Graduate Applicants for 2011

**allyboy** · 13-04-2010, 10:54 AM

Hi everyone.

This thread was going to get started soon enough anyway, so I thought I'd do it meself.

Maybe anyone thinking of applying in October could put up their stats and we could drive each other mental rehashing each other's prospects of getting in.

(Of course, if I bomb the UKCAT, I won't bother!)

I've got a 1st from Glasgow Uni in physics. I have some personal experience of the NHS as a patient, am doing weekly volunteering in a hospital in China, where I am living right now teaching English, and once a month volunteer with kids with autism and cerebral palsy. I'm currently setting up some hospital work experience for when I get back to the UK in August.

Okay, who's next?

**snoogles** · 19-04-2010, 07:54 PM

I guess I'm next

I have a 2:1 from a Canadian university (mix of biology and philosophy), and I'm currently in the first year of a biology Master's at a French school, aiming for a 1st. Hopefully I'll have an article submitted for publication by the time UCAS forms are due.

I've volunteered over a year at the long-term care facility of my local hospital. I've also shadowed a surgeon for one day, and will be doing at least 2 weeks of additional shadowing this summer.

I just decided to apply to med school in England in February, and it's all I've thought about since then. Spending time here and on The Student Room probably isn't helping with that...

Any ideas of who you're going to ask for recommendation letters?

**allyboy** · 19-04-2010, 08:37 PM

Nice one snoogles.

I know what you mean about the med application obsession! I'm almost always reading around the subject now.

I like your mix of philosophy and science, it'll show an ability to communicate I guess. The shadowing a surgeon sounds like excellent experience. How did you get into that?

Yeah, three recommendation letters... I've got an idea for two. They're both lecturers at Glasgow uni. The third I'm not sure about. Maybe my employer in China. I'm thinking they'll want a balance of academic and work experience recommendations. I reckon a medical recommendation isn't necessary. My guess is the selectors just want a fair insight about you as a person. But it's all just educated guess-work right now...

**snoogles** · 19-04-2010, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by allyboy

The shadowing a surgeon sounds like excellent experience. How did you get into that?

I got pretty lucky actually. I did a gap year in Peru after high school, and a friend's host father offered to take me when he found out I was interested in medicine. When I got to the hospital I had a nice chat with his boss, and he let me scrub in and assist. Well, when I say assist... I sucked up some smoke/blood and cut some sutures. Still one of the most memorable moments of that year though!

**allyboy** · 24-04-2010, 09:30 PM

Brilliant. It seems you can put in all the e-mails and letters you like, but sometimes ye just get lucky. woody allen said 90% of success is turning up. i just hope someone offers us an interview to turn up to...

**snoogles** · 29-04-2010, 01:36 PM

Perhaps this is me being extremely cocky, but I'm not actually that scared of not getting an interview, and it doesn't look to me like you should be either. I mean, as long as we get a good UKCAT score (>700?), it looks like we're solid candidates, right?

Perhaps I'm completely deluded... You tell me!

**allyboy** · 29-04-2010, 01:47 PM

I keep swinging back and forth from thinking I'm a really strong candidate to seeing potential problems. But I think, yeah, 700+ on the UKCAT and a shiny PS, you're probably right enough. It's that thing when you set up to do something that's a good 6 months down the line, there's plenty of time for self-doubt to creep in. I always assume that everyone else applying is working as hard or harder than me at it.

I just received delivery of the Med School Interview guide book, and the UKCAT 600 practice question book. I would recommend them if you don't already have. But I'm sick as a dog with a virus right now, so I can't do any of the UKCAT questions in less than 5 minutes!

**snoogles** · 29-04-2010, 01:54 PM

I have the UKCAT book, but I'm waiting until a month before my test date to start practicing. I'm scared of running out of practice questions and getting rusty! I've tried some sample questions though and the abstract reasoning is kicking my ass. I think I'll probably end up guessing on those questions and trying to make up for in on the reading comprehension and decision analysis bits. You know how they say that guys are generally better than girls at "spatial reasoning"? I am living proof that it's true!

What other schools are you planning on applying to?

**allyboy** · 29-04-2010, 02:10 PM

Yeah I know what you mean about "using up the questions". That was an issue in my degree in terms of revision materials. You want to be prepared, but you also want to peak at the right time. I'm not even sure when I'm going to take it yet. Abstract reasoning can be a killer. I think you can learn how to do it to some extent, but just have to be sharp on the day too.

I'm planning to apply for Southampton, King's, and Bart's, all GEP. How about you?

**snoogles** · 29-04-2010, 02:21 PM

I was thinking Oxford, Cambridge, King's, and Imperial if my UKCAT is decent. If not, Cambridge, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool. Obviously the UKCAT score isn't black/white good/bad, so it'll really depend...

I don't know if I'm that excited about going anywhere other than Oxbridge and the London unis though. If I don't get in to one of them I might consider just taking a year off and reapplying next year.