Apply to your strengths

In just a few posts I have briefly accounted for the last year. Now I am writing up to date with my current position.

It’s September and the new school year has begun. Today I went back into school to speak to my favourite teacher, my past head of year – she is actually the best!  I needed a bit of guidance with choosing my uni’s, this year I have many more options due to having achieved grades which makes the decisions a lot harder. We came to the conclusion that until I’ve done my UKCAT, we can’t choose.

Choosing the right uni’s to apply to for Medicine is crucial – unlike other courses there is less freedom in where you decide to go, due to competition and the relative strengths and weaknesses of your application. My UCAS Co-ordinator says it’s a matter of “who will take me?”, within reason. Apply to your strengths, check the selection procedure. Based on GCSE’s and UKCAT/BMAT for interview? Based solely on UKCAT/BMAT?  Based on personal statement and whole academic record? Is there an interview? Is there a UKCAT/BMAT threshold? Does the uni use an admissions test? These are some questions that can be asked, the more you tick their boxes, the better chance your application has. Then after this you can look into PBL or Traditional? Campus or City? and any other things that I consider bonuses after you fit the bill!

…To be honest, you don’t have to do this at all if you don’t want to, I mean it didn’t exactly get me far last year but I figure I’ll just tell you anyway, it may be of some assistance!..

On a tangent, I just realised I keep using ‘uni’ rather than/instead of ‘medical school’, and I think this is because I really would like to go to a uni rather than medical school. From what I’ve heard medics tend to stick around with other medics, so by going to a uni there is a higher possibility of integrating with non medics/health related people than at a medical school. This is what I see as important in balancing work and socialising…talking to someone about their art project will be a wave of fresh air!  But I must say, I’m not that fussy this year – I’ll go wherever takes me be it medical school or uni, and talking about Medicine doesn’t bore me or ever tire with me in the slightest (just ask ‘twinny’) so I suppose I’ll be fine with either type of establishment.

Until next time…