If you have GCSEs or A Levels(the achieved ones) that can't fulfil what most Medical schools need it would be quite silly to take a gap year, however, if you have not gotten an offer because of a lack of experience, poor interview skills or a weak personal statement, take a year out, work on strengthening your application and then reapply!
For those who think that their GCSEs/achieved A levels results aren't good enough(by this i mean, getting less than 5As at GCSEs and less than AAA at A levels) here are some route you may want to consider:
1.Apply to another course that allows for you to transfer to their medicine course after your first year(provided you have really awesome grades) Form what I know, an example of a university like this would be Newcastle where you are allowed to transfer to medicine from Biomedical Sciences. Here is a link on TSR that may help:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Access_to_Medicine
Please always call up the admissions team of respective universities to find out about the course you are applying for so you know what you are in for.
2.Graduate Medicine
Do bear in mind that this route is definitely the harder route ! It takes a whole lot of determination and focus and its definitely more competitive!
3. Do an undergraduate course and then apply for undergraduate medicine
I had a friend who did this and she has gotten quite a few offers. the offer would be given based on your degree so your GCSEs/A Level may be able to be made up for by that. This route would take a much longer time and it needs a lot of determination and perseverance to be able to do an undergraduate degree only to do another undergraduate degree! So think carefully!
4. Consider a private medical school
If your family is able to afford it then go ahead! RCSI and University of Malta are some examples. I have not really read much about them but from what i know RCSI even offers ABB for A Levels!
An alternative would be to apply for medical schools that look ONLY at your strong points, for example, if you have a fantastic UKCAT score(>700) you may want to consider universities that only look at your UKCAT score.
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_GCSE_Requirements
This link tells you the minimum requirements of the medical schools. I don't want to be a wet blanket but I must remind you that most applicants would usually have GCSEs that are more than the minimum requirement.
All the best for your applications!
Showing posts with label TSR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TSR. Show all posts
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Happiness!
The waiting game is finally finally over for me!
I've gotten 3 offers and I am feeling really really beyond happy now :D
Just want to wish anyone out there who is still applying or are intending to apply to not give up and do your best!
I just wanna give loads and loads of thanks to TSR and my teachers at school for giving me so much help throughout the entire process and also lots of thank yous to my family and friends who have given me so much support throughout this step to achieving my dream!
'Chance favours the prepared mind'
~Louis Pastuer
I've gotten 3 offers and I am feeling really really beyond happy now :D
Just want to wish anyone out there who is still applying or are intending to apply to not give up and do your best!
I just wanna give loads and loads of thanks to TSR and my teachers at school for giving me so much help throughout the entire process and also lots of thank yous to my family and friends who have given me so much support throughout this step to achieving my dream!
'Chance favours the prepared mind'
~Louis Pastuer
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Things I fussed over but later found to be useless
1.Looking at other Personal Statements
I even bought a book for it! In the end, it just makes you feel so stressed because you will be wondering if your experiences can match up with what other applicants have! Sure, read some personal statements to get some idea of the structure and what you should include, after that, don't mull over it and stress yourself up! Your personal statement has to show you and your passion, channel all your energy into doing that and you'll be fine!
2.Looking at the stats of others(How much work/volunteering experience they had, how many A*s they got at GCSEs, what extra curricular activities they did, etc;)
Doing this just made me so so stressed and i kept comparing myself to them! Especially on TSR where i compared what i have done to people who had applied in past years and have been successful! Even those who had been unsuccessful had a whole list of work experiences!!!Do not waste your time doing this, and just focus on what you can do , because ultimately, your application would be compared against those applying with you and never forget that people on TSR are usually over-achievers(not all though><) Just do your best for your own application!
3.Cramming my summer with work experience
I must say that I was really fortunate to have gotten so many work experiences but in the end, I could not even fit some of them into my personal statement and I could have used some of that time preparing for my UKCAT or doing up my Personal statement. However, in a way, although i find it useless, I do not regret having had all of them because from there I have really come to understand that medicine is something that I really am interested in and am serious about!
