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Published on 18th April 2017 by lauram

Have you been invited to an offer holder day and not sure what to expect? This blog will guide you through how to make the most of the day.

Offer holder days are events held by universities after they have made all their offers for that year. They give you another chance to get a good look at the university you are potentially going to, and narrow down your choices for your firm and insurance options.

How many offer holder days should I attend?

You should try and attend all the offer holder days that you are invited to, including if you have already been to an open day event with them. Even if your heart is set on a particular university, it is important to have as much information as possible before you make the final decision, and you never know what might sway you.

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How should I prepare for an offer holder day?

Usually the university will provide a timetable beforehand, or at least a brief rundown of what to expect. This is important to be familiar with, and if you have any questions you should be able to judge when you might have the best opportunity to raise them. Some questions, like any query about the conditions of your offer, are usually best directed via email to the admissions board rather than asked on the day. Make sure you have everything they ask you to bring; this may include UCAS information, a confirmation email or even copies of identification.

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What should I do at an offer holder day?

1. Attend a taster of your course

If there is an opportunity to attend a taster of your course, definitely try to make this. The style of teaching and teaching environment are key experiences of medical school. Be wary of anything flashy and be prepared that this may not be the routine! You might be keen to learn clinical skills and use robotic simulators, only to find out that these are restricted to clinical years and the first two years are mostly lecture based, or that these are only used once a term. A realistic understanding of what the average week looks like for each course is important – and the ‘vibe’ of the medical school is important in factoring into how happy and fulfilling your time there will be.

Read 5 Dos and Don’ts for the First Year of Med School>>

2. Meet current medical students

In contrast to open days, you’ll be more likely to meet current medical students and fellow medicine offer holders at an offer holder day. This is a great opportunity not only to learn about the course first hand from students, but also to see whether you fit in well with the other offer holders.

Current medical students will be able to give you a realistic understanding of the workload, contact hours, clinical practice, and what they personally like and dislike about studying at the university. Whilst there is no guarantee you will feel the same, they will often be more familiar with the intricacies of their course than information you can find online.

3. Explore the city or town

You should also take offer holder days as a chance to explore the surroundings that you’ll be living in. Check out the city, especially places to eat and relax within walking distance of your campus. If something is particularly important to you, like a good gym, it is worth seeing what facilities are available.

4. Enjoy the day!

Most importantly, enjoy your offer holder day! Not all applicants have made it this far, and whilst you still have a big decision to make and hard work ahead of you, you can allow yourself to relax into the environment and imagine what it would feel like to study at each university.

Read 3 Things I Learned Joining Societies at Med School>>

Words: Riley Botelle

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