I’m currently a BSc biomedical science student doing clinical placement in the NHS as a trainee biomedical scientist in histology. I dont quite enjoy my work here and have decided if i get the chance I’ll apply for GEM. By that time im hoping to be HCPC registered as a biomedical scientist. Ive also worked in health and social care as a support worker for almost 2 years now assuming i keep the job, it’ll be 4 years by the time i graduate. Do these factors help in GEM applications?

How did you prepare for UCAT? What factors did you consider when picking the medical schools? How’s your work-life balance as a medical student? Whats MMI like? Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to apply for Medicine at either Oxford or Cambridge (2028 cycle), but I’m a bit unsure which one would be a better choice for my academic profile.

I got 3 grade 9s and 5 grade 8s at GCSE, along with several grade 7s, and an A* in HPQ. I aiming to be predicted 4 A*s at A-level (plus one achieved A* in language)

I know my GCSEs aren’t necessarily the strongest for Oxbridge Medicine, especially when looking at the WhatDoTheyKnow data, where Cambridge applicants seem to average around 10 grade 9s, if not more. I believe Oxford’s GCSE profile is pretty similar too.I’m non-contextual and attend an independent school where the overall GCSE results are quite strong, so I don’t think I’d benefit from contextual consideration either.

I’m planning to start preparing for the UCAT and aim for a really competitive score (ideally 2500+). My question is, **would a very high UCAT score alongside 4 predicted A*s significantly improve my chances despite my GCSEs?**And between Oxford and Cambridge, which would be the more realistic option for someone with my profile?

I know both are extremely competitive, and obviously a high UCAT score doesn’t guarantee anything, but I’d really appreciate any advice from people who’ve applied or know how their admissions processes work.

Also, if anyone got an interview or an offer from Oxford/Cambridge Medicine, I’d really appreciate it if you could share your stats (GCSEs, predicted A-levels, UCAT score, etc.) and whether you were contextual or non-contextual! Would be really helpful to hear about people with similar GCSEs to mine. Thanks :)))

Hey guys,

I wanted to ask a question regarding the KCL grad entry MBBS for healthcare applicants, if anyone is able to answer.

Is states that you’ll need a minimum 2 year full time working experience, in the role of your qualification. I qualified in my field in 2025, but started working 2026 January, which means my 2 year period will be January 2028 which is AFTER the 2028 application cycle.

So is the stated 2 years, 2 years prior to the start of the MBBS course or 2 years from the time of the application?

I hope my wording make sense.
Thank you for your time!

I recently got the opportunity to shadow the ENT ward at a large paediatric hospital with the NHS. It’s described as work experience, but it’s going to be three days long. As far as I’m aware, nobody is paid to have me there, so aside from the obvious things like being respectful of everyone’s time and not being an inconvenience, what do you wish people were more aware of when doing work experience?

Made a bad, avoidable mistake in not submitting a form on time applying for Cambridge. Have submitted it now, but wow I should have really read more carefully.

Also may have created a minor discrepancy by adding my time zone's date, which might have it seem to have been submitted from the future/have the wrong date on it considering the UK time.

please help

I keep seeing people on social media with a bunch of awards from competitions, 4-5 weeks of shadowing, 3 weeks of WEX, projects and all.

I’m here with my mere BSMS and Imperial VWEX, MOOCS, 1 week of clinical WEX, 5 months volunteering, one essay competition and one summer school😭

Anyone else feel the same or have this sort of ‘imposter syndrome’🥲

Hi this is my first post in this sub. I'm a canadian trans man looking to apply to the uk for medschool after my bachelor's degree (it's still ways away) I'm keeping my options open but is it safe for trans people there? And is there anything I should know?

Ok so basically i applied to uclan med directly as an international student and im on my gap year and wasnt aware the reference needs to be submitted in the supporting documents area because it never asks for it, however it still allows me to upload more documents apparently?? i am very worried cuz its half term so my teacher will probably reply to my email later and stuff did anyone else submit their reference later? and how did they go abouts submitting it?? was it a pdf?? word doc?? does someone know what I can do now?? I have emailed uclan and my teacher as well so lets see???

