Just a short blog post as a brief update. I received an email saying I had been placed on the waiting list for the 1st interview Uni and I obviously immediately withdrew the application. Which left only the 4th interview without a response thus far, when I realised, if I had an offer from there then someone would be placed on the waiting list...this was completely pointless as I wasn't going to accept the place so with curiosity being the only reason I hadn't withdrawn the application, I promptly withdrew it and firmed my first choice and unconditional offer. Rejecting the conditional offer was actually a very bizarre feeling as at the start of the process it had been my first choice, but following the interviews the one I have accepted had stolen first place.
I am so happy to finally get to be a medical student, I feel incredibly lucky and glad that I didn't give up on the dream despite the many hiccups and moments of doubting if I should continue with it. I am of course now allowing myself to get excited - looking at various textbooks on amazon and drooling over Littmann Stethoscopes! I have probably spent several hours this week looking at my soon-to-be medical school's website! I just cannot believe it! I keep looking at my UCAS track where it says 'place confirmed' to reassure myself it is real. I'm over the moon!
Anyway, short and sweet from me - the 5 month application period is finally officially at an end (along with the 6 year wait to get an offer)! Yay!
Showing posts with label graduate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label graduate. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 March 2016
Wednesday, 16 September 2015
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!
Saturday, 5 September 2015
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
Saturday, 28 September 2013
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!
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!
Friday, 19 July 2013
Graduation
I finally did it, I finally graduated! I'm a mature student so this feels like a particularly large life goal completed, I was however more excited when I had my results than I was on the morning of graduation. I knew it was a big deal but I didn't feel over the top excited about it if that makes any sense at all?! So when I arrived in the blistering sunshine, I was more concerned about passing out than I was about graduating! I was given the robes and then dressed, and it started to feel slightly more important (although I did feel a little bit like an extra from Harry Potter).
I wasn't nervous about graduating per se, it reminded me of being in school and going up to receive an award in assembly a little bit, aside from the robes of course. I was however extremely nervous about the fact that we had to walk down steps after we had been on stage....the steps were in the middle of the stage leading back down into the audience. Let me say that again, steps in the middle of the stage + robes + my very very useless ankle = potential recipe for the most embarrassing moment of my entire life. Fortunately, it wasn't, it was very pleasant and quite emotional. I think it was about 10 mins before the end of the ceremony that it hit me that my degree and my time at the University I have grown to love very much over the last 3 years was over. I am leaving very dear friends, I'm moving away from my dad and family again and we're off to start new adventures at a new University. I have a BSc, but I have a lot more than just that (I know it sounds like a cliche but its true). I have learnt that I'm able to follow something through and not only follow it through but do well at it! I'm still completely and utterly in love with medicine, I still want to be a doctor and hope I will get there eventually too. I have volunteering experience and work experience which will continue throughout the next 12 months at least and I just feel like I've really made the most of what was in part a difficult 3 years.
After we graduated we went and had photos done, of course the obligatory throwing the hats up in the air shot, jumping up and down in the robes looking elated etc. Then we went and had a small school reception and reminisced about how wonderful the last 3 years have been. We're all off to do exciting things and we have plans to meet up at least once a year altogether which I really hope we stick to over the years. But I did feel sad, which was completely unexpected to be honest.
We have found a house and contracts etc are all signed so we're definitely off to London in the summer! I'm so very excited about this as I adore London, although I'm slightly dreading packing up our home! We've accumulated a lot of books over the last 4 years in fact we're going to do a car boot sale on the weekend just to try and get rid of some of the stuff we just haven't really used. As much as I'm adoring the weather I do wish it would perhaps just be a little milder whilst I'm moving, I don't particularly relish the thought of unpacking in 30 degree heat!
Anyway, whatever you're all doing in this wonderful sunshine I hope you're all having a great time (and using suncream!). To other graduates of all degrees - congratulations!
I wasn't nervous about graduating per se, it reminded me of being in school and going up to receive an award in assembly a little bit, aside from the robes of course. I was however extremely nervous about the fact that we had to walk down steps after we had been on stage....the steps were in the middle of the stage leading back down into the audience. Let me say that again, steps in the middle of the stage + robes + my very very useless ankle = potential recipe for the most embarrassing moment of my entire life. Fortunately, it wasn't, it was very pleasant and quite emotional. I think it was about 10 mins before the end of the ceremony that it hit me that my degree and my time at the University I have grown to love very much over the last 3 years was over. I am leaving very dear friends, I'm moving away from my dad and family again and we're off to start new adventures at a new University. I have a BSc, but I have a lot more than just that (I know it sounds like a cliche but its true). I have learnt that I'm able to follow something through and not only follow it through but do well at it! I'm still completely and utterly in love with medicine, I still want to be a doctor and hope I will get there eventually too. I have volunteering experience and work experience which will continue throughout the next 12 months at least and I just feel like I've really made the most of what was in part a difficult 3 years.
After we graduated we went and had photos done, of course the obligatory throwing the hats up in the air shot, jumping up and down in the robes looking elated etc. Then we went and had a small school reception and reminisced about how wonderful the last 3 years have been. We're all off to do exciting things and we have plans to meet up at least once a year altogether which I really hope we stick to over the years. But I did feel sad, which was completely unexpected to be honest.
We have found a house and contracts etc are all signed so we're definitely off to London in the summer! I'm so very excited about this as I adore London, although I'm slightly dreading packing up our home! We've accumulated a lot of books over the last 4 years in fact we're going to do a car boot sale on the weekend just to try and get rid of some of the stuff we just haven't really used. As much as I'm adoring the weather I do wish it would perhaps just be a little milder whilst I'm moving, I don't particularly relish the thought of unpacking in 30 degree heat!
Anyway, whatever you're all doing in this wonderful sunshine I hope you're all having a great time (and using suncream!). To other graduates of all degrees - congratulations!
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Result: First Class Honours
I thought I should announce that after 3 years of hard work, I have the best result I could have possibly hoped for - First Class Honours. To say that I am over the moon would be an understatement. I'm absolutely thrilled.
My final exam was also a first which means that my lowest mark for all of my third year was 2 marks off a first, the rest were all firsts! I never imagined it would go as well as it did and I feel really enthused and excited about moving onto my MSc in September (which has also since been confirmed as unconditional). I have my voluntary work in the new location lined up ready to start in the summer. The house is on the market, all in all everything is slowly slipping into place. I feel very lucky indeed.
Graduation is soon, followed by the graduation ball which I'm really looking forward to and then a summer of UKCAT, GAMSAT awaits! As well as moving etc too.
Sorry this is short and sweet, but I wanted to share my good news with those who have been kind enough to read my blog over the last three years! Onto the next chapter of it.
My final exam was also a first which means that my lowest mark for all of my third year was 2 marks off a first, the rest were all firsts! I never imagined it would go as well as it did and I feel really enthused and excited about moving onto my MSc in September (which has also since been confirmed as unconditional). I have my voluntary work in the new location lined up ready to start in the summer. The house is on the market, all in all everything is slowly slipping into place. I feel very lucky indeed.
Graduation is soon, followed by the graduation ball which I'm really looking forward to and then a summer of UKCAT, GAMSAT awaits! As well as moving etc too.
Sorry this is short and sweet, but I wanted to share my good news with those who have been kind enough to read my blog over the last three years! Onto the next chapter of it.
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