Medicine

As a graduate there are two entry routes in the UK to train as a future Doctor; 4 Year Graduate Entry Medical Programmes and 5 Year Medical Programmes.

Each year the Careers & Employability Service run a number of presentations aimed at those considering a career in medicine. Look out for the following recorded online webinars:

• "UCAS Medical School Applications" - These workshops are to raise awareness of entrance exams, help you to prepare for the application process and give practical advice on personal statements.

• "How to prepare for medical school interviews" - Usually run in January after exams, this session gives infomation on the interview process and some practical experience of the type of questions that may be asked. Keep an eye on your emails and the Careers monthly newsletter for how this will be run this year.

How to apply to Medical School

The application process for Medicine is highly competitive and all potential applicants must demonstrate a high level of organisation to ensure all stages of the process are completed on time. Applications for all UK programmes of study are managed by UCAS and require a candidate to write a Personal Statement, complete their academic record and provide an Reference. In addition, candidates must ensure they have sat the correct entrance exam(s) for the courses of study they are applying to.

For a summary of the application process for individual institutions, entrance requirements and assessment scores, please look at the Entry requirements for UK Medical Schools from the Medical Schools Council.

Medic Portal also offers advice on the application process in the UK and abroad and Medic Mind enables you to compare Medical Schools.

Entrance Exams:

• GAMSAT - Sit in September in order to start the following autumn (registration deadline is in August).
• BMAT - Sit in November in order to start the following autumn (registration deadline is in September)
• UCAT (formerly UKCAT) - Sit before beginning of October to start the following autumn (registration deadline is in September). For help with UCAT tests a good place to start are these Candidate Preparation Resources

The Personal Statement:

Your personal statement should clearly identify and provide evidence of:

• why you are applying to medicine - i.e. what has motivated you to apply and your appreciation of the career pathways available to you.
• how your degree programme has prepared you for medical school - e.g. able to work as part of a team, critically evaluate data, enhanced independent study.
• relevant experience - show your commitment to learn about medicine and demonstrate your ability to understand empathy, compassion, cross-discipline team working, the importance of diagnosis but also an appreciation of budget and time constraints placed on the NHS.
• other experience - demonstrate your personality and that you are a well-rounded individual and maintain a healthy work-life balance. You should be able to relate skills gained in retail and/or voluntary work with medical professions e.g. team working, communication, time-management.

The statement should be well written, concise, original and truthful. It can be a maximum of 4,000 characters including spaces.

Gaining Work Experience:

Any work experience is valuable for a career in medicine as you will be working with people from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Retail, restaurant and bar work can provide fantastic opportunities to talk about customer service, handling problems in fast paced environments and demonstrating initiative. However, if you can secure experience within the medical professions it can give a greater insight in to the career pathway ahead of you.

There are many opportunities available within local hospitals; check out the University Hospital Southampton Volunteering webpage and their Work Experience webpage for ways to engage. You can also find vacancies away from Southampton through sites such as the Royal Voluntary Service - Volunteering in Hospitals. It's also worth exploring opportunities within organisations such as the St John Ambulance, local care homes, hospices and overseas projects too.

Medical Selection Events & Interviews:

As part of the application process it is very likely you will be invited to attend a medical selection event and/or interview. We would strongly recommend that students attending these events use our web resources on Assessment Centres and Interviews to help prepare for the activities. Additionally our Medical School Interviews document helps applicants gain an understanding of the formats, styles and types of questions you may be faced with.

Further Resources:

A variety of publications and resources, including books, are available in our Careers Centre to assist students applying to Medical School.

We also have access to some e-books that you may find useful. To access the e-books when not using a University of Southampton workstation, please either click on the links and log in whilst connected to globalprotect.soton.ac.uk or go to the Library Search website and search the e-book title.

How to Master the UKCAT : 700+ Practice Questions Although the name of the UKCAT has changed to UCAT, the content of the test remains the same

How to Master the BMAT : Unbeatable Preparation for Success in the BioMedical Admissions Test

Succeed in Your Medical School Interview : Stand Out from the Crowd and Get into Your Chosen Medical School