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was completely pointless as I wasn't going to accept the place so with curiosity being the only reason I hadn't withdrawn the application, I promptly withdrew it and firmed my first choice and unconditional offer.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!
Thursday, 24 March 2016
Sunday, 20 March 2016
Interviews and Offers
This is the blog I never thought I would get to post.
I commenced the journey to becoming a medical student in 2010 when I started my BSc and after a number of hiccups along the way, I applied this year praying to get one interview, I didn't, I got all 4. This by itself was beyond anything I could have hoped would happen, I felt incredibly lucky and grateful to know that once I got past the UKCAT and someone actually looked at my personal statement they thought I was worth a second glance!
In the last blog post I had completed 2 of the interviews, so before we get to the offers part I want to briefly talk about the other two. The 3rd interview I was completely dreading, it did not feel as if it went well and I fully expected a rejection, I was very nervous and it didn't feel like I had covered the bases at all, I thought it would be a 'no' for sure. The 4th and final interview was lovely, a really nice Uni, great people, all in all a positive experience, however I was incredibly nervous.
The waiting after interviews is horrendous...I found myself checking my emails at every opportunity! Then, I finally saw the email 'your track has been updated'....I logged in and there it was in black and white, a conditional offer (I needed AS Chemistry) from interview number 3! I felt it would be so unlikely that I would get an offer from them after the interview I checked my track several times just to make sure they hadn't changed it to 'unsuccessful'. However, I didn't allow myself to get too excited as it was a conditional offer, but to have the confirmation that I wasn't crazy, that after all this time the barrier between me and a place at medical school was the UKCAT was fabulous!
Then finally, what I was praying for all along, an unconditional offer! From the 2nd interview; a Uni I fell completely in love with! I cried and cried with joy, I could finally say the words I am going to be a doctor!!!! So there it is, a lesson in perseverance right here. 6 years after I started the journey I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and I will be starting 5 years of medical school this year!
This has been an incredibly hard journey, and the hard work hasn't even started yet! If you're in my position, my advice is don't give up....the happiness at the point where you get an offer is worth every moment of heartache! Thank you to those who believed in me, particularly my twitter friends! I'm going to be a medic!
I commenced the journey to becoming a medical student in 2010 when I started my BSc and after a number of hiccups along the way, I applied this year praying to get one interview, I didn't, I got all 4. This by itself was beyond anything I could have hoped would happen, I felt incredibly lucky and grateful to know that once I got past the UKCAT and someone actually looked at my personal statement they thought I was worth a second glance!
In the last blog post I had completed 2 of the interviews, so before we get to the offers part I want to briefly talk about the other two. The 3rd interview I was completely dreading, it did not feel as if it went well and I fully expected a rejection, I was very nervous and it didn't feel like I had covered the bases at all, I thought it would be a 'no' for sure. The 4th and final interview was lovely, a really nice Uni, great people, all in all a positive experience, however I was incredibly nervous.
The waiting after interviews is horrendous...I found myself checking my emails at every opportunity! Then, I finally saw the email 'your track has been updated'....I logged in and there it was in black and white, a conditional offer (I needed AS Chemistry) from interview number 3! I felt it would be so unlikely that I would get an offer from them after the interview I checked my track several times just to make sure they hadn't changed it to 'unsuccessful'. However, I didn't allow myself to get too excited as it was a conditional offer, but to have the confirmation that I wasn't crazy, that after all this time the barrier between me and a place at medical school was the UKCAT was fabulous!
Then finally, what I was praying for all along, an unconditional offer! From the 2nd interview; a Uni I fell completely in love with! I cried and cried with joy, I could finally say the words I am going to be a doctor!!!! So there it is, a lesson in perseverance right here. 6 years after I started the journey I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and I will be starting 5 years of medical school this year!
This has been an incredibly hard journey, and the hard work hasn't even started yet! If you're in my position, my advice is don't give up....the happiness at the point where you get an offer is worth every moment of heartache! Thank you to those who believed in me, particularly my twitter friends! I'm going to be a medic!
Saturday, 16 January 2016
Interviews
I'm so sorry I haven't updated sooner but yes, I have (at long last) been interviewed by two medical schools so far! After the last 5 years of waiting to get to this point just to have the opportunity to have the experience of being interviewed for medical school has been incredible whatever the outcome! Of course I want to get an offer but just to know that when my UKCAT was finally high enough for someone to actually look at my application I have been invited for three interviews so far!
I am not going to write where I have been/am being interviewed, nor am I going to discuss the interview format or content - so please don't ask. I just wanted to share how exciting this has been!
The first interview was very nerve wracking, I had no idea what to expect and I don't know if I was able to communicate as clearly as I would have liked due to nerves and the feeling of the last 5 years sitting heavily on my shoulders. I had an afternoon interview and I think that was definitely harder for me as I had all morning to over think and get nervous.
The second interview was in the morning, which was much better. I was far more relaxed and it was on the whole a longer process however despite this the time flew by. I found myself enjoying it (completely wasn't expecting that to happen). However as before, I missed saying things I wanted to say and I am not sure it was enough for an offer.
The third interview is this month and I am already nervous about it! I love the medical school but I feel like this is my final shot (I haven't had a rejection from the 4th yet but we will see). I really love all three of the schools I have been offered interviews for and I would happily accept an offer from any of them!
So...after 5 years of longing for this I finally managed to reach the interview stage....keep everything crossed it will be enough....it is going to be a long couple of months!!!!!
Friday, 16 October 2015
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!
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!
Friday, 2 October 2015
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.
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.
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