At 9:07 this morning I found out that I made my grades, getting A*AAB, and I've been accepted into the Bristol Medical School! Today has been so surreal, I'm so happy! I'll get back to posting soon, just thought I'd update the blog! :D
Speak later!
Thursday, 15 August 2013
Friday, 9 August 2013
The MYTH of league tables for medicine!
Okay just a quick disclaimer that this is my own subjective opinion.
Right, the first number ONE thing you need to know before even thinking about choosing a medical school is:
DO. NOT. COMPLETELY BASE YOUR CHOICE. ON ANY LEAGUE TABLE.
You MUST remember that, for other subjects, league tables are useful because they show how 'good' a course is in that subject is at a particular university, because this can vary and influence your employment prospects from university to university, but for medicine this is different as ALL MEDICAL COURSES IN THE UK ARE REGULATED BY THE GMC. Only a few universities in the UK offer medicine because only a few universities are good enough to be able to offer it to the expected standard. Therefore, there is no 'bad' medicine course. If you look closely at popular league tables such as The Guardian's, the criteria include '% Satisfied with course', '% Satisfied with teaching', '% Satisfied with feedback', 'Career after 6 months'. Let's break this down, so that I can show you why, except in a few extreme cases, league tables are less than useful when applying to medical school.
Under The Guardian's '% Satisfied with course' column for Medicine in 2014, out of 31 universities, only 4 fall below 80% (Manchester, Liverpool, Kings' College and St George's), one of which is in the 'top 20'
Under The Guardian's '% Satisfied with teaching' column for Medicine in 2014, the lowest figure out of 31 universities is 79% (Kings' College), and 21 out of the 31 universities scored 90% or over, including some in the 'bottom 5'.
As you can see, these criteria show that there is very little to choose between the universities in terms of student satisfaction.
However, '% Satisfied with feedback' is an interesting column, as out of 31 universities, the highest score is only 85% (joint Oxford and Keele), but all universities in the table (except Kings' College with an interestingly low 18%) have a score above 40%.
It is worth remembering that Oxford and Keele are two of the smallest medical schools in terms of students in the UK, so if I were to make a hypothesis concerning their high scores I'd say that due to the low student numbers (and the tutorial system at Oxford), faculty members can devote more time to feedback and discussion. That might not be the case at all, it's only my theory.
I hope that, so far, the data I've shown you has displayed the futility of league tables in most cases, and if not, let's take another look at Kings' College. In the three categories I have just mentioned (which I would consider the most important), Kings' College scores disastrously low, below any of their peers. However, Kings' is not at the bottom of the league table. The two universities below it score higher, much higher, in all three categories. The things that have boosted Kings' are its score in the remaining categories: 'Student to staff ratio', 'Spend per student' and 'Average entry tariff'. This means that Kings' (along with other universities that have lower student satisfaction scores), are pushed higher in the table depending on the amount of students they take in vs staff they employ (this ratio does not necessarily reflect class sizes, which is why it is not necessarily helpful), the amount of money spent on each student (it is not specified as to what this money goes towards) and the average UCAS score each university expects of the students they take in (which, of course, does NOT reflect the quality of the teaching).
In short, league tables are to be used WITH CAUTION. To make better, informed choices, speak to current students, visit an open day, read some of my articles on different medical schools, use the Student Room... there are HUNDREDS of other resources open to you.
Hope this helps!
Right, the first number ONE thing you need to know before even thinking about choosing a medical school is:
DO. NOT. COMPLETELY BASE YOUR CHOICE. ON ANY LEAGUE TABLE.
You MUST remember that, for other subjects, league tables are useful because they show how 'good' a course is in that subject is at a particular university, because this can vary and influence your employment prospects from university to university, but for medicine this is different as ALL MEDICAL COURSES IN THE UK ARE REGULATED BY THE GMC. Only a few universities in the UK offer medicine because only a few universities are good enough to be able to offer it to the expected standard. Therefore, there is no 'bad' medicine course. If you look closely at popular league tables such as The Guardian's, the criteria include '% Satisfied with course', '% Satisfied with teaching', '% Satisfied with feedback', 'Career after 6 months'. Let's break this down, so that I can show you why, except in a few extreme cases, league tables are less than useful when applying to medical school.