4.The need to call every university and ask what they look for in an application
It's all stated in the admissions policy of each university and on their websites!! Calling up the different universities would just be a waste if time unless you have a question that can't be answered by the websites
I even bought a book for it! In the end, it just makes you feel so stressed because you will be wondering if your experiences can match up with what other applicants have! Sure, read some personal statements to get some idea of the structure and what you should include, after that, don't mull over it and stress yourself up! Your personal statement has to show you and your passion, channel all your energy into doing that and you'll be fine!
2.Looking at the stats of others(How much work/volunteering experience they had, how many A*s they got at GCSEs, what extra curricular activities they did, etc;)
Doing this just made me so so stressed and i kept comparing myself to them! Especially on TSR where i compared what i have done to people who had applied in past years and have been successful! Even those who had been unsuccessful had a whole list of work experiences!!!Do not waste your time doing this, and just focus on what you can do , because ultimately, your application would be compared against those applying with you and never forget that people on TSR are usually over-achievers(not all though><) Just do your best for your own application!
3.Cramming my summer with work experience
I must say that I was really fortunate to have gotten so many work experiences but in the end, I could not even fit some of them into my personal statement and I could have used some of that time preparing for my UKCAT or doing up my Personal statement. However, in a way, although i find it useless, I do not regret having had all of them because from there I have really come to understand that medicine is something that I really am interested in and am serious about!
4.The need to call every university and ask what they look for in an application
It's all stated in the admissions policy of each university and on their websites!! Calling up the different universities would just be a waste if time unless you have a question that can't be answered by the websites
Sunday, 17 March 2013
The thread and website that has gotten me here where I am today
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2171140
This thread has gotten me through 3 interviews and has gotten me 2 offers(for now, since i am still waiting to hear from one more)This thread has links that lead to this blog/website:
http://blog.unireq.co.uk/
Which has AWESOME AMAZING WONDERFUL advice and, more importantly, the statistics and information to prepare you for ALL the medical schools you have applied to and their interviews(for example, presenting you with the interview scoresheet) With what is given on this website, you can also then make an informed decision as to which medical school you should apply to that will give you a higher chance of getting an interview.What is enough?
I think this is a question many to-be applicants would have with regards to their application and my answer to that ,really, would be : enough to fill your personal statement up.
This does not mean that you LIST what you did. NO.
The key to a good personal statement , in my opinion, is to SHOW not TELL .
For example , you were part of a team.
Telling would be something like this:
In my high school, I was a member of my school's basketball team. From my experience with working with my team, I have gained communication skills which , I feel, is one of the most important aspects of a good leader.
Showing , on the other hand, would be like this :
I enjoyed being an active member of my high school's basketball team . By often playing the role of a mediator between members with different personalities I have come to appreciate the differences between members of a team and learn to create a sense of unity between members.
By showing , you are telling a story of an aspect of your experience and hence giving insight into your personality and thoughts.
So, back to the main question, what is enough?
As long as you have experiences where you are able to show that you have qualities that a doctor would need , you would be alright , the most important thing is bringing it across effectively to the admissions tutor.
Here are some ideas for qualities that you may have picked up though extracurricular activities that you may want to include in your personal statement :
Teamwork
Leadership
Empathy
Ability to cope with stress
Perseverance
Wide range of interests
Good time management
Good organisation
Responsible
The list is endless , really, you just really have to reflect on everything you've done since high school and then try to think back on activities you did that brought out the best in you.
For work experience, aspects that you could have learnt that you may want to bring across in your PS could possibly be:
Teamwork in a multidisciplinary team
Role of a doctor
Difficulties involved in the career
Aspects of the career that appeals to you
Ethics
Everything really depends a lot on what you see while you are at your work experience. For example, if you worked as a receptionist for a GP, then you may often have encountered anxious patients , you can then perhaps talk about how you've seen the doctor(s) have the ability to calm them down and provide them with reassurance .
In conclusion, you do not need to go on a month worth of work experience , neither do you need to achieve gold DofE, all you just need is a good brain and good reflection of what you have done and learnt. You do not need to safe a person's life or anything dramatic, just show that you are able to learn from what you've been shown/observed and that it enough. Do not feel intimidated by the long list of things that others may have done (especially those on TSR!) have faith in yourself , your passion will definitely be conveyed to the admissions tutor!
This does not mean that you LIST what you did. NO.
The key to a good personal statement , in my opinion, is to SHOW not TELL .
