So you want to be a doctor? An admissions resource for those applying for medical school in the UK

UCAS form

On this page:
UCAS
Predicted grades
Personal statement
Referee's statement
The other two places...
Which university?
GAP year/deferred entry
Hints and tips
How to apply - summary

UCAS

All admissions to universities in the United Kingdom are administered by an organisation called UCAS (Universities and College Admissions Service). If you want to apply to university, speak to your tutor at school/college or local careers advice centre. Visit the UCAS website, www.ucas.ac.uk (opens in new window). When you apply you have to fill in the UCAS form. For the latest costs for applying, check out the UCAS website. The form contains lots of information about you (name, date of birth, employment etc.) and also contains the personal statement and the referee/teacher statement.

The UCAS form is used to identify which students will get a place at that institution or go on to interview. Personal statements and teacher statements are talked about elsewhere. Although you will apply to do medicine just like any other degree course, there are a number of differences. Firstly, the deadline to hand in the UCAS form is earlier (usually middle of October, but you must check the correct date yourself). Secondly, although you have space for six places on the form, you can only apply to a maximum of four medical degrees. It is advisable that you use all four places because it is competitive. However, you can use the other two places for other courses. Many people have a 'back up' in courses related to biomedical sciences (physiology, pharmacology) and allied health professionals (pharmacy/optometry).

On top of the UCAS form you may need to take an entry exam and go to an interview as well as the correct qualifications and non-academic achievements.

You will need to check up on each medical school website to find out what their predicted grades are. generally it varies between AAB and AAA, with the majority of schools needing a predicted AAA. Most medical schools do not look at AS level results, and many schools choose not to declare the results (although this may be changing soon). So if you don't do as you expected at AS level, don't worry too much. Speak to your teachers and discuss your options - do you need to resit some modules, can your final exams boost your grades up or will you need to take the first AS year again? It is important that you find out what grades your teacher is predicting you, so ask them! Make them realise what grades you need - beg if you have to! If this doesn't work then ask your parents to go into school for a meeting with your teacher. However, if there is no way you're going to get the correct grades, then your teacher is not going to lie on the form.

Personal statement

Writing

Apart from achieving the required grades at A2 level, your personal statement is the single most important factor on the road to medical school. This short piece of text can decide whether or not you get that sought after interview or not.

Primarily, it is best to cover the fundamentals. Nearly all UCAS applications are done on the internet these days, so no excuses for bad handwriting! Spelling and grammar mistakes reflect badly so check, check and check again before you submit it. Also, get your teacher to have a look over it for a second opinion. English teachers are generally good for checking the way it sounds and any dodgy bits of grammar. Remember things like medicine, doctor and university do not require capitalisation (unless you are talking about the University of Leeds or Doctor Bloggs). The personal statement must be no more than 47 lines long (on the UCAS website - be aware: 47 lines in MS Word does not mean 47 lines on the form!) and no more than 4000 characters. If it is under the characters but over the lines it will not be processed and vice versa. UCAS provide an example personal statement in pdf here.

In terms of timing for your UCAS application, don't leave it until the last minute. This will just make you really stressed! Careers teachers are less busy earlier on (they get more and more busy as the deadline for submission looms) and therefore they should be able to afford you much more time and energy for help and advice. Also, depending on the university, the earlier the application, the earlier the interview and (hopefully!) offer which allows you to get the whole process out of the way before starting to revise for your A2s (although it doesn't always work out like that!)

Although you may be applying to other non-medical courses you only get one personal statement. Tailor this to medicine and nothing else. Other courses may write to you to ask for another non-medical personal statement, but this is rare.

It is important that your personal statement reads in a logical manner. Here is an example of a good format:

Why you want to study medicine
Work experience you have completed
Voluntary/community work
How you have researched into a career in medicine e.g. Medlink, or work experience
Hobbies, activities and achievements
Areas of responsibility including paid employment
Conclusion about why you should be picked

Why do you want to be a doctor?
People get in such a twist about this part of the personal statement. Use this section to explain to the universities why YOU want to do medicine, and how you came to that decision. People worry about saying the cliché thing and spend lots of energy trying to think of something original. The best thing you can do is be honest. If this means writing the cliché thing, then do it! Here's a website to offer some help: Essay Edge.

Example
"I want to study medicine because I really enjoy my science A2 levels and I like working with people. I recently spent one week shadowing doctors at St James's University Hospital in Leeds where I had the opportunity to see procedures such as keyhole surgery, endoscopies and suturing. Also for the last year I have visited an old peoples home one afternoon per week. I regularly read the Student BMJ and have attended a Medlink conference at Nottingham. I play hockey for my school team and have recently been promoted to captain. I also take part in a mentoring scheme at school where I help year 7 pupils with their reading. I am currently working toward my silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award. I work in McDonald's every Saturday morning. I am a dedicated, hard working pupil and I believe that I will make a good doctor."

