UKCAT for grad entry

[Thickshit]

Hi

I am just about to start year 3 of the GPEP course at Kings and thought I should give some encouragement! When I applied it was for only the 2nd intake so there were no applicant statistics which is just as well - if i had seen them I would never have applied! However I did and got in so please do think about applying - you never know! When I did it it was MSAT only but they are now selecting a certain number on UKCAT and some on wider merit which I think is definitely progress! As i understand it, interviews next year will be based on a number of timed stations where you have to rotate round when the bell goes (it is supposed to be similar format to our clinical exams) which to be honest sounds a bit naff! At least now some of the interview will be based on your UCAS form which when I applied they never even looked at!

Have always thought the most important thing is to be honest with yourself - if your UKCAT scores are average then you clearly won't make the cut off but if your application is especially strong then you stand a good chance getting in this way. Also bear in mind that the course at Kings is very popular purely because of its broad (low) entrance requirements so if you have degrees suitable for elsewhere then maybe this is something to really think about! I know how hard it was choosing 4 places where I even stood a chance and even now I can't quite believe how lucky I was to get my place - just remember every year 24 people do succeed and get in!

[Pammy]

I think most of the cut-off score discussion is a bit pointless...E.g. if someone spreads the word here that for King's you'll need 700 or above, then only people with 700 and above will apply, meaning that the actual cut-off will probably more likely be around 750 or so...By this logic, all the cut-off scores this year would be higher than last year's, because only people with scores higher than the lowest-scoring person admitted to the respective unis last year will apply to those unis in the first place. This can't go on indefinitely...so, on the whole I am just very curious to see what will happen over the next few years!
Also, it means that if it were me I probably wouldn't worry too much about all the speculations and just apply where I want to...
Pammy

[Adibaba]

I took UKCAT yesterday and got a 725 average (810, 810, 630, 650). I was planning to apply for the Kings 5-year course, but am now wondering if it might be a good idea to apply for GEP.

I have been told, however, that the cohort tends to be made up of Oxbridge-educated rocket scientists who write research papers for fun, in between running marathons for MSF.

Do I, with a mediocre CV by grad entry standards (2.1, HCA job, hobbies include partying hard and sleeping), stand a chance?

Also, is it true that by applying for GEP at Kings you are automatically considered for the 5-year course, and if so, are you treated equally to original 5-year applicants?

[Argh!]

725 average should be fine UKCAT wise to get an interview (one of my friends got a GPEP interview last year with one of just under 700), and my friends and I who applied (all of us got interviews) didn't have red hot UCAS statements in terms of experience (I am sure plenty of people had more). I did go to Oxford for my undergrad (but neither of them did) and none of us have ever run a marathon!

The way the 4 year/5 year thing goes, you apply to the GPEP. They select the top 150 to interview. Of these, about 25 get GPEP offers and 25 get 5 year offers (what I and one of my friends got). If you accept a 5 year offer, you go on the waiting list for the 4 year course (I got bumped up after accepting a 5 year offer). The rest are rejected. So getting offered a 5 year place from applying to the GPEP course has WAY lower odds then getting offered a 5 year place if you applied to the 5 year course.

[Adibaba]

Thanks Argh!, that's really helpful.

Maybe I will apply for the GPEP - the odds look a bit more attractive after the UKCAT decimation.

[BGG]

I think with UKCAT 725 it's definitely worth applying for the 4-year.

Providing the rest of your application is at least solid you should get an interview with that. One you get an interview you effectively start afresh as the interviews were doen blind (i.e. without them knowing your UKCAT/background etc etc).

[Hannes]

If you wonder why king's has a cut off like that, face it, probably half of the people applying would make excellent doctors so there is need for someone to get unlucky. At least they don't do it as at a company I heard of, they put all applications in two piles and threw one away, they were unlucky and shouldn't work there because of that.

[alisonitis]

I also wrote to Kings about the cut off mark and go this reply:
"We receive on average 1200 applications for the Graduate Entry Course to Medicine. In order to select 170 interviewees for our 24-28 places available each year we only select from those candidates who score in the top 25 percentile of UKCAT results achieved nationally for that application year"

So this means they are taking the top 25% first and then interviewing from there - not a mixture of PS and UKCAT to decide on who they interview.

Also - note they said the top 25% of UKCAT results achieved nationally, not the top 25% of those who apply.

It's difficult to tell exactly what is the top 25% but I'm guessing that over 700 is probably in the there and even maybe the high 600s. But that's just a guess.... I would say if in doubt, apply. How much would you kick yourself if you found out afterwards someone with a lower score than you got a place and you didn't even apply!

[hoonosewot88]

Yeh i spoke to Kings admissions on the phone today and she said they pick about 150 people to interview based on UKCAT scores alone, ie the top 150. They then pick more for interview (didnt say how many) based on their whole application. Just saves them a lot of time i suppose considering the amount of applicants they get. With my score of 707.5 i dont think id make the top 150 and the insane competition makes me feel like i'd be wasting a choice, so im drifting away from Kings now.
Thats not their fault though, their just too popular for their own good.