Under The Guardian's '% Satisfied with course' column for Medicine in 2014, out of 31 universities, only 4 fall below 80% (Manchester, Liverpool, Kings' College and St George's), one of which is in the 'top 20'
Under The Guardian's '% Satisfied with teaching' column for Medicine in 2014, the lowest figure out of 31 universities is 79% (Kings' College), and 21 out of the 31 universities scored 90% or over, including some in the 'bottom 5'.
As you can see, these criteria show that there is very little to choose between the universities in terms of student satisfaction.
However, '% Satisfied with feedback' is an interesting column, as out of 31 universities, the highest score is only 85% (joint Oxford and Keele), but all universities in the table (except Kings' College with an interestingly low 18%) have a score above 40%.
It is worth remembering that Oxford and Keele are two of the smallest medical schools in terms of students in the UK, so if I were to make a hypothesis concerning their high scores I'd say that due to the low student numbers (and the tutorial system at Oxford), faculty members can devote more time to feedback and discussion. That might not be the case at all, it's only my theory.
I hope that, so far, the data I've shown you has displayed the futility of league tables in most cases, and if not, let's take another look at Kings' College. In the three categories I have just mentioned (which I would consider the most important), Kings' College scores disastrously low, below any of their peers. However, Kings' is not at the bottom of the league table. The two universities below it score higher, much higher, in all three categories. The things that have boosted Kings' are its score in the remaining categories: 'Student to staff ratio', 'Spend per student' and 'Average entry tariff'. This means that Kings' (along with other universities that have lower student satisfaction scores), are pushed higher in the table depending on the amount of students they take in vs staff they employ (this ratio does not necessarily reflect class sizes, which is why it is not necessarily helpful), the amount of money spent on each student (it is not specified as to what this money goes towards) and the average UCAS score each university expects of the students they take in (which, of course, does NOT reflect the quality of the teaching).
In short, league tables are to be used WITH CAUTION. To make better, informed choices, speak to current students, visit an open day, read some of my articles on different medical schools, use the Student Room... there are HUNDREDS of other resources open to you.
Hope this helps!
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
The BMAT: Kill it, kill it with fire.
Okay so as I'm sure you can tell from the angsty title the BMAT is the exam that crushes the hopes and dreams of med hopefuls across Britain every year. Not to put you off or anything. ;)
The BMAT is a preparatory science, maths and logic exam taken by applicants to Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, LKC and BSMS (graduate) medical schools. It is notoriously difficult.
My own experience of the test was an unshakeably average one. The test is split into 3 sections: Aptitude & Skills, Scientific Knowledge and Applications, and Writing Task. Urgh, just thinking back to sitting the BMAT is making me feel nervous haha! Right. Let's start with some basic tips, based on experience. I don't know what point at your application cycle you are in, but here are some of the most important things to bear in mind when preparing for the BMAT:
The BMAT is a preparatory science, maths and logic exam taken by applicants to Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, LKC and BSMS (graduate) medical schools. It is notoriously difficult.
My own experience of the test was an unshakeably average one. The test is split into 3 sections: Aptitude & Skills, Scientific Knowledge and Applications, and Writing Task. Urgh, just thinking back to sitting the BMAT is making me feel nervous haha! Right. Let's start with some basic tips, based on experience. I don't know what point at your application cycle you are in, but here are some of the most important things to bear in mind when preparing for the BMAT:
1. START EARLY. I clicked every formatting button just then to make sure that really sinks in. ;) Honestly, when a friend of mine in the year above me came out of her BMAT the year before I applied, the first thing she said to me was "START STUDYING NOW!". And I honestly wish I had, haha.
The problem is that if you don't start early, you find you don't have time when you're finishing your ASes and getting ready for your UKCAT, and then when the UKCAT's over suddenly you're into your A2 courses and you might have resits and suddenly it's really hard to keep up with studying for the BMAT, and there is a hell of a lot of content to cover. That's exactly what happened to me. The BMAT is designed for an above-average student who's getting all A's to get an average mark. I got an average mark, somewhat lower than average in some sections. But there are a couple of reasons for that, so I'll keep going with the list.
