UKCAT and UCAS

So I took the UKCAT, I predicted a score of 650 band 1 or 2. I was wrong...I got 697.5 and Band 2. I'm really happy with it even though it meant I couldn't apply for GEM courses it did mean I could apply to 5 year courses. I got 710 on the year the UKCAT was inflated. I was in the 9th centile this time so I can't complain! 

The exam was horrible, absolutely awful, in fact the least stressful section was QR (I HATE maths so this should tell you something). I had predicted I would score from highest to lowest:
1. DA
2. VR
3. AR
4. QR

It ended up being:
1. DA
2. QR (I know!!!!!)
3. AR
4. VR

I have no idea what went wrong with the VR I felt it was ambiguous, but I've never had a problem with that before at all so its a bit of a shame as had that been a little higher I would have made the 700 mark for Warwick. I literally managed to finish just in time on each of the sections apart from DA and SJT where I had time to spare. But hey, its done now! 

I submitted my UCAS and right up until I pressed send I still wasn't sure where I was going to apply as I really liked 7 courses! But I finally managed to make my decisions! Like I said all 5 year courses, and I'm not going to reveal where as I would like to stay anon for as long as possible! 

But yes, so now we wait....and I get working on Chem A level and GAMSAT in case I don't get any offers this time around!!! 

Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this! You're all amazing....now for the next 6 months if you could all keep your fingers permanently crossed for me that would be perfect! 

Nerves

I've entered myself for the UKCAT this cycle fully expecting it to go badly. My practice scores are so up and down it is impossible to tell what my average truly is and I am aware that I am frankly not very good at the exam. But I am more nervous time time than any other (I have taken it twice before). I think it is because I have decided that there isn't really an alternative career that I will be happy in other than medicine which although I know this year it is unlikely to happen for me feels like a heavy weight on my shoulders! 

My VR (should be my best section) because of the larger proportion of comprehension questions rather than true, false, can't tell seems to be an issue. I am not absorbing the necessary information quickly enough. My QR is as always average - I tend to get the questions right now at least 65-70% of the time, but time is the enemy here and I do run out of it as my maths is painfully slow. AR is always pot luck for me, I usually find a pattern, different to the ones the various resources want me to find, but still a pattern regardless, 60-65%. DA last time was amazing I had 860, this time I'm right only 70% of the time which is a shame as it was DA that bumped my score up last time, I'm not altogether too sure why this is happening either which is frustrating as I can't fix it! I'm not too worried about SJT, on the one resource it isn't going well but the Unis I think I will be applying to don't really look at it and I had band 1 last time so I'm hoping I'll manage a Band 1/2 this time around.  But all in all, I don't think I can achieve the same mark I had last time and I'm predicting a 650 or there abouts, but we will see. 

Why can't we go back to how it was when I was a 6th former, A levels, interview off you go! These tests are so hard to get right!!!! 

Keep everything crossed for me.... I will update with whatever news I have to share, lets hope it is positive. 

Volunteer Training Days Booked

Feeling really excited now - I've had confirmation for the two training days for my new voluntary placements at a local hospital! Both have direct patient contact and will be very different from each other, one is working with all patients from all walks of life and the other is specifically with patients with dementia. I am equally excited about both as I think I will learn a lot from them and they will really help me on my re-ignited journey towards medicine. 

I really enjoy volunteering and I am so lucky to have had all sorts of volunteering and work experience to talk about should I ever be lucky enough to get an interview! One of my choices specifies the time line but hopefully the volunteering training confirmation today means that after the training I can get started to meet the quota in recent times. I'm also waiting to hear back from a really exciting work experience/shadowing placement in a specialty I have never experienced before so I'm really hoping I get to do that too! 

I had forgotten how arduous preparing for the UKCAT was, but I keep reminding myself that this is going to have to happen quite a few times potentially, especially seen as my mock scores seem much lower than the last time I took the UKCAT. However, not everyone is lucky enough to have a smooth run to med school and I'm still hoping I will eventually make it!!!  If I lose my path again, please all feel free to poke me and remind me that I really do not want to do anything else. 

