Thinking about Medicine or Dentistry

 Why study medicine or dentistry  Where to study  Skills, attributes and qualifications needed  How to apply  Work experience  tests  Other ways of helping your application

 Do you have the right academic profile?  Do you know what it entails?  Why do you want to be a doctor/dentist?  Do you have the right personal attributes?  Are you prepared to work hard?3

Click on the column titles to view definitions subject choicesaccepts% total accepts my centrenationally V1 - History by Period %21.6%17.9% A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine4184.4%19.5%9.6% C8 - Psychology3973.9%17.9%17.8% M1 - Law by Area3873.9%18.4%18.3% B7 - Nursing3663.3%16.7%11.2% C1 - Biology3663.3%16.7%17.7% F1 - Chemistry3673.9%19.4%17.9% Z Combs of 3 subjects, or other general courses3395.0%27.3%22.6% L7 - Human and Social Geography3252.8%15.6%18.7% Y Combs of languages with arts/humanities3042.2%13.3%18.8%

DUTIES of a DOCTOR (GMC) ‘Patients must be able to trust doctors with their lives & health’ Patient care/ 1 st concern Protect & promote health of public Good standard practice and care Treat patients as individuals/ respect dignity Work in partnership with patients Be open and honest and act with integrity

Choosing a medical school Traditional or Lecture-based learning (LBL) or Problem based Learning (PBL)

 28 medical schools offering courses for school leavers (5 or 6 years)  16 medical schools offering courses for graduates (4 year courses) 6 medical schools in London

 Check with individual schools  GCSEs- may stipulate number of A*s  A levels- Chemistry nearly always, Biology sometimes  3 rd A level?  A*AAb - AAB  Other tests

 AAAb  Two sciences at A2 - one must be Biology or Chemistry (if one of these is dropped before A2, a B grade must be attained in that subject). Third A2 can be science or non- science. AS can be in any academic subject  General Studies, Critical Thinking, Further Maths (not considered as a separate A2 but acceptable as an additional AS level only).

 A*AA  A2 Chem and one of Biol/ Phys/Maths  A in Biology at AS if not taken at A2. Zoology or Human Biology are acceptable substitutes for Biology. "Preference will be given to those applicants who offer AAAA, achieved by the end of the first year of A level study"

 1606 applications  260 places  778 rejected before interview  805 interviewed  281 rejected after interview  516 places offered  6 applicants per place  Each applies to applicants per place

 595 applications  55 places  323 rejected before interview  265 interviewed  121 rejected after interview  135 places offered  10 applicants per place  Each applies to applicants per place

 Statistics from the 2011 admissions round (for 2012 entry)  1,465 applications (1,431 in 2010).  Overall, approximately 28% of applicants were short-listed (30% in 2010).  Initial short-listing was based heavily on available GCSE and BMAT data  ‘it is possible that the chance of being short-listed can be increased/reduced if an applicant has a higher/lower proportion of A* grades than would be predicted for the average student from their GCSE school.’  425 interviewed  160 offers  mean adjusted BMAT score was 68%.

 evidence of work experience  enhanced criminal records check  Health assessment  Vaccination against a range of infections to protect you 

 Deadline for registering is before UCAS deadline  UKCAT - Aberdeen; Brighton and Sussex ; Cardiff ; Dundee ; Durham; East Anglia ; Edinburgh; Glasgow ; Hull York ; Keele ; KCL ;Leeds; Leicester ; Manchester ; Newcastle ; Nottingham ; Peninsula Medical School ; Barts and The London ; Queen's University Belfast ; Sheffield; Southampton ; St George’s.

 Taken on line  Driving test centres  Required by the majority of Medical Schools

 MCQ  2 h test in 5 sections, each section timed separately  Verbal reasoning – drawing logical conclusions from written information Verbal reasoning  Quantitative reasoning – solving numerical problems Quantitative reasoning  Abstract reasoning - inferring relationships from the information provided Abstract reasoning  Decision analysis – pulling all the above together. Decision analysis  Non-cognitive analysis - identifies personal characteristics including robustness, Non-cognitive analysis empathy and integrity (not used in selection)

 No set curriculum  Not testing factual knowledge  Can find practice questions on the UKCAT website  Make sure you familiarise yourself with the instructions of each section – once you start the test, you can’t go back

 Register on line  Select test, test centre and date and time of test  Present yourself to the test centre  Must take test by early October of the year in which you plan to apply to medical school  Cost  You results will also be communicated directly to your chosen universities, but no one else

 Pen and paper test  Number of centres – can often take the test at school  Required by:  Oxford  Cambridge  Imperial College  University College

 2 h test  3 sections  Aptitude and Skills – generic problem solving skills  Scientific Knowledge and Application – application of scientific and mathematical knowledge (up to Key stage 4)  Writing Task – one from 3 - requires you to make a argument, effectively and concisely

 Practice tests on BMAT website  Brush up on GCSE knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics and maths if you are not taking these at A level

 BMAT test centres (schools) register candidates  Test is taken in early November on a pre-determined day and time  Cost

 You get your results in early December  Results are communicated directly to those of your chosen medical schools who require BMAT as part of their entrance requirement  You get your results in early December  Results are communicated directly to those of your chosen medical schools who require BMAT as part of their entrance requirement

 No set method of using the results  Need to check with each individual medical school  Should find details on website  When in doubt about entry requirements – check the relevant medical school official website  NOT a chat room – lot of misinformation!

 Your application won’t be considered without it  It will help you decide if medicine is for you  It will allow you to understand the profession and develop relevant skills

 A range- both medical and caring, primary and secondary care  Shadow a GP/ Dentist/ Consultant  Work with nursing team  GP reception  Care home/ nursing home/ hospice  pharmacy

 Mentor younger students  FACT/ SHARE  St John’s Ambulance  First Aid  volunteering in hospital café, WRVS  Working with disabled  Help with elderly relatives  Duke of Edinburgh, World Challenge

 Allied professions eg occupational therapy, radiography, midwives  - for experience abroad  Work in charity shops

 Contact lots of places and apply early  Consider writing to people directly  Use contacts  Use hospital websites  Contact HR departments; follow up with a phone call  Talk to Mrs Sutton

 Ask questions  Keep a reflective diary  Make more contacts  Ask advice  Listen  Get some written proof of having done the work experience

 Through UCAS by 15 th October 2015  4 choices and 1 non medicine  Advise you not to apply to more than one BMAT course

 Crucial  Reasons for choosing medicine  Work Experience  How you have researched into a career in medicine  Reading and wider appreciation of course and profession  Interests and hobbies

 Most medical schools interview  Preparation  Mock interview  scenarios