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Choosing Universities
📋 5 UCAS Choices
📝4 Medical Schools to Apply to.
🏆 Find the perfect fit for you.
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Factors to Consider
Remember there is no such thing as reputation when working under the NHS as a doctor. When you apply for your junior doctor positions, they don’t know your university.
🏆 Teaching Style
Although all medical schools teach the exact same content, the way they deliver this content differs. Choose a university whose teaching style matches your learning style.
📖 Course Structure
Universities differ in their course length as well as how early on students are exposed to clinical placements. Additionally, some universities may ask you to complete a compulsory intercalated degree. Keep these factors in mind while researching universities!
💻 UCAT/BMAT Weightage
Check which test the university accepts. Additionally, some universities may only consider UCAT and predicted scores until giving interview invites - after which, they solely focus on interview performance. Other universities may consider these factors throughout the admissions process. Apply to a university that suits your strengths.
💡TIP: Search for the average entry exam score (UCAT/BMAT) for the university in question by utilising Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests
📍Location
Since medical school lasts for 5-6 years, make sure you live in a place that suits you and your personality. Do you think you'd enjoy the hustle and bustle of a city more, or the communal feeling of a town? Perhaps you'd like to move to a beach to swim in the ocean, or up north to experience the cold!
💸 Fees
Although the fees for home students is capped, international student fees varies largely between universities. Make sure to apply to universities you can afford. For home students, different universities (and colleges within those universities) offer varying amounts of financial aid, which may be a factor you'd want to consider while applying!
🤸♂️ Student Life and Experiences
You want to be a university where you feel supported and can find a support system. Make sure to check student support, mental health, cultural and religious student groups at the university before applying to them. Additionally, try contacting seniors currently studying at the university to get a better idea of what a day in their life looks like.
🏫 Open Days
Open days are a great way to learn more about the university and visualize whether you'd be a good fit there. Due to COVID, most universities have switched to virtual open days and also offer virtual tours of their campuses. You can find links to them on our website!
Mythbusting
❌ Medical school is incredibly tough and everyone is always behind on work.
Yes, medical school is tough to get into, however, it is NOT hard to stay on top of things. If you've been accepted into med school, the faculty believe that you have the academic capabilities to do well there. Of course, it's completely reasonable to expect to be behind in some odd week - maybe you had some personal or family issues, or it was a friend's birthday so you went out more than usual. This is completely acceptable - just make sure to catch up the next week.
tl;dr it all comes down to self-discipline and time management. For more information, check out our Study Skills page.
❌ I will have to spend most of my time studying so I won't be able to maintain my relationships with family and friends once I'm in medical school.
Again, this all comes down to time management and prioritizing tasks. Planning your day/week in advance may help you prioritize time to Facetime your friends and family.
❌ I don't know how to cook and I'm going to be busy studying so I'm going to order food everyday and have an unhealthy lifestyle.
Moving to university is tough - you're going to have to live independently - do laundry and cook for yourself. While this may seem daunting, there are tons of easy recipes and ready-to-cook meals available online and in stores.
❌ Most accommodations offer small rooms and the good rooms are expensive. This is going to make me feel even more homesick.
University accommodation can be a bit expensive at times, however, halls are a great way for you to get to know other students in your university - especially those ones who aren't doing your course.
Alternatively, you can rent out a flat with some of your friends. In some cases, this may be cheaper.
Additionally, if you are from a low-income background, your university may provide discounted housing to you. E.g. KAAS at KCL
❌ Medical school is a huge jump from A Levels and I won't be able to cope up.
If you've made it past the interview stage, the university believes in YOU. Your application and skills have showed them that you can and will cope up in university. Just have some faith in yourself :)
Additionally, universities understand that most students come from A-Levels and so ensure that the first year (or at least the first semester) is a very smooth transition from school to university.
Lastly, if you face difficulties coping up, talk to a professor or your personal tutor. They will be able to help guide you much better.
❌ I come from a non-competitive school so I won't get into medical school.
This is just a misconception. The Aspiring Medics was created to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds still have the resources to apply to medical school. Consider using our free resources or applying for our scholarships. You may even want to get in touch with us or apply for the Aspiring Medics Programme!
Additionally, medical schools such as King's have special programs for students from non-competitive schools. (Research these programs in other schools)
❌ If I don't get into medical school on the first try, I can never get in.
This is absolutely false! There are so many medical students and doctors who didn't get into med school in their first attempt. There are a number of non-traditional routes into medicine such as taking a gap year or graduate entry medicine.
Life at Medical School
🏥What is a 'placement'?
A 'placement' is when you as a medical student will work in a hospital/GP practice for a certain period of time. This can either start early on i.e. in your 1st or 2nd year as in integrated medical schools or later on in your 4th or 5th years as in traditional curriculums.
Either way, the aim of placements is to expose you to clinical scenarios that you've learnt the theory about in university lectures/seminars. You will either be shadowing a consultant in an out-patient clinic or assisting junior doctors on ward rounds. You can also have a GP placement where you will be shadowing a GP.
During placement, you will get the opportunity to work with an MDT (multi-disciplinary team). You might also get the opportunity to practice some clinical skills you've learnt in medical school such as taking a history or taking bloods. The doctor you will be shadowing will act as your 'teacher', taking you through procedures and quizzing you along the way.
👩⚕️What is the difference between 'dissection' and 'prosection'?
Dissections and prosections are 2 common ways that medical schools aid your anatomy learning.
In a dissection, students would be assigned to groups (usually anywhere between 10-30 students). Each group would be assigned 1 cadaver that they would dissect i.e. cut themselves. Conversely, a prosection is the dissection of a cadaver by an experienced anatomist in order to demonstrate an anatomic structure to students. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages, but overall aid anatomical learning.
Currently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools have restricted dissections and/or prosections and have instead moved to online resources such as 3D body images.
📝What is an intercalated degree? Is it important?
An intercalated degree is when a medical student takes out a year from their education to get another degree. The degree takes a year to complete. Often students do intercalated degrees in medical subjects, such as anatomy or women's health, but you can also do something else such as global/public health, economics, business and so on. While most students do iBSc's, some also secure intercalated masters degrees.
Intercalated degrees are not mandatory in most universities. Doing or not doing an intercalated degree does not affect your chances of getting into your top choice placement once you're a junior doctor. We'd recommend doing an intercalated degree only if you're really passionate about that subject.
🏊♀️Can I get involved in non-academic activities in medical school?
Getting involved in extra-curricular or non-academic activities in medical school is entirely possible and highly recommended! These activities help you meet a community of like-minded students that can help you find your support group. Additionally, they offer stress-relief and teach you important life skills.
Remember your entire life shouldn't just revolve around medicine! Try your best to explore other activities that make you happy as well.
📚Would you say everyone is helpful in med school or the environment is very competitive?
The journey into med school is pretty competitive - with UCAT, predicted grades and interviews. Unfortunately, sometimes this competitive attitude carries on into med school. However, this does NOT describe every medical student. There are loads of students who are helpful and caring - make sure to surround yourself by a supportive friend group! We'd strongly encourage you to organize study groups and share notes with your friends. At the end of the day, we're all becoming doctors and we should help each other through this long, daunting process.
Timeline of a Doctor
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Open Days
Open days are a great way to learn more about the university and visualize whether you'd be a good fit there. Due to COVID, most universities have switched to virtual open days. We have compiled a list of teaching styles, open day links and virtual tour links of all medical schools across the country.
