Medical Schools - Brief Overview

As promised a post glancing over medical schools, in this I'm going to include whether Universities accept resits, whether they interview and who's on the interview panel, their attitude to Gap Years, and if they include dissection on their course.

In another post after this I'll do a run down of A-Level requirements, and even later I'll do a post on the BMAT and UKCAT and which places require what :)

Aberdeen = Does not accept resits, interviews, 2 Admissions selectors including 1 clinician on the interview panel, Gap Years are fine if used construtively and declared on application form, and prosection is used as opposed to dissection
Barts and Queen Marys = Does not accept resits, interviews, Clinical Medical Student and Medical Scientists on interview panel, Gap years are fine, and prosection is used as opposed to dissection
Birmingham = Resits are considered in exceptional circumstances, interviews, Admissions Tutor, two staff and a clinical student on the admission panel, around 10% of students take a gap year, so I'm guessing you need to be doing something pretty good for it to be allowed, and prosection is used as opposed to dissection
Brighton and Sussex = BSMS policy is to accept re-taken grades or modules without penalty, interviews, A member of BSMS faculty, a GP and a health professional on the interview panel, gap years are accepted as long as they are to do with Medicine and dissection is used
Bristol = Does not accept A2 resits, interviews, a group of academics on the interview panel, gap years are accepted if they are worthwhile, dissection is not used
Cambridge = Resits only considered in exceptional circumstances, interviews, the interview panel varies from college to college and 2-4 interviews may be required, gap years are accepted but it needs to be checked with each college individually and dissection is used

Cardiff = only accepts resit applications with exceptional circumstances, interviews, GP's, Scientists and Medical staff on the interview panel, considers a gap year to be a "personal choice" but thinks it should be used productively and uses dissection
Dundee = Resits only considered with exceptional mitigating circumstances, which can be verified, interviews, member of the faculty of Medicine on the interview panel, gap year applicants will be considered (sounds a little ominous, maybe not for gap year students here then :S) and it uses dissection
East Anglia = 6 subjects with at least grade A including the core subjects (core subjects = English and Maths)
Edinburgh = 8-11 A*'s, with at least B's in core subjects
Glasgow = A's in core subjects and the sciences
Hull York = At least 6 subjects at grade C, A's in the core subjects and B's in the sciences
Imperial = A/B grades in all subjects
Keele = Grade A in a minimum of 4 subjects, and B's in core subjects and the sciences
Leeds = B's in at least 6 subjects with a range of good grades, this presumably means nothing below a B and certainly no fail grades
Leicester = C's in all core subjects and the sciences, even though GCSE grades are yet again not specified for this University, I'm guessing you need a bit more than all C's
Liverpool = At least B's in the core subjects and sciences, and a scoring system. A*/A = 2 and B = 1, in this scoring system you need at least 15 points. Which works out as mainly A/B's in all subjects
Manchester = Grade A in a minimum of 5 subjects, with B's in core subjects
Newcastle = A's in the sciences, and a minimum of 5 passes (I'm quite surprised by the relatively low grades, seeing as Newcastle is another good Medical school, so do expect most other applicants to have higher grades than this)
Nottingham = Grade A in the sciences and at least 6 subjects
Oxford = Minimum Grade A in the sciences, minimum 8A*'s
Peninsula = Grade C in at least 7 subjects
Queen's Belfast = Uses a point scoring system, 4 points for an A*, 3 for an A etc. Makes competition quite high because all GCSE results are taken into account in the final point adding
Sheffield = At least 6 A grades required and B's in core subjects

Good Luck!!

Choosing Your Medical School

I am going to fly past the fact I haven't posted anything for about 3 months and get on to a important topic for prospective Medical students, which Medical School?!