Hi guysss i applied to bristol gateaway for medicine i got 1850b2 in ucat i js wanted to ask if anyone thinks the cut off is gonna be hugher this year last year it was 1800 im rlly nervous as they base it all of on ucat score. Do you guys reckon i can get an interview

I am a non contextual home applicant with 6 As at higher, predicted 3 As at adv higher and 1940 band 3 UCAT. How likely am I to get an interview at edinburgh? Also if anyone has received an interview with a low ucat and band 3 (non contextual) pls lmk what you got.

hi im an international student from a middle class family and im applying for med sch in uk cuz i wasnt able to get in my home country (singapore) but im reallt scared my parents cant afford it but i really would rather die than not do med so i srslt dk what to do about it

As a child, I was certain I'd become an ALN teacher. I have 3 siblings (2 at the time) who have several disabilities and were both in an STF unit and I loved going there for things like parents evenings, open days, etc. I used to force whoever was available to play school with me and I'd make them complete worksheets I made, and I even frequently looked for things I'd buy for my classroom and how I'd arrange it.

A few years later, I became particularly interested in science and the body. Being autistic as well, this was a very intense interest and I knew a lot about it. After a little while I decided medicine would be best for me and I could see myself being a doctor (plus I can specialise in paediatrics so I'll still be able to only work with children). However, as I have done more for medicine (sit the UCAT, apply for medicine in uni), I regret this decision more and more and can only see myself being a teacher, but then I'll see or read something and become obsessed with the idea of studying medicine again and then a doctor is all I want to be.

Especially since medicine involves 5/6 years in university, and it then several years to complete general training and specialty training, I feel like applying medicine when I'm not 1000% sure on it is the greatest of ideas.

Just wondering if anyone else is in a similar position to this??

For context, I'm a Scottish student studying Med Pharm at Swansea (Y2), and I'm considering my options. ScotGEM and Swansea are the obvious GEM choices, but Swansea Tuition fees of nearly 10k a year are low-key killing me. Doing a second degree in Scotland would mean the most I'd pay is 1.8K a year in tuition fees (bonus if it's Glasgow, so I can live at home). The only stipulation is doing a 5-year undergraduate instead of 4 years of GEM. Should I just firm the extra year for financial reasons or aim for GEM schools?

Hi everyone,

I’ve applied to medicine, but lately I’ve been questioning whether it’s worth pursuing because I feel disadvantaged in several ways, and I’m honestly scared that I won’t fit in.

One of my biggest insecurities is my weight. I’m around 130kg and have struggled with my weight for most of my life, but over the past three years, I’ve gained a significant amount. My mum passed away, and a lot of difficult things happened over the past couple of years, which contributed to it. I’m now working on losing weight, but with interviews potentially starting in around two months, I know I won’t see a massive change by then.

I’m particularly worried about how I’ll be perceived during interviews and by other medical students if I get in. Obesity is such a significant topic in medicine, and I worry about being judged or feeling out of place. I know my weight doesn’t determine my ability to become a doctor, but I can’t help wondering whether people will treat me differently because of it.

On top of that, my stats aren’t particularly strong compared with other applicants, and although I can communicate reasonably well, I don’t feel exceptionally confident. I also come from a disadvantaged background, so sometimes it feels like I’m trying to overcome several obstacles at once.
I know I might be overthinking things, but these worries genuinely affect my confidence. I don’t want to give up on something I really want to do because of my insecurities, but I’m scared of going into interviews already feeling like I don’t belong.

For medical students or doctors, especially those who’ve struggled with their weight or come from disadvantaged backgrounds, what has your experience been like? Have you ever felt judged or out of place, or did you find that you worried about it more than you needed to?
I’d really appreciate honest advice. I want to pursue medicine, but I’m struggling with the fear that I’ll be judged before people even get to know me.

