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Of course the Imperial GEP course is less established than the Barts one which could be a worry.
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This upcoming year is the first Imperial GEP year to my knowledge. One thing to consider is the Bart's GEP was very controversial 6 or 7 years ago when it first started, not only in its application process but thereafter for a few years in its management of students through the course. It seemed to be a bit of a hashed job with an unclear structure. The GEP program now is thankfully nothing resembling that. Take from that what you will as it is no certainty that Imperial GEP will run smoothly in its inaugural year although in all likelihood it will be fine.
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Imperial has the Wellcome trust centre for tropical disease research which is what I eventually want to specialise in although Barts has a catchment area with more people who are likely to have tropical diseases and therefore I would get more experience.
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Does this mean you want to undertake research at uni? Bart's is very good at taking such keen students into labs although you will still have to apply for research grants as you would at Imperial. I do know a lot about research and will say that the techniques and so forth you accumulate through uni are more important than the area you later want to specialize in 6 years or so down the line. They are transferable skills. You can always undertake a summer program at any London uni if you so wish.
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The Imperial and Barts hospitals are all top-class and they are both very highly rated med schools. I am slightly worried as I have friends at Imperial who have said that the other students in the Med school are not so friendly and highly competitive.
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To be honest you get such pockets of students in all medical schools. Although I think it is less so on the GEP course with people having had a wider set of life experiences. I would hazard a guess and say the community of Bart's GEP's and Imperial GEP's might be similar (not for the undergrad program perhaps) but I know for a fact that the Bart's GEP's have a good community feel and looking out for each other style.
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Imperial also has a good union and sports facilities.
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Imperial has a better union... it just doesnt have the right kind of people to make use of it
I jest! Imperial also has great sports facilities. Bart's has good sports facilities and a great devotion to sports as well.
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Barts has more of a history and people have suggested it is friendlier and more sociable.
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In all fairness given the Imperial merger was 1980-ish it also has a great history. I think the consensus would be that Bart's is more friendly and sociable. But like I said I don't think this will be too much of an issue within your course anyway unless you plan on socializing alot outside of it. And even then with such generalizations it is a percentages game where you are gonna get small but noticeable deviations but not a new species of human being altogether (although some may argue differently as it is Imperial we are talking about!).
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It is also in a nicer area (I think east London may have more going on than West London, more of a community feel, and is closer to central London plus rent is likely to be cheaper)
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I have to severely disagree with you there. My sister is at Imperial and Kensington and Harrods etc are a stones throw away!! But ok its upmarket, expensive and less 'studenty'.
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I just want to find the place that is most compatible for me and will be an environment that will be enjoyable to study in as well give support and help me progress to the area I want to specialise in.
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Can I also just say at this point that I don't like the global direction Imperial is going in, its non-student centered approach and the ethos of its megalomaniac dollar eyed rector! (nothing really to do with your post by the way... just general politics!)
Barts GEP or Imperial GEP?