For example , you were part of a team.
Telling would be something like this:
In my high school, I was a member of my school's basketball team. From my experience with working with my team, I have gained communication skills which , I feel, is one of the most important aspects of a good leader.
Showing , on the other hand, would be like this :
I enjoyed being an active member of my high school's basketball team . By often playing the role of a mediator between members with different personalities I have come to appreciate the differences between members of a team and learn to create a sense of unity between members.
By showing , you are telling a story of an aspect of your experience and hence giving insight into your personality and thoughts.
So, back to the main question, what is enough?
As long as you have experiences where you are able to show that you have qualities that a doctor would need , you would be alright , the most important thing is bringing it across effectively to the admissions tutor.
Here are some ideas for qualities that you may have picked up though extracurricular activities that you may want to include in your personal statement :
Teamwork
Leadership
Empathy
Ability to cope with stress
Perseverance
Wide range of interests
Good time management
Good organisation
Responsible
The list is endless , really, you just really have to reflect on everything you've done since high school and then try to think back on activities you did that brought out the best in you.
For work experience, aspects that you could have learnt that you may want to bring across in your PS could possibly be:
Teamwork in a multidisciplinary team
Role of a doctor
Difficulties involved in the career
Aspects of the career that appeals to you
Ethics
Everything really depends a lot on what you see while you are at your work experience. For example, if you worked as a receptionist for a GP, then you may often have encountered anxious patients , you can then perhaps talk about how you've seen the doctor(s) have the ability to calm them down and provide them with reassurance .
In conclusion, you do not need to go on a month worth of work experience , neither do you need to achieve gold DofE, all you just need is a good brain and good reflection of what you have done and learnt. You do not need to safe a person's life or anything dramatic, just show that you are able to learn from what you've been shown/observed and that it enough. Do not feel intimidated by the long list of things that others may have done (especially those on TSR!) have faith in yourself , your passion will definitely be conveyed to the admissions tutor!
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Just some motivation
Hey there!
It's been a few days since my previous post...
Today, i got my second medical school offer! I am really thrilled to have gotten a second offer especially since it has been said that 60% of medical school applicants do not get a single offer!
I think TSR really has helped me a lot in my entire application to medicine.. from deciding what subjects to take to what i should write in my personal statement!
Now, all i am left with is just meeting my offers. Since i am only taking 3 A2 subjects, my school hours are really short as well!
All I just want to say to all AS students out there who are intending to apply for 2014 medical school entry , just hang in there! It's not gonna be easy but it's gonna be worth it when you get your offers.. and then when you get into medical school you'll have a 'great' time with piles of assignments and work(:
It's been a few days since my previous post...
Today, i got my second medical school offer! I am really thrilled to have gotten a second offer especially since it has been said that 60% of medical school applicants do not get a single offer!
I think TSR really has helped me a lot in my entire application to medicine.. from deciding what subjects to take to what i should write in my personal statement!
Now, all i am left with is just meeting my offers. Since i am only taking 3 A2 subjects, my school hours are really short as well!
All I just want to say to all AS students out there who are intending to apply for 2014 medical school entry , just hang in there! It's not gonna be easy but it's gonna be worth it when you get your offers.. and then when you get into medical school you'll have a 'great' time with piles of assignments and work(:
Sunday, 3 March 2013
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements play a huge role in helping you decide which medical school to apply to. Here are the main aspects of it:
1.GCSE(O Levels)
2.Predicted/Achieved Grades @ A level/IB/Scottish Highers/Etc;
3.UKCAT
4.BMAT
5.UCAS Tariff(http://www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/ please refer to this website for the exact information, from what i know, Queen Mary is an example of a medical school that uses this)
Different medical schools place different emphasis on different parts of your academics.
GCSEs:
Some schools require a minimum number of As/A*s(Eg: Cardiff, Birminghan,Belfast) while some use it as part of their 'scoring system' (Eg; Leicester) While some consider it only when there is a tie breaker (Eg; Dundee)
These school may change their admissions policy from year to year so please make sure you check on their websites!(http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_GCSE_Requirements gives an extremely clear guide as to what is needed for each medical school)
Predicted/Achieved grades:
Since I only did A Levels, I can only speak for those taking their A levels.
