University, and the business of Higher Education

Ah, now in 6th year if secondary school, I must apply to universities throughout the land for tutelage. Of course, a wide and varied education is necessary for any chap, so I am applying for chemisty and medicine as such:

Natural Science - Cambridge (an indeterminate College thus far)
Chemistry - Edinburgh (proper Edinburgh, none of the lesser establishments)
Pre-Medical Medicine - Edinburgh
Chemistry - St Andrews
Medicine - Dundee
Pre Medical Medicine - King's College London.

Manchester is a possibility for medicine, though my lack of biology means it may be tricky.

This is a tricky business, but money is not a problem, since the Scottish Executive decided the SAAS shall meet the fees for most Scottish and non-English European students, thus Cambridge may present a finance issue, but I doubt it.

Are any other folks applying this year for University?

You're only applying to two medical schools? That's pretty weird, if you don't mind me saying so. I'm curious as to how you'd pitch your personal statement-admissions tutors for med are very keen on you showing commitment to Medicine, and I don't think a PS with lots about Chemistry in it would help you very much in this regard. (I was a med applicant last year, so I know a little bit about the process)

In any case, you either want to be a Doctor or you don't, surely?

I'm off to a masters degree, either Aber or Bristol. The course is Medieval History

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Originally Posted by Big King Sanctaphrax

You're only applying to two medical schools? That's pretty weird, if you don't mind me saying so. I'm curious as to how you'd pitch your personal statement-admissions tutors for med are very keen on you showing commitment to Medicine, and I don't think a PS with lots about Chemistry in it would help you very much in this regard. (I was a med applicant last year, so I know a little bit about the process)

In any case, you either want to be a Doctor or you don't, surely?

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Sorry, I meant to put in King's College London for medicine and perhaps Manchester for medicine.

I thought you were joining the army? If you want to do medicine, surely the army will put you through med school (and give you a job afterwards). A friend of mines dad went that route with dentistry).

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Originally Posted by Mount Suribachi

I thought you were joining the army? If you want to do medicine, surely the army will put you through med school (and give you a job afterwards). A friend of mines dad went that route with dentistry).

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After University. I hope to go to Edinburgh, so my fees will be paid by the taxpayer. I hope to join up at university, i've not decided between the Royal Navy and the British Army (unless I don't get in for medicine).

You should really use all 4 slots to apply for medicine. No point in wasting a few years on top of the minimum 5.

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Originally Posted by Duke Malcolm

After University. I hope to go to Edinburgh, so my fees will be paid by the taxpayer.

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Well, I hope that when you become a doctor you won't turn into one of these old reactionaries constantly moaning about paying taxes. ~;)

Good luck by the way.

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Originally Posted by Duke Malcolm

Sorry, I meant to put in King's College London for medicine and perhaps Manchester for medicine.

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Even if you don't apply to Manchester, I'd definitely ditch one of the Chem choices and put another Med one down. I hear that both the Glasgow and St. Andrew's courses are very good, if you want to stay in Scotland.

As far as joining the forces goes, they won't just pay your fees for Med, they'll pay you a salary and give you a bunch of grants. If you're sure that's what you want, I'd definitely look into applying before/during your time at Medical School, even if you do go to Edinburgh.

Definately focus on med. Trying to apply for other serious courses with a medicine personal statement isn't going to work. Although bizzarely I did get two biochem offers with a statement saying I wanted to be a doctor...

I do hope to apply for 4 medicine courses, but it is difficult, since several universities require Biology to Higher or Advanced Higher, and I have neither (for the past 2 years, teachers and parents have said one requires 2 sciences to higher, with chemisty being the most important for applications).
I originally was intending to apply for chemistry, but there were only 4 courses I wanted (St Andrews, Edinburgh, Imperial, Cambridge). I was convinced to apply for medicine for several reasons for the 2 other places, but Dundee is the only one that would accept me into proper medicine so far because I have never studied Biology (I was willing to, but my school's rector did not allow pupils to study 3 sciences at standard grade and therefore at higher). Thus, I must apply for pre-medical medicine courses, but Manchester has an odd collection of Scottish requirements.
It is perhaps mere reluctance to relinquish one of my non-medicine applications, and a desire to go to Cambridge (which requires, unnervingly, 3 sciences to at least Standard Grade for medicine)

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Originally Posted by Duke Malcolm

I originally was intending to apply for chemistry

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Honestly, medicine isn't something you should just choose out of convenience, it should be something you really, really want to do. It's a bit like they say about engineering, you are either (born) an engineer or you are not. You either want to be a doctor or you don't.

I suggest you think long and hard about your choices. Don't be so upset about which uni you go to, that won't matter that much in the end (at least here it doesn't), choose something you really want to do and see yourself doing in a couple of years. Don't just pick something because it interests you, think about what you can do with the degree you are aiming for and then decide if that is the kind of job you'd see yourself doing.

Good luck !

You have a couple of problems here, to be honest;

1)Cambridge won't take you for NatSci with a PS geared for Med. I'm not even sure they'd interview you.
2)None of the Medicine courses will take you with a PS geared for Chemistry.

So, at the moment you're throwing away either your Cambridge application, or the Medicine ones, depending upon which way you write your PS. I would really think long and hard about what you want to do. If it's Chem-and judging by the fact you're applying to Cambridge for that course, I imagine it is-then I'd forget about Med and put another two Chem choices down.

Do you have any relevant work experience for Medicine?

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Originally Posted by Big King Sanctaphrax

Do you have any relevant work experience for Medicine?

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Of course, from the admissions ward of Ninewells hospital.
It is not simply applying for medicine on a whim, rather I thought my grades would not be good enough to apply.

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Originally Posted by Duke Malcolm

Sorry, I meant to put in King's College London for medicine and perhaps Manchester for medicine.

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I go to Kings, Im not a medic myself but I was under the assumption that Kings was very highly regarded in that respect...they have a whole medicine campus IIRC.