By Siobhan Swindells, Careers Consultant
The rewards of helping people and having a meaningful and intellectually stimulating career are often stated as reasons for applying to medicine. However, it is important to understand the realities of the profession. Not just to convince yourself that it’s the right path, but also a prospective medical school too. You will need to be sure you have researched the career and thought long and hard about your motivations and suitability.
So, before applying, gain some insights into the profession either via work experience or volunteering within the NHS, in a hospice or care home. It doesn’t need to be extensive, but you need to prove you have a realistic and solid understanding of the complexities and challenges of being a doctor and can demonstrate this through your personal statement and at interview. Some great online resources, such as Observe GP and the Brighton and Sussex Medical School virtual work experience platform are free and fantastic ways to develop your thinking and exposure. Take a look at the Lancet Voice, a podcast that will give you insights into the latest developments in the medical field. To further develop a solid understanding of hot topics in healthcare and science (which you will get asked about at interview!) listen to Inside Pathology – a podcast series designed to inspire anyone with an interest in science and healthcare. It weaves patient stories with expert interviews through the lens of genetics, transplantation and virology. Also, the BBC’s Inside Science and Inside Health podcasts are an excellent way to deepen scientific understanding and recommended by Medical Schools as part of interview preparation. Don’t forget the resources to learn about the actual organisation you would be working for – the medic portal has a nice summary of the history and complexities of the NHS and the future learn course The NHS Explained: How the Health System in England Really Works is comprehensive and free!
Some well written and enjoyable books to read are Rachel Clarke’s Your Life in My Hands – A Junior Doctors Story and Trust Me I’m a (Junior) Doctor by Max Pemberton – both give insights into what life is really like as a junior doctor. Also, don’t forget that you can talk to professionals doing the job, or contact current medical students to find out about the course. The British Medical Journal produces a fortnightly podcast series Sharp Scratch which brings together medical students, junior doctors and expert guests to discuss a range of hot topics concerning medical training and the kinds of things not discussed anywhere else.
So, once you know medicine is a career you would like to pursue, and you are a graduate, then you can apply for Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM). You are allowed four choices of medical schools and you can apply to a combination of GEM and undergraduate medicine courses via UCAS. It is important to check the admissions criteria for each Medical School as some ask for a specific degree, whereas others ask for certain A-levels. The Medical Schools Council provides an excellent document summarising entry criteria for each Medical School. Most, if not all, have admissions tests, and they all have their own thresholds that you will need to achieve before being invited for interview. Therefore, it is essential to practice these tests to give yourself the best possible chance of securing that interview!
Check out slides from our latest information session on GEM, which covers most of what you need to know to apply including some essential resources to explore.
If you plan to apply for Medicine, please make an appointment with a Careers Consultant as we can support you from your early thoughts to writing your personal statement and then to preparing for interviews. Meanwhile read some hints and tips on applying for Medicine from Srushti Mehta, a recent RHUL Biomedical Science graduate who is now studying medicine at Nottingham University.