Medicine 2026 part 2

[mumsneedwine]

Thought I'd start another one.

@MyGreyBiscuit Newcastle last week, interview was at 2pm, she had to arrive 30 mins early to register. MMI circuit was just over an hour so it was around 1.5 hrs in total. From the info DD just got from Leeds theirs sounds similar timing. Sounds like you'll have plenty of time with a 2pm train after.

@PurryGrowls we wandered around the uni grounds whilst waiting for DD, it was lovely, got a coffee in the med school cafe and before we knew it she was done. No time for shopping but I might have done if I had gone without DH.

Thank you friends! I’ll go for the 2pm train then. I think if it was with my DD, we’d hang about longer but the man child is rather less tolerant of faffing about…and don’t even talk about shopping. 🛍️ 😥

DD had Cardiff interview today. Her Dad has taken her this time. Fingers firmly crossed 🤞

Good luck x

@CarpetDiemthank you for the A*AA v AAA info. That didn't come up in our talk. The member of staff who gave it was lovely but didn't use the slides which was a shame as it would have been nice to have had the "official line" too.

DD liked Leicester and the MMI seemed to go OK.

She got interview invitation for Dundee yesterday too which has really boosted her. She hasn't had formal Sheffield rejection yet weirdly. I'm wondering if Liverpool might go the way of Sheffield and Manchester this year, so think this could be it. Two interviews is a great achievement, so all good 😀.

Dundee invitations seem to just be RUK from what I've seen on other socials. It was a privilege to be invited first as DD had plenty of slots to choose from!

Hope the interview went well @Vista123 and congrats @rockstuckhardplace that's great re: Leicester and Dundee!

DD got an email from the hospital where she volunteers asking for support with extra shifts during resident strikes. That's an interesting dilemma - she is now pondering what to do.

I know a couple of people who are studying/have studied medicine at Dundee and love it there. Also accommodation is cheap once you have moved out of halls.

DS got an invite for Dundee yesterday too, so 3 out of 4 interviews.

St Andrew’s 2nd week Jan and then Dundee following week again.

@Itsallstressstressstressgreat news!

congrats everyone!

@inae what can she actually do though, or what is she expected to do? Apart from the age (presumably she's not 18 yet or just turned 18) and the lack of knowledge...are they suggesting she can help with reception work (although how that will help when presumably they'll want medically trained people to take over? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

We've not heard back from QM and there's a lot of stuff on social media suggesting that it's all rather random, without a pattern (UCAT? A levels? Surnames?)...!

Congrats @Itsallstressstressstress !

@MyGreyBiscuit they don't want them to do anything different - just their regular volunteer shift and if possible, take an extra shift (the same role). I guess they want to ensure they are staffed at maximum, apart from the resident doctors striking.

ah gotcha!! sorry - I read it (wrongly) that they wanted her to do more shifts and interpreted that as taking on the doctor's shifts! LOL! omg. brain fog and flu is real.

UEA was random like this - they released interviews week by week with no seeming pattern - maybe it was surnames but certainly not UCAT score. Quite disconcerting - fingers crossed for you!

Oh thank you for that reassurance! That seems to be the only plausible reason… or at least perhaps something that is like taking 20% of the top tier, 20% of the middle tier and so on… and then, tomorrow do the same. So perhaps the assessors don’t all presume the students early on are all the top UCAT scorers…I think?

If so, that would make a lot of sense. You don’t want the 3Astars and 2500 to all turn up on the first date, and for the assessors to just presume they are all the top scorers.

@Itsallstressstressstress congrats on the Dundee interview . Dundee interviews are defo RUK and home students, as DS got one as well, which is 4/4.

It’s lovely to read about all our Yp getting interviews , the very best of luck to everyone. Fingers crossed for some offers before the end of the year.

Congrats to your DS @N0Tfunny! RUK interviews seem to have come out just before Scottish (evening before). Seen lots of Scots with good news now too 😀

woo hoo!! DS has an offer from Edinburgh , he’s over the moon 🎉

Fingers crossed for more interviews and offers soon for all our YP.

Liverpool interview invite received today. Thank goodness.

DD just got an invite for Liverpool! Booking from late Jan to early Feb. Hooray!! So pleased!!
Sending lots of good vibes to all of those still waiting 🤞🍀

Congratulations @N0Tfunny @wooly1962 and @Vista123 and everyone else who've received invites! We are STILL waiting for QM (and Southampton but that one's in Jan so not worrying for now).

Wow @N0Tfunny congratulations on DS offer! That is fantastic news!

@Vista123 and @wooly1962 well done on the Liverpool interviews. DD has got one there too, just waiting for her to be able to book a day so I know if I can go with her.

That is it for DD she now has 4 interviews, one down, 3 to do. Liverpool were much earlier this year than I expected sending interviews but I am so glad, we can end the year knowing exactly what she has ahead of her. Thank you to @mumsneedwine strategic applications advice, it has worked well for DD. Now just need one offer... 🍀.

Hello everyone, I’ve been following these threads with great interest.

i’m an Irish mum. My daughter is hoping to study medicine (Ireland) but does love some of the UK colleges, so thought she might apply to some next year too.

She lacks some of the volunteering experience that your dc’s have (she has done work experience at a dentists and will be doing a week at a Irish university medicine taster next year but that’s it)

She’s rowing at a high level (national Irish champ level and medalling at British schools) but training (20 hours a week) doesn’t leave much time for volunteering especially as her training times change weekly (due to tides)

Would she need to cut back on rowing to boost her volunteering or would colleges understand, you do think ?

Well done everyone. Congrats on Ed offer. Everyone being nice and early this year. Happy Xmas 🤶

HI @Justdancevance my DD is also a rower with intensive training schedule so termtime volunteering wasn't possible but she did work experience in the summers between years 11 and 12 and between 12 and 13 at a hospital and volunteered at an old people's home during the summer too - that seemed to be OK. TBH I don't think the med schools expect huge amunts of WEX (maybe Sunderland does) - if you looks t @mumsneedwine spreadsheet it'll give yoou an idea of which unis require it and which don't. I would also recommend that you maybe look at unis like Birmingham and Newcastle who both have elite sport progarmmes running alongside their academic courses - pretty sure her rowing would go down well at both!

Universities shut over Christmas and New Year so if you don’t hear anything in the next few days, you are unlikely to hear until the new year. Hopefully you can enjoy the Christmas break, though DC may be revising….