More positive steps in the right direction today for sure! 

Didn't quite make it

Firstly my apologies for going awol. After deciding to give medicine another go, things went upside down health wise which prompted me to rethink. But I'm back on track now, still trying to get into medical school. 

I am taking the UKCAT soon, however I am not anticipating a good score, I've been using online practice materials (not official ones yet they're for closer to exam day) and frustratingly my scores seem lower than the last time I attempted it. I still have some time so you never know. However, some may know I have children and they are in the middle of exams etc so it won't be the end of the world if I have to wait until 2017 despite how much I just want to get on with it now! 

I am going to be doing my A level Chemistry as a private student to broaden my options too and I am volunteering at the local hospital. Everything is ticking over slowly, I just don't seem to be getting anywhere! Stuck in eternal limbo between being a graduate and medical student. Still hoping I will make it, not being entirely sure if I am capable anymore, but still praying for my break. 

But yes, I'm still here. Still trying to balance my family and life commitments around trying to realise my ambitions! Hope you're all well! Sorry again for the absence - going to get this blog going again!!! <3 

Trying Again

After feeling so dejected knowing I wouldn't be going to med school in 2014 I didn't think I'd be applying again.  But today after considering my options a million times over over the last few months I realised how unhappy I'd be in any other career....so I've decided to try again for 2015 entry.  I think I'm going to take both the UKCAT and the GAMSAT and really give it a good go! I have to try else I'm going to regret it, I know I will.  I think having moved here and then having to defer my MSc things just haven't quite gone to plan and it sent me off track.  

My health hasn't been 100% but I'm having treatment and physical therapy to help get my strength back to tip top condition so I'm really hoping things will improve over the next 6 months.  Time to get thinking about more voluntary work and perhaps some more work shadowing in the new area! 

Feeling 100% happier and more settled now I know I'm going to give it another go.  Also feeling very lucky to have had so many people on twitter message me with their support and advice - I'm so grateful for every single message!  Thank you all.  

Here we go again.....

UKCAT

So after not being well for the GAMSAT (again!) I was starting to lose hope of being able to apply for med school this year, but I decided to bite the bullet and take the UKCAT this week.

I was so scared, I literally was feeling petrified! Had to take two trains to get there and then walk for about 20 mins to find the centre, when I got there it wasn't open as they were closed for lunch so I spent ages praying I was in the right place surrounded by people who were incredibly calm waiting to go for their driving theory tests. So after getting all signed in I sat down and took a few deep breaths for a moment and then started the test!  I found the VR section rather stressful and the QR section incredibly stressful, in fact I didn't manage to put anything at all for the last question as I ran out of time and had to guess about 10 questions as I just wasn't quick enough!  Abstract reasoning started to make me feel slightly better about it all as to be honest after QR I was starting to feel a little hopeless, and DA went really well.  The SJT was completely fine and about 30 questions from the end of the section I started to really look forward to the whole thing being over...and then panicked that I wouldn't have done very well in it.

I finally finished and went to collect my stuff from the locker whilst waiting for the results. My heart was pounding and I was over the moon when I saw I had 710 overall and SJT band 1!

I was thrilled as I genuinely was just praying for 650 so as you can imagine I feel very very lucky.  Now comes the hard part....choosing where to apply and writing my personal statement (I didn't want to start it before I took the UKCAT as I felt as if I was jinxing myself).  So here we go....fingers crossed my luck continues!

Final Results Pending

Don't ask me how I did it, in honesty I have no idea, but I had a first for my dissertation and one of my final exams.  In fact I've only had 30 2:1 credits all year, the rest have all been firsts! I'm over the moon, I still don't know what my final exam result will be, but even if I don't get a first overall my lowest possible mark is a very high 2:1!  I feel very lucky after having such a stressful year last year to have had such a wonderful year so I'm over the moon.  I've really enjoyed the year and I'm actually really sad that my Undergraduate degree is over, I'm going to miss my friends but we're going to all be relatively close to each other.  Some are going on to do masters like I am, others have jobs lined up.  I'm now getting ready to start looking at the UKCAT, GAMSAT and BMAT. 

