Overview presentation on getting into Medical School in the UK for Sixth Form students. This presentation was delivered to the Sixth Form students at the Holland Park School in Kensington, London on 17th June 2015.

1. GETTING INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL
HOLLAND PARK SCHOOL
Presented by: Anita Iyer, MBBS student
Holland Park School Alumna
17 June 2015

2. MEDICINE
 5 year course
 PBL vs Lecture based
 Traditional vs Systems based
 Pre-clinical- 2 years
 Clinical- 3 years
 Intercalated degree

3. WHAT IS LIFE LIKE AS A MEDICAL
STUDENT?
 FUN!
 A lot of work!!
 Being organised is most important
 Find something to relieve stress
 A full timetable except Wednesday
afternoons off

5. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A DOCTOR?
Advantages
 Incredibly interesting
Lifelong learning
 Personal satisfaction
 Wide spectrum of
specialities
 Altruism
 Having a direct impact
on human lives
Disadvantages
 Time consuming
Training is long
 Job related stress
 a great deal of
responsibility
 Lack of social life/
unsociable hours

6. PROGRESSION IN A MEDICAL CAREER

7. SPECIALITIES IN MEDICINE
 Various types of surgeons
 GP
 Anaesthetics
 Paediatrics
 Obstetrics and Gynaecology
 Cardiology
 Gastroenterology
 Dermatology
 Neurology
 Radiology
 Pathology

9. ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
 GCSE’s
 Places for medicine are competitive so ideally
mainly As and A*s
 Predicted A levels of AAA- Some universities have
higher offers
 A2 Chemistry is a must for Medicine
 Usually want Biology but it varies between
universities

10. ADMISSIONS TESTS
UKCAT- Various Universities
 2 hour Computer based test
 Taken between May and September before you
apply
 5 sections
 1. Verbal Reasoning
 2. Quantative Reasoning
 3. Abstract Reasoning
 4. Decision Analysis
 5. Situational Judgement

11. ADMISSIONS TESTS
BMAT- Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial, BSMS, Leeds
 2 hour pen and paper test
 Sat in November
 3 sections
 1. Aptitude and skills- problem solving
 2. Scientific knowledge- science and maths
 3. Writing Task- develop an argument in essay
form

12. NON ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK EXPERIENCE
 It is expected that applicants will have
undertaken some voluntary work experience in a
caring/health environment and/or observation in
a medical clinical setting.
 It is important for applicants to have a realistic
appreciation of what a career as a health
professional involves.

13. SOME EXAMPLES
 Hospitals
 GP surgeries
 Volunteer work
 Hospices
 Overseas work
 Pharmacy
 Charity shop

14. HOW TO OBTAIN WORK EXPERIENCE
 The NHS is made up of over 300 NHS organisations
across England - each is responsible for arranging work
experience.
 Need to contact the NHS trusts in your area direct.
 Ask to speak to the human resources, voluntary
services or education and training departments,
and they'll be able to give you some guidance.
 You might also want to speak to the careers adviser
at your school or college who might be able to help. He
or she might already have agreements with the local
NHS around work experience placements.

15. LETTER FOR WORK EXPERIENCE
 You may be need to write a letter or email
with some more details about who you are and
what you want from the opportunity.
 Keep this brief and to the point - Who are you?
What do you want? Why? What can you
offer them in terms of your skills, other
experience - or just your commitment?
 Follow up with a phone call, email- Be
persistent!

16. SOME IMPORTANT POINTS
 Experience is essential – shows commitment, a well
thought out decision and a realistic view of medicine as
a career
 Helps to demonstrate an understanding of the role
of a (junior) doctor in modern medicine in both a
primary and secondary care settings.
 Helps to demonstrate an understanding of caring
for people and the harsh realities of illness.
 Helps to develop skills that would be applicable to
medicine, including but not limited to; communication,
patience, responsibility, accuracy, punctuality,
reliability, team work, individual work, leadership,
teaching, learning, etc.

17. QUALITIES OF A GOOD DOCTOR
 Think about what makes a good doctor
 Think about a doctor you admire and what you
like about them

18. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
 UKCAT Testing Days- 1st July- 6th October
 AS Results Day- 13th August
 UCAS Application Deadline- 15th October
 BMAT Testing Day- 4th November

19. THANK YOU