Advice for US to UK

[FML]

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Hi everyone,

Just discovered this board. I'm a pre-med student in the US that is thinkgin of applying to UK for medical school. I would enter a graduate entry program if I do apply and I have researched a bit and know that I would have to take the UKCAT for the programs I want to apply to and I believe the application process starts in july/august.

~Random question: I have a 3.74, is that equivalent to a 2.1 degree?

Basically, I'm looking for any tips or advice on how to start this process (I wukld be applying next year --marticulating in Fall 2010).

Any help would be appreciated 😀

 

[bambi]

If you contact the schools you are interested in they will tell you what the requirements are. Some schools will give you specific requirements, others might say you need what you would need in your home country.

The process doesn't start in July/August. The application process is very simple really, it's a form, personal statement and a reference. The earliest you can apply is meant to be the 1st of September but if they are still organising things from the previous cycle the system may not be back up until mid September. The deadline is October 15th. Having it in early will make no difference. Sometimes it may mean an earlier interview but a lot of places interview all non-UK students at a certain time anyway. Having it in early will not make a difference between getting an interview and not.

 

[FML]

thanks for the advice! I was saying july bc isn;t that the time when I can start taking the UKCAT?

anybody else for help? please and thank you!

 

[bambi]

thanks for the advice! I was saying july bc isn;t that the time when I can start taking the UKCAT?

anybody else for help? please and thank you!

I was the last intake not to have to take the UKCAT so don't know, check out their website.

 

[PerpetualPupil]

thanks for the advice! I was saying july bc isn;t that the time when I can start taking the UKCAT?

anybody else for help? please and thank you!

I'm a Canadian and was chasing down the UK option for medical schools this past cycle...so I may be able to help.

I took the UKCAT this summer in Chicago. It is a bizarre test, and you can't really study for this thing (in fact, I think they tell you that you shouldn't). The short of it is that I only put up an average score that was just below the cutoffs for the schools I'd consider going to (e.g. King's College - I studied abroad there). I contacted some admissions folks over in the UK, and after considering their advice I decided to just apply to U.S. schools this year. Stateside, I've had 10 interviews, 3 acceptances, 3 waitlists, 2 schools waiting to hear back thus far.

I'm not saying that to boast, but just to make the point that while I am a competitive applicant in the U.S., the UK is a whole other ball game. I think the GPA cutoffs at most UK places are 3.7 (which I made), but the UKCAT would have probably killed my application. It is a shame that they don't take MCATs (mine is in the 30s) in lieu of this silly UKCAT test, but such is life.

So, I took the UKCAT in the summer of 2008 with an intention to apply to the UK graduate entry programs for the 2008/9 admissions cycle. I'd be happy to offer up more info if you'd like!

 

[FML]

Bump.... anyone else?

 

[Give me vicodin]

why do you want to come here anyway...it sucks!