Medicine 2026 part 2

[mumsneedwine]

Thought I'd start another one.

We are also off to Leeds on the 6th of January.

Nottingham mid January online and Hyms at the end of January.

Good luck!

DD also has Leeds on 6th, HYMS on 15th then Nottingham online the week after and Newcastle in person. On top of her mocks! Good luck all.

Happy new year everyone, and good luck to all of our DCs who are interviewing. For DS, he's off to Sheffield (well, we are), for 20th Jan, and then QM online in Feb. Awaiting Southampton still. And mocks, and driving test...

@Thefatbutteredpig and @Curlyshabtree you have the same 3 interviews left!

I am just glad DD managed to book Monday for her Leeds interview as her first day of mocks (2 exams) is Weds so at least she can concentrate after Monday a bit more.

January looks like peak interview month for most of us, I must admit I hate January as it is so depressing usually but I feel like it will fly this year. DD has been told the Leeds interviewers can be more unfriendly than other unis so she is getting prepared for that now too. At least by the time she does Liverpool (her last one) she'll have a bit of experience of different interviewer styles. As she found Newcastle so friendly I am worried she has been lured into a false sense of security 😂.

@MyGreyBiscuit how long until the driving test?

Hey @bluefineliner - think it's in March! we've taken him out driving a few times over the christmas break - I guess that uses up different parts of his brain! LOL!

@MyGreyBiscuit I am convinced it does use a different part of the brain!

DD took a while to be able to do the practical side and I did doubt her at times with her need to know everything in detail before she tried anything, as well as over analysing every mistake she made. However she is a very diligent careful driver now so it worked out well in the end!

Good luck to your DS.

Happy new year everyone,

Just looking for some opinions as our new year has started unexpectedly. DD has her Leeds interview tomorrow and has prepared for it. Unfortunately my MIL (DD's very close grandma) suffered a stroke on Friday and is in hospital for an unknown time at present. We aren't sure of the prognosis, she improved so much in the first 24 hours but is very frail so we are unsure of the rehab plan. MIL lives with us and has done all of DDs life so DD has taken it very hard and was with her when she was waiting for the ambulance and the whole time in ED.

She is still going to the interview as I don't think there will be much chance of delaying it. I don't even know what I am asking but I'm just hoping she can hold herself together. She also has mocks starting Weds but these don't matter and I can inform school to look out for DD so not too worried about these.

It really couldn't have happened at a worse time but MIL is so invested in DD's medicine aspirations she will want DD to do her proud at interviews. This is DD's first time of having to deal with an emergency health situation and she was absolutely amazing with her Grandma, held herself together when she had to, then broke down afterwards.

@bluefineliner
sorry to hear this and hope MIL has a good recovery. Depending on what time your daughter's interview is tomorrow you could try and let them know the situation but I don't know if it would help. Wishing her all the best for tomorrow x

@bluefineliner I'm so sorry to read this, however good to know that MIL's prognosis seems to have improved so much within 24h.

In terms of the Leeds interview - is it in person/online (ie, will there be real humans there at the start - to at least check in...)? If so, I would encourage her to start the interview with 'thank you for this opportunity to interview. I'd like to inform you that my grandma who has lived with me all my life had a stroke 2 days ago and although her prognosis has improved, she is still in hospital' and leave it as that, and then proceed with the interview. At that point, if they say 'oh my goodness do you want to to reschedule' - then decide whether you want to reschedule... if they say thank you for sharing, shall we proceed...then proceed if she feels able to.

Good luck and hope it works out. Big hugs.

@bluefineliner I'm so sorry to hear about your MIL. I wish her a speedy recovery and wish your DD all the best with her interviews! It must be so tough for her and your family.

We've had a fun time abroad and a restful break after flying back to the UK. DD has managed to do some A-level revision this week, as she has mocks in February. There are a little over two weeks left until her Exeter and Sheffield interviews, so that's the next focus.

She has yet to hear from Southampton and UCL. We've just learned from a parent at my DD's school that Southampton sends interview invites in batches; apparently, the wait for an invitation could extend into late January or even into February, even though they do start inviting people in early January.

