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I'm a final year at Imperial and thought I'd share my views on this topic.
I initially applied to Kings, UCL, Imperial and Cambridge (Corpus Christi), I was accepted to all but Cambridge and decided on Imperial. I've had an incredible time here and have absolutely no regrets about this superb university.
I know medics from virtually all of the London schools and they all work differently which makes it difficult to compare, at the end of the day it's a personal decision but here are a few things I think you should consider.
1) The area - the main campus is of course South Kensington, arguably the nicest area in London, but the Imperial hospitals (of which there are many, not just including the prestigious CX, StM and C&W) stretch out to Ealing, Ashford and beyond. Whoever said by going to Imperial, you'll be limiting yourself to a certain type of patient couldn't be further from the truth. Personally I've found living in this area for the last 5 years an absolute joy - you've got lots of exciting opportunities on your doorstep, and personally I'd love to stay here for years to come.
2) Imperial is very science and business based, for me this was a blessing as I'm very in to technology and entrepreneurism. Lots of opportunities and lots of like minded people.
3) The BSc - this wasn't a huge consideration for me when I was picking my medschool, but in retrospect, the BSc was great. A year out to study a topic which interest you and the opportunity to carry out a project with international leaders in their field and get a good publication, priceless.
4) Imperial has a reputation for being very male-dominated, but amongst the medics, at least in my year the ratio is around 50:50. Again it's London so there's no shortage of girls, just not always at the union! The people at Imperial are fantastic, a very diverse bunch - someone for everyone!
5) Imperial has a superb reputation both nationally and internationally and I feel great to be part of that.
6) The course strikes a good balance in my opinion. You get patient contact early on, assessments aren't too hard going or regular, although this doesn't suit everyone. You're taught by some of the most prominent names in medicine, of course not everyone's an incredible teacher, but overall it's a very positive experience.
Anyway, good luck with whichever university you choose, but don't rule out Imperial!
Best regards,
Francis
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