Choosing the right University and course for you is especially important with Medicine as you could be spending up to 6 years there!
So here's a couple of things to think about, an in the next post I'll do a summary of each medical school

• Interview - most places will interview, with a few exceptions such as Belfast, Edinburgh and Southampton. However you will more than likely to be called for an interview so you might want to think about what type you think you'll excel in. Some, for example Sheffield, conduct "coffee table" interviews, which only last 15 minutes or so and are meant to make the candidate feel as comfortable as possible. Others, such as Cambridge, have a interview for Medicine and ethics etc and then another interview about purely about science. I guess it depends on your nerves! Also different places will have different types on people on the interview panel. It can range from simply 2 admissions selectors and one clinician (Aberdeen) to a member of the medical faculty, a GP and another health professional (Brighton and Sussex Medical School). So whether you respond better to peers or member of authority should be taken into consideration.
• Teaching Methods - how you learn is important. There are 3 main types of teaching; a discipline based approach, a system based approach or Problem-Based Learning. The discipline based approach is quite a traditional teaching style and tends to be lecture based. You are taught the disciplines of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology etc as separate modules. Systems based is also quite traditional and involves being taught each body system e.g. cardiovascular system, endocrine system and then you would be taught the anatomy, physiology and pharmacology within these systems. PBL is very different from both. You instead are in small groups and given a "case", you discuss this, go away and gather information about the condition, treatment etc and come back to compare. People seem to love or hate this method so I recommend doing some personal research into it before deciding if it's for you.
• Type of course - Integrated vs. Traditional. A traditional course involves the first 2-3 years being lecture based learning, and then the last years of white coats and stethoscopes in hospitals. Integrated (as the title would suggest) involves a less separated approach and has clinical contact with patients earlier on in the degree. The traditional courses may suit you more if you are interested in research, or have a very scientific grounding and wish for a bit more knowledge before being let loose on real people. The integrated course may be better for you if you are very hands on and confident! More info can be found on individual university websites :) Also course length needs to be taken into consideration, some are 5 some are 6! Often the 6 year courses include an intercalated degree, more on this now
• Intercalated degree - many universities offer students the chance to take an extra degree between their second and third year in medical school. In some places (Oxford, Cambridge, UCL) it is part of the course and mandatory. An intercalated degree is very useful as it teaches extra skills and can boost the CV, as most junior doctors will have very similar ones. However if you are more keen to get on with being a doctor, or if you think 5 years is long enough, an extra degree might not be for you.
• Location - There's a lot to consider here, how close is it to home? Town vs City? Do I want to spend 5/6 years here? Night-life? Housing- is it provided or do I need to be able to find cheap accommodation? Cost of travel - it's going to cost more to travel from Belfast to London than it is from Leeds to Manchester, and rather importantly do I want to work here? Research has shown that, apart from London, most graduate Medical students end up working in the immediate area of their Medical School. So you really need to like where ever your going! Visit on open days and have a nosy around, not just where the happy students take you! When you've decided on your final 4 maybe take one last visit there, and possibly take a friend or someone for a different perspective, remember this is 5/6 years!! That's over half a decade!
• A-Level Requirements - This is important when choosing the right medical school, do you crack easily under pressure? Or excel in the challenge? Even though there is a general consensus that you need "AAA" for medical school, this is not true. Some places (Aberdeen, Bristol) only ask for AAB, and on the other end of the spectrum, Cambridge has started asking for A*AA. So you need to do your research and see where's best for you! I'll be doing a post later on A-Level requirements, so you could just be lazy and wait for that :)

Even though there are obviously other points to consider, I think these are the main ones, but of course I don't know what's important to you! You could be an avid sportsman who's main priority is access to the gym, or may have a significant other who you don't want to live too far away from.

Choosing where you want to go is vital, so give it some thought :)

Volunteering Websites

Okay since my post on becoming a volunteer is still in a work in progress, I thought I'd post some really useful links to get people started :)
Firstly http://www.vinspired.com/
Vinspired is a great organisation which helps 16 - 25 year olds find volunteer placements. They have a database full of volunteering opportunities, and they have branches in most major cities with people who know the area well and want to help.
They can normally be found in or around connexions offices. But they also visit schools and talk about what they do, so if your school has a careers officer or something like it they probably have information on Vinspired.
Also if you register you can receive certificates and awards for the number of hours you do, which are recognised by employers etc.
So if your going to volunteer anyways you might as well get a certificate saying you've done it! :D
Next there's http://www.do-it.org.uk/ Do-It, which is sort of like a searching engine of volunteer placements. You type in where you are and what you want to do, and the website provides options! :D
It also has tips on how to apply online for placements, and has information on volunteering centres round the country, worth a look!