Generally , your predicted grades should be at least AAA and a predicted A* would not usually matter unless you have already achieved your A*(My friend applied to Bristol and got an interview which he believes he got mainly because of his achieved A*)
If you are a gap year student, AAA would be the minimum grade that you need!
UKCAT
Just as how the GCSEs are used differently by different medical schools, the UKCAT is used in varying ways. Some use it as part of their 'scoring' method(eg:Leicester), some use it to decide who get an interview by ranking their UKCAT scores(Newcastle/Durham), some use it as a cut off, in the sense where if you have an average score about the threshold they set, your UKCAT would no longer matter(Eg; for 2013 Entry, the cut off for Sheffield was 600)
Please note that all these are based on the 2013 application cycle and may vary from year to year.
BMAT
There are only a handful of medical schools in the UK that require you to take the BMAT, unfortunately I am not really clear on it as I chose not to take it and apply to the schools that require it. I would hate to be misleading so I would suggest you read up about it on TSR to get a clear idea on how it is used and what it is about
This is about all that I have to say about this really ! Please note(again), that all these are based on what I have heard/learnt about the medical schools from this year's application cycle and may vary from year to year! So please do your own research and ensure you are clear of your chances of getting an interview before applying!
Best of luck to you! Feel free to contact me at lovebullets1995@gmail.com !
1.GCSE(O Levels)
2.Predicted/Achieved Grades @ A level/IB/Scottish Highers/Etc;
3.UKCAT
4.BMAT
5.UCAS Tariff(http://www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/ please refer to this website for the exact information, from what i know, Queen Mary is an example of a medical school that uses this)
Different medical schools place different emphasis on different parts of your academics.
GCSEs:
Some schools require a minimum number of As/A*s(Eg: Cardiff, Birminghan,Belfast) while some use it as part of their 'scoring system' (Eg; Leicester) While some consider it only when there is a tie breaker (Eg; Dundee)
These school may change their admissions policy from year to year so please make sure you check on their websites!(http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_GCSE_Requirements gives an extremely clear guide as to what is needed for each medical school)
Predicted/Achieved grades:
Since I only did A Levels, I can only speak for those taking their A levels.
Generally , your predicted grades should be at least AAA and a predicted A* would not usually matter unless you have already achieved your A*(My friend applied to Bristol and got an interview which he believes he got mainly because of his achieved A*)
If you are a gap year student, AAA would be the minimum grade that you need!
UKCAT
Just as how the GCSEs are used differently by different medical schools, the UKCAT is used in varying ways. Some use it as part of their 'scoring' method(eg:Leicester), some use it to decide who get an interview by ranking their UKCAT scores(Newcastle/Durham), some use it as a cut off, in the sense where if you have an average score about the threshold they set, your UKCAT would no longer matter(Eg; for 2013 Entry, the cut off for Sheffield was 600)
Please note that all these are based on the 2013 application cycle and may vary from year to year.
BMAT
There are only a handful of medical schools in the UK that require you to take the BMAT, unfortunately I am not really clear on it as I chose not to take it and apply to the schools that require it. I would hate to be misleading so I would suggest you read up about it on TSR to get a clear idea on how it is used and what it is about
This is about all that I have to say about this really ! Please note(again), that all these are based on what I have heard/learnt about the medical schools from this year's application cycle and may vary from year to year! So please do your own research and ensure you are clear of your chances of getting an interview before applying!
Best of luck to you! Feel free to contact me at lovebullets1995@gmail.com !
Saturday, 2 March 2013
Random Advice
I was recently talking to some of my juniors in school and i did up a document for them with some advice and i thought some of you might find it useful(: Some may be a repeat of my previous posts><
Here it is:
I hope this is of some help to you! Sorry if it is repetitive!