The above example demonstrates that the student does a lot of extra-curricular activities but does it really show anything about their personality or their insight into the career? Remember that admissions tutors have to read hundreds of UCAS forms like this and they (quite rightly!) can get a bit bored of them! Don't be afraid of showing a little bit of your personality in the form. Make sure that you outline what you have learned from everything that you have done and how this has confirmed your chosen career, rather than just writing a boring list.
For example:

"I spent a week shadowing doctors at St. James's University Hospital in Leeds. I was lucky enough to be able to observe various procedures which I found fascinating and I also noted the importance of the trust involved in the doctor patient relationship and how important it is that a doctor is able to work as part of a team."

So, try brainstorming exactly what you have gained from everything that you have written down and mention anything that you were particularly interested in (but be prepared to mention it at interview). Even a part time job in McDonald's can demonstrate responsibility, organisation and teamwork!

You need to be selective on what you put on your personal statement. Sometimes there may not be space to put everything on! You need to have a compromise of enough activities with enough details, rather than just a list with no explanation, or one activity with lots of detail.

Need to cut down characters or lines?

Remember it's a personal statement, cut out anything unnecessary!
Don't repeat yourself
Cut out the waffle - be concise!
Get rid of pointless words e.g. the name of the hospital/doctor you worked with, exact dates (just put X months), pointless adjectives etc.
Ask your referee to mention some stuff that you cannot.
Get some structure to your statement
At the end of the day if you can't get it under the lines/characters you may just have to chop whole sentences.

Referee's statement

This forms the last part of the UCAS form and consists of a statement from your teacher, tutor or academic supervisor. It is important that the person writing this knows what sort of information the medical schools are after. Don't be afraid to ask if your tutor knows what to write or prompt them (obviously in a very polite way!). You want to stay on the 'right' side of your tutor at all costs! Below is a summary of what medical schools are after:

Commitment e.g. re-iterate the measures taken to find out about a career in medicine (work experience, conferences) and knowledge of the realities of life as a doctor.
Staying power e.g. interest, passion, enthusiasm to study and time management.
Communication skills e.g. interaction with staff and other pupils, listening skills, contribution to class, how they accept criticism.
Humility e.g. ability to care, involvement in the wider community.
Academic achievements - predicted grades, reasons for poor GCSE grades, 'late developers', certificates, prizes.
Leadership e.g. positions of responsibility, prefects etc.
Team work e.g. sports, committees etc.
Mitigating circumstances e.g. anything that may affect academic performance. If the person writing the referee's statement does not have all the information needed for the application it is important that information is sought from other sources.

If the person writing the referee's statement does not have all the information needed for the application it is important that information is sought from other sources.

The other two places...

Question marks This is often a dilemma for students and is something that should be thought about seriously. The medical school will not see what other courses you apply to (unless they are to courses in the same university). It is up to you whether you use the two places or not. Some people like it as a back up offer, as your thinking may change from when you apply to when you actually go to university. One thing to note is that you can't apply to do dentistry or veterinary medicine/veterinary science as your other two choices.

If you do get offers for medicine and do get the required grades and still want to do medicine, then you obviously go to medical school! However if something does go wrong then you have the option of either re-sitting A. Levels, or starting another degree and then applying to medicine through a graduate entry programme. There are pros and cons to each situation and at the end of the day it's up to you. At least if you've applied to two other courses then you have the option. Graduate entry programmes are even more competitive than 'normal' five-year programmes, so it may be easier to resit your A. Levels and try again in a year's time rather than spending money doing a degree you won't like. Most people apply to a biomedical science degree (physiology, anatomy, pharmacology, neuroscience etc.), biochemistry, microbiology or a health related degree such as pharmacy. This way the personal statement is not too out of place.

Do not think that applying to these subjects that you're in for an easy ride! They are all difficult subjects in their own right, so be prepared! If you do decide to use the other choices, do NOT mention them in your personal statement - you MUST still tailor your statement to medicine! Other degree programmes realise that many other students apply to their degree as back ups to other degrees e.g. medicine, dentistry and veterinary science and are sympathetic to this.

Check this thread from newmediamedicine.com for some other opinions (link opens in new window).

Which university?

Choosing which university is quite rightly a difficult decision. It's a place where you'll be spending the next five plus years of your life. Have a look on each of their websites to see when the next open day is - this way you can see the university and meet some current students. There are lots of things to weigh up and only you can look at the pros and cons of each.