The problem is that if you don't start early, you find you don't have time when you're finishing your ASes and getting ready for your UKCAT, and then when the UKCAT's over suddenly you're into your A2 courses and you might have resits and suddenly it's really hard to keep up with studying for the BMAT, and there is a hell of a lot of content to cover. That's exactly what happened to me. The BMAT is designed for an above-average student who's getting all A's to get an average mark. I got an average mark, somewhat lower than average in some sections. But there are a couple of reasons for that, so I'll keep going with the list.
2. If there's anything in the test that you're not studying for A2, focus on that. The BMAT Writing Task and Aptitude and Skills can't exactly be traditionally 'revised' for, but revision, not just question practice, is ESSENTIAL for the Science section. The Science section includes 'GCSE-level' (bollocks) questions on Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics. Now, I was fine with the first three, as I did those along with English Literature as my four A2s. Physics however, was another story, especially since I found out from popular medicine forums that the Physics content is particularly difficult, and usually higher than A-Level standard. This intimidated me and I didn't go into it in anywhere near enough detail. I kind of just put it off, thinking 'Oh, it'll be fine! I did it for GCSE!', until I realised that I'd done a year of AS and I didn't remember GCSE at all, haha!
3. Practice, practice, practice. Now this might seem a little obvious, but I can't stress the importance of practice. Practice in the bath, practice at school, practice in the car, practice until you're dreaming about practicing haha. Buy a BMAT question practice book, and practice them with your friends, as they might have an alternative perspective on some of the questions that could help you learn. Also, the essay-writing component of the test is the part that catches some students with less-than-stellar writing skills out, so practicing typical essay questions is essential.
4. Don't panic but kind of panic but don't panic. What I mean by this is that you NEED to take the test seriously. I didn't. And by that I don't mean that I didn't study hard, because I did. What I mean is that if you're taking the BMAT you are applying to some of the best universities in the world. They take your BMAT grade VERY seriously. If your interview goes badly, they will turn to your BMAT score to decide whether to let you in. If your interview goes well but your BMAT score is less than stellar, that may jeopardise your chances of a place. It is incredibly important. HOWEVER, it's also important that, as indicated in the heading, you don't panic. You must approach the test calmly, as it's one of those exams where if you let nervousness cloud your judgement, you might miss out on those crucial marks.
3. Practice, practice, practice. Now this might seem a little obvious, but I can't stress the importance of practice. Practice in the bath, practice at school, practice in the car, practice until you're dreaming about practicing haha. Buy a BMAT question practice book, and practice them with your friends, as they might have an alternative perspective on some of the questions that could help you learn. Also, the essay-writing component of the test is the part that catches some students with less-than-stellar writing skills out, so practicing typical essay questions is essential.
4. Don't panic but kind of panic but don't panic. What I mean by this is that you NEED to take the test seriously. I didn't. And by that I don't mean that I didn't study hard, because I did. What I mean is that if you're taking the BMAT you are applying to some of the best universities in the world. They take your BMAT grade VERY seriously. If your interview goes badly, they will turn to your BMAT score to decide whether to let you in. If your interview goes well but your BMAT score is less than stellar, that may jeopardise your chances of a place. It is incredibly important. HOWEVER, it's also important that, as indicated in the heading, you don't panic. You must approach the test calmly, as it's one of those exams where if you let nervousness cloud your judgement, you might miss out on those crucial marks.
Thoughts before my results come out.
I'm afraid you're going to have to get used to my erratic blogging style - the second I say I'll post more something happens that makes me forget (in this case, my new laptop, summer work and festivals). I'll try to post more often now, as I've got a full week before results now where I've got nothing to do but bite my nails and wait to see if I've made my offer.
