A pursuit: resources

Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts

Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Things to start doing RIGHT NOW!

I would think that students who are intending to apply to Medical schools for 2014 entry would be starting to prepare for the submission of their applications this October.

Here are some things you may want to consider doing to be well prepared for the stressful application when it comes:
1. Study for the UKCAT
Like,start right now!
Get your books, sign up for online UKCAT Practises, start using the sample tests on the UKCAT website!
Yes! You can study.. well, actually, practise.. you can practise for the UKCAT! Trust me! There are a lot of resources out there and the more you do the more used to you'll get to the questions and also you will have exposure to a good range of resources so you'll be very prepared for any type of question that comes out in your actual test!
Refer to my previous post for resources and advice on it : http://ajourneytofufilmydreams.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/ukcat.html

2. Arrange for work experience
Start early! Some hospitals in the UK have waiting lists of 2 YEARS! Be it volunteering at a charity shop or at a elderly home, start early! The longer your commitment, the better your experience would be a reflection of your commitment and determination.

3.Your Personal Statement
Draft it, ask people around you for opinions,ask the PS helpers on TSR to look at it and give you advice, START EARLY. It really sucks if you start panicking a week before you submit your personal statement and have to keep rushing to complete it only to feel unsatisfied with it after you've sent it off! Look at my previous posts on my advice for doing your personal statement here : http://ajourneytofufilmydreams.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Personal%20Statement

4. Study for your June exams
These exams are your last chance to prove yourself to your teachers, your last chance to show that you are worth being predicted the required AAA. Not forgetting, you also have to declare all your results in your UCAS form, it won't look nice if you have a D or an E, so hit the books and start studying!
Here are some good sites for Chemistry and Biology(AQA):
http://sciencemathsmaster.weebly.com/biology.html
http://vbio.weebly.com/a2-level.html
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1288539 (AWESOME AWESOME NOTES!)
https://www.heckgrammar.co.uk/index.php?p=10312
http://a-levelchemistry.co.uk/( OCR and AQA)

5.Check out some universities
Go for open days this Easter/Summer, go to as many as possible and talk to medical students. Look at the schools' campus, ask what universities look at strongly on your application. If you can't order prospectuses from the universities and look through them. It's always good to have a goal in your mind!

That really is about it. focus all your energy on doing all these and then start thinking about other stuff when you've sent your application off!

Best of luck!

Feel free to email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Wednesday, 6 March 2013

Results

Tomorrow will be the release of A Level results!

With that in mind, I would like this post to about A Levels.

Your grades(achieved and predicted) are probably the most important part of your applications! No matter how good your work experience,volunteering experience or extra curricular activities record, you will not get any interviews/offers without a good set of grades!

Here are some tips for the subjects I did for my A Level course

Maths:
Practise!
Here are some links that will help you:
http://www.examsolutions.net/
http://www.youtube.com/user/maths247
http://www.mathspapers.co.uk/

Biology
This is applicable to all 'memorising' subjects
Read your textbook to get the key ideas of what you need to know(refer to the specification)
Make notes/flashcards or even posters of your notes to paste on your wall!!You'll always be staring at them so they would get into your head somehow!
Go on TSR and discuss/trade questions and answers with other people!
You may want to consider doing 'legacy' papers(really old papers!)
Here are some links I found helpful
http://www.biology-innovation.co.uk/
http://sciencemathsmaster.weebly.com/biology.html
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1340698 ( this thread has many useful resosurces!)

Chemistry
Make flashcards/notes!
Practise! Do all the past papers and even papers from other boards! the concept is still the same just that different boards have different styles of asking questions! By exposing yourself to the different questions,you are doing yourself a favour!
http://a-levelchemistry.co.uk/ ( AQA and OCR) this is a really really awesome awesome awesome website!

Physics
Just keep doing papers, you will find that the questions are all about the same
Invest in a good revision booklet if you need to

Here are some links for old exam papers:
http://papers.xtremepapers.com/
http://www.freeexampapers.com/
http://www.thepaperbank.co.uk/

I wasn't paid by any website to advertise any of these!!

Good luck to everyone getting their results tomorrow!

Saturday, 2 March 2013

Interviews

Interviews, the most important part of your application, it will either make or break you!

There are mainly 2 types:
1.MMI
The Multiple Mini Interview. Some say that it is like speed dating and for me it was all good fun!
I think that the key to doing well for this interview would be:
1.Move on. You will have a lot of time to mull over your performance AFTER your interview, but while you are still doing the interview, just forget about how you did in the previous station, it is for the better
2.Follow instructions. Since there will be a lot of movement, it is very easy for you to feel really lost so it is important that you read whatever instructions you are given and follow them, it won't help if you lose your cool!
3.Don't hesitate. Because you will be under timed conditions, you will have to complete the task/answer the questions the best you can within the given time frame so use the time wisely!

