Diary of a Medical Student

Aside from constant refreshing everyday, here are some things that you can begin to do in preparation for your (hopefully) upcoming interviews. 1. Focus on your exams. My number one tip if you are still doing your A levels or IB or equivalent is to keep studying and revising so you get the grades at the end of the year. There's no point in having any offers if you can't meet them at the end of the academic year. 2. Read around current medical topics and research going on. Especially read around the university's you've applied for and some current research they've done. This could help you in your interviews. 3. Start some interview preparation, it often takes people time to gain confidence whilst being interviewed. By practicing early you will get a head start. Record yourself answering some questions (I will be posting some practice questions soon, so keep an eye out), you will pick up any bad habits such as not making eye contact and fidget

Following requests after my guide to show how GCSE heavy Universities are, I have done the same for the UKCAT. They are arranged in the same way, from most UKCAT heavy to least UKCAT heavy (of course BMAT schools are not included). Please note, I have used a holistic approach for this, Universities that have a large proportion of their weighting on the UKCAT have been listed as "heavier" even if they have had low cut-offs in the past, this is because from year-to-year the applicants may vary, if one year the cutoff is low, candidates with very good UKCAT scores may apply thinking its a safe choice therefore raising the cut-off. I have also put Univerisites with historically high cut-offs as "heavy" also. I have included in the heading what decile I would be in to apply to these universities, please note this is just a guide and what I would go by if I was applying again. I hope this makes sense, if you have any queries feel free to ask.  Anyway, onto the list

In this post I have divided  all of the univerisities into categories depending on how GCSE heavy they are. Some universities may use GCSEs with other factors such as the UKCAT so they may not fit into the category suggested, for example, if you score incredibly highly in the UKCAT for Nottingham, there is more leeway for lower GCSE grades. Please with individual websites as this is a rough guide. Feel free to comment or contact me via email for advice. 8A* and above Edinburgh Oxford (who have the average applicant have 60% A*, so successful candidates have more than that) Birmingham Cardiff Mostly A*’s  Cambridge Nottingham (paired with UKCAT) Queens Belfast (paired with UKCAT) St Andrews (8A’s or 6A*’s) Leicester (paired with UKCAT) Dundee Exeter UCL Southampton Glasgow Newcastle Manchester Mostly A*’s and A’s Liverpool (score A and A* the same) St Georges Keele King’s (look at things holistically) Lancaster Barts and the L

Your personal statement is the only thing that shows the universities your personality before they meet you. It often determines whether or not you are called for interviews, so it needs to be good. Follow these tips to help ensure that your statement shows your University choices why you are the best candidate for medicine, and why they should choose you. Make it personal. You're writing about yourself here! Showcase your individuality! Just because everyone else writes about wanting to do medicine because they want to help people and enjoy science, you don't have to (unless that is the real reason, in which case do write that). Don't lie. Don't lie about work experience placements you have supposedly done but actually haven't, they will ask for proof. Don't even exaggerate the number of days you did your placement for, because, again, they will find out. Furthermore, actually ensure that you have read any book or article you have mentioned (even if it was

In this table I have collated information on every medical school in the UK for undergraduate medicine. Please note that not all of this information will be correct depending on when you are reading it. The GCSE, A level, IB, UKCAT and BMAT requirements are listed. I have tried to condense this as much as possible as it is very long, as a result you may need to visit individual websites. This should help you with your immediate shortlist of universities. Most medical schools require Chemistry and biology and then one other subject. General studies and critical thinking are not accepted at any medical schools. Subject combinations such as biology and human biology are also not allowed. In my next post I will be writing about each university, giving a rough outline on what the requirements are and what statistics I would want to have if I was applying to each university. Medical School Grades for GCSE Grades for A levels IB BMAT