Any Leeds biomed graduates currently at Leeds med school?

**Drneuro** · 19-08-2009, 02:06 AM

Is there anyone on here who previously did an undergraduate degree in one of the biomed courses at Leeds who's now at the med school?

I want to apply for 2011 entry but apparently Leeds med school don't like taking people from their own biomed because of the "type of person of person" apparently

Just wanted to know if anyone had managed to break that barrier, and if so how did you manage it? I did previously hold an offer with them so they did like me at one point lol.

Any replies will be greatly appreciated!

**Lisa_1986** · 20-08-2009, 03:11 AM

Hey,

Just joined this as really wanted to let you know that the rumour about Leeds not accepting their own BMS students back for med is gladly total rubbish! I graduated from physiology in 2007 and am starting medicine at leeds in Sept- no probs getting in at all. The rumour circulated when I was doing BMS as well- no idea where it came from. I am not alone either- I know at least 3 students going into 3rd yr of med now who did my previous course with me and went straight into medicine without having a 2 yr gap like me. Go for it, good luck.

**Drneuro** · 20-08-2009, 03:17 AM

Hi there, thanks for the reply! Apparently it's come from Linda Wilson the BMS admissions tutor? A friend of mine who finished pharmacology last year said that during their intro talks in first year she'd said not to bother applying to Leeds. Strange woman.

Best wishes for medicine this year =)

**Lisa_1986** · 20-08-2009, 05:57 PM

Haha, that explains alot. She has left now I think and to be honest most of us thought she didn't have much of a clue about anything. I just found another student starting with me this yr who has just graduated from medical science in July. If anything, I have found from my personal experience and that of friends that Leeds has been pretty high on the success scale of Uni's for BMS grads. Hope this puts your mind at rest- definitely apply if that was your plan, I'm sure sadly her misguided advice probably put loads of people off that would have been successful.

**Drneuro** · 20-08-2009, 07:25 PM

Yeah when you hear things like that from someone of authority you're likely to believe it! No she's still here, she doesn't do much though by the sounds of it. Apparently last year she arranged a transfer for someone doing BMS into medicine, hypocritical or what!

Thank you very much for the advice though, I really want to apply to Leeds and feel a whole lot better about it now I know they're not rejecting all Leeds BMS grads!

**Kensei90** · 22-08-2009, 10:56 PM

Hey,

I am starting a biomed (Medical Sciences) course at Leeds this year.

I wanted to know what is the environment like for ambitious, would-be med graduate students.

Furthermore, where do the majority of BMS Grads end up for med school - In the top tier of med schools? Middle??

Plus, how are you enjoying your course??

**Drneuro** · 23-08-2009, 04:03 AM

Hmm I don't know wherebouts they end up, but i do know approximately 27 out of 30 applicants per yr get a place at med school, be it graduate entry or undergrad!

Erm hate to tell you but it's not all that encouraging... It's actually an incredibly difficult course, and they keep faffing around with it and making it worse every year! When you applied i'm guessing you could see the old syllabus, as this May they changed it all and from 2nd year you have no anatomy modules, only neuroscience, pharmacology and a couple of physiology ones... its not much fun! If you want a first you've got to work incredibly hard, I spent around 40 hrs a week in the library during study leave? And there are people who worked harder than me and still didn't get a first.

I'm sorry, i'm not trying to scare you or anything cos so many people go into it not realising how much work you have to do and how hard the course is, wish someone had told me!

I, personally don't enjoy it much but that's because I feel bitter about having missed out on medicine and despise excessive amounts of lab work which, with it being a research degree there is lots of! If you want to do medicine you might not like it that much.

It's a means to an end i suppose, I'm willing to stick it out if it gets me where i want to be!

Leeds uni as a uni though is great, there's loads of stuff to do on campus and the city's lovely too.
It's just the department that's a bit of a let down!

BUT this is me, there are people that do enjoy the course. As Leeds is a Russell Group uni it has a good reputation and therefore you are fairly likely to get a place on a medicine course (granted you meet their criteria of course)

If you've got any qu's or need anything even when you start, just PM me or something, i'm a mentor for the first years so that's what i'm here for anyways =)

Best wishes

**drjack** · 25-09-2009, 02:15 AM

Medical sciences at Leeds is actually a really good course with a good syllabus (at least it was until I graduated in July). Yes, you do have to put the work in if you want a first, but it's not impossible. Just make sure you knuckle down when it comes to exam time, and make sure you put in that little bit of extra effort when completing lab reports and essays; exams are a much less stressful affair when you know you have a few extra marks to play with. I graduated with a mid first and still had time to go pubbing and clubbing three times a week. If you are finding the course too academically rigorous then you probably shouldn't be applying to medical school. Many of the intercalating medics told me that the course is about the same as medicine in terms of pace and the amount of information that must be committed to memory.

Don't believe the nonsense about being able to transfer to medicine from medical sciences. That rumour led to the medical school admissions department being flooded by medsci students on the first day of their course, all begging for a transfer. I have it on good authority that nobody has EVER transferred to medicine from biomed at leeds.

If you have any additional questions then just ask.

Jack