The UCL Medic

*** UPDATED for 2018 entry, information correct as of August 2017 *** The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is the other major admissions test used for undergraduate entry at many medical schools. Historically, it was the 'big 4' that used it i.e. Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and University College London. However, there are more universities adopting it as part of their admissions process. For 2018 entry, the list of medical schools that use it include (taken from the BMAT website): Undergraduate: Brighton and Sussex Medical School (B74)  Imperial College London (I50)  Keele University (K12) Lancaster University (L14) University College London (U80)  University of Cambridge (C05)  University of Leeds (L23)  University of Oxford (O33) Other Medicine courses: Graduate entry - University of Oxford (O33), Imperial College London (I50) Medicine with a foundation year - Keele University (K12), Lancaster University (L14)

The personal statement is probably the most important piece of writing you will have to write for years. I found this to be the hardest part of the application as I wouldn't normally write a page of writing outlining my achievements and talking about my work experience. Therefore, I would recommend spending as much time as possible on it. There is no harm in starting as early as May/June in the year you are planning to apply as it gives you more time to get it perfect. What structure should I follow?  Most personal statements for Medicine follow the same structure. They start with an introduction which is an opening statement outlining your reasons for applying. The main body of the personal statement will be about your work experience and possibly your academic achievements. This is usually followed be a short section on your extra-curricular activities and then a conclusion to sum up.

So you have decided that you want to study medicine and thought about a few universities that you would like to apply to. The next step is the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT). What is the UKCAT?   The UKCAT is a university entrance exam for Medicine and Dentistry courses in some institutions across the UK. Not all universities offering Medicine and Dentistry programmes require this exam, so please check each university admissions policy for further details.

This will be my first post in a series of posts which I have written to help any prospective medical students in the application. Having gone through the application process, I understand how stressful the whole thing can be, and I hope that you will find my posts helpful. My top tips for choosing a medical school are: 1. Apply smartly This is probably the most important tip. It is imperative that you apply somewhere which values candidates with your profile, as you are more likely to get an interview or an offer. Even if you really like a particular medical school, there is little point in applying when you clearly don't have a realistic chance. For example, if a medical school requires a very high UKCAT score, it would not be smart to apply with a 630 average.