Medical school applications: maximise your medical mojo
With 10 candidates for every medical school place, wannabe doctor Isaac Ford talks tactics with the experts.
Medical school applications:
successful candidates will have excellent grades, clinical work experience, good
communication skills and a realistic understanding of
the profession. Photo: Sean Justice/Getty Images
Getting into medical school is
hard. I didn’t realise just how hard until I started to research it. According
to Ucas figures for 2012 entry, there were 82,489 applications to medical courses for only
7,805 places. This means there were 10.6 applicants for every place.
To give yourself the best possible chance of success – or at least a fighting
chance of an interview – your application needs to fulfil the tough academic
requirements and have an “X factor” that will catch the eye of the admissions
tutor, too.
For prospective medical students like me, it is a
daunting prospect. How to succeed? I talked to doctors, medical students and
academics involved in the admissions process to find out.
First, the basics: you need top grades – not just at A-level, but also at GCSE. Candidates with A/A*
GCSE results in English language, maths and science are preferred, and in
reality most successful applicants will boast As and A*s in a wide range of
subjects. Nearly all universities ask for chemistry A-level and at least one
other science: some insist this should be biology. A third A-level is needed,
and it can be any subject (although most medical schools will not accept general
studies or critical thinking). Realistically, to gain an offer your predicted
grades must be AAA at least. If you do get a conditional offer, your place at
medical school will be assured by meeting the required grades: AAA, or even A*AA
at some universities.
Most universities ask applicants
to take either the BMAT or the UKCAT aptitude tests, which examine GCSE
scientific knowledge and aptitude for medicine by assessment of verbal
reasoning, data analysis, abstract reasoning, decision-making and judgment in
real-life situations.
Students are told that there is a limited amount of work they can do to
prepare for the aptitude test, but Joe Hamilton, a third-year medical student,
told me otherwise. Hamilton was rejected by all four of his chosen universities
the first time round. His below-par UKCAT mark was partly responsible. “Two of
the rejections I received were due to the fact that I did not score highly
enough in the UKCAT.” So how did he make sure he got a better score the
following year? “The second time around I did a two-day course in London and a
lot more practice before sitting the test.” He dramatically improved his score.
The course Hamilton took is run by Kaplan, an international exam-preparation organisation, and teaches techniques for answering questions from each section of the test. For instance, careful time-management counts: it is crucial that you attempt all sections, as often the questions that carry more marks are towards the end of the paper. That’s a useful insight, but at £315 the course is not cheap.
“They say you can’t prepare for the UKCAT, only familiarise yourself with the questions,” Hamilton says. “I found that was not the case and the more practice you do, the higher the score you will get. I know a lot of others who are at medical school with me now had exactly the same experience of the UKCAT.”
Universities will also be looking for evidence that you are genuinely interested in medicine and have read widely around the subject, gaining insight into the NHS and health care generally. Dr Lawrence Seymour, a consultant in acute medicine at a teaching hospital, recommends starting as early as GCSE year. “I would advise a would-be doctor to keep a folder and collect anything in the general press or from medical journals such as the BMJ [formerly the British Medical Journal] that relates to medical advances, new treatments – anything that catches their interest.”
Before applying, students should make sure they have a clear idea of what being a doctor is about, says David Bender, an emeritus professor of nutritional biochemistry at University College London, and a former member of the medical admissions team. “Students thinking about applying to medical school should talk to doctors and medical students to find out what the course and the job is really like,” he says. “It is not all the glamour you see on television.”
Nearly all medical schools require applicants to have some sort of health-care-related work experience. I asked Dr Patrick Harkin, the deputy director of medical admissions at the University of Leeds, what counted as relevant experience. “Volunteering in a hospice is work experience, even if it’s not necessarily what you think of first. In fact, anything that has clinical relevance is work experience. Care homes, hospices, pharmacies, all places where something clinical is happening.” You don’t need a long list of placements, Dr Harkin says, as long as it is clear that you have learnt from what you’ve done. “It’s not about what you do; it’s about how much you get out of it. Some people get more out of a week than others get out of a month.”
Having said that, working or volunteering in a clinical setting for a prolonged period of time is valuable. “If you stick at something for six months, that shows dedication and an interest. If you’ve been at 15 different things we might start to wonder about your commitment, or your ability to get on well with other people.”
Work experience can also enhance your vital communication skills. Leo Feinberg, president of the University of Birmingham’s MedSoc and a third-year medical student, volunteered in an acute medical unit, where he learnt what he says is one of medicine’s most important lessons: that “Patients want to talk. They may be nervous, and they need someone to offload to.”
Only three medical schools, Belfast’s Queen’s, Edinburgh, and Southampton, do not interview prospective medical students. But certain medical schools place more emphasis on personal statements than others and information about this can be found on their websites. (Many universities provide a guide to writing the personal statement, as does Ucas.)
Dr Harkin stresses that a personal statement must concentrate on the individual’s unique experiences relevant to their choice of career. “Your personal statement is personal. It is about you. We are not after great prose. This is not a creative writing course.” Hamilton agrees: “Anything that I thought was relevant to my application, that I had gained something from, I put into my personal statement.”
At the interview, tutors are looking for commitment and enthusiasm. They also assess aptitude, empathy, communication skills and social awareness. Preparation is vital, says Dr Seymour. “Interview practice is really, really important. Most candidates are stumped or struggle to sound sincere when you ask them 'So why do you want to study medicine?’ My advice is: practise.”
A realistic understanding of the highs and lows of being a doctor is required. Prof Bender has a way of investigating this. “One of the questions I often ask applicants is: 'Has anyone tried to persuade you that medicine is an awful career?’”