Another is http://www.timebank.org.uk/ Time Bank is essentially that, a bank filled with things for people to do in their spare time`:)
It helps people find places to volunteer at, discover different ways to volunteer, and also support people once they start volunteering. Basically it is providing you with a start to finish service, from finding your placement and then making sure your okay when you actually do it! They also have a news letter and a blog

Then there's the good old government website http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Gettinginvolvedinyourcommunity/Volunteering/DG_10029484?CID=emc&TYPE=sponsoredsearch&CRE=Volunteer
This is packed with information on your rights, age restrictions, employers rights, how to apply, technical things like volunteering on benefits and then links to specific types of volunteering, such as with animals. This is really good one cause it means you'll know what your entitled to as a volunteer.`

These are just a few of the main sites, which I personally think are worth a look. There are hundreds out there, and maybe ones more specific to you! :) Just have a nosey and don't be afraid to Google search ;)

Anyways my next post should be more hospital placements etc!
And if it goes how I want it to, a biggun :D
Have a great weekend and I'll post soon!

Good A-Level Subjects for Medicine and My Birthday!

Hey guys! Hope you've all had a great back to school/Sixth Form/College :D

Okay so most of you will have already started your new subjects, but I still thought I should do a post on what sort of A-Levels are best, and basically what's required for most Uni's, you can always change it's early!!
I'm HOPING it won't be as long as my last post cause it's my birthday day in 16 minutes!! :)

So basically pretty much all of them need 2 A-Level subjects in Maths/ the Sciences (this excludes Psychology and AS Levels), and one of those 2 HAS to be Chemistry, there is no getting around this, there are very few Universities not require Chemistry A-level, and you would be restricting your application severely.

Most of them would like you to have at least AS Biology, and if not you must have a achieved a very good pass at GCSE. I would suggest taking Biology to A2 though, as medicine is a pretty Biology-intensive subject; if you don't like Biology you won't enjoy medicine. Also some Universities do have A-Level Biology as a requirement, so you might as well cover all your bases.

Maths is a good one as well, especially for the quantitative calculations and stats analysis you'll encounter in your degree. However I would advise you NOT to take Further Maths, quite a few Universities do not accept Further Maths, and it will add unnecessary stress to your application. 

Physics is pretty impressive and also a good substitute if your not much of a Biologist or if Maths brings up tortured memories. It is handy for understanding the instruments used for imaging, and just generally improving you as a scientist.
But remember you still need to comfortable with all these subjects cause they will feature in any Medicine degree!

NOTE OF CAUTION: Be careful when choosing a "softer" subject for your 3rd/4th A-level - Universities have been known to discriminate against people with subjects such as business studies, film studies, textiles etc. Oxbridge published a list at one point of which subjects were acceptable, and the University of Birmingham, for example, expects 4 A's at AS if a subjects such as Psychology, PE or Sports science is being taken with Biology.
Some Universities now even have written on their website "call us if you are unsure about the unsuitability of a subject", so just ask! 

Now some Universities prefer students to be very specialised, for example Cambridge is known for preferring mainly sciences from it's Medicine students, with some colleges even requesting 3 science/Maths subjects at A-Level, and 97% of their applications of their applicants have all 3 (as of 2012).
Only problem with using this system is that Universities obviously don't advertise this on their prospectus' or website! (Apart from UCL, which I think now actually puts in its prospectus "Students with a language of arts A-level will be looked upon favourably").

It's all by word of mouth, and this can be fairly difficult to find if the University you're interested in is not-very well known, so I recommend either looking at the requirements and making an educated guess, (e.g. "We like students with many talents who are well-rounded" = Range of subjects) and ("We prefer candidates to have a exceptional knowledge in the science they are not providing at A2" = Specialised).

Often this can't be done, and in that case make sure you've got at least your 2 including Chemistry, and then just do stuff you like :).

