h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Contemplating medicine? Attracted by the sexy nurses, or by the dramatism of saving lives? Let me tell you: forget all of that; this is a hard course. I cannot stress just how hard this course is. I mean, you might think that diamonds are quite hard, but nothing is as hard as the MBBS.

No, seriously, it is *very* hard. If I have managed to get as far as telling you that this course is not for the fainthearted, then I have achieved something.

*Do not* do this course just because you want to become/hope to meet a George Clooney type. If you do, then consider PR management, or something just as ephemeral. In this researcher's medical school, the pass mark is 80%. Not the distinction mark, but the *pass mark*. If you get 79%, you fail. Period. In other courses, a mark of 80% is genius, but here, it is just a pass.

There is no room for glamour in medicine, neither is there a place for arrogance.

If you are still thinking of applying for this course, then, here are a few tips.

> Lots and Lots of work experience:

In a hospital; not just shadowing a doctor, but maybe spending some time shadowing other staff, such as nurses or lab staff. Learn to appreciate everything that all the team do; take notes! They prove useful in interview. It may be worthwhile to spend some time doing voluntary work in a residential home, or working with small children. It makes you appreciate just the sort of hard and messy work that the public will not appreciate you for.

> Team sports and other posts:

Medical schools love reading about your participation in team sports, orchestras, or previous posts that you have held (ie, house captain, form head). This is so that you appreciate that medicine is not an isolationist career, such as being a writer, but is very much a team career. The theory is that being in team sports or heading a team shows that you appreciate that. Also, from a purely selfish point, it means more members for their rugby team/orchestra/hockey/netball/rowing squads.

> Art, reading and other hobbies:

This is to show that you have methods of relaxing to cope with stress. The doctor is the very definition of stress; otherwise how can one cope with being on call for 36 hours? Even as a medical student, when you hit your clinical years, you go on what is known as 'on take', which is basically on call for the med student. And yes, your Researcher has been up for 36 hours; without food, incredibly tired, and still expected to obtain a good medical history from a demanding, drunk and rude patient (please don't ask me about that; I can barely remember myself. Neither do I *want* to remember.).

> Why do you want to be a doctor?

This is the first question that interviewers will ask. The answer should also form the first sentence/paragraph of your UCAS personal statement. Try and think why you want to be one - not just the old 'I want to help people' answer; 9 times out of 10 you will face the retort of, 'So why don't you become a nurse then?' This is probably the most difficult question, as of course, the answer is totally individual.

> Some knowledge of current affairs and new medicine:

Take clippings from newspapers about the latest developments in medicine, and try to understand them - what the treatment is for, who it will benefit, a little of the science behind it. For current affairs, at least keep abreast of the headlines; increased spending on what, cuts where, and so on. You will be asked about them in interview.

> Consider the admissions requirements of the medical schools:

The lowest offer, in your Researcher's time, was an ABB. Now, it is an AAB. You *must* take the full A level of Chemistry - get an A in this one if possible. They do not accept points equivalents - you must hit the grades. Neither will they accept that pub quiz of an A Level, General studies. Your Researcher was forced to take this by her school, for reasons far departed from reason. In the words of the woman at the Imperial College School of Medicine stand; 'Why on earth do you want to take that? It's worthless!' It will not help you. It might make the admissions tutor laugh though, but it won't help you to get in.

Do take a second science subject, like biology, or if you don't want to take that, take Physics. Although absurd, at least do an A/S in it, as there is a module called 'Health Physics', which has provided untold help to this med student. Doing a non-science subject can be done to - your researcher knows of many who took Art, English or even French as the third A Level - but check with the med school first before committing yourself.

> Only fill in the recommended number of med. school places and not the full 6.

Deans/Rectors of the medical schools advise potential students to only put down a set number of medical schools. Your Researcher was only advised to put down 5 schools. The year after, students were only advised to put down 4. The reason behind this is to prevent oversubscription of places. The best advice is to put down the recommended number of schools, and leave the rest of the places blank. Do not contemplate putting down 6, as it is almost certain that you will get rejected from all of them. Also, don't fill the spaces in with other courses allied to medicine as you *will* be put on a lower priority list. If you are dedicated to getting into medicine, then you will take the calculated risk of leaving the remaining spaces blank. This demonstrates to the admissions tutor that you are willing to take the risk, and hence, you are dedicated to the pursuit of medicine.

