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Published on 23rd February 2017 by lauram

Are you applying to Medicine at university in 2018? We’re here to guide you through every step of the way! This blog post details our top tips on what you can do to prepare throughout Year 12. You can also read Part One of this post for more tips!

1. Start thinking about universities

You won’t need to choose your four universities officially until September, but it may be useful to start thinking about the kind of medical school you’d like to apply to. For example, do you want to stay close to home? Would you prefer a Problem-Based Learning course, or a more traditional one?

Choosing the right medical school for you is crucial, as you’ll be spending the next five or six years there – so it’s a good idea to plan ahead and start considering the universities you may want to apply to. When you look at their websites, take a look at things like the course and the entrance requirements, as well as the city itself, and make a note of which ones you particularly like.

You can look at our section on Choosing a Medical School for more information on course types, and how to choose the right school for you. We also have a handy Medical School Comparison Tool to help you compare and contrast different universities.

2. Look at different open days in Summer 2017

University open days are a great way to get to know more about the medical school and the Medicine course you’re interested in, to meet current medical students and to see if the university is the right fit for you.

Open days are usually held in June and July, so keep your eyes open for 2017 dates over the summer of Year 12.

Look at the university list you made, and make a plan with your parents or a friend to visit those medical schools on their open days – these will be listed on their websites. Some require you to book your space in advance, so make sure you also have a look at the registration opening date. You might also find our How To Make The Most of Medical School Open Days blog useful. 

For a full list of 2017 open days, visit our Medical School Open Days 2017 blog.

3. Think about your Personal Statement

Yes, we know it’s early – don’t panic, you won’t need to start writing now! But it may be helpful to start thinking about the kinds of things you might write so you can plan ahead.

A Medicine Personal Statement usually looks a bit like this:

  • Why I want to be a doctor (motivation)
  • Work experience (exploration)
  • Volunteering (exploration)
  • Wider Reading and study (exploration)
  • Extracurricular (suitability)
  • Conclusion (motivation)

So you may want to think ahead and consider if you would be able to write about each of these things.

For example, if you don’t think you’ve read very much on Medicine in your own time, consider starting on some of this throughout Year 12, or over the summer. A good place to start would be to read the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice, and Tomorrow’s Doctors.

Or if you’ve realised that you haven’t done many extra-curricular activities, or medical work experience, you might want to start thinking about how to build this up over the summer and school holidays. You can read more about how to gain Work Experience on our Application Guide – this details where to start looking as well as how to make the most of your placement. You’ll thank us by the time you come to writing your Personal Statement!

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