I posted some resources I found/used on TSR (here is the link: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1845730&page=84&p=40978175&highlight=#post40978175)
Also, it might be helpful for you to have some practice using some of the sample questions.
Additionally, here is some advice I gave to someone based on my own personal experience in preparing for such an interview on the different aspects of it:
Roleplay:
there's a variety:
-breaking bad news to people(refer to SPIKES framework- http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.o...t/5/4/302.full, use it as a general kind of method, not just for breaking news on cancer)
-Listening to a troubled person/comforting someone(use these empathetic statements as examples: I can see how upsetting this is for you,I can tell you weren't expecting to hear this,I know this is not good news for you,I'm sorry to have to tell you this,I can understand how you felt this way,I guess anyone might have the same reaction,You are perfectly correct to think that way
-Calming an angered person down(NEVER EVER SAY 'everything will be alright'/'stop crying'/'don't worry' use the same statements as above, always put yourself in their shoes, and keep your eyes on that person
-Handling a person who has a visual/hearing/verbal impairment.(you should/would be given something to help in your communication so use it to your advantage!)

For answering questions and explaining your thoughts, it'll probably be personality questions so you might want to have mock interviews to practise that

Practical tasks, here are a few possible ones:
-Helping a person complete a puzzle/activity(that person may have a physical disadvantage or smth)-for these types of stations, don't just focus on completing the section, if there are people involved, think of the people first. Like, make sure the person is comfortable and involved in the activity, think like a teacher who is taking care of kids in this case, if you get what i mean.
-communicating
you may have to communicate an idea to someone , for example, you look at a drawing and you have to try to get a person who is looking away from you to replicate it
-working with someone
this may be hard, you may have to try to encourage someone to do something /work as a team , or you may even have to act as a mediator

you may also want to do some lateral thinking exercises, just google them and do them, they help open your mind!(:

http://www.medical-interviews.co.uk/Multi-Mini-Interviews-MMI-St-Georges.aspx ---> here are some more examples

2.Panel/discussion
This would usually consist of varying people(eg; admissions tutors/doctors/health care professionals/medical students)
This would be the more 'traditional' interview method, there are many tips and resources you can find for such interviews out there.
Here are some that i used :
http://www.medical-interviews.co.uk/interview-questions-medical-school-interviews.aspx
http://www.getintomedicine.co.uk/interview.php
http://www.apply2medicine.co.uk/medical-school-application-support/free-resources-1/free-medical-interview-questions.html
http://www.slideserve.com/pollyjose/medical-school-interview-powerpoint
Youtube-Kevin Ahern's guide to acing your medical school interview(AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!)

I think the best way to do well in a panel interview would be to keep calm!The interviewers will definietely understand that you are feeling nervous and they will definitely do their best to calm you down so you have to respond to that too and try to be at ease as the interview goes on!

If you are ever met with a difficult question, a good way of 'buying' time would be to say: "Well, that is an interesting question, could I have some time to think about that?" But don't use that too many times because your interviewers will not be impressed if you seem like you can't think on your feet,

If you are asked an impossibly hard question, try not to let panic be your first response. Always try to keep yourself calm and trat the interview as a learning process and just admit it if you are not sure and then ask for the right question.

Always prepare for questions on your personal statement!

How to handle ethical questions:
1. If the situation is quite long, consider repeating the key points of the given situation to make sure you got everything and also to buy yourself some time
2.Do not start off by giving your view, save that for the last!
3.Consider all aspects of the situation(Who is involved? What are the possible outcomes? etc;)
Always aim to give a balanced view.It may be useful for you to read up on certain medical ethics.(http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/ethical_guidance.asp would be a useful read)
This website also covers many ethical issues and i personally found it very useful when preparing for my interview:http://medicalschoolinterviewstheknowledge.wordpress.com/

Here are some books which i found particularly useful:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Medical-School-Interviews-Practical-Questions/dp/1905812043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362258297&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Succeed-Your-Medical-School-Interview/dp/0749461381/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362258297&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Medical-School-Interviews-Need-Knowledge/dp/0957290403/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1362258297&sr=8-3

Once again, I have NOT been paid by any company/person to write any of these things, what i wrote was based on my own experience and what i personally found really useful

Feel free to contact me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you have any questions

Friday, 1 March 2013

Work experience

This is a HUGE part in your preparation to applying to medical school!(for your interview and Personal Statement!)

Start early and start arranging for work experience really really early(preferably right after you read this post!)

Here are some places where you can look for work experience/voluntary work:
GP
Hospitals-nurses, physiotherapist,radiologist,specialist, junior doctor,consultant
Hospices
Care homes
Charity shops(eg: Oxfam)
Youth-related programmes(eg, tutoring children form less fortunate backgrounds )

Here are some useful websites:

vinspired.com

www.do-it.org.uk/

www.volunteering.org.uk

Personally, i decided to invest in a company called Gapmedics and i have to say i was really happy with what i got. Gapmedics really gave me the experience that i needed and i really enjoyed myself for the 2 weeks I was in Chiangmai!

