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?
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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
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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?
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Academic standard
Insight into the career
Realism
Balanced temperament
Altruistic nature
Breadth of experience and interest
Maturity
What qualities make a good
Doctor?
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Dedication
Stamina
Aptitude
Compassion
What makes for success?
The application is for a job not just a degree
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Research the subject
Provide evidence
Be reflective
Explain passion
Be honest
Topics to cover
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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 test
University of Birmingham, 5 year
program
University of Bristol, 5 and 6 year
programs
University of Liverpool, two 5 year
programs and a 6 year program
St 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
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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
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do some background reading – Journals eg New Scientist etc.
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Be prepared to give an opinion on the subject
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Dress smartly.
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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 Association
www.bma.org.uk
General Medical Council
www.gmc-uk.org
Any Questions?
schools-colleges-liaison@bristol.ac.uk