Desperately bad UKCAT scores...what should I do now?? HELP!!!

[malevolent_elephant]

Took my UKCAT last week. Results-

Verbal: 640
Maths: 610
Abstract: 550
Decision-making: 660

To put it simply, I'm retarded. Absolutely crushing result. I don't know what to do now! Obviously I'm going to submit in the UCAS application regardless...but what schools do I have even so much as half a chance of getting into?

I was originally going to put down Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle and Queen's (all undergrad courses, although I'm a graduate). I was also considering King's and Glasgow.

Should I waste my application on these schools though, with such a dismal overall score? I feel like such an idiot!

I am only familiar with the reputations of some of the more well-renowned medical schools in the UK...are Liverpool and Birmingham good medical schools? Should I be focusing more on places like these? Are there any other non-UKCAT schools you can recommend?

Stupid UKCAT...I am so annoyed.

[R2B]

Your average is still over 600... so theres no reason you shouldnt get in anywhere tbh....

[malevolent_elephant]

I am by no means a competitive applicant though...I don't want to be left with nothing, and I'm risking that by applying to the schools that are in high demand. Can anyone suggest an application strategy?!

[rat-a-tattat]

if u thinkin of non ukcat schools come to bristol, coz they dont use the stupid test!

[Randolf_Rolm1919]

Originally Posted by rat-a-tattat

if u thinkin of non ukcat schools come to bristol, coz they dont use the stupid test!

agree

[AimsRJ]

it depends what you mean by 'not a competitive applicant'. Dont the unis that dont use an entrance test have harsher crtieria on other grounds? If you are a mature student you could always do the GAMSAT and apply to peninsula. if by not competitive means you havent got very good grades in the past the GAMSAT result completely overrides previous academic results.

[Randolf_Rolm1919]

Originally Posted by malevolent_elephant

Took my UKCAT last week. Results-

Verbal: 640
Maths: 610
Abstract: 550
Decision-making: 660

To put it simply, I'm retarded. Absolutely crushing result. I don't know what to do now! Obviously I'm going to submit in the UCAS application regardless...but what schools do I have even so much as half a chance of getting into?

I was originally going to put down Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle and Queen's (all undergrad courses, although I'm a graduate). I was also considering King's and Glasgow.

Should I waste my application on these schools though, with such a dismal overall score? I feel like such an idiot!

I am only familiar with the reputations of some of the more well-renowned medical schools in the UK...are Liverpool and Birmingham good medical schools? Should I be focusing more on places like these? Are there any other non-UKCAT schools you can recommend?

Stupid UKCAT...I am so annoyed.

I understand how you feel and I agree with your comment about the UKCAT. Btw, I suggest you take Edinburgh and Newcastle out of your list because they are quite heavy on the UKCAT. I am not sure about Manchester and Queen's I heard they don't weigh it as much as some others.

But Edinburgh and Newcastle would leave my list if I were you and I would seriously consider one medical school that doesn't use the UKCAT, like Bristol, Liverpool or Birmingham and others that use it only in borderline cases or don't put much weight on it (5%) or less like Keele, Dundee, Aberdeen, UEA, HYMS etc.

[hoonosewot88]

Firstly, that isn't as terrible a score as you are making out, it is simply an average one.
Nevertheless, i'm afraid you might want to take Queen Marys off of your list as i was under the impression they set a cutoff of around 650 last year so a 615 average might discount you from there.
You still have tons of options though. You can apply to schools which dont take the UKCAT into account much (find this out from their websites), you can apply to GAMSAT med schools (Notts, Georges, Swansea etc), or you can apply to no testing schools like Bristol and Southampton, though they are highly competitive. If your eligible you could also apply to the BMAT schools (Oxbridge etc).
Don't base any of your choices on your perceptions of med schools prestige either. Getting ito any medical school is a huge accomplishment and there isn't a bad medical school in the country. Going to Liverpool or Bristol would be just as big an accomplishment as Edinburgh or Manchester.
So don't kick yourself too much, if anything its rude for those people that got less than 600.

[JamesM]

I think it likely that Queens refers to the Belfast university, as the location is Ireland. Could be wrong though.

Oh and Im a graduate, got a lower UKCAT score than you and still got two interviews and a place at BSMS. I would have been very happy with a score like yours as you can apply to nearly all that accept UKCAT, as not all put cutoffs into place, and even at that, it is usually 600.

[Randolf_Rolm1919]

Queens = Queen's University Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Queen Mary = Barts and The London in London, England.

Hoonosewot88 Southampton DOES require the UKCAT btw and Barts cut-off score last year was 600, not 650. Although it might turn out to be 650 this year as I get the perception that many more people are doing better than the UKCAT this year, as we can see from the poll.


"Getting ito any medical school is a huge accomplishment and there isn't a bad medical school in the country. Going to Liverpool or Bristol would be just as big an accomplishment as Edinburgh or Manchester.
So don't kick yourself too much, if anything its rude for those people that got less than 600."

I cannot but agree. That's absolutely correct.