My offer is AAA from the University of Bristol, and if I'm quite honest I've never been this scared in my life. I took four A-Levels (English Lit, Maths, Biology, Chemistry) and two AS-Levels (English Language and Spanish) and I know that I screwed up my Maths, so I'm relying on my English, Chem and Bio grades, the first of which I get in less than a week. I'll keep blogging if I don't make my offer, as it means I'll have a whole new year of application experience to go through - by which time I'll be a seasoned expert, haha - but if I do make it, which I obviously sincerely hope I do, look forward to a celebratory post along the lines of 'ASDFFGVJKRSTHNDF!!!1!1!!!' in the next few weeks.
This last week I met up with a friend of mine who I think I've mentioned before, who studies Medicine at UCL in London. The updates I usually get from them are super excited and motivate me even more to get my place, but this time what they had to say was a little different. I suppose I want to share it because it shocked me, and I feel like it's a side of the story that isn't often spoken about when you're applying.
My friend, P, messaged me a couple of months ago to tell me that they'd failed their final exams and were having to resit. They'd failed by 0.2%. Now to me this was a huge shock, because P has always been stupidly academic and achieved far better marks than me at AS-Level, so to hear of them failing anything that I'm (hopefully) about to do myself makes me a little apprehensive. However, I knew that they'd pull through their resits and come out ready to embark on year 2, and in time I was proved right. Last week, P told me that their best medic friend in their year had failed their resits, again by a small margin, and had been thrown out of the Medical School. No appeal, no chance of switching to a different course. Some of you might be thinking that she wasn't good enough for the course, or that she hadn't done enough to secure her place. I thought the same until P reminded me that UCL fail a set number of students every year, ie you could achieve an extremely high raw score and still fail if a set percentage of students have scored higher than you. UCL (unofficially, they'll never admit it in any promotional material) have one of the highest student culling rates of any British medical school, and now P's poor friend is left with a year of medical school under their belt and nowhere else to go, because what medical school will accept a student who has 'proven' that they can't complete a medical course? This is not, however, a complaint, as awful as the story is. This, to me, was a stark reminder of the competitiveness of British medicine and of just how hard you have to work at the course. UCL cannot be blamed for setting aside so many intelligent young minds, as they have so many of them, and as they are one of the top medical schools in the country, they want only the best. I can only be grateful that I made my choices in the way that I did and that P told me about their friend in order to motivate me not to make the same mistakes.
This last week I met up with a friend of mine who I think I've mentioned before, who studies Medicine at UCL in London. The updates I usually get from them are super excited and motivate me even more to get my place, but this time what they had to say was a little different. I suppose I want to share it because it shocked me, and I feel like it's a side of the story that isn't often spoken about when you're applying.
My friend, P, messaged me a couple of months ago to tell me that they'd failed their final exams and were having to resit. They'd failed by 0.2%. Now to me this was a huge shock, because P has always been stupidly academic and achieved far better marks than me at AS-Level, so to hear of them failing anything that I'm (hopefully) about to do myself makes me a little apprehensive. However, I knew that they'd pull through their resits and come out ready to embark on year 2, and in time I was proved right. Last week, P told me that their best medic friend in their year had failed their resits, again by a small margin, and had been thrown out of the Medical School. No appeal, no chance of switching to a different course. Some of you might be thinking that she wasn't good enough for the course, or that she hadn't done enough to secure her place. I thought the same until P reminded me that UCL fail a set number of students every year, ie you could achieve an extremely high raw score and still fail if a set percentage of students have scored higher than you. UCL (unofficially, they'll never admit it in any promotional material) have one of the highest student culling rates of any British medical school, and now P's poor friend is left with a year of medical school under their belt and nowhere else to go, because what medical school will accept a student who has 'proven' that they can't complete a medical course? This is not, however, a complaint, as awful as the story is. This, to me, was a stark reminder of the competitiveness of British medicine and of just how hard you have to work at the course. UCL cannot be blamed for setting aside so many intelligent young minds, as they have so many of them, and as they are one of the top medical schools in the country, they want only the best. I can only be grateful that I made my choices in the way that I did and that P told me about their friend in order to motivate me not to make the same mistakes.
I think I might start on that post concerning choosing a medical school now, as it's fresh in my mind - wish me luck for results and here's fingers crossed I'll be posting to you next week with a confirmed place at uni!
See you later!
See you later!
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