Dundee vs Edinburgh?

**Pirate** · 17-03-2006, 06:37 AM

Hello everyone!
This is my first post here.
I just wanted some help deciding... I've had an offer from Edinburgh (conditional on hep B

) and interviewed by Dundee. Dundee interview went really well and I think I'm going to get an offer from them. Also interviewed by St Andrews - and rejection from Aberdeen w/o interview. but really its edinburgh or dundee im interested in going to. ive been to edinburgh open day for med students... and had a tour of ninewells... i just dont know! im not sure whether the course should be a major issue. both have great courses. but is one better than the other? any thoughts? ive heard that edinburgh is THE place to go - and ive also heard that dundees medical school is best of all. dundee was rated more highly in one table but im not convinced thats valuable as it could well be that they just adhere more closely to Tomorrows Doctors guidelines and offer more PBL.
i get the feeling that in edinburgh you spend the first couple of years mainly on the main campus while in dundee youre in ninewells from 2nd semester... i sometimes think i might like not being just a med student but also a student, if you understand..
i also feel that edinburgh is maybe more mixed, more cosmopolitan... and has more interesting societies and stuff going on. also i do love edinburgh as a city; i think its magic. i like dundee but dont LOVE it.
edinburgh is much more expensive to live in than dundee too.
dundee does dissection and edinburgh does prosection. ive heard that prosection is good because you dont cut thru things you wanted to see - and ive heard that dissection is good because actually cutting things up helps you remember better. any thoughts? im also not certain how important anatomy really is in being a good doctor--?? :S does it merit the time often spent on it... i know that edinburgh and probably other med schools are trying to cut down on irrelevant memorising that is likely to be forgotten quickly and perhaps that includes anatomy.
i wonder if id feel more at home in edinburgh or dundee? any differences in the kinds of ppl who go to the two places? i think there are more english students but dont know much beyond that... maybe richer ppl tend to go to edinburgh? anyone feel one place is friendlier than the other?
i am so thoroughly indecisive. would really appreciate feedback from ppl!!
thanks all very much! (im posting this on both dundee and edinburgh med school forums)

**DocDave** · 17-03-2006, 06:53 AM

personally if i had the choice, which of course i dont lol, i would choose dundee, seems friendlier

**Nigiri** · 17-03-2006, 06:56 AM

I'd go for the place which you can see you can see yourself studying and enjoying the most for the next 5 years. I'm kinda in the same position as you, Edinburgh offer, Dundee Interview (went well, also *kinda* expecting an offer) and rejected w/o @ aberdeen. :P hehe. Edinburgh for me, kinda because it's home.

**multia** · 17-03-2006, 06:56 AM

I would choose Edinburgh. Its beautiful city, they have one of the best unis in the world. They have a long tradition in medicine. I believe that there is more activities in Edinburgh. So overall I would choose Edinburgh.

**wilsonwilsonjpjp** · 17-03-2006, 10:06 AM

I didn't apply to Edinburgh but I think Dundee has a really good medical school however I am not sure about the ranking though! Dundee is 6th on the EducationGuardian league table for medicine whereas Edinburgh is only 12th... Many people would say Edinburgh is the best university of all but is it really? I think they are old-minded and to be honest Edinburgh is a good uni as a whole but when it comes to its medical school, Dundee could be on its top!

**doc_kmw** · 17-03-2006, 10:13 PM

If you dont mind me asking what makes you think you will get an offer from Dundee? lots of people have GOOD interviews but that doesnt always mean that you WILL get an offer, as Iam sure hundreds will agree. Some very good students are refused from both, dont take anything for granted.
Good luck anyway where ever you go.

**Bilbo** · 17-03-2006, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by doc_kmw

If you dont mind me asking what makes you think you will get an offer from Dundee? lots of people have GOOD interviews but that doesnt always mean that you WILL get an offer, as Iam sure hundreds will agree. Some very good students are refused from both, dont take anything for granted.
Good luck anyway where ever you go.

I have to agree here - one offer is a great achievement and you may find your mind made up for you.

**wilsonwilsonjpjp** · 17-03-2006, 10:30 PM

Me too. It is not really up to us to decide. The medical school will decide for us... Haha

**heed** · 17-03-2006, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by wilsonwilsonjpjp

I didn't apply to Edinburgh but I think Dundee has a really good medical school however I am not sure about the ranking though! Dundee is 6th on the EducationGuardian league table for medicine whereas Edinburgh is only 12th... Many people would say Edinburgh is the best university of all but is it really? I think they are old-minded and to be honest Edinburgh is a good uni as a whole but when it comes to its medical school, Dundee could be on its top!

now before anyone says anything about my edinburgh bashing - yes i am a Glasvegas Medic - but i honestly have to agree with wilson - edinburgh is by no stretch of the imagination the best medschool - Dundee and Glasgow both beat it. I have friends from my year at both - and there is a distinct difference between Glasgow/Dundee and Edinburgh. At G and D you get early clinical exposure (second semester at D, and from the first week at G) whereas my mates at Edinburgh seem to kno alot about the Krebs cycle and ion channels - but nothing about clinical examination, history taking, clinical skills....... just being devils advocate sorry chums.

and anyway - we all know glasgow is the best

**Pirate** · 18-03-2006, 02:36 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by doc_kmw
If you dont mind me asking what makes you think you will get an offer from Dundee? lots of people have GOOD interviews but that doesnt always mean that you WILL get an offer, as Iam sure hundreds will agree. Some very good students are refused from both, dont take anything for granted.
Good luck anyway where ever you go.

(I dont know how to quote!)

yes I was a bit hesitant about saying I expected an offer from Dundee. the interview went really well; I felt I made a good impression and answered all the questions the way they were hoping to hear (and truthfully too

) but expecting is a bit of a strong word. hoping maybe. but in a way not hoping because it would be so much easier not to have to choose. but of course its still unpleasant to be rejected, so - hoping?! i dont know if i will get an offer but i did kind of feel they liked me. i would definitely prefer to wait and see and not make decisions i might not NEED to make, unless i were to decide so strongly in favour of edinburgh that i didnt need to hear from dundee, you know? and - i'd like to get into Pollock halls if i go to Edinburgh and im not sure if applying for accommodation early would improve my chances. and if i ended up going to edinburgh then i would hope that dithering like this wouldnt have affected the accommodation i got!
and also if i do get an offer from dundee - then i would like to have some time to consider where i want to go - cant do too much harm to start now!

i know im unbelievably lucky to have even one offer - i couldnt believe it when i saw it on UCAS! before i got it i was honestly priming myself to go into biology and to not expect any offers at all.

heed, that was another thing i meant to mention - i had heard that dundee graduates have exceptional clinical skills and early clinical exposure. hadnt heard anything negative about edinburgh. and was wondering if it all evens up in the end (if you want to have good clinical skills) after a few years of practising and using those skills constantly..

i do find it really strange when i see amazing people being rejected when i have an offer - i feel like really i dont deserve it compared to some ppl who get rejected. its just mostly pot luck, isnt it.

i hope those of you who havent yet heard get the offers you deserve soon!