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.

My daughter is aspiring to medical school despite no chemistry a level. She’s taking biology, psychology and English lit a levels so we’ll be applying strategically to uni’s not specifying chemistry.
@mumsneedwinewould love a copy of your magnificent spreadsheet! Will DM you if I can figure out how (new to posting!)
Current faves are Manchester, Newcastle, Keele, Lancaster and Plymouth…open days booked in. We’re south west so a lot of miles/£££ in the coming months!
Good luck all!

@medmum26 will send it over once get the DM. The Unis that don't need Chemistry are in yellow on the spreadsheet.

Hi All. Everyone is very quiet. How are your YPs doing with the Mocks? My DD has just finished her Mock exams last week. Results will be given after half term.

Ours is mid June. Hoping to focus on UCAT once mocks are over

DD's 'mocks' were in April, which was good as it meant she can focus on UCAT now, not that she has done much yet. School told them that they will use the higher of their FFTs and mocks for UCAS predictions (FFTs come from some system that predicts likely A level results based on various data about the individual and GCSE results) so mock results were not so important - or so we thought.

DD now says that the older sister of her friend (in yr 13) told her that school told them this same thing, but then used their mock results! DD is now worried as I think hers came out at AAB, whereas her FFTs are 3 A stars. Personally, I think school will take a view based on more holistic information, not just the mocks, and I suspect what DD's friend's sister has said has some context that she is not being told. We have parents evening when we get back after half-term, so hopefully we'll find out more then.

DD has a careers week when she gets back after half term. They need to have a draft personal statement written by the end of it! It'll just be a first draft at this stage, but useful to focus the mind and perhaps spot areas that need some work. She'll be registering with UCAT tomorrow evening! I think UCAS registration will be done during the careers week as I think school has to provide them with a code? Not really sure how it all works yet.

Sorry this is short notice but seeing your post has prompted me: apparently Hull York's Medicafe are running a webinar on UCAT this afternoon from 5-5.45pm. I think you need to register online? They also appear to be running some future sessions on the interview process and life as a Medic.

Hope that helps someone!

SuperSue77, yes correct. Your DD's school needs to provide you with a buzzword for UCAS registration. This is a code to link the UCAS application to the school so they can add predicted grades and references. My DD's school has done the registration last week and we have started to fill in some of the sections.

AmbitiousHalibut thanks for the info on the Hull York sessions. I will check it out.

My DD has her Mocks the first week back after half term. They've been told they will mark taking into consideration all of the latest test results.

The little group of prospective med students at her school missed games yesterday to all do their UCAT registration together, they were very excited.

The day the test booking goes live. they will just be arriving to Barcelona Airport. Us parents have their log in details and are left with the responsibility of booking and getting one of the dates they want. Mine is hoping she is at a point of travel that she can access her phone to FaceTime me whilst I do it 😂

That is nice! DD and I did her registration last night after I got back from work. She wasn't that bothered! In terms of when booking goes live, DD is due in a biology lesson. I emailed the biology teacher and head of 'competitive applications' to let them know and suggest they might want to make special arrangements for those who need to book, but I haven't heard back - to be fair I don't need to, just hope any students wanting to book at that time are able to.

I have already agreed with DD that I'll book it for her, given it's my credit card that will be entered for the payment! And I'll be driving her to which ever test centre has a place. DD will only just have turned 17 so she won't be driving by then. Though we have managed to book her into the test centre we hope she'll sit the UCAT at for her driving theory, she takes it a few days after her 17th birthday so that she could do it before UCAT!

We just got her mocks report today, 3 x A, so hopefully they will feel confident enough to go with the 3 x A star predictions - I really hope to as otherwise Exeter may be off the table and that was one we both really liked and which I think would really suit DD.

@Zokaluse73 I can't remember what A levels your DD is sitting, is one Spanish? Or is there another reason for going to Barcelona? How many are in the prospective med students at her school? DD has about 10 of them plus a dentist, but I'm not sure if all of them are 100% sure. It is an increase on previous years. In their year 13 group, I have heard of 2 with med offers, one at UEA and one at Exeter, both med schools DD wants to apply to. Not sure if any of the others have offers, though the dentist in year 13 didn't get any and plans to reapply next year. I think their UCAT was too low, and I believe dentists applications need even higher scores than the medicine on account of their being less places to apply for.

DD is very sure she doesn't want to do dentistry and will not be putting it down as a fifth option, despite suggestions to do so by a popular medicine application adviser (we follow them on Insta).

Don't put dentistry unless want to be a dentist ! It's not the same career at all. V strange advice 😂. If want to be a doctor then put anything down as you won't go anyway, you'll try again. 2 reasons to put a 5th:

1. it's nice to get an offer this side of Xmas in something
2. if medicine goes into ucas extra (it has twice before) then you need to have declined all 5 offers to apply for a place

If want a specific day or place then book UCAT as early as can (eg when it opens). You'll always get a slot somewhere, but somewhere might be 400 miles away in September !

Those are the reason why my DD is planning to put down a fifth, but the plan is very much to take a gap year and reapply if no medicine offers. I think the 'strange advice' is based on the idea that if you get an interview for dentistry it's extra interview experience - but I don't think it would be useful experience if you have no passion in dentistry! Also, I think also based on candidates who want either a medicine or a dentist place, and not bothered which, but I find this really odd as I see them as two very different careers!

@SuperSue77 Only exception might be if they want to be a Maxofacial surgeon as they need both degrees ! But getting a dentistry place is much harder than medicine - if want extra interview practice then nursing application would give better odds of a 'practice' interview.