Medicine 2026 Part 3

[MyGreyBiscuit]

Hi everyone, here's the new thread!

Great to have 3/4 offers, some decisions to make!

Great news @Thefatbutteredpig and @Curlyshabtree ! Well done to your YP.

Congrats to your DD @Curlyshabtree - lovely to have a choice to make!

Hi, looking for some advice...we've received results for mocks - they are not good...I'm spiralling a bit and not sure what to do. Up until now, half-termly test results have all been fine, apart from maths, which has been borderline OK, but still OK.

@Katyapup this is the effect of the long and draining med application process with the stress and the UCAT, PS, invitations, interviews, and offers scattered across 6 months. Year 13 is a mad rollercoaster.

DD hasn't received her mock results yet but will get them soon. She finished mocks end of Feb and she started revising again two weeks ago, covering roughly one topic for each subject each week (Chemistry is more topics). That's in addition to papers and homework that the school gives them. Her plan is to finish that early May then just do papers and questions and more gap covering in May. They just got the exam timetable but she already knew that only Physics paper 1 is end of May, and rest are in June for her. She does 4 A-level subjects so it wont be a walk in the park but she refused to drop Physics despite my best efforts 😂 so Bio, Chem, Maths as well...

We discussed and we agreed mock results will be used in a constructive way - to see where biggest gaps are and yes, we do anticipate that some mock grades will be lower because of the interview prep. I'm bracing for it 😂

Realistically there are 2-2.5 months left until the exams start, depending on exam board and subject. If they lock in now, they can do it.

We’re in the same boat @Katyapup Or expect to be… My daughter has offers but has warned me her mock results will be below standard due to all the distractions. The stress doesn’t stop, does it!
She’s starting to work really hard again, just have to have faith I guess!
We’ve found her a chemistry tutor to help identify any weaker areas … Is that an option?

Congrats @Thefatbutteredpig and @Curlyshabtree on the offers!

@Katyapup it does make us worry and for all the reasons @inae said is it any wonder things take a little dip now and again. How does your DD feel about her results? Is she worried? There is still plenty of time to get back to focusing and I am guessing your DD was already very determined to even get this far in the application process so I am sure she has the resources to get back on track now.

My DDs mocks were ages ago in January and she did well but since then MIL has been in hospital after her stroke and sadly passed away last week so DD has been completely distracted from A levels. She now has tonsillitis and is off school so things are not going her way just now. I keep telling myself she is capable and try not to ask too much about revision etc yet. She is so run down but there is such a long way to go too!

Strength to all the YP and us parents in the coming weeks.

Congratulations on the offers
@Curlyshabtree and @Thefatbutteredpig

@KatyapupI agree with others. It’s been a lot to manage mock revision, interview prep etc so a dip in mock grades can happen. Now the interviews are done the focus can just be on exam prep and getting the grades up.

Not great news for my YP as she didn’t get an offer after the only medicine interview she had. Probably reapplying next year but undecided at the moment with the disappointment and with contemplating going through the application process again. Might be less stressful with grades in hand but another summer of UCAT prep might be ahead.

Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement and reminding me about the stress of interviews as well. I don't know any other parents in RL whose YPs are applying for med, so no-one to talk over with, and if you haven't been through the process you have no idea how stressful it is (as I didn't prior to DD applying!)

Hats off to your DD @inae - those 4 subjects are a lot!

@purrygrowls We have recently organised a maths tutor, so hoping that helps, even if just from a confidence perspective. Apparently the mock wasn't a past paper, but 'made-up'...not sure how normal or helpful that is.

So sorry to hear about your MIL @bluefineliner , that must be very difficult for your DD, and I hope she recovers from her tonsillitis very soon.

Sorry to hear you have no offers @ceruleanmoon. I really did think we'd be in the same situation and was gearing up for another summer of UCAT. I hope your daughter is OK, and I'm sure next year with grades in hand will have a choice of offers to pick from.

Thanks @Katyapup. There was no grade reduction for four A-levels (very few schools do that e.g. Leicester), so the offers are still based on 3 A-levels. I suppose there is some degree of flexibility as she needs AA n Bio and Chem and one more A, either Maths or Physics. Knowing what we know now she would have probably dropped Physics at the end of year 12, but that's that. In hindsight, an EPQ would have helped more...

@Ceruleanmoon sorry to hear that. Are there options in clearing or not really? It's not over for any of our DDs until results day, we know that anything can happen but I can imagine how hard it must be.

There is unofficial clearing for medicine - on results day ring round as there will be places freed up by insurance places and people who missed grades by some way. Every year I see potential students coming for interview in early September so that is your first plan (having aced the a levels)

I didn’t know this so thanks so much for the info. I’d thought it was applicants on the waiting lists that would get priority but it sounds like it will be worth DD making phone calls once she gets her results.

Grades. Grades. Grades. The focus must shift to getting those As. And if no offers now, then on results day keep an eye on here and other social media as places might be in clearing (start looking the week before on ucas). Ring at 8am, use as many phones as possible to get through, and when get through you'll get asked for ucas no., UCAT and grades. If they like you, you'll have a phone interview that day (or next) and offers will go out v v fast.

Its not over yet. Every year I get at least one in on results day.

Its tough. But get the grades and even reapplying becomes easier. Gap years can be a big bonus.

PS 3 a levels always better than 4. Can still drop one !

@mumsneedwine out of curiosity, why start looking on UCAS the week before results day? Do they open clearing early? Exeter waitlist instructions say to call on results day, as an example.

Would YP still ring places that have rejected them?

If they don't ring it is a no if they do ring there is a chance

Because Unis get results a week before students do. So they know if they have gaps.

No. If you've been rejected by that Uni this year they won't look at you again. But other Unis might.

Thanks @mumsneedwine! My DDs friend has no offers yet although they are waiting for Liverpool and Newcastle so that's great information!

Don't ring just anywhere. Keep eye on clearing. Don't ring if been rejected by that uni this year (post interview). But if new Unis are in clearing, call asap. Call if on wait list asap.
Get those grades. Then applying is much easier.

Sorry to hear this @Ceruleanmoon Hope your daughter can focus on her exams and sounds like clearing is worth a shot. Also plenty of stories about applicants coming back stronger after a gap year and achieved grades.

So sorry to read about your mil @bluefineliner I remember you telling us your daughter was really close to her - very tough for her to go through this at such a fraught time. Hope she feels better soon with that tonsillitis too.

Hi friends...! @Ceruleanmoon - so sorry to hear that but as others have said, don't lose hope. There's alot of movement post grades, and if her grades are excellent AAA and above, then like @mumsneedwine says, ring round at 8am on results day with grades and see what they say. You could also re-do UCAT before results day and see with the new set of grades you would present as a good candidate for them to consider.

@bluefineliner sorry to hear about your MIL and of your daughter's tonsilitis - hopefully with Easter coming up there's time to catch up with some rest.

I've been away from my desk for a couple of days - just to update you, we've had an offer from Sheffield! :) the wait is real! and son has agreed to let me attend offer holder day at QM - LOL!!! so, for those who've attended offer holder days, what sorts of things are you looking out for? I'm guessing deep dive into actual curriculum (at least for the kids) and also things like costs, housing...?

Love Sheffield ! Great, cheap city and fab course.

No Uni will look at a new UCAT score for this years entry. Can redo it if think going to reapply but won't help this year.