Progress in to Medicine

Penny Dowell

Selecting a Course

Are all courses the same no matter where you

take them? • No, there are variations in the curricula and in the teaching

methods. The qualification is the same (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), expressed as MB ChB. But all courses must comply with the demands of the General Medical Council (GMC) and the guidance outlined in Tomorrow’s Doctors.

• Tomorrow’s Doctors is a set of recommendations by the GMC which identifies the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour expected of new graduates. It also provides the standards for UK medical schools that the GMC will use to evaluate the quality of undergraduate teaching and assessment.

• This document can be found on the GMC website at http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/foundation/new_doctor.asp

How can choices be made?

• There are around 40 Medical Schools across the UK

• Look at whether they are problem based/integrated or traditional lecture based learning

• Facilities• Research• Teaching• Opportunities to intercalate• Electives

How is teaching delivered?

• Lecture• Seminars and Tutorials• Laboratory Work• Dissection• Computer-based• Clinical Skills• On the Wards • Theatres• Self-directed Learning

Applying through UCAS

The challenge!

• Too many applications for the number of places

(bad for home, worse for international students)

• Career training not just a degree

(long, complex, post graduation training)

Applications to Bristol

The medical degree programme at Bristol is very popular

• About 4000 apply each year• About 850 are interviewed• About 400 are offered places• About 250 will come to Bristol

• So – from those 4000 applicants, we are looking for about 250 who will make the best doctors

• Academic and personal qualities are both important

What are we looking for?

• Academic standard• Insight into the career• Realism• Balanced temperament• Altruistic nature• Breadth of experience and interest• Maturity

What qualities make a good Doctor?

• Dedication

• Stamina

• Aptitude

• Compassion

What makes for success?

The application is for a job not just a degree

• Research the subject• Provide evidence• Be reflective• Explain passion • Be honest

Topics to cover• A realistic interest in Medicine• Informed about a career in Medicine• Demonstrated commitment to helping others• Demonstrated a wide range of interests• Contributed to school/college/community

activities• A range of personal achievements

Relevant Experience

•Universities are now looking for more than just grades – they

want to know that you are really committed to your chosen area

of study

•We are not necessarily looking for medically-related work

experience. However, we are interested in caring experience

that may or may not be medically related (for example, a

hospital, an old people's home, etc), which should ideally be

gained over the year before you expect to arrive.

•Remember that you should be aiming for quality not quantity

Extra forms of selection

Varied use of other approaches

• Practical and skills tests• Written work• Entry tests

Courses using the UKCAT

University of Aberdeen (5 year)Barts and the London School of Medicine (5 year)Brighton and Sussex Medical School (5 year)Cardiff University (5 and 6 year)University of Dundee (5 and 6 year)University of East Anglia (5 and 6 year)University of Edinburgh (5 year)University of Glasgow (5 year)Hull York Medical School (5 year)Keele University (5 and 6 year)King’s College London (5 and 6 year)University of Leeds (5 year)University of Leicester (5 year)University of Manchester (5 and 6 year)University of Newcastle/University of Durham (5 year)University of Nottingham (5 year)Peninsula Medical School – Exeter and Plymouth (5 year)Queen’s University Belfast (5 year)St. George’s, University of London (5 year)

University of Sheffield (5 and 6 year)University of Southampton (5 and 6 year)University of St Andrews (6 year)University of St Andrews, North American Program (6 year)

Courses using the BMAT

Cambridge University (6 year)Imperial College London (6 year)University of Oxford (6 year) University College London (6 year)

 

Courses with no admission testUniversity of Birmingham, 5 year programUniversity of Bristol, 5 and 6 year programsUniversity of Liverpool, two 5 year programs and a 6 year programSt George’s, University of London, 6 year program

After the Application

•The University sends all candidates an email to acknowledge receipt of their UCAS form.•Each application is considered independently by at least two members of the Medical Admissions Team.•Applications are scored on a range of academic and qualitative criteria •Applications are then sorted into 3 categories: i) Automatic Interview ii) Hold or iii) Unsuccessful•Candidates in category i) are invited for interview.•Applications in category ii) not selected for automatic interview are put “on hold” until later in the application cycle when a review might result in some of these candidates being invited for interview.•Applicants in category iii) are notified as soon as possible through UCAS that their application has been unsuccessful.

The Interview

Medicine interview criteria

• Reasons for wanting to study Medicine• Awareness of current developments• Ability to communicate• Self-confidence, enthusiasm, determination• Ability to cope with stress• Being well informed about the course and career• Understanding of ethical issues

Interviews• Lets us discover the “real” applicant• Check out communication skills• Ability to analyse an unseen “issue or situation”• What is the applicants ethical/moral stance• Assess level of confidence

You should;• Thoroughly research the course you are being interviewed for• do some background reading – Journals eg New Scientist etc. • Be prepared to give an opinion on the subject • Dress smartly.• Focus on your communication skills – interviewers will be looking

for enthusiasm as well as knowledge.• http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/2013/

interviews/medical-applicants.html

For more information about the application process, go to www.ucas.co.uk.

This website has guides to the whole application process and will provide you with all the key dates

British Medical Associationwww.bma.org.uk

General Medical Councilwww.gmc-uk.org

Any Questions?schools-colleges-liaison@bristol.ac.uk