Some tips before you go on a trip with them:

1.Make sure you are clear in what you say you expect for the placements(do you want to see surgeries? Pathology labs? A&E?)

2. Have fun, but not TOO much! remember, ultimately , you are there to gain work experience after all!)

3.Try to keep a work experience diary, you'll be doing many things and seeing many interesting things so try to note them all down so you can remember them really clearly when it comes to writing your personal statement or even your interview!

Feel free to email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you want more information about my experience and also the diary i kept on my experience with gapmedics if you need help in deciding if you should go for it or not!

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://www.aspirantmedic.com/medical-news/( daily updates and compilations of news)

BBC Health

New Scientist

http://www.doceatdoc.com/

http://lifeofadundeemedstudent.wordpress.com/applying-to-medicine/interviews/

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)

http://medicalschoolinterviewstheknowledge.wordpress.com/

I will continue adding on to this list as I go along!

UKCAT

Alright, so now i shall talk about the UKCAT, the UK Clinical Aptitude Test.

It consists of 5 Sections:
1. Verbal Reasoning
2. Quantitative Reasoning
3.Abstract Reasoning
4.Decision Analysis
5.Situational Judgement Test

I shall approach each section and explain each of them and give some of my own tips:

1.Verbal Reasoning
You are given about 30s for each question.
You are given 3 options: True , False and Can't Tell.
You have to choose an option from the 3 after reading a statement about the passage given. You are given about 5-6 passages. This was the most difficult section to me because it requires very effective reading and also good decision making. SO my tips for this section would probably be to NOT READ the entire passage and use the key words from the questions and then find those same words in the passage and then read the sentence before and after the sentence in which the words are found it. IF you are not sure of your answer, always FLAG the question and move on, come back to it afterwords.

2.Quantitative reasoning
It is impossible to do 40 math questions in the given time. The trick of this is to pick out the easiest questions and do them!
Practise and learn how to choose what is a difficult question to not do and which are easier .

3.Abstract Reasoning
There is nothing much you can do for this except practise. It is about pattern recognition. You are given to sets of patterns and you are given a box in which there is a pattern and you are to make a decision as to whether it belongs to set A ,B or neither. This one's all about practice!

4.Decision Analysis
For this, you will be given codes and their translations in English.
There are three types of questions:
Code to English
English to Code
Choose a word that you think needs to be coded
The best way to do this section is really to write everything out, do not do them mentally.

5.Situational Judgement Test
You will be given scenarios and you would be given a range of responses to choose from. The best way to this is probably just to be honest, you will probably have a hard time trying to decide which is the most politically right answer!!

So here are some general tips for the UKCAT:
1.Practice practice PRACTICE!!!!!!
2.Start early in your preparation and do it in moderation
3. Do not be overconfident for it
4. If you can afford it/ are in the UK, attend the KAPLAN course for the UKCAT, it really was effective!(for me at least:/)
5. Start off with books and then use online resources about a month before your test

Here are some resources for the UKCAT that i used and found useful:
books:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/into-Medical-School-comprehensive-explanations/dp/1905812094/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362144496&sr=8-1 (600 UKCAT book aka The Bible)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/UKCAT-For-Dummies-Chris-Chopdar/dp/1119965845/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1362144496&sr=8-3
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Score-Higher-UKCAT-questions-Medicine/dp/0199698287/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1362144496&sr=8-4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Master-UKCAT-Practice-Questions/dp/0749463376/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1362144496&sr=8-5
online resources:
http://www.medify.co.uk/ukcat (AWESOME AWESOME RESOURCE)
http://www.emedica.co.uk/ukcat.html

http://www.getintomedicine.co.uk/ukcat-tutorials.php( free website that has UKCAT practice, I suggest that you use this first because it is not an onscreen test)

http://www.ukcatprep.com/

http://www.onexamination.com/students/ukcat

http://www.careergym.com/ukcat_practice_tests

http://www.kaptest.co.uk/ukcat/practice-questions( you can download their free practice questions I highly suggest that if you can afford the time and money to attend this course as it is highly beneficial to your confidence as well as your level of prepared-ness, book early!)

http://www.dotmedic.com/ukcat/index.jsp

http://www.acemedicine.com/ukcat/

http://www.psychometric-success.com/downloads/download-practice-tests.htm (this is not directly related to the UKCAT but it is very good for just casual practice-its free !)

For more online tests(that may or may not be directly to the ukcat test but will be highly beneficial, please refer to the following website:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=621992

I have not been paid to advertise for any companies! All this is just based on my experiences!!

Email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you have any questions!!(: