Med school appl down 4.5%

**Baki** · 30-10-2008 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by Randolf_Rolm1919

False information flying around then.

Anyway, why do you think this is so gizmo?

The extra hoops you have to jump through to get into Med. I mean now there's the BMAT and UKCAT.

**Gizmo says -** · 30-10-2008 12:52 AM

'oops which reduce the competition, cutting out all those peeple who wouldnt do BMAT/UKCAT, leaving far few applicants, granted more real ones.

the base line you need to jump as got igher, and the compeition per place asd got lower.
and truth be told, if you are a genuine candidate then you find jumping increased work exp demands and a BMAT exam straightforward and easy to motivate yourself for, so its not any arder than before in that sense...its just as easy for real candidates.

**Hughman** · 30-10-2008 04:31 AM

Other than maybe the BMAT, I'm quite glad to have all the hoops. Hasn't put me off, I think I've handled them as well as I could and plenty of other people have been weeding out by them. Maybe a good potential doctor or two have been lost along the way, but I'd bet good money potentially many bad ones have also been lost. You win some, you lose some.

**BeanOfJelly** · 30-10-2008 04:48 AM

It always makes me smile when I tell people I want to do medicine and they're like: "Oh, but all those years studying!"
Thats a good thing surely. Why be at uni for 3 years when you could stay for five?

**Hughman** · 30-10-2008 04:55 AM

You'd be surprised how many people don't like academia. Many people I know are only going to university because they're materialistic and want good jobs, with good pay and some respect. Though they'd never admit to that openly.

**kadhumia_flo** · 30-10-2008 05:53 AM

Nothing mentioned on sBMJ site
The Press Association: Record number apply for uni courses

0.8% rise in med applications

**kadhumia_flo** · 30-10-2008 06:37 AM

UCAS: Media releases 28 October 2008

i'm fairly certain that the num of internation students that will be accepted is usually constant so only the number of UK applicants is relevent. It's only risen by 0.09% (13 students).

**Randolf_Rolm1919** · 30-10-2008 03:49 PM

There is an increase of 0.8% this year from 2009 not a decrease of 4.5%. latestarter can you send me the link from where you got this information?

**Hughman** · 30-10-2008 04:35 PM

Balls... would have thought it would have gone down...

**latestarter** · 30-10-2008 06:28 PM

this was in ther student BMA news which arrived in the post... it does say provisional data, so maybe there was a late rush of applications??

here's the article they link to... http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/PDFddrb2009/$FILE/ddrb2009.pdf

"The number of home applicants for places in UK medical schools fell by 1.0% in 2007 (Table 1.1). Provisional data for 2008 show a further decrease of around 4.5%.1 This is in the context of record numbers of applicants for higher education places (a 9.1% rise in applications was reported overall) and is a matter of some concern. Home acceptances in 2007 (a proxy for medical school places) decreased by 2.2% to 7,017 and the ratio of applicants to places fell to 2.15. Whilst there are still therefore more than sufficient applicants to fill places, medicine seems to be becoming less popular as a career. There is also a lack of diversity in the socio economic background of medical school applicants despite government policy to widen access to medical school for applicants from a range of backgrounds although, as evidenced by our cohort study of doctors there has been a downward drift in the number of medical students from independent schools.2 We therefore remain concerned about the potential effect of student debt on future applications. Average 5th year debt is now £20,664 according to the BMA 2007 survey of medical student finances.

1 Latest University application figures show 9.1% rise. Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
Press Release. 16 July 2008. "

actually, look at that date.. July!!