Okay I know this is fairly short and specific to University (some like certain subjects and Scottish Universities can be a little fussy because they do a different Qualification up there), buttttt it's officially my birthday :) and I think I should go to bed/read/be very happy/make a futile attempt to wipe the grin of my face :D
See ya laters peeps!!!!!!
I'M 17!!!!!
xxxxx
P.S. I may do a longer more comprehensive version later, and I will soon be doing a post about applying for volunteering posts, but for now, I'm gonna enjoy Florence & The Machine while being 17 ;)

GCSE Results and University Requirements for Medicine

*UPDATED FOR 2012 ENTRY*

IF YOU ARE UNSURE IF YOU HAVE "GOOD" ENOUGH GCSE'S - SEE THIS POST: http://youngwannabedoctor.blogspot.com/2012/01/bad-gcse-results-and-getting-into.html

Well many 16 year olds (or possibly 15 year olds if you are one of the unlucky few born very late in August) will have recently received their GCSE results.
Mine are pretty damn good, YAY!!

However as this a blog about all things needed for getting into medical school, I'll give you guys a heads up about what you will have needed to get into different Medical Schools.

Okay so the best of the best require mainly A*'s, this includes Cambridge, Oxford, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Bristol (obviously others are good, they just haven't specified GCSE grades). However not everyone is pumping out straight A*'s and many Universities don't see them as a requirement, so I'll do it in alphabetical order.

Aberdeen = All A/B passes expected, especially in the Sciences. C passes in English and Maths. Biology and Physics as seperate subjects are looked upon favourably.
Barts = Minimum requirement of AAABBB in Maths, science and English.
Birmingham = At least 8 A*'s (notice the "at least" meaning your competition will probably have more than 8) This year (2011 entry) most of the applicants who received offers had 9/10 A*'s
Brighton and Sussex = High grades expected with B's in English and Maths, however candidates with low grades are considered if your AS's results are very good
Bristol = 5 subjects at grade A/A* including Maths, English and 2 sciences
Cambridge = lots of A*'s... need I say more? However if your AS UMS marks are exceptional, your GCSE grades matter less

Cardiff = A minimum of 9 grade B's. B's needed in English and Maths, AA needed in additional science, and AAB for separate sciences
Dundee = A good pass in Biology... I assume this too mean an A or above, Dundee is one of the top medical schools, so even though they don't specify on GCSE results, you can bet your competition will have a lot of A*'s

Durham = A minimum of 5 subjects at grade C, to include Maths, English and the sciences
East Anglia = 6 subjects with at least grade A including the core subjects (core subjects = English and Maths)
Edinburgh = 8-11 A*'s, with at least B's in core subjects (average applicant has 6 A*'s - the ones who get in have above 8 A*'s)
Glasgow = A's in English and the sciences
Hull York = At least 6 subjects at grade C, A's in the Maths and English, B's in the sciences
Imperial = AAABBB in Maths, English and the sciences
Keele = Grade A in a minimum of 4 subjects, and B's in English, Maths and the sciences

Kings College London = Grade B in English and Maths if not offered at AS/A2 level

Lancaster = A minimum of 9 GCSE's at grade C. Lancaster has a points based system, with A*/A = 2 and a B=1, you need at least 15 points - which essentially translates to AAAAAABBB. Maths, English and the sciences need to all be at grade B.
Leeds = B's in English, Maths and the sciences with a range of good grades, this presumably means nothing below a B and certainly no fail grades
Leicester = GCSE requirements are not specified but are "taken into consideration" - aim high
Liverpool = At least B's in the core subjects and sciences, and a scoring system. A*/A = 2 and B = 1, in this scoring system you need at least 15 points. Which works out as mainly A/B's in all subjects (AAAAAABBB)
Manchester = At least 7 subjects at grade C or above, at least 5 at A/A*. A minimum of B for English language. A minimum of grade C for Physics and Biology
Newcastle = A's in the sciences, and a minimum of 5 passes (I'm quite surprised by the relatively low grades, seeing as Newcastle is another good Medical school, so do expect most other applicants to have higher grades than this)
Nottingham = Grade A in the sciences and at least 6 subjects
Oxford = Minimum Grade A in the sciences, minimum 8A*'s
Peninsula = Grade C in at least 7 subjects
Queen's Belfast = Uses a point scoring system, 4 points for an A*, 3 for an A etc. Makes competition quite high because all GCSE results are taken into account in the final point adding
RFUCMS = B's in core subjects and from 2012 a language will be required
Sheffield = At least 6 A grades required and B's in core subjects

Southampton = Minimum of B in 7 subjects, including Maths, English and the sciences
St. Andrews = B's in core subjects and the sciences
St. Georges = Minimum of 8 subjects. A's in maths, English and the sciences. A B is needed for English language.

