Students are told that there is a limited amount of work they can do to prepare for the aptitude test, but Joe Hamilton, a third-year medical student, told me otherwise. Hamilton was rejected by all four of his chosen universities the first time round. His below-par UKCAT mark was partly responsible. Two of the rejections I received were due to the fact that I did not score highly enough in the UKCAT. So how did he make sure he got a better score the following year? The second time around I did a two-day course in London and a lot more practice before sitting the test. He dramatically improved his score.
The course Hamilton took is run by Kaplan, an international exam-preparation organisation, and teaches techniques for answering questions from each section of the test. For instance, careful time-management counts: it is crucial that you attempt all sections, as often the questions that carry more marks are towards the end of the paper. Thats a useful insight, but at 315 the course is not cheap.
They say you cant prepare for the UKCAT, only familiarise yourself with the questions, Hamilton says. I found that was not the case and the more practice you do, the higher the score you will get. I know a lot of others who are at medical school with me now had exactly the same experience of the UKCAT.
Universities will also be looking for evidence that you are genuinely interested in medicine and have read widely around the subject, gaining insight into the NHS and health care generally. Dr Lawrence Seymour, a consultant in acute medicine at a teaching hospital, recommends starting as early as GCSE year. I would advise a would-be doctor to keep a folder and collect anything in the general press or from medical journals such as the BMJ [formerly the British Medical Journal] that relates to medical advances, new treatments anything that catches their interest.
Before applying, students should make sure they have a clear idea of what being a doctor is about, says David Bender, an emeritus professor of nutritional biochemistry at University College London, and a former member of the medical admissions team. Students thinking about applying to medical school should talk to doctors and medical students to find out what the course and the job is really like, he says. It is not all the glamour you see on television.
Nearly all medical schools require applicants to have some sort of health-care-related work experience. I asked Dr Patrick Harkin, the deputy director of medical admissions at the University of Leeds, what counted as relevant experience. Volunteering in a hospice is work experience, even if its not necessarily what you think of first. In fact, anything that has clinical relevance is work experience. Care homes, hospices, pharmacies, all places where something clinical is happening. You dont need a long list of placements, Dr Harkin says, as long as it is clear that you have learnt from what youve done. Its not about what you do; its about how much you get out of it. Some people get more out of a week than others get out of a month.
Having said that, working or volunteering in a clinical setting for a prolonged period of time is valuable. If you stick at something for six months, that shows dedication and an interest. If youve been at 15 different things we might start to wonder about your commitment, or your ability to get on well with other people.
Work experience can also enhance your vital communication skills. Leo Feinberg, president of the University of Birminghams MedSoc and a third-year medical student, volunteered in an acute medical unit, where he learnt what he says is one of medicines most important lessons: that Patients want to talk. They may be nervous, and they need someone to offload to.
Only three medical schools, Belfasts Queens, Edinburgh, and Southampton, do not interview prospective medical students. But certain medical schools place more emphasis on personal statements than others and information about this can be found on their websites. (Many universities provide a guide to writing the personal statement, as does Ucas.)
Dr Harkin stresses that a personal statement must concentrate on the individuals unique experiences relevant to their choice of career. Your personal statement is personal. It is about you. We are not after great prose. This is not a creative writing course. Hamilton agrees: Anything that I thought was relevant to my application, that I had gained something from, I put into my personal statement.
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Medical school applications: maximise your medical mojo
