Medicine 2026 Part 3

[MyGreyBiscuit]

Hi everyone, here's the new thread!

Sorry to hear that @Tsuipen, interviews are hard for anyone and the pressure for something that will decide if they get offered a uni place means it must be much more stressful. Fingers crossed for Sheffield.

DD's friend got an offer from Glasgow. She's rUK (and possibly contextual). Her friends have all got at least 1 offer now so much happiness all round. At least until mocks next week.

So sorry to hear that @Tsuipen Interviews are such a tricky hurdle - so frustrating when you feel you haven’t done yourself justice. I hope your daughter is okay and really hope Sheffield comes through for her.
Fingers crossed for you too @Ceruleanmoon The wait and drip drip release of offers really is excruciating for some of these unis!
Hope everyone can switch off for the weekend!

We’ve still not heard anything. Thought today would be the day for a couple of our schools.

@Tsuipen I am so so sorry to hear this. I hope you will get good news from Sheffield. Was it here I read that rejections and wait lists have been sent?

with tomorrow being the last day of February even though it’s Saturday might there be some emails?!!!

Also fingers crossed @Ceruleanmoon ! Totally can identify with the wait.

Keeping fingers crossed for all those still waiting to hear of first offer. 🤞

Two years ago today my dd still didn’t have any offers for Medicine and her first offer came on the 28th Feb… the wait felt so long but lots of unis have offered much earlier this year and so it must feel so much worse now. Dd ended up with 4/4 offers which drip fed over the next month, so still keep hoping that it’s not over til it’s over and the ‘only need one’ mantra is so true. Best of luck and keep hoping for that golden ticket! 🍀

@MyGreyBiscuit I also thought today could be the day!! DD waiting on Leicester and Dundee. Not expecting to hear from Dundee for a while, particularly as she is RUK and I'm not sure I've seen reports of any RUK school leaver offers, plus they explained at an open day that RUK offers took longer to get out last year because of waiting for confirmation of numbers. But then other Scottish unis seem to be doing fine with issuing RUK offers, so I don't think it's that. There don't seem to have been any Dundee offers for a while now. But Leicester are doing a right ol' drip feed, and seem to have sent out quite a few offers now, as well as post-interview rejections. As ever, no news is good news.

@Tsuipen and @Ceruleanmoon I hope your YPs get that offer!

@Tsuipen it's a big ask for our YPs to go through this process at this young age. For many of them it's their first interview ever. They need to deal not only with multiple interviewers, some nicer than others, but also with multiple formats - online, in person, MMI, panel, ethics, roleplays, health news, unexpected tricky questions... I think it would be hard for any of us to perform well in these interviews (definitely for me). I interview young people at my company and I always try to be encouraging and make them feel at ease, but the interviews are 10 times easier than any med school ones. And they're university graduates, not 17-18 who are still in 6th form and are also doing mock exams while going through this process. Whatever happens for our YPs, this experience will help them learn and grow for life. And if they truly want to become doctors they will find a way to get there, each on their own path. I truly hope our kids do it in this cycle but if not, we are there for them!

@inae I agree with the interview performance thoughts, even standard job interviews are nothing like these medicine interviews so expecting 17/18 year olds to hold themselves together during them is a big ask. I know some do but a lot depends on prep and personality too.

DD went to the Leeds OHD yesterday and had a great time. She had a sample lecture and a session on venipuncture with accompanying resources to give an idea of learning style/support and it really suited DD. She loved the uni and would happily firm but depends if any other offers come through. I think Newcastle is still her favourite but at the rate they are sending offers who knows whether she will find out in time for an OHD if she gets an offer? I am just happy she has a good gut feeling about Leeds.

Thank goodness we are finally in March, this has to be the month of many more offers for all!

It is good that they are put through stress at interviews - each university will use the same format for all their students and the vast majority will be 17-19 so extremely young. The medical schools want students who will not go to pieces at the first sign of a problem (their first patient who dies etc) and can cope with more than one problem at a time.
In a few years time they will have to cope with studying for postgraduate exams after a week on the night shift.
Dd knows people who had no offers in May but got the grades at A level and rang round on results day and got a place following interview.

Disagree.
Being put though stress at 18 whilst studying for A-levels and having wider stressors, (such as in our case family bereavement) affects the brain, high cortisol and anxiety.
This does not prepare one for the different stress of being a qualified Dr, mid twenties, life experience, educated and ready for post grad exams etc.
At their current age, their brains have not matured. I think love and support is what they need, not un-necessary stress.

Perhaps would be better if we were like many other countries and moved into medicine after a couple of years of general medical studies - going into medicine, pharmacy, radiography, physiotherapy etc later.

I think people our age who are doctors/dentists got into med/dent schools without this many layers of exams - UCAT/MMIs etc. Obviously they had to do really well in their national exams (A levels etc) but that was probably it. Many didn't have to also be Olympaid champ, Head prefect, volunteering and working at the same time. Obviously this is a matter of demand/supply with the supply end being outstripped by demand. So universities have to go through a whole rigmarole of tests and evaluations to select 'the best' suited individual for the course.

I think there are a few questions here - one, does the process have to be so different for every school (I guess if we want a diverse pool of doctors then there'll need to be a diverse range of skills)? two, can't the schools be more consistent in the way they inform the students (ie. stop making those drip feeding offers for the top 10% of students and just make it uniform). three, is that the 'best' way of selection?

Someone shared an analogy that I found quite helpful... If teachers returned assessed work as and when they marked them... then surely it'll stress the students out... not knowing if Bob got it first because Bob was the highest scorer or not?? (more often than not, it's because teachers are just marking what's on the top of the pile)...

DD got a Newcastle offer!! 😁

Well done 👏👏👏

NIce one. Ds in y4. Loves the course and the city.

Friends!!! DS HAS FINALLY GOT HIS FIRST OFFER!!!! (sorry for shouting...). Barts.

Whoop! 👏👏👏

fab @bluefineliner !!!

Woo Hoo amazing news! well done to your DS, what a relief and what a lot of patience you had.

I'm so pleased for you both.🎉

thank you @bluefineliner and @CarpetDiem !!! Patience is REALLY NOT ME. this has done my head in.

Well done to your DS. Shout away!

thank you @Fairyfeet40 !!!!

Fabulous news. You must be thrilled

@MyGreyBiscuit so incredibly thrilled for him and you - amazing news, congratulations!

@bluefineliner fab news for the Newcastle offer - well done.

The night is young, hopefully some more yet to come for the group.