One of my most frequently asked questions is just ‘What do I need to do to get into med schools in the UK?’ I almost always say that I don’t have time to answer the question because it’s no short answer!
There are so many routes into medicine but today I wanted to break down the timeline for what to do and when. I’ll focus on the traditional, most common post-A-levels route today as that’s where my knowledge is!
That said, there are so many ways into medicine so please don’t let this discourage you!
If you want to download the infographic summary above click below!
1. Keep doors open
One thing that trips a lot of people up is the Secondary school part of your journey. For many other degrees, your GCSE’s do not matter that much, however for medicine they play a significant role and the minimum grades are much higher.
This is why I advise you to either make up your mind early on (year 10) which is very difficult to do. Alternatively, the more realistic option is to have an open mind and keep as many doors open as you can.
When doing your GCSEs have a little look at what the requirements are for medical schools and work towards it. Even if you decide not to do medicine, at least the door will still be open for that traditional route.
Also make sure you attend as many talks, careers fairs etc for a variety of different careers. Like I said, keep those doors open.
2. Build up skills
Here are some ways you can do this:
- Independent projects ( on any topic)
- Summer camps, residential experiences
- Joining clubs and societies
- Leading clubs and societies
- Volunteering in community
- Starting your own community initiatives
- Group projects inside and outside of school
- School leadership roles
- mentoring/tutoring
- Playing team sports
- Developing music/ other creative skills
- Reading
- Researching ( specifically science-related)
- Attending conferences/seminars by doctors etc
- Online courses
What this does is create a bank of experiences and skills you have developed that you can bring out later in your journey to demonstrate your aptitude.
Make sure you reflect on what you have done at the time.
More on reflection in this post
3. Work experience
The dreaded yet often over-complicated part of the application.
Work experience is vital to your application yet is more easily accessible than you would think.
More on this in the following posts:
4. Find support
Around this time, things will be starting to fall into place and the whole application feels a bit more real. It can be a bit overwhelming and confusing, for that reason, it’s so important that you find someone with experience that can help you navigate!
This can come from so many sources, the majority of them are and should be free.
However, there are a few paid-for examples that I would say are worth it. For example, medic mentors, who run many free opportunities but also a few paid ones but you get ENORMOUS value from them and continued mentoring. Many will try to scam you but Medic Mentor is not one of these.
5. Build relationships
This is a point that I have thrown in because I genuinely think it is important and not often spoken about.
Make sure that the teachers and staff at your sixth form know you well, build relationships with them by being willing to help, kind and well communicated.
Honestly, these are the people who will write your reference, source your opportunities and help you with any initiatives you want to set up so having their support is crucial.
6. Think in advance about the med schools requirements
Don’t leave it to the last minute, do your research and find out what the actual requirements are for your med school. I.e UCAT or BMAT and what grades they want.
Also, find out what sort of importance these things hold. One big mistake I know people make is underestimating the importance of your admissions tests.
Get one step ahead, and know what is coming next. However, my biggest advice for admissions tests is to not start practising any earlier than 1.5 months before. More to come on this later this year.
7. Picking your med schools & UCAS
Med schools
Many people think this is one of the first steps in the process, but you will notice I have put this pretty late!
Don’t pick your med schools until you have done your admissions tests as applying strategically is so important.
Also, your mind can change a lot between year 12 and 13 about which med schools you want to apply to, so keep an open mind until now.
Don’t fret! I have written the ultimate guide to choosing a university.
UCAS
This is when that support I talked about comes in really very handy! This is a seemingly straightforward part of the application and often not that important for other degrees however your personal statement IS important, even if universities say they don’t read it.
Don’t let it kill you with stress but make sure you give it the attention it deserves.
8. Interviews
This is a tough part of the application and many people suffer from application fatigue and getting bored of ‘applying.’
See these posts for more help with interviews!
9. A-levels
It’s time to circle back to step 1! Now is the time to get your head down and focus on getting those entry grades. By now hopefully, you will know what the grades are for the universities you have applied to!
That’s it! If all has gone well you will have an offer or two for medical school! Remember, this is just the traditional route and things often go wrong along the way. This is okay! There are so many ways to get around these barriers and if you want it badly enough, nothing will stop you from doing it!