I'm hoping that this year I will get high enough marks in those exams to be competitive, if not then I will be taking a year out and reapplying next year!  I'm going to keep trying!  I'm hoping that eventually I will get there in the end.  Although I didn't put an application in last year I'm considering applying for at least one 5 year course to try and increase my chances....we shall see though.  
The house is on the market (yay!) so the wheels are firmly in motion for our big move.  My other half is also starting uni in September which will be very exciting.  I'm encouraged by my success in my BSc and looking forward to the MSc more and more each day.  Just waiting for my confirmation of my 2:1 (or above!). 

I'm a little nervous about my result for my final exam, although I'm not terribly good at guessing my results, this exam was quite a beast! I suppose it is good practice for the GAMSAT though.  I'm trying to decide how I'm going to tackle the revision for that, currently just considering what topics I need to go over.  I'm only going to be applying for one GAMSAT uni probably as I don't like the thought of putting several choices down when I don't already have the results in case I'm just wasting choices as I don't know the score.  

Anyway, enough rambling on.  I'm off to watch 24 hours in A and E on catch up! Thanks for reading :). 

Dissertation work

I'm nearly at the end of my third and final year.  So far my marks have been really high this year, my lowest was just 2 marks off a first, I don't know whether my overall final grade will be, but either way I'm over the moon with how this year has gone.  Its been hard work, but I couldn't have asked for better marks.  I'm in the middle of writing my dissertation, I'm actually really enjoying it (mostly) although I have my days where I would rather be doing almost anything else (as I'm sure most people do), overall I'm finding it really interesting and I definitely picked the right topic.  

Then I have my two final exams.  I'm actually REALLY nervous about these, I haven't finished my dissertation so I'm not dedicating enough time to my revision yet, which is frustrating as there are a lot of topics to cover.  I need to get my head in gear really and have my dissertation finished by the beginning of next month so I can plough head first into my revision. I think I am also overthinking my dissertation a little, perhaps I need to concentrate more on writing words on the page rather than making sure everything I write is absolutely perfect.  This is the largest piece of work I've ever done and I think it is good practice for my MSc, hopefully it will go well and I will get a good mark.  

Other than that I can't really think of anything to report, getting the house ready to sell still, we've planned where we're going to be living and my other half is getting ready to become and Undergraduate at the same uni I'm going to be doing my MSc.  Overall everything is slowly slipping into place (fingers crossed!). 

Hope everything is going well for everyone in their final year (and every other year of course), not long to go now! 

Happy New Year

First of all, Happy New Year! I hope that 2013 brings you all what you are dreaming of!  I've had some good news to start the year, I've been offered a place on my first choice MSc course!  As I want to remain anonymous I'm not going to declare what course this is but I am so happy to have had an offer.  I've got to get a 2:1 in my BSc, but I'm confident that I should be able to do so, so fingers crossed I'll have a new start in September.  

I had previously been feeling pretty rubbish about not getting into medicine (or even applying this time around) but now I feel like this was definitely meant to be, I love the sound of the course and I believe it will really benefit my medicine application in the long run, be that for 2014 or even 2015 entry - I will keep trying until I get where I need to be.  For now I have exams coming up at the start of the new term essays, a dissertation and more exams standing between me and my MSc offer, but I'll get there. 

So for me, so far the start of 2013 has been a positive one, for that I am very grateful! 

Wishing you all a happy new year, and lots of luck for those with medical school interviews/postgraduate applications. 

