Hi I’m Stella and I’m a 1st year Neuroscience and Psychology student at KCL and I’m one of the undergraduate students working in the DNA team. As a neuroscience student, I can tell you that neuroscience is pretty tricky to get into. However, I also acknowledge that Medicine is a very hard career to pursue. Most of this comes down to the application process, something that thousands of Sixth Form students across the UK spend months perfecting each year. If neuroscience isn’t what you’re set on, it’s likely that you might be considering Medicine. Hence, I’m here to give you an idea of what this looks like, including some tips and tricks from those who went through it themselves. In conversation with me today is Anoushka, a 1st Year Medical student at the University of Cardiff.
A-level subjects
As most of you will know by now, it is important that you do both biology and chemistry at A-level. A third science subject isn’t always necessary but might give you the upper hand when places are tight. If you don’t have either biology or chemistry then you can still progress to medicine, but you will have to either do a foundation course or start after your degree.
Anoushka: For my A levels I chose the famous combination of Biology, Chemistry and Maths. At times I found these subjects quite challenging, and I think most people will agree. During the first few months in medicine, I realised that these subjects (especially Biology and Chemistry) provided a solid foundation for me to build on. You get the opportunity to consolidate core concepts and skills learnt during A levels. I would highly recommend searching The Medic Portal website (see below for links) which has lots of useful information regarding A Level subject choices for medicine. You should talk to your personal tutors at school, or even career counsellors, who can provide guidance.
(Flowchart showing the stages to Medicine, in their most likely order)
Personal Statement
Firstly, you’ll want to have an impressive personal statement. In any application, this would include things such as work experience, hobbies, achievements and suitability for the course. In medicine, it’s a bit different. Universities want you to be well rounded and have at least one week’s work experience in a hospital, as well as demonstrating a lot of relevant reading. You’ll need to document this here as this is the first thing a Uni looks at before deciding if they want to interview you. I am confident that you won’t struggle here as our DNA week is a perfect example of something to focus on.
Anoushka: Your personal statement is a great way to show your dedication to study Medicine through the experiences you have built up. I started my statement with the reasons as to why I wished to study medicine. I described my passion for science and of caring for people and how a career in medicine is a perfect combination of them both. I also made sure to include experiences I gained from voluntary work and from Work experience. For example, while on work experience I witnessed an operation where teamwork was key to the smooth running of the procedure. I then related this back to how I have demonstrated teamwork through extracurricular activities, and why this is important. I would say the key here is to be reflective of your various experiences and acknowledge what you gained or leant about yourself. Don’t be afraid to mention any Medical or scientific interests that you have. For example, you may have done an EPQ or online course on a subject or read an article that interested you. I found that writing a personal statement usually takes several drafts, but this process is important in order to produce the best personal statement that you can.
UCAT
Previously known as the UKCAT, this stands for the University Clinical Aptitude Test. It’s a 2-hour long exam that tests you on a range of subjects such as verbal and quantitative reasoning. Most of the questions require a bit of practice so make sure you don’t go in without it. A high score on this exam will make you stand out from other applicants, especially during COVID-19 when sitting your A-levels isn’t possible. Some unis also accept the BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test) which is pretty similar.
Anoushka: I found this one of the hardest parts of applying! I would say the key to tackling the UCAT is practice. I signed up to the medic portal which had UCAT question banks, I found this really useful. The questions are completed under timed conditions, creating the real experience. The Medic portal will also display your results and progress which allowed me to have a realistic insight into how I was doing. Medify may also be a useful website for practice questions. There are also books (1250 UCAT questions by ISC medical), YouTube videos, and courses out there for UCAT Preparation and support (see below for links). If your UCAT is successful, well done! This will really broaden your choices for universities to apply to. However, if not, don’t panic. I would focus on applying to universities that don’t weigh in the UCAT as heavily as others.
The interview
The two most common types of interviews include either a panel of interviewers or a series of multiple mini-interviews. These can involve scenarios with a patient and questions about ethics. For example, you could be asked “why do you want to be a doctor?” or even “what is your opinion on euthanasia?”. Again, it would be useful to practice some of these questions with friends or family, and I have linked a useful site that includes some great questions to get you started!
Anoushka: The interview turned out to be my favorite part of the process, as this is an opportunity to show your prospective medical school who you really are! Again, I would highly recommend the Medic portal and watching YouTube videos for useful advice on the Interviews. I kept a notebook of key themes and ideas that could potentially be asked in the interview. Prior to my interview at Cardiff university , I read about all the factors that made Cardiff unique as a medical school . For example, their course structure , their teaching styles and the opportunities and experiences they offer. I ensured I had a sound knowledge of all these things and I reflected on why each factor appealed to me. This will really show the interviewer your desire to study medicine at that particular university. Once again relevant work experience and volunteering will come in useful for answering interview questions. I would recommend having a fair understanding of the core NHS values, and what makes a good Doctor. A good place to find answers to this would be the NICE guidelines and the GMC. A general understanding of common problems faced by the NHS will be useful to know too , especially in a COVID19 world. Lastly , it is important to keep up to date with latest medical news . I found it very useful to talk to a friend or family member through my potential interview’s answers, this helped me to improve my communications skills and confidence.
Advice?
Remember, medicine should only be your end goal if your heart is set on it; I always wanted to be a doctor but after doing different A-levels I applied for my course instead. This was a blessing in disguise for me as I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. But whatever you do, you’ve got this!
Anoushka: Never give up! Applying for Medicine is challenging. With the many hurdles of applying, there were times I wanted to give up, but I can now confidently say, keep going! Your passion and determination for medicine will allow you to overcome any obstacles faced and you will find a way to get there. I wish you all the best for your application journey to one of the most rewarding careers!
As always, here is your daily dose of bad neuro/med joke
Stay tuned for tomorrow where Lily will be talking about what neurodevelopmental biology is!
List of resources
Link to interview questions.
Check out the student room for some interesting threads about the medicine application progress:
The medic Portal – An excellent website , has almost everything you need to know about applying. Also keep an eye out for the courses they offer on interviews and the UCAT.
ISC medical book – full of UCAT practice questions
Medify – useful for UCAT questions
You tube channels:
- Kenji Tomita – good interview advice and general motivation
- Kharma Medic – great advice for UCAT
BMJ magazines for articles
Future learn for online course
Guidelines and Values of a doctor resources
- Good medical practice - GMC (gmc-uk.org) – GMC what it means to be a good Doctor
- Values of the NHS Constitution | Health Careers- NHS core values
- Find guidance | NICE – NICE guidelines may be useful to refer to