Applying for Medicine Dr Mark Jevons Mr Jonty Haywood 18 May 2018
teaching helping others interest in Science life-long learning making a difference Why Medicine? challenge communication leadership teamwork variety
On becoming a doctor Why do I want to study Medicine? What sort of qualities does a successful doctor exhibit? Have I been involved with community service projects? Have I had any experience of shadowing doctors? What subjects do I need to study at A level? What grades do universities require? What type of learning do I prefer? What should go in my personal statement (if applicable)? Am I aware of the length of training and specialist training I will undergo? Where do I want to work? How do I select my university? How will practising Medicine impact upon my lifestyle? Where can I get help and advice to help me prepare my application?
2018 Destinations
Thai Universities
Case study Thammasat University (CICM) Background International (CICM) school English program (6 years) Can enter after Year 12 30 places PBL approach Requirements BMAT IELTS (English language test) - 6.5 overall Online application late December submission of portfolio IGCSE scores considered, but may this may change! Interview invitations issued after 1 or 2 months - MMI style Expected to spend 3 years working in government hospitals
The United Kingdom England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland
Considerations for studying in the UK UK medical schools are very competitive There is a quota for international students Fees and living costs are a consideration (40,000GBP/year + living costs) Training is 5 or 6 years full time To complete the training requires 2 years full time (paid) in a hospital The services of UK qualified doctors are highly regarded and in demand UK qualified doctors need to sit examinations before they can practise in Thailand
Number of applicants per place at UK universities (2018 entry) 37.4 21 17 14.2 10.5 BRISTOL EDINBURGH BRIGHTON AND SUSSEX MANCHESTER HULL-YORK
What are UK medical schools looking for? Academic excellence: AAA Chemistry and usually Biology A level Personal statement School reference UKCAT or BMAT IELTS: >7 Work experience clinical and caring Students with a broad range of interests Interview
What type of work experience? From Newcastle University: "At Newcastle our emphasis is on our applicants being able to show a commitment to caring. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, for example. volunteering in an elderly care home volunteering in a hospice volunteering in a nursery helping someone less fortunate However, hospital placements are also useful to provide an insight into the profession
Medical work experience
Admissions tests UKCAT and BMAT
St Andrews Aberdeen Glasgow Queen s, Belfast Central Lancashire Liverpool Manchester Birmingham Aston Cardiff Bristol Warwick Exeter Dundee Edinburgh Newcastle Durham Southampton Plymouth Sunderland Hull York Sheffield Leicester Nottingham King s London Queen Mary, London St George s, London Anglia Ruskin East Anglia
What does the UKCAT involve? Verbal reasoning critical evaluation of information presented in a written form (reading, understanding & analysis) Quantitative reasoning -critical evaluation of information presented in a written form Abstract reasoning convergent and divergent thinking to infer relationships Decision analysis making sound decisions and judgements using complex information Situational judgement understanding real world situations, identifying critical factors & appropriate behaviour in dealing with them
Lancaster University Leeds University Keele Oxford University Cambridge University University College, London Imperial College, London Brighton & Sussex Medical School
What does the BMAT involve? The BioMedicalAdmissions Test (BMAT) is a subject-specific admissions test for applicants to medicine, veterinary medicine and similar courses at universities. BMAT is a 2-hour, pen-and-paper test divided into three sections. It does not require a lot of extra study as it is a test of skills and knowledge that learners are expected to have already. BMAT is divided into three sections: 1.Aptitude and Skills. 2.Scientific Knowledge and Applications. 3.Writing Task. Anyone offering a paid service to help you prepare for BMAT will have no more knowledge than someone who has read this website and studied past papers. So while a test-taker s performance at any test will improve with some familiarisation or practice, we would not advise anyone to pay for such help. http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-test-takers/bmat/about-bmat/
Extra help? Anyone offering a paid service to help you prepare for BMAT will have no more knowledge than someone who has read the website and studied past papers. So while a test-taker s performance at any test will improve with some familiarisation or practice, we would not advise anyone to pay for such help. http://www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/bmat/preparing-for-bmat/
How should students prepare?
Admissions test tips (UKCAT and BMAT) 20-30 hours preparation Familiarise yourself with the question types Practice under timed conditions Use the official website guide and the other links provided Practise your mathematical skills for the quantitative reasoning skills in particular Use books relevant to the test for strategies and additional practice questions Get help from your teachers
How important are the admissions tests? Some universities attach great importance to the score Most universities consider the total score Some have a cut-off score in particular subtests Some look at a minimum score for each subtest Universities usually indicate on their website previous threshold scores Universities may consider academic achievement, personal statements and interview performance in conjunction with UKCAT/BMAT score UKCAT/BMAT scores may be used if candidates are difficult to separate in their ranking
Timeline Interviews UCAS (UK) 15 Oct Thai applications Nov/Dec UKCAT BMAT 1 Sep or 31 Oct AS Levels A Levels Decision point IGCSE Decision point Shell Remove 5 th Form Lower Sixth Upper Sixth
Other options - Ireland No entrance exams Acceptance rates higher than UK for non-eu applicants
Other options - Australia Closer to Thailand, multicultural society, healthy environment and outdoor lifestyle Very few universities offering 1 st degree programmes Hospital placements can be difficult to secure Applicants must sit UMAT
Other options Joint programs
Other options Is medicine right for me?
What are Cambridge, Oxford & Imperial looking for?
What are Cambridge, Oxford & Imperial looking for? A deep & connected understanding of the fundamentals of Science A Cambridge Medicine interview will focus almost entirely on your scientific aptitude... And don t assume that questions will just focus on Biology and Chemistry one of my interviews was almost entirely Statistics-based. You need to understand school science and mathematics as a logical connected system for explaining life and the universe. But how are they going to test such an understanding?
What are Cambridge, Oxford & Imperial looking for? An ability to solve novel problems in logical & lateral ways The more questions you answer correctly, the more difficult they will become Your interviewer will want to see how you tackle a difficult scientific problem. They ll ask you about topics you ve never thought about before What s pus made of? and Why don t poisoned monkeys kill the people who eat them? But how are you going to develop this kind of understanding?
What are Cambridge, Oxford & Imperial looking for? A strong & genuine passion for Science Interviewers are most impressed by students who show a genuine enthusiasm for their subject. If you are truly fascinated by topics such as The complexity of life, the future of medical technology etc. then you will naturally develop the deep and connected understanding that you need. You also need to be a resilient problem-solver. So, is there anything else?
What are Cambridge, Oxford & Imperial looking for? Multi-skilled applicants with more than just the top grades Everyone at my college could have ditched medicine and become professional musicians / sports people / artists in an instant. Studying really hard just isn t enough. So, in summary, you need to Love Science Understand Science Have other passions & talents Have everything else (top grades, work experience etc.) Does this sound like you?
Useful links UKCAT https://www.ukcat.ac.uk/ukcat-test/ukcat-preparation/ BMAT http://www.admissionstesting.org/for-test-takers/bmat/preparing-for-bmat/ Medschools https://www.medschools.ac.uk/media/2357/msc-entry-requirements-for-ukmedical-schools.pdf The Medic Portal https://www.themedicportal.com/ General Medical Council www.gmc-uk.org British Medical Association www.bma.org.uk NHS Medical Careers www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk Get into Medicine www.getintomedicine.co.uk
Thank you very much for your time Any questions?