> Consider printing your personal statement onto the UCAS form:

Doctors are meant to have illegible handwriting. That is no excuse for an illegible UCAS form. A printed UCAS form not only demostrates that you can use a word processor, but also means that they are more likely to read it - just with an exam, a legible script is likely to get you more marks, a legible personal statement is more likely to give you an interview. The font should be 12pt, Times New Roman, 1.5 spaced.

> Sending the UCAS form:

If you want any chance of getting in to medicine, be the first one to send off your form; ie, on the 1st of September, or whatever the opening date is. Admissions tutors will then be the first to read yours, and hence, will consider you first.

Is it even worth botherong to apply
a) Now, in late september and
b) If you have only C at GCSE English?

Botherong? That's good isn't it! Proves I don't need top retake english!!!

Also, Just re-reading the paragraph on extra-curricular activities, I haven't done any of that, for reasons beyond my control, but I'm very much a team player. Given the above statements, would I be better off just giving up?

Incredibly eager, but seamingly destined not to succeed Cupid.

Hmmmmmm... there may be a way, but it is long.

Assuming that you do have the required A-Level grades, they may 'overlook' the C in GCSE English. However, at this late stage, you may not get in at the first attempt.

However, the long way around it concerns taking one of the courses allied to Medicine, ie Biochemistry, Biology, etc. and then reapplying to the same university as a 'mature student'. This should give you enough time for work experience etc.

Don't be discouraged by this long method - I know of many students who have done this and are in my year. You may be destined to succeed - it is a long road, even for those at the first attempt.

I'll say it again - don't be discouraged! Have a go!

Stay ,
WD

Some more tips:

Even if you are unsure about whether or not you'll get the required grades, don't fill in the extra two spaces on your UCAS form. Instead, concentrate on getting offers from as many medical schools as possible (and, of course, on getting the grades). In summer, if you find you don't get in, then provided you were made offers, other departments will be queuing up to get their hands on you. (It happened to me; before lunchtime on results day, I received three offers from my first choice university). If you can impress the selection panel of a medical school, they reason, then you must be good.

Again, if you don't get in (sorry to be so pessimistic), then don't hold out any hope of a place through Clearing. Clearing places go to people who got the grades, but who weren't made any offers. Instead, find yourself a course in the biomedical science area (ie Biochem, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Physiology and the like). Often, these courses are part-taught by lecturers in medicine, so you may be able to impress them and re-apply when you have finished your first degree (as described above).

And if the unthinkable does happen, and you don't get in, but end up doing an alternative degree, then don't let it get you down too much. If you were really meant to do Medicine, then you will someday. It may take a while, but while you're waiting, you're gaining so much experience which will be invaluable to you, learning how to actually study for a degree (which is completely different to studying for A Level). It will make you a stronger person, and perhaps even a better medical student.

Gosh - clearing! In my year, there was only one place for medicine available through clearing - I think it was in a med school in London. I have met the lucky guy who got that place - he's a really generous and good person.

Just to outline one point that I have forgotten to put in - competitiveness for the places. I think we all know just how competitive this subject is, but here are some figures to illustrate just how fierce it is (at least, in London...)

In 1999, 7000 people applied for Medicine to my med school.

3000 of those were offered interviews.

1000 of those were offered places.

There are only 320 places available on the course.

I think that means that for every sucessful applicant, there are about 25 other people fighting for it.

Again, this shouldn't discourage you. Your determination and faith in your own abilities should get you through!

Oxbridge is a whole different kettle of fish. That means sending off an additional application form, with, I believe, a £10 deposit (someone correct me, I think I'm wrong there). Now, for medicine, I am not so sure about the course they have there - very little patient contact in the first 3 years, and you don't get trained how to deal with ethics or difficult patients before your clinical firms start. On the other hand, the teaching there is unsurpassed. I had a go, and got interviewed; one went really well, the other went, well - I was on the train back. Suffice to say, I did get as far as being offered an interview, and I can say 'I tried, but they didn't want me. But at least I tried.'

In the provincial universities, competition has apparently become even stiffer than for London. I can't give the figures, but I was reading that the two top provincial Med schools (Newcastle and Liverpool) were surpassed only by Oxbridge in terms of the number of applicants per place.

In my year, also, there was only one clearing place, this time at Newcastle. They weren't interested in anyone with less than AAB, regardless of whether or not they had received provisional offers from Newcastle (ie passed the interview stage).

If you're not too good at interviews, but have a very strong application, then some universities don't actually interview everyone. I think Leeds is one of them. It's worth a try if you really think you'll mess up an interview.

Thanks heaps for the advice people, but I've been thinking it over, and the more I look at it, the more it seams it wasn't meant to be. Thanks anyway.