Stow College - Access to Medical Studies 2012/2013

**nicolajane1978** · 26-04-2012, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by ukstern

Thanks for the update nicolajane. That is ridiculous; why are they allowing people to waste time applying for something that they have no chance of being accepted for, based purely on how quickly you apply? If that is the case they should really have an earlier closing date! I applied at the end of March because I was waiting for confirmation of voluntary work to come through. I'm going to try phoning them this afternoon to see what I can find out.

I know, I thought it was shocking as well, as I said though the guy could be talking rubbish cos its the department who make the decisions about who to interview/accept, not learner services, I only know that cos he said a woman in the dept is currently looking over the forms just now (that was for the batch that mine is in)....to get to speak to someone I said to reception I really needed to find out if I had to submit a reference and she put me on hold and then transferred me straight to someones phone in learner services....hope that helps

**nicolajane1978** · 26-04-2012, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by laura muir

hey dont worry bout that. i dont need an excuse to drive my car lol. we could just go halfs on petrol or somethin. might even manage to find another couple students goin our way

Sounds good...

**laura muir** · 26-04-2012, 04:04 PM

what doesnt sound good. is hearing my application might not even be considered. i only applied on 25th april. as thats when i found out about the course.

**calum_c** · 26-04-2012, 05:19 PM

I applied for the course on the 29th of February. It would be ridiculous if they don't take later applications into account. I emailed the college yesterday and got a reply today saying that my application had definitely been received and they have passed my email on to the head of the department.

The process can't be much more of a shambles than last years was. I was refused an interview because they had an application from the previous year instead of the one I submitted last year.

Good luck to all who have applied. Keep the thread updated with any news received. I will post the college response if/when they get back to me.

**laura muir** · 26-04-2012, 05:25 PM

do you have an email address i can contact?

**ukstern** · 26-04-2012, 05:28 PM

The email address is enquiries@stow.ac.uk - I have tried phoning a couple of times today to no avail so am going to email them now. Calum: how on earth did they manage to do that??! I admire your perseverance!

**bazmc** · 26-04-2012, 05:35 PM

calum is right I also applied last year.

they interviewed a batch if around 20 people in March and then the rest of us heard nothing. So I went on holiday in July and I was sent a letter the first week I was holiday, inviting me to an interview for the week after which was the second week of my holiday. So I missed everything and when I came back they just said that was the only interview days.

I applied the first day the apps opened which was the 12 feb I think. I then got a letter about the 17th March asking me to submit a satisfactory reference. I tried to email the college to get more information on what they need in the reference and if the quality of the reference is takin into consideration. I was told after a few emails that the reference will be used inconjunction with the app to progress you onto interview, so it does matter how good the ref is. But still not heard anything yet regarding interview.

And for one of the previous posts, I applied last year and was never asked for a ref and it was never mentioned on any of the forums, so I think thuis is the first year they have asked for it.

baz

**GreenApple** · 26-04-2012, 06:23 PM

Hi ...
I just wanted to ask, can you actually start to study medicine when you're 33? , I just wanted to know this because I'm starting sixthform this year and I'm currently 17 and by the time i finish I would probably be around 20, and when I asked a careers advisor if I could take one gap year to do some experience, she told me it would be good but she also said that they don't accept people who are older and want to study medicine.

I just want to gain more insight about this.

**ukstern** · 26-04-2012, 07:01 PM

Hi, that's not true; you can't discriminate against any applicant because of their age. Obviously it will get to the point where someone is technically too old to fully qualify and have a fulfilling career in medicine but I know of people well into their 40s who have been accepted.
There has been a significant increase in mature students being accepted by medical schools and they also introduced graduate entry programmes around 2002, so you specifically have to have a degree and, thus, be slightly older in order to be accepted onto this type of course.
Med schools in general appear to place a lot more emphasis on people having the appropriate life skills and experience to be a good doctor these days than merely their academic performance which, some would argue, develops as you become older.
I'm 28 and applying for entry next year, so I'll be 30 at the time of starting the course if I am successful. If you intend to apply at the age of 20 then it's unlikely your age alone will work against you.

**calum_c** · 26-04-2012, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by ukstern

The email address is enquiries@stow.ac.uk - I have tried phoning a couple of times today to no avail so am going to email them now. Calum: how on earth did they manage to do that??! I admire your perseverance!

I got a letter last year saying they had received my application before I had even applied. Contacted them to ask if I should submit a new one and was told yes. A few months past and I got in touch with the head of the course. He forwarded me part of my application and it turned out to be the old one, and the new one had been discarded. I was told it was too late to do anything and re-apply this year.