UCL = Minimum requirements are a B in English and Maths, and a modern foreign language for 2012 entry - however UCL uses GCSE's as an indicator of academic abilities, so most applicants will have a high percentage of A*'s

Anyway I hope everyone did great and that the above information is helpful rather than depressing!!

Good Luck with Sixth Form!

Medlink and Bizarre Phone Calls

Medlink

As many medicine applicants will know, any prior experience or courses you go on will help with getting onto a Medicine course. There are quite a few courses available which provide tasters on medicine, university life, how to apply, what the courses are like and things you will be studying.
A well known type of this course is Medlink.
Based in Nottingham, Medlink provides 4 day residential courses for AS or A2 students who are serious about studying Medicine.
It looks like an amazing thing to go on, really useful, however it does require forking out quite a bit of cash :/ which is sehr annoying.
Ah well I'm sure I'll be able to pay back my Mum some how :D

So I had a rather strange phone conversation with a woman who works there a few days back...
I didn't appear to understand what she was saying, and she appeared to have no understanding of who I was or what I wanted 0_0.

Probably went something like this:
Woman - "Hello blahblahblah Office"
Me- "Hi, I'm 16 and I was wondering if accommodation is provided on the Medlink course??"
(It is btw, I am just clearly useless at finding information on websites)
Woman - "Well it's like a university experience... we try to make it like that you see"
Me - "okay, but about accommodation..."
Woman *continuing rambling* "and you see they wanted to make it like that, you see"
Me - "Right, well um I was just wondering that really"
Woman - *clearly deciding she didn't want to explain* "Do you want a brochure?? It explains things"
Me - "Oh yes please"
Woman - *Silence*
Me - *Silence*
Me - "Um so..."
Woman - "Address??"

And then just my details, I wonder if I'm incredibly unclear on the phone, I seem to have a lot of conversations like this, where we are replying to different things and long silences where clearly each one of us is waiting for the other speak :S

Anyways I know have the brochure and shall spend an undoubtedly happy 5 minutes filling in my details I already told the woman, I do love form filling.

Bye peeps! And remember in Medicine experiance is Gold,
even if it costs £250.

Getting Started - Hospital Volunteering

Anyone thinking about doing Medicine at University should know that Voluntary Work in a hospital or care home and shadowing of a GP or Consultant is basically compulsory to apply.
It shows universities about your dedication to Medicine, and also that you have some understanding of what the career entails, and if you really want to pursue it. However this can be difficult to arrange, and everyone advises you arrange it for during your AS's. Also it gives you something to put on your personal statement and something to talk about in that dreaded medicine interview :).

So today I rang up my local NHS Trust to ask about volunteering, and it turns out they have a very good programme for 16-25 year olds which starts recruiting from the first week of September.
I'm actually quite excited about this, and really hoping I get a place. It should give me a lot more experience on the wards and of the sorts of things I might have to become use to if I become a Doctor, such as people facing depression and death and very difficult social situations.
I often find with hospitals that the people you see there are always at their most vulnerable... or perhaps their most defensive, and that hospitals contain every emotion on the spectrum. This takes some getting use too, and I think any experience you can get is invaluable.
There are different posts you can apply for, some working with patients with cancer and with the palliative care team. Others include helping with busy outpatient clinics and organising Admin etc. Some are more care based, such as helping patients with eating and befriending them if they are lonely. All very good work :). I wonder if I'll get that sense of satisfaction from helping people that everyone talks about.
Another opportunity I found was to work with the "League of Friends" (I don't live near Oxford, they just have a description of their work), however they mainly work in the cafes and pushing trolleys round the wards and as I want more medical based experience I decided it wasn't for me, even though the kind woman down the phone tried a good job at convincing me to join.

So now it's just waiting till September!!