Given the competition, it is inevitable that even some of the best candidates will be turned down. But this should not be a deterrent. Hamilton made good use of his enforced gap year by working as a health care assistant at a local hospital, which he believes boosted his application the second time around. “There are a lot of people who are second-time applicants, possibly as many as a third or half of the year group. I have not met anyone who has regretted having a year out – but I have met people who wish that they had had the opportunity.” The greatest benefit of his year out, Hamilton says, was the chance “to experience health care from the nurses’ perspective. From their point of view, doctors who started out as health care assistants make the best doctors!”
After speaking to Joe Hamilton – and so many other helpful people – I am encouraged, though the anxiety hasn’t completely left me. At least I know what I need to do to give myself a chance of being accepted — and maybe one day I will be able to look a patient in the eye and say: “Hello, I’m Dr Ford. How can I help you?”.
Grade and aptitude test requirements vary. Check university and medical school websites
For advice on admissions, see gmc-uk.org; for information on the 2013 UKCAT paper and practice questions, see ukcat.ac.uk; for the BMAT see admissionstestingservice.org; for Kaplan’s preparation course see kaptest.co.uk.
The course Hamilton took is run by Kaplan, an international exam-preparation organisation, and teaches techniques for answering questions from each section of the test. For instance, careful time-management counts: it is crucial that you attempt all sections, as often the questions that carry more marks are towards the end of the paper. That’s a useful insight, but at £315 the course is not cheap.
“They say you can’t prepare for the UKCAT, only familiarise yourself with the questions,” Hamilton says. “I found that was not the case and the more practice you do, the higher the score you will get. I know a lot of others who are at medical school with me now had exactly the same experience of the UKCAT.”
Universities will also be looking for evidence that you are genuinely interested in medicine and have read widely around the subject, gaining insight into the NHS and health care generally. Dr Lawrence Seymour, a consultant in acute medicine at a teaching hospital, recommends starting as early as GCSE year. “I would advise a would-be doctor to keep a folder and collect anything in the general press or from medical journals such as the BMJ [formerly the British Medical Journal] that relates to medical advances, new treatments – anything that catches their interest.”
Before applying, students should make sure they have a clear idea of what being a doctor is about, says David Bender, an emeritus professor of nutritional biochemistry at University College London, and a former member of the medical admissions team. “Students thinking about applying to medical school should talk to doctors and medical students to find out what the course and the job is really like,” he says. “It is not all the glamour you see on television.”
Nearly all medical schools require applicants to have some sort of health-care-related work experience. I asked Dr Patrick Harkin, the deputy director of medical admissions at the University of Leeds, what counted as relevant experience. “Volunteering in a hospice is work experience, even if it’s not necessarily what you think of first. In fact, anything that has clinical relevance is work experience. Care homes, hospices, pharmacies, all places where something clinical is happening.” You don’t need a long list of placements, Dr Harkin says, as long as it is clear that you have learnt from what you’ve done. “It’s not about what you do; it’s about how much you get out of it. Some people get more out of a week than others get out of a month.”
Having said that, working or volunteering in a clinical setting for a prolonged period of time is valuable. “If you stick at something for six months, that shows dedication and an interest. If you’ve been at 15 different things we might start to wonder about your commitment, or your ability to get on well with other people.”
Work experience can also enhance your vital communication skills. Leo Feinberg, president of the University of Birmingham’s MedSoc and a third-year medical student, volunteered in an acute medical unit, where he learnt what he says is one of medicine’s most important lessons: that “Patients want to talk. They may be nervous, and they need someone to offload to.”
Only three medical schools, Belfast’s Queen’s, Edinburgh, and Southampton, do not interview prospective medical students. But certain medical schools place more emphasis on personal statements than others and information about this can be found on their websites. (Many universities provide a guide to writing the personal statement, as does Ucas.)
Dr Harkin stresses that a personal statement must concentrate on the individual’s unique experiences relevant to their choice of career. “Your personal statement is personal. It is about you. We are not after great prose. This is not a creative writing course.” Hamilton agrees: “Anything that I thought was relevant to my application, that I had gained something from, I put into my personal statement.”
At the interview, tutors are looking for commitment and enthusiasm. They also assess aptitude, empathy, communication skills and social awareness. Preparation is vital, says Dr Seymour. “Interview practice is really, really important. Most candidates are stumped or struggle to sound sincere when you ask them 'So why do you want to study medicine?’ My advice is: practise.”
A realistic understanding of the highs and lows of being a doctor is required. Prof Bender has a way of investigating this. “One of the questions I often ask applicants is: 'Has anyone tried to persuade you that medicine is an awful career?’”
Given the competition, it is inevitable that even some of the best candidates will be turned down. But this should not be a deterrent. Hamilton made good use of his enforced gap year by working as a health care assistant at a local hospital, which he believes boosted his application the second time around. “There are a lot of people who are second-time applicants, possibly as many as a third or half of the year group. I have not met anyone who has regretted having a year out – but I have met people who wish that they had had the opportunity.” The greatest benefit of his year out, Hamilton says, was the chance “to experience health care from the nurses’ perspective. From their point of view, doctors who started out as health care assistants make the best doctors!”
After speaking to Joe Hamilton – and so many other helpful people – I am encouraged, though the anxiety hasn’t completely left me. At least I know what I need to do to give myself a chance of being accepted — and maybe one day I will be able to look a patient in the eye and say: “Hello, I’m Dr Ford. How can I help you?”.
Grade and aptitude test requirements vary. Check university and medical school websites
For advice on admissions, see gmc-uk.org; for information on the 2013 UKCAT paper and practice questions, see ukcat.ac.uk; for the BMAT see admissionstestingservice.org; for Kaplan’s preparation course see kaptest.co.uk.
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