@wooly1962 @MyGreyBiscuit @inae thank you for your kind words. Interview is f2f. I deliberately didn't take DD to visit MIL today as it is unsettling seeing her struggle to speak. DD stayed at home and seems more focused now on tomorrow so it was the best choice.

Seems MIL may be in hospital for some time now so hopefully DD will be more adjusted by the time her next interview comes along.

@inae even though it is well known interviews go on for some time yet it still seems a long wait just to find out when the dates are! Hopefully you'll hear from Southampton and UCL this month.

@inae I think Southampton interviews till March. If it was anything like QM, even though DS' UCAT cut off was over the threshold, he only heard at the end of the week that they said they'll send out invites. There was no rhyme or reason. And people said QM said it was random. I guess this means that there won't be the 2500 UCATers on 12January, and the 2000 UCATers on the 20th January sort of thing.

@bluefineliner glad to hear DD is more focused. I think it's for the best, and if she knows her grandma is super supportive, that'll be great going forwards. All the very best for tomorrow. are you travelling today?

Glad to hear @bluefineliner and fingers crossed for your DD tomorrow!

@MyGreyBiscuit I've no idea in which order Southampton sends invitations, but there are no A100 (BM5) school leaver interviews in March this year; last interview date seems to be 26 February. Let's hope we hear sooner later than later (and for DD we're also hoping to avoid a clash with her January interviews and February mocks).

It was so good not to even think about interview invite emails over the Christmas break. DD has literally not checked her email up until yesterday and I stayed off social media😂

DH is taking DD today, Leeds is our closest uni about an hour's drive which is a relief as it has snowed overnight too! Luckily only a sprinkling of snow but it is very cold so driving conditions will not be good. I have to work today but probably for the best to keep my mind off things. I also happen to work at the hospital MIL will be transferred to so I am keen to get her moved so I can see her more.

hi @inae thanks for the reminder when Southampton is... our last interview is Feb 13th. The first for Southampton seems to be 20th Jan - but we're in Sheffield, and he's got a medical app on the 23rd with his consultant, so fingers crossed there's some options...

hope the drive went uneventfully @bluefineliner

back to the grind this morning. dreading the inbox.

Hope all goes well at Leeds today @bluefineliner

Happy New Year all! Hope all interviews coming up this week go well.@bluefineliner so very sorry to hear about your MIL - hope your DD's interview went well today - by the sounds of it, she's a super YP. Is anyone else interviewing at Birmingham (DD's not until 2nd Feb!)? DD had an email from Southampton this morning just saying 'bear with us' re interview invites but hopefully they'll start sending them out soon.

Thank you for your kind words. DD said interview went good but not great and started the over analysing of her answers and doubting herself. Anyway that is 2 down for now at least. Her teacher contacted her to say they are going to email Leeds to inform them of DDs situation so they can take into account. Not sure it will be considered but it was very kind of him to do so.

Looks like we are all going to have a hectic few weeks now to support our YP through, roll on spring 😄.

at the rate of the weather forecast, I cannot wait for spring (although I'm not sure spring knows to come!!!)....

also, @bluefineliner what a great thing for school to do. May not make a difference but at least they are proactive about it. Hope DD stops over analysing...we will never know how they do - even if they think they do well, they may still not get an offer...! (I fear at the end of all this analysis, it's still luck of the draw!)

DD had Leeds today. Like @bluefineliner she said it went OK but not brilliant. She was quite philosophical.
One down, three to go!

thanks for the feedback @bluefineliner and @Curlyshabtree on Leeds - did your children say what it was that was 'ok but not brilliant'? Just wondering that's all (we don't have interviews there)

Well done for completing the Leeds interviews! it's really hard to know the outcome and our YPs have high standards of themselves. If anything like DD, she's rarely content, and if asked about performance in any exam/mock she'd say 'it was fine' and offer no details😂

We're still at 2/4 and I'm counting my gray hairs. I need a distraction - holidaying was so good, but now I'm back to my desk I'm not coping too well with the bloody wait. It's been forever since we had any news.

@inae we're waiting for Southampton with you right? I wonder whether there'll be a clash with the Sheffield ones. (I think you're doing Sheffield the day before us?)... UCL is coming through I see on TSR or Reddit?