The Aspiring Medics
4 min
Updated: Mar 21, 2023
As one of the best medical schools in the country, UCL boasts of high student satisfaction, great iBSc options, varied teaching techniques and a brilliant location.
It places a lot of focus on careers and opportunities other than clinical medicine like paths pertaining to research, global medicine, medical policy and much more.
With lots of focus on students’ mental health, extra-curricular activities and patient-centered approach to medicine, UCL is the perfect university for any medical student!
A thorough understanding of your personal statement is absolutely essential as the panel has your personal statement in front of them and are liable to ask you about any aspect of them.
Along with a good understanding of current affairs and medical challenges facing the world, UCL interviews have the advantage of being less structured than other interviews, which allows interviewees to lead the interview in the direction of topics they are well read on.
This can be current affairs, a speciality, an activity or opportunity undertaken or impressing the interviewers with an in-depth knowledge of the UCL course.
While UCL interviews do not involve role plays or scenario based questions, students are expected to be able to engage in conversation regarding such aspects of medicine and explain their views, beliefs and understanding eloquently.
UCL is very involved in public health and is proud of many of its staff and professors being involved in the NHS and health Ministry. Have a good understanding of the structure of the NHS, its advantages, drawbacks, challenges, budget and services as it is very liable to be asked and should be known by a prospective student.
Questions regarding current affairs in medicine are a common favourite of UCL interviewers so it is vital all students are up to date on the large, major developments in medicine currently in the news
Even if they ask you to give an example of where you have used one particular skill (e.g. teamwork), always try and incorporate a range of other skills as well (e.g. leadership, resilience, integrity). This will present you in a better light to the interviewers.
UCL medical school operates as a traditional medical course- this involves a distinct separation of clinical and pre- clinical years along with a compulsory intercalated iBSc. Dissections rather than prosections provide a good grasp of anatomy. UCL is particularly proud of having a great number of intercalated iBSc options available for its medical students- from cardiovascular sciences to medical physics. Students carry out their placements at Royal Free Hospital, UCL Hospital and Whittington Hospital, all of which are at the forefront of medical treatment, where many of the doctors are presidents of their respective royal colleges.
At UCL Medical School all students are able to find a good-work life balance via the seemingly infinite numbers of societies to match any students interests- from academic to sport to arts to food. Many students are able to balance a part time job along with their studies, with a number of well-paying, flexible jobs available through the SU! Most first year student accommodation is within a 15 minute walk of the Medical School. Due to the large and frequently turning housing market, UCL students can choose who they wish to live with and start looking at properties as late as August, while students in smaller city universities have to choose their flatmates and properties after only a month of starting at university, which can be very stressful!
UCL has virtually every society one can think of- from the extremely popular societies such as sports, music and debating to niche interest societies such as bubble tea society, photography clubs and food society. Additionally, owing to the large number of international students, UCL has a large number of cultural societies, great for any one missing home or looking to learn about a new culture! Alongside the societies that help medical students mix with students from other courses, there is also varied student accommodation in first year along with numerous and large social places across the campus. Medical students are a family of their own but are very well integrated with students from all other courses!
UCL’s Medicine Society, commonly referred to as RUMS, is host to a multitude of events each year, renowned at UCL for their excellent organisation, diversity and regularity. Starting form Fresher’s Fairs to Final Year Ball, RUMS ensures that any students UCL experience is anything other than uneventful or boring! RUMS hosts events such as pub crawls, charity sporting events, many black-tie events, speed dating, quiz nights, themed parties (such as a James Bond themed night) and many others, along with the student- led RUMS committee being extremely responsive any event suggestions and feedback. RUMS is also vital to ensuring that despite the large size- 300+ students per year group- of UCL medical school, the atmosphere is warm, friendly and welcoming!