Enter Plan B

So this month didn't go to plan at all.  As you all know I was due to take the dreaded GAMSAT. I knew it wouldn't go well, I was incredibly unprepared and it was always going to just be a trial run.  However, the morning of the exam I woke up at about 4:00am sneezing my head off. Constantly.  Until about 6:30am when I got up, had a bath, got ready to leave, when suddenly I realised that I was being a little silly.  Not only was I feeling like death warmed up (I'm really really not a fan of colds!), my throat felt like I was swallowing razorblades, but I STILL couldn't stop sneezing. I'd taken piriton, tried hot lemon water, but nothing was working, but I realised that if I went and sneezed my way through the entire day, I would distract everyone else in the room, the people who were not there for a trial run, would be utterly aggravated by my incessant AAAACHOOOing.  I didn't want to ruin anyone else's chances of getting a med school place by being a distraction, so I went back to bed for the day.  Plus I told myself, I was only going to put George's down if I felt the day went well (which I was almost 100% sure it would not) plus I still had my UKCAT to do, excellent, right decision.

My UKCAT was a couple of days ago. I was quietly confident, I had been getting high marks in all sections aside from QR which was a touch on the low side in all of the mock questions I was answering from books and a website I subscribed to.  More importantly I completed the UKCAT mocks and they went really well, in fact in DA I was only 2 questions off 100%.  When I sat down in the actual test and started doing the VR questions I was pleased that they felt significantly easier than the practice questions I had completed, and although I was concerned that my QR may have dragged my average down a touch, I was quite calm throughout.  When I got my results however, they shocked me, I was no where near the cutoffs for any of the Unis I wanted to apply to. I smiled at the lady at reception, put on my coat, and left quickly.  I was still ok, no tears, until I spoke to my other half (who was tremendously supportive) and realised that my medicine dream was over for this year at least.  What is even more ridiculous is that DA was my lowest score, QR my highest?!  I have absolutely no idea how the UKCAT is marked, I truly can't even begin to understand it if they really believed QR was my highest section, but they seemed to! 

I was pretty angry with myself for the rest of the day, kept forgetting and then remembering and I felt horrible messaging my dad to tell him I'd messed up (even though he was very sympathetic). But after lunch with one of my best friends at Uni, I realised that my plan B was a pretty fantastic one, I now get to choose a Masters at a new Uni and do something really interesting for a year whilst increasing my medicine application portfolio.  So I've spent the last couple of days researching exactly what kind of thing I want to do an MSc in and I'm sorting out referees etc.  I now actually feel quite excited. It does come in waves however, one minute I'm really excited the next I feel a tad sad, but I believe there is a reason for everything! 

Bring on Plan B....its the new Plan A now folks! 

Personal Statement

So as you know I am a mature student.  I've written personal statements before, in fact I used to help my friends write them when we were in 6th form, yet I can't seem to write mine for my medicine application.  I don't understand what is wrong with me, I have written everything out in bullet points, I know what I want to say but it just doesn't feel strong enough!  I have no idea what is missing from it, but I know I need to get it finished by next week to send to my tutor who is going to be writing my reference.  I don't know what is wrong with me, this is the most important thing I'm ever going to write and I can't seem to get it sorted.  

I have work experience all next week and then the GAMSAT next Friday so I really have to get it sorted this weekend, why does this seem so impossible?  I think it is because I've been planning it for over 2 years now that I just want it to be perfect, when truthfully nothing ever is.  I want to study medicine, I'd love to study next year, but I know it is unlikely.  I'll be happy to do my MSc, but I don't want to not get an interview because I've not produced a strong enough Personal Statement!!!  

I can write blog posts with ease, I talk comfortably, I can even write essays with very little difficulty, yet a statement telling admissions tutor why I'm a good candidate to study medicine is really scary! I'm positive I'm not the only one who feels this way, I just know that the competition for places will just be so intense and I want to make my application stand out more than anything!

Anyway, I'm going to go and sit and make some more notes and hope a draft magically appears!  

My final year approaches....

