the BMAT oh my life...

[MissBunchlie]

It was 6 yrs ago since I did my A-levels and I just made the fatal mistake of looking at a specimen BMAT test...!! WOW I am seriously going to have to re-learn all my old A-level material aren't I?!

Has anyone else just released that fresh out of A-level students are at such a huge advantage of doing well in this test than, well, the rest of us oldies?!

So the first part was ok...it was the scientific knowledge part (the biology bit was ok, just the chemistry bit was a bit tricky and the physics part made me nearly cry )

[icecream]

if you have done alevel sciences (+/or relevent BSc) i think for graduates there is only one medical school which requires it for graduates entry to the 5 year courses (UCL) (or IC if you don't want to apply for their GEP).

you do have an entire year before you sit the paper, so u have plenty of time to revise for it if you later decide you want to apply for the unis which require it. ^^

[MissBunchlie]

That's right - so I am applying to Imperial and ICL (as well as a load of others) next year (for 2009 entry) so i think I do need to do it...I've already started revising!!

Is this a really silly question but what do you mean by GEP? I thought you just applied for a 6yr or 4yr graduate entry course to become a doctor? (You may all laugh at me if you wish ) No but seriously I am a bit unsure!

[MissBunchlie]

haha is GEP Graduate Entry Programme?!?!

[MissBunchlie]

yes I have a BSc Hons (2:1) in Biosciences and 5yrs in industry.

[icecream]

yep the GEP does stand for graduate entry programme, and is a slightly shorter and by far a cheaper option for graduates.

For IC the bmat is only required for their 6 year course, their GEP course only requires the UKCAT.

A slight advantage of UCL over IC in terms of applying for their 6 year course (to my knowledge, please double check with prospectus), is that graduates are exempt from the iBSc year so the course is only 5 years, but for graduates on the IC 6 year course, you have to keep to 6 years.

I personally found making my uni decision choices a lot easier once i had sat my ukcat and knew my score. I was initially quite keen on IC and Oxford GEP courses, but with a rather mediocre ukcat score, i decided to only apply for fewer (in fact only 1) GEP courses, and stuck with a majority of 5 year courses.