Does the university do medicine? (check their website)
Location i.e. in a city or in the country
Time take to travel back home (check Google maps (link opens in new window))
Rail and road links (check The Trainline (link opens in new window))
University accommodation (check the university's website)
The students' union (type in the 'city' and 'student union' into Google (link opens in new window))
Variety of sports clubs and societies (check the student union's website)
Quality of student support (check university's website)
Type of medical degree on offer and the course structure (check medical school's website)
What are the local hospitals like? (type the 'city' and 'hospital' into Google (link opens in new window))
Elective arrangements (see medical school website or ask current students)
Away placement arrangements (ask at open days or current students)
Feedback from current students
Atmosphere (ask at open days or current students)
Quality/diversity of SSCs (ask at open days or current students)
What is the surrounding area like? (look at the local council's website - type the 'city' and council' into Google (link opens in new window))
As entry requirements vary between universities, you must check that you meet the specific requirements for that particular medical school.
You may want to look at university league tables, however it's widely recognised that they should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Look at this thread from newmediamedicine.com (link opens in new window). It shows different applicants per place. Although you shouldn't get too hung up on statistics (like it or not all medical schools are very competitive), this may be of interest to you.
What are the clubs, bars and pubs like in the city? (pay the city a visit or check Google (link opens in new window))What are the shops like? (pay the city a visit or check Google (link opens in new window))
Would I have to sit another exam e.g. BMAT, GAMSAT or MSAT to get in? (Check Medical School's website)

GAP year/ deferred entry

Medical schools encourage you to take years out following your A. Levels. People who take time out either to travel, earn some money or get more experience are often more mature than those people straight out of school and will be able to handle the course much better. If you do decide to take a year out, then you can apply to medicine when everyone else does i.e. during your A2 year and then tick the defer entry box or apply during your GAP year once you have your grades. There are advantages and disadvantages to each system:

Defer entry
If you apply with everyone else, you will get the same amount of support from teachers etc. with your UCAS form etc. If you get into medical school, you can go off travelling or whatever and you don't have to worry about anything and your future will be planned! Also, even if you do get rejected, then you can still take your GAP year and re-apply.

Apply during year out
If you do this there will be less pressure when you apply as you will already have the grades. However this can create a lot of hassle during your year out. You can be called for interview with a week's notice, which will mess up your travelling time (especially if you're on the other side of the world!). Also, if you get four rejections, then you'll have to apply again (thus taking another year out). If you do plan to take a GAP year then you should mention your plans and what you hope to achieve in your personal statement.

Tips

Get someone to check over your UCAS form for any spelling or grammar mistakes before submitting it
Medical schools receive over 2000 applications each, which is a lot of UCAS forms to go through! The deadline to let you know is April/May time, so universities have from October to April to make a decision. Don't panic if you don't hear anything in the first few weeks...or if your friends hear before you do...it doesn't necessarily mean anything!
If you do decide to use your other two choices, then don't mention them in your personal statement - tailor your statement to medicine.
Use up all four spaces on your UCAS form. Medicine is so competitive that you need to increase your chances as much as possible. If you really want to do medicine, then it may mean going somewhere you don't want to go!
Although you need to say why you want to be a doctor, medical schools are also looking for someone who has a realistic view on what doing medicine is really about. Someone who says they want to do medicine to save people's lives clearly hasn't got a realistic view of what medicine is like and has been watching too much ER! Think back to your work experience, doctors don't spend all day doing chest compressions!
Don't write a load of lists on your personal statement. Write in continuous prose. However do use paragraphs as this will make it more readable and it gives a structure to the statement. You may want to use subheadings, but this may take up more space.
To make your personal statement sound even better you can use certain 'buzz words' and phrases. These will have the admissions tutors eating out of your hands! Try this thread from newmediamedicine.com (link opens in new window).
In the part of the form where you have to put your qualifications and grades, don't forget things like music exams from ABRSM or the MSAT/BMAT etc. results.
If your personal statement is too long try and be more concise. Delete unnecessary sentences or places you have repeated your self. Try not to waffle and try to re-phrase things to make your sentences shorter. Remember keeping within the limit is a skill in itself and something that you need to learn as a doctor!
Some people like to write quotes in their personal statement. However, make sure you're doing for the right reasons. Having quotes may make you sound pretentious, or it may make you stand out - that is the risk. Also interviewers will be ready to quiz you on it!
Most personal statements are marked against a score sheet. Originality will not count directly as one of the points (although indirectly it may help).
You may want to add a bit about your academic subjects in your personal statement, and this is fine. However, be aware about limited space and the fact that the medical schools know what subjects you're taking from the other part of the form. I wouldn't spend too much time on this if you do decide to put it in, as personal statements are there to assess dedication to medicine and whether you're a well-rounded person.
Don't lie on your personal statement, however don't draw on negative things that have happened to you e.g. "I play the piano but failed my grade 7".
Be wary of saying what speciality you want to go into after you graduate. This could seem naive, as you may not have experienced other sides of medicine. You could say that from your previous job or work experience that you have an interest in something else though.
Try not to 'name drop'. Unless you have done work experience with the most famous person in a certain field then the people reading your personal statement will not have heard of that person - even if he/she is a surgeon! It will just sound like you're trying to get a place on your contacts and not what you got out of it.
Although going out and getting drunk may take up quite a large chunk of your time and it may help you develop your social and communication skills (especially after one too many!), it is not advisable to put this on your form!

W.A.M.S.

Widening Access To Medical School