Usually after such a long absence I would apologise for being awol.  However, I have to admit that this time it has been a deliberate choice not to blog.  I've been incredibly busy.  As many of you know I had to take my second year exams in the summer as I was poorly during exam period.  I am pleased to report that I passed the year with a high 2:1 so I'm very very excited to be going into my 3rd and final year of my BSc.  I have already started working on my dissertation and I have chosen my supervisor which is great and I'm really looking forward to it.  The modules this year seem really interesting which is always an added bonus, cannot believe however that in just over 8 months time my degree will be over.  

As for my medical school application, I am taking the GAMSAT on the 21st of this month, however due to my exams I have not prepared well for it at all, so depending on how I feel it went on the day will decide whether or not I will be applying to one GAMSAT uni or not.  My UKCAT is booked for the start of October and I'm truly not sure how it will go.  I'm hopeful I'll meet the cutoffs for my preferred unis, if not then I will have to try again next year.  I have found some MSc courses that I really really like the look of, so I shall also be applying for them at the start of next year.  So hopefully next year I will either be starting a postgrad qualification, or graduate entry medicine....time will tell! 

I think I was a little frustrated that things didn't go to plan last year, but to be honest, although it does seem frustrating that I may have to wait yet another year (at least) to go to medical school, my resolve has been strengthened even more!  I KNOW this is what I want to do and my BSc has proved that to me.  Whatever will be will be, and I'm not going to dwell on the outcome of this round of applications too much.  I'm sure if I don't get in this year there will be a few tears, but one thing I've learned about myself is that I'm more than capable of picking myself up and dusting myself off, and making sure my application is even stronger and my UKCAT and GAMSAT marks are even higher.  We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. 

Other than that there is nothing exciting to report, we didn't manage to go on holiday this year, as we're saving in case I have to do a MSc, maybe next year we'll have enough to pop to Europe for a long weekend. We have had some nice day trips though, which is always a bonus!  So yet again, I'm sorry for my absence, I will try to update more regularly, honest! 

Have a nice day everyone. 

Planning

It seems that my life revolves around planning at the moment, booking my UKCAT, planning open days, sorting out my revision schedule for the summer, figuring out my dissertation topic, all requiring lots of planning.  I don't seem to have much time to do anything between volunteering and working towards the summer exams and next year!  I don't mind because I know that it'll (hopefully) be worth it in the end, but it would be nice to have a little bit of "me" time without feeling guilty and thinking that I should be doing something else instead. 

I'm sitting here waiting for my dad to call me so that I can go and pick up something from him, wishing he'd hurry up as I'm wasting time that I should be spending reading for my dissertation so I can send my proposal to my lecturer and have a supervisor assigned to me.  I still can't believe that in September I'll be in my 3rd year, this degree has flown by.  I've really enjoyed it, I wish I hadn't had the health problems I've had with it but I'm pretty proud of myself for being able to continue with it despite them.  

I think today I'm going to meet my dad, finish doing some reading, write a draft proposal, do a spot of note making for my exams and then catch up on some other work. My other half has plans this evening and I'm going too, so I'll probably be shattered by about 9pm, just in time for 24 hours in A and E.  Frustratingly I wake up pretty early most days and I'm shattered pretty early in the evening too, which also makes me feel guilty and feel like I should be working rather than crashed out on the sofa.  

Anyway, my dad has just called and told me he's not meeting me for over an hour so I'm going to get back to my reading.  Hope everyone has at least had the chance to enjoy some of the lovely sunshine we've had, fingers crossed that wasn't our summer.  

Medical School Panic

So, in one month I'll be finishing my 2nd year.  Excellent and I'm finally healthy enough and my ankle seems stable enough (touch wood!) to begin my volunteering, which is amazing.  I also have the shadowing sorted for the summer, alongside the project I've been working on which has been amazing, but I can't help feeling my application isn't going to be strong enough for this year.  I did a practice UKCAT test yesterday for the first time (I didn't even know what was involved) and it was ok I suppose for a first attempt, aside from the numerical section which was absolutely appalling, which does not bode well for me at all.  I really didn't want to rely on the GAMSAT too much as it is such a beast I wanted 2 UKCAT Unis and 2 GAMSAT Unis and now I'm worried that I'm going to have to go for 4 GAMSAT unis.  