Feel free to email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you need any help/ have any questions!(:
Here it is:
Things to start on:
Read on-medical history, medical ethics, recent advancement in medicine
-this is for your
interest and for you to understand more about the career you are planning to go
into
-here are some
sources you should consider reading from:
BBC
Guardian health
Student BMJ
NHS choices
New Scientist
Attend Medical school preparatory courses(if you have the time and money to spare)
These are not
essential, in my opinion, but they may help you find out more about the career
Medlink-www.medlink-uk.com
Medisix-www.synergysolutions.org.uk/medisix.html(easter)
Medsim- www.synergysolutions.org.uk/medisim.html(july)
*These are in the UK
Practise UKCAT questions
START EARLY
A Ukcat prep course
with Kaplan may prove to be useful
Think abt personal statement which includes :
Interest and motivation for medicine
Well informed about demanding nature and requirements for a successful career in medicine
Well informed about demanding nature and requirements for a successful career in medicine
Independence
Responsibility
Compassion
Commitment to helping and
caring for ppl through relevant work or personal experience(work experience is very important!!!)
Participation in a wide range of activities
Contributions to school/community
Teamwork
Why UK(if you are an international applicant)
Here are
some tips to get started:
Come up
with a list of things you have done all the way starting from high
school(achievements/voluntary work/school activities/school leadership
positions/etc;)
Read some
examples of personal statements and try to understand what elements are
essential in every successful personal statement
It is
okay to have to constantly change it! So start early !
If you
are sure of which medical school you would like to apply to , you may want to
consider reading from their websites what they expect from your personal
statement so that may help you frame up your personal statement
Start
early on this and you might want to consider asking help from people who have
already applied to edit your personal statement for you via TSR-go under
personal statement help on the student room.(i used it personally and the PS Helpers on TSR are truly AWESOME(: A BIG Thank You~! to them!!)
Find work attachment
‘shadowing’ the
following people(the list is not exhaustive, as long as it is a caring role):
Doctor(GP/Specialist/consultant/Surgeon)
Nurse
Physiotherapist
Pathologist
Dietitian
Social worker
Junior doctor
Note; the most
important thing about work experience is not the amount, it is WHAT you learn
that counts
Also, remember to
have a reflective diary of some sort during your work experience, it would be
helpful to read it before your interview
If you are unable
to find work experience you may consider going on a work experience programme
overseas with companies such as Gapmedics
Read more: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medicine_Work_Experience(like I said, TSR will be your best friend!)
Find voluntary work
Here are some
places you can consider volunteering at:
Hospitals
Residential homes
Nursing home
Hospices
Charity shops (eg
Oxfam)-if you do it on weekends alongside studying for you’re a levels it could
possibly show commitment and the ability to handle extra-curricular activities
and your studies, but your grades are more important than anything else,
without them you won’t be able to go to medical school, regardless of how
strong your application is.
Think about University choices (sensible and achievable)
Things to consider:
Campus or City
university?
PBL/traditional/integrated
course structure?
Location
Look through the
university website and CHECK THEIR ADMISSION POLICY.
Get/read books about medicine (fiction/non fiction)
If you have more time this could be helpful in the future
when you get interviews and it also gives you some insight into the career and
will help you decide if this is really what you want to do.
Take part in school activities
Join different clubs so you have a range of things you
can add to your personal statement(especially if you have a leadership position !)
Useful websites
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medicine
http://mylifeasamedstudent.tumblr.com/
(blog of a medical student)
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/medicine/prospective/planning/application/
( advice for personal statement from University of Aberdeen)
*I have not been paid by any company/person to write these, all these are based on my personal experience!!
**As i have said, TSR will be your best friend(:
I hope this is of some help to you! Sorry if it is repetitive!
Feel free to email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you need any help/ have any questions!(:
Friday, 1 March 2013
Useful links
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medicine_Applications_Further_Reading#Useful_Websites_and_Online_Blogs
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=195
( TSR will be your BEST FRIEND)
http://medicalschoolinterviewstheknowledge.wordpress.com/
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=195
( TSR will be your BEST FRIEND)
http://www.aspirantmedic.com/medical-news/(
daily updates and compilations of news)
BBC Health
New Scientist
http://uncommonstudentmd.com/medschool/2012/11/22/5-must-watch-ted-talks-for-any-medical-visionary.html#
( future of medicine)
http://nejm200.nejm.org/explore/medical-documentary-video/
( progress of medicine)
http://www.folj.com/lateral/
( lateral thinking)
Youtube ( search: Medical school interviews)
Kevin Ahern’s guide to acing your medical school interview
(part 1 &2 ) both a MUST WATCH (youtube)
I will continue adding on to this list as I go along!
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