the criteria for. I suspect those were the ones where universities read the personal statement where it was clear they were applying for medicine.

Someone I know applied to medicine during covid and had Cambridge and Edinburgh on their choices. Had a rejection from Edinburgh and offers from the others. They assumed it was because Edinburgh thought they didn’t want people who has applied to Oxbridge! (Not sure how true but it wasn’t the first time we heard such a thing). Didn’t apply to us because we didn’t apply even though the grades fitted.

Universities don’t know where else you have applied. There is sufficient competition for places that you can’t read too much into an offer from one university and a rejection from another. Most medical students I know got rejected from at least one place and as often as not that wasn’t linked to being the most ‘aspirational’ of their choices.

I know. My son has 4 interviews and 3 offers. I’m not sure why they thought that. Maybe it had to do with what they wrote in their PS. Who knows. Good luck everyone. DS is off to his first GP placement this week! Eek.

But how would they know? @MyGreyBiscuit

Thank you @Zokaluse73 We went to the open day this weekend. My DC thought the course and medical school were great. We managed to tear it down to the docks before heading home didn’t have time to wander much, (and it was crazy busy due to Labour conference) but we loved the energy and so much to see and do. He’s def going to apply.

Thank you @SevilleOranges and @GracieZ for your really helpful replies about Leicester. It sounds like a brilliant med school. and shortlisting criteria good strategically for my DC. But can’t convince my DC to see for himself. His choice at the end of the day!