I have absolutely no idea how this is all going to pan out, I had everything planned to the nth degree and then I messed it all up by getting injured.  Completely my fault, but it isn't going to make me feel great when I have to take yet another year to apply again if I don't get in this time.  I'm a mature student (I'm still the right side of 30 but still!) and I just feel frustrated. I'm seeing on forums that people who are quite honestly fantastic candidates getting rejected from all 4 choices, even with high scores, high academic grades etc. 

If people who are:
a) Younger than me
b) Have better academic credentials than me
c) Have higher GAMSAT/UKCAT scores than I can ever hope for
d) Have more voluntary work experience than me
Aren't getting offers, what am I supposed to do?  I just hope that I get one offer, I don't mind where, I really truly don't, I'll be happy with any of the 6 places I want to apply to (I haven't narrowed it down yet, open day season is upon us!) were kind enough to offer me a place I'd be over the moon.  I can't quite get my head around people being offered places and then saying that they're not sure they're going to take them as it wasn't their "first choice"... *DON'T APPLY TO A UNI UNLESS YOU'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THE PLACE*. 

Anyway, I'm going to stop ranting, just having a moment of complete and utter blind panic! I'm going to go and revise, because one thing is for sure, I'm not going anywhere unless I pass my degree!  Thanks for reading.  

GAMSAT Ireland

Initially I had planned to take the GAMSAT twice, I wanted to know what I was heading for before the final attempt in September.  Unfortunately as I've mentioned on here before, life has a funny way of getting in the way of things and after my injuries this year, I'm only just about caught up on my Undergrad stuff in time for exams let alone adding to my stress with GAMSAT revision.  So I didn't take it last weekend. 

A couple of my friends however, did.  They went to Dublin and they took the dreaded exam, and apparently, it was awful.  They said that the humanities side of it wasn't as bad as they thought, but the science side was dreadful. I believe them, I'm sure it was a horrific day but I'm optimistic that it will be ok in Sept. I don't truly know how much prep they did for it.  We've had essays etc due in, and I just don't know how much work they did.  I don't know when they had the time to fit in the amount of prep needed this term, so I'm still hopeful that it won't be a complete disaster in September.  

I'm not sure how it will go for me, but I'm also planning on taking the UKCAT and if I do alright in that I will apply to some GAMSAT and some UKCAT unis.  Still keeping my fingers crossed for a miraculous interview after applications.  I start hospice work soon and I have work experience lined up (only short shadowing), but I also have that exciting project I have spoken about before to talk about in interview, which I've really enjoyed (and I'm looking forward to finishing before my exams start in 11 weeks time fingers crossed!).  So I'm still hopeful, if not MSc here I come.....! 

Exams are looming

So, we're reaching the end of March, at the end of May the bulk of my exams will be over, with only one left to sit at the end of June and one presentation which had to be delayed from earlier in the year due to my poor health.  I have less than two months to go and I still have written work to complete including a lab report and an essay.  I am starting to get stressed as there are a lot of topics to cover.  Even more worryingly, this will mark the end of my 2nd year. 

When I return in October I will have completed my personal statement, ready to send off my UCAS form, I will have been to all of the open days I want to go to, chosen my prospective medical schools, I will have taken my GAMSAT and UKCAT exams and I will be INCREDIBLY nervous in case I don't get any interviews at all.  In half a year I will be keeping my fingers crossed to achieve all of the things I want, yet right now it seems so close and yet so far away.  

I'm so excited about my 3rd year, looking forward to my dissertation, getting the GAMSAT out of the way, and hopefully getting a relatively good mark (eesh!) and doing my work experience over the summer alongside my voluntary work!  

But first, my lab report and revision timetables!