Anyone else with no choice of medical schools?

[Lasagefemme]

After a quick read on here I can see that the strategy is to apply to the med schools that give you the best chance of being accepted ... sounds obvious really!

But as a single mum of two primary school age children I can only apply to ONE university ... well maybe two but the second isn't all that realistic.

After putting my kids through three years of me being a student midwife the only way I can justify doing it again for another 4 or 5 years is to not uproot them and traipse them across the country

Anyone else in a similar boat? I might have to keep re-applying to my local med school until the accept me ... I'm only 30 I've got plenty of time, right?

[Mr.J]

On the bright side, you can invest more time and energy in researching and targeting the particular medical school that suits your circumstances.

For instance, you won't need to balance your personal statement between 'problem based learning is great' and 'problem based learning sucks', you can fully support your med school's preference. If they value particular work experience then you can seek that out. You can find out their ethos underlying the course and really tune yourself into that mindset for interview.

On the downside, from personal experience of applying to only one medical school, I found it did raise slightly the sense of nervous anticipation around interview/offers time! However the bar for this is pretty high anyway so what's a little extra stress in a career path that's inevitably full of such turmoils.

I took the edge off this by applying to another medical school that I couldn't really go to, but made me feel as if there was a plan B. In the event I declined the interview for the plan B school as I didn't want to take up a slot that someone else could have. However in my opinion it would be entirely legitimate for an applicant to interview at a med school they wouldn't actually attend in order to get some practice in for the one they did want. Just my view.

[Lasagefemme]

I've just had an email from Manchester to say they accept graduates onto the 5 yr programme so I will apply for that and the 4 year at Liverpool.

I applied to only one uni for my midwifery and there was 500 applicants for 25 places so I've kind of been there done that anyway ... I'm not as confident with medicine though

[mikuro]

I'm in the same boat - single mum to school age child and only really have the choice of one uni. Will see what happens to me, in the process of trying to pass gamsat with a high enough score proving to be a pain in the backside..!

However this med school choice does involve me moving but I'm not bothered much, kids make friends quickly and I'm likely to need to move again for training after FY1 & 2. All part of the job. I've always moved around though, I like it, it's always a new adventure!

[Lasagefemme]

Good luck! I'll be watching out to see how you get on

Someone on another thread mentioned that I'd need to relocate for my foundation training... That combined with the funding issues mean I'm starting to doubt my decision

I can't apply until I graduate anyway and I still have a year left so I'm going to work a hard as I can to get a first and see how things stand in a year or so

[mikuro]

Because you have children you're unlikely to have to relocate, you will get priority at nearby places, they're quite good like that. Same with your placements on the degree, some are too far to commute to day to day and most students are in a position to live in temporary accommodation on the hospital premises, but obviously if you have kids in school that's not practical, so you also get priority in those situations also to be at a closer hospital. I've already read up about this haha.

[Lasagefemme]

Wow! I didn't think they'd be so accomadating. That's great news, thanks!

Now we just need for them to decided what they're going to do about funding!

[ceih]

Eh?
Foundation will need you to move, unless you luck out and score a place at the deanery you trained in and then get placed at the local hospital. Entry to deaneries is entirely competition based, with no leeway given to family commitments. However, once you're in that deanery they'll then look at your circumstances for hospital rotations (ie: not moving hospitals between FY1 and FY2).

At medical school, most places will be as accommodating as possible for childcare arrangements, but don't expect them to move the earth, there's a limit to what can be done.

[ceih]

I'll add a slight qualifier to that actually. Mikuro is right that there can be special circumstances, but lifted direct from the Foundation Programme Handbook:

In order to be considered for pre-allocation to a foundation school on the grounds of special circumstances, applicants must meet one or more of the following criteria.
(Appendix B: helping potential applicants be realistic in order to advise students appropriately).
2.1 Criterion 1: The applicant is a parent or legal guardian of a child or children under the age of 18 who reside primarily with them and for whom they have significant caring responsibilities.
2.1.1 It is expected that the applicant and their child(ren) in this category will remain in their present residence and application for pre-allocation will be to the foundation school local to that address.
2.1.2 The current postal address where the applicant and child reside (at the time of their application) will be in appropriate proximity to the foundation training offered by the school. This will be verified by the Medical School Administrator.
2.1.3 If the applicant and the child(ren) do not normally reside together, this should be
referred to on the application form, and information supplied as to why the caring
responsibilities remain equally significant.

Essentially, having children does not count. You need to have caring responsibilities -namely a disabled child.

[mikuro]

See when I read that I understood that to mean just having children that need looking after. 'Caring responsibility' is a bit vague. Disability isn't mentioned.