ENTRY TO MEDICINE

Medical Schools (listed in league)

• Oxford• Cambridge• Southampton• Liverpool• Manchester• Glasgow• Newcastle• Edinburgh• Dundee• Imperial

• Cardiff• Aberdeen• Leicester• St. Georges• King’s College• UCL• Nottingham• Queen’s Belfast• Bristol• Birmingham

More

• Queen Mary• Peninsula• Sheffield• St. Andrews• Leeds

• League• Based on• Teaching quality• Research quality• Entry standards• Graduate prospects

Medical schools

• ?Content & Organisation of course

• ?Time spent in academic and clinical work

• ? Electives

• ? Intercalated degree courses

• ? Assessment methods

• ?Entrance requirements

The tests

BMAT - subject specific

Cambridge

Imperial

Oxford

UCL

Key dates 2008

• 30th September – standard entry closing

• 15th October – Late entry closing

• Wednesday 5th November – test date

• Monday 1st Decemer – results release date

UKCAT

• Aberdeen• Brighton & Sussex• Barts & the London• Cardiff• Dundee• Durham• East Anglia• Edinburgh• Glasgow• Hull York• Keele• Kings London

• Leeds• Leicester• Manchester• Newcastle• Nottingham• Peninsula• Queen’s Belfast• Sheffield• Southampton• St. Andrews• St. George’s

Key dates for UKCAT

• 1st May – registration Opens

• 7th July – testing begins

• 26th September – registration deadling

• 10th October – last testing date

The test

• The UKCAT is designed to be a test of aptitude rather than strictly academic achievement, as evidenced by GCSEs and A Levels

• The test assesses a wide range of mental abilities and behavioural attributes identified by university Medical and Dental Schools as important.

• For candidates sitting the examination in summer 2006, the UKCAT will consist of four subtests:

•

UKCAT test

• Verbal reasoning– assesses candidates’ ability to think logically about written information and to arrive at a reasoned conclusion

• Quantitative reasoning– assesses candidates’ ability to solve numerical problems

• Abstract reasoning– assesses candidates’ ability to infer relationships from information by convergent and divergent thinking

• Decision analysis – assesses candidates’ ability to deal with various forms of information, to infer relationships, to make informed judgements, and to decide on an appropriate response, in situations of complexity and ambiguity.

UKCAT

• Including ‘warm-up’ time (which is the time allocated to reading the instructions), the test will be delivered in less than two hours.  Each of the sub-tests will be in a multiple-choice format and will be separately timed.

• There will be no curriculum content as the test will seek to probe innate skills.  There will be a more extensive non-cognitive element from 2007 onwards.

NO TEST

• Bristol

• Liverpool

• Birmingham

Curriculum Vitae Enhance As Much As

Possible•Tailor it to the institution

•Many have top grades

•Hospital experience

•GP experience

•Rest home work

•Underprivileged / voluntary work

•Attend courses

•Music/ sport/ DoE/ hobbies

The Visit

• Essential

• Talk to medical students

• Study the course

• Study the curriculum (similarities and differences)

• Famous doctors?

• Study the environment

The Interview

Depends on Medical School

Various Domains Tested

• Communication

• Motivation to do medicine

• Teamwork

• Professional issues

• Career progression

• Personal qualities

Other Domains

• Communication

• Suitability for medicine

• Motivation for medicine

• Academic rigor

• Rounded personality

What Qualities Are Needed for Medicine?

• Communication, humility and empathy• Humour and a sense of fun• Intellect • Hard work and energy• Questioning nature• Ability to withstand stress• Accept criticism• Ongoing learning

What questions will you be asked?

Related to Domains

• Tell us about yourself?

• Why do you think medicine is right for you?

• What makes a team work well?

• What ethical dilemmas do doctors face?

• What happens after you graduate?

• What makes you angry?

General Questions

• How has the NHS evolved• What is good/bad about the NHS• Public vs. Private• Doctor unemployment• Narrowing of medical expertise• Effect on patients of the EU working time

directive• The Took report

B-----d Questions

• What are you bad at?

• What defects are in your character

• What mistakes have you made

• What makes you embarrassed

• Tell me about a failure you have had

• Which single medical/social advance would make the most difference to people

The Physician keeps the patient occupied whilst the disease runs its course

Voltaire 1657