It's me, Kinkerz!

[Kinkerz]

Well I've been using this forum for about 18 months now, and I've been thinking about starting one of these blog thingies for a while, so here goes! Not really sure how well I'll stick with it, but I thought I'd give it a stab.

I'd better tell you a bit about myself then, eh. I'm a fairly fresh 17 year old (went 17 in August) male with a blonde(ish) mop head and I'm around 5'8"/5'9".
I go to very average sixth form college in West Yorkshire that has never sent anybody to medical school before and because of that, they know nothing about the admission process. So it's all on me! My GCSEs aren't exactly superb, 1A* 6A 2B 1C, and my AS grades were disappointing, BBBC with a B in General Studies, although I've managed to persuade my teachers to predict me AABc. I sat the UKCAT in early August and achieved a low score of 537.5. Things are looking bright, aren't they? Anyway, I try to stay optimistic.
I play football and cricket for Brighouse - my local team. And I also go fishing and regularly play snooker.

Anyway, I have to be up at 7:00 in the morning as I have to go and talk to my scary Physics teacher about a unit one resit at 8:45, so i'll be off!

More interesting stuff to come in the near future (I hope).

[Kinkerz]

So I spoke to my Physics teacher. He wasn't impressed with my grade C and had already put me in for a resit! After all that I didn't need to get up at 7:00... I could've got up at 10:00! Damn it! So now i'm a sleepy mess attempting to get some horrible Biology coursework done about lichens! Fun fun fun.

[Kinkerz]

So for the last ten or fifteen minutes I've been trying to find some decent pictures of moi so you people can actually see the idiot that's posting in this blog! So far I've found one. One photo and it includes half of my mates... Not very good, but probably better than nothing.

Anyhoo, I'm the dude on the left in the yellow top. Oh and the Indian guy towards the right is also a prospective medic. Except he goes to the good local sixth form college, got 3A* 6A 1B at GCSE and AAAA at AS, with a UKCAT score of 585. So an overall superior application academia wise.

[Kinkerz]

I've printed the template/guidelines for referees to use for applicants to Medicine off the Manchester Medical School website today with the intention of giving it to my head of sixth form. I bottled it! Once I'd really read through it I noticed that the referee would actually have to "obtain information from independant sources" - so he'd have to go and speak with my football/cricket coach, and the woman at the youth club where I volunteer. Like hell will he do all that just for one student. Shocker! I'm tempted to just remove those bits and try to set up a meeting with him so I we can discuss what my leadership qualities are like, commitment to Medicine, teamwork, etc. I just feel really, really rude when asking for stuff like this. Didn't even like asking my Biology and Chemistry teachers to predict me my grades!

On a more cheery, and I suppose strange note, I have found that Trebor XXXtra Strong mints are XXXtremely addictive. I've eaten three packets today! Three! It does say that they have been know to act like a laxative on the wrapping too... Oops.

[Kinkerz]

I did manage to build up the courage to speak to my referee. Did it today, although I didn't give him the template from the Manchester website. He was actually really supportive and offered to help in any way he could, which I thought was nice. He's currently constructing his statement and reading over my personal statement, so I shall see what happens with that!
Football at 5:00 so I need to get a bowl of special K down before I set off. Farewell for now.

[Kinkerz]

I have two issues to discuss today! Don't get excited though, they aren't that interesting.

1) UKCAT = Pointess, expensive test
I found out today at school (never know what to call it you know, school/college... I generally go for school because we're still treated as though we're in school) that a girl who's also applying to Medical School got a UKCAT score of 670! She didn't even know that Chemistry was needed so took Biology, Psychology, Law and Business - she's applying to the foundation year courses. She now has the edge on me, with better GCSEs, AS grades and UKCAT, and I've been researching Medicine and have desperatley wanted to do it for three years! Fair? I don't think so. The UKCAT should be abolished! Why does fitting shapes into other shapes, decoding strange codes, doing silly maths questions and interpreting stupid texts make a good doctor? It's beyond me! Anyway, UKCAT rant has come to a close.

2) Where to apply!
This is the more important and pressing of the two issues. I have two solid choices of Medical Schools where I'm applying - Leeds and Manchester. They're sorted. I'm also pretty sure that I want to apply to BSMS. Its the fourth choice that I cannot, for the life in me, come to a decision with! I currently have a shortlist of three universities - Nottingham, Keele and Leicester. I'd really love to apply to Nottingham, but they seem to value the UKCAT and GCSE grades pretty highly, which doesn't help me out. Keele seems to be a really nice Medical School and I think I'd stand a chance there. Leicester seems pretty good and I also feel I'd stand a chance there.

Nottingham

• Cool city
• Good course structure
• Nice university

Although I feel my chances there would be awful, I mean getting into any Medical School is tough enough!

Keele

• Modern university
• Course looks decent
• Location seems a bit on the small side

But I reckon that Keele's one of the Medical Schools that I'd have a better chance with.

Leicester

• Not sure about the city
• Course looks good
• University seems to be nice

Leicester seems to be another that I feel I'd stand a better chance with.

It's such a tough choice. I can't decide whether I should apply to the place I'd love to go to but stand a very poor chance, or apply to a place I'd stand a better chance but not like it as much.

I've just realised then length of this post. If you've made it this far, I'm impressed.

[Kinkerz]

Well. Things are even worse now! I've just read the "new selection process" for the 2008/2009 cycle for Manchester.

http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk...hanges0809.doc

Looks like they're ranking applicants on the UKCAT score and asking the top 'x' to interview. That's me out!

So now I've got one choice down for certain - Leeds! Leeds is and always was my first choice anyway, please give me a place Leeds. BSMS is still in there too, but as for the other two I'm struggling, because Keele seem to be very similar to Manchester in the way they do things. Infact I think they're like a Newcastle/Durham kind of thing. Anyway, both Manchester and Keele are now out!
That damn UKCAT swoops in and ruins Medical School admissions forever!

I really hate this whole application malarky and I haven't even sent off my UCAS form yet!

[Kinkerz]

Today feels like it's going to turn out to be a good day. Last night I got a massive portion of my Biology coursework done, and to a good standard. So I should finish it today!
Also going to play pool with my old man this afternoon. Need to keep the father-son competitive spirit alive. It's good too because we're both of a similar ability, so it's always close. I'm actually pretty good at pool, it probably stems from the snooker. I seem to pick up billiard games pretty well. Plus it's a good money maker when out with friends. Both players put a fiver in and the winner takes all - it soon mounts up!

[Kinkerz]

Been considering Liverpool today. They do have a GCSE point system, and I'd be borderline if I applied. I was looking at Leicester but they are out as they take your lowest UKCAT sub section score (mine was 440 :s) and score it. So I'd lose plenty of points there on top of my academia loss, enough for a rejection hehe.

Anyway. Liverpool is my current Medical School under consideration.

[Kinkerz]

It's all good people! I have finally come to a rational decision on a fourth choice!

I found out yesterday that Keele were not going to be following Manchester on the dark side by adopting the ridiculous UKCAT ranking system! So my choice was made!

Leeds
BSMS
Nottingham
Keele

Woop woop! So that's its for choices. I can bore you with other things now.

I'm up to my neck in coursework, it has to be said, I'm sinking! I have two, thousand word assignments to hand in for Psychology (one of which I'm really struggling with), and my Biology coursework deadline is approaching. Ahhh!
I have Chemistry tests coming out of every orifice, well I have two, but one's in two days and the other's in seven!

On a more positive note, season three of Grey's Anatomy has arrived. Although I really shouldn't get distracted from school work...