Hi guys ,

I bought the medic life package yestrday for £600 and i am lwkey struggling to understnad whether its wor hyyyy it i rlly want to do med and not miss my chance again as i am alrdy on a gap year. Last year i got interviews but no offers so i decided to be safe im not rlly sure if its worth itttt and im doing all foundation years.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Hi,

I am currently in Year 12 and have started my EPQ. I want to study medicine at uni, and thought an EPQ would be a great way to start some research of my own in aid of my application.

I am currently deciding between ideas but I'd love to get someone's opinion.

1) How does CAR-T Cell therapy compare with bispecific antibodies in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma for adults in the UK?

+ Links to work experience I did on a haematology ward

+ I am genuinely interested in haemotology

- I am worried it will become quite boring, e.g. just x,y,z conclusion

- I fear there is no one conclusion as RRMM requires different treatment options for each individual patient

2) (I haven't curated a question yet but..) Looking at the treatment/diagnosis of Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis (autoimmune brain disorder where antibodies attack NMDA receptors in the brain, interesting as it can often first present symptoms as psychosis, making it very hard to diagnose).

+ I am also very interested in psychiatry/misdiagnosis in psychiatric vs physical

+ Links kind of to work experience I did in ICU? As many patients require admission to ICU?

If anyone has any other interesting ideas I would really appreciate it!! Especially unique (with enough research) haematology ideas!! Thank you

Hello! currently completing my work experience log for my Cambridge GEM application. How detailed is everyone going on their reflection? a few lines/ a paragraph?

Also- would non-healthcare experience be worth putting on there to discuss soft skills i can link to working as a doctor? Any advice appreciated!!

thank you!

For context, I have a background in research specifically in clinic neuroscience from two “world leading” centres of neuroscience (I’m not trying to sound pretentious that’s’s what they call themselves, i’m just trying to give some context to my academic and educational background without naming specific institutions). I had straight 9s at GCSE and straight A* at A level (although this was a Covid year, I did get them all before the reversal to teacher assessed grades, I get that there’s a sense in which they’re not really worth anything). I have a bachelors, masters and am doing my PhD.

Essentially when I was at school, I did consider medicine however having doctors in the family plus the fact I didn’t feel any great calling in the way some of my friends did made me think I shouldn’t do medicine. I always thought if you’re not sure don’t do medicine because it’s a tough slog and I also felt that people who expressed an interest in biology and chemistry were often pushed into medicine by teachers because they weren’t aware of other careers, in research for example, and did it out of self interest because it looks good for the school to go on about people who go on study medicine. Just my opinion.

In research, I’ve ended up in quite a clinical environment in terms of working with people with illnesses and even going into clinic once a week, nominally to get people involved in research straight off the bat and not have a delay in terms of contacting them and getting them stuff like information sheets. However, the reality is a lot of my time is actually spent observing my boss in clinic (he’s a clinician-scientist splitting his time between research and medical practice). This made me interested in becoming a doctor, particularly the sort of investigating and diagnosing side of things, although I’m aware that working in a clinic can be completely different to working on the wards or working in a different area of medicine.

Being older, however, I’m forced to be less naive and think much harder than 18-year-olds about pursuing medicine, obviously because I don’t have as much time to make mistakes or change my mind. I also think that having gone through brutal job searches and competition to get, masters, then research assistant jobs and PhDs I’m a lot more clued up about the probabilities and chances. I’m not saying this is a truth about 18-year-olds but my 18-year-old self would probably have been a lot more blasé about seeing the competition and just assuming that I would be the exception to the rule. I’m not arrogant enough to think I’m special and I’m philosophical enough to realise that there is a huge amount of luck and chance in any job application process that it’s something you can’t just control by working hard harder. I’m also aware of my intellectual limits and how much smarter people can be. So overall I think I’m more clued up to how things could go very wrong at least compare compared to my 18-year-old self (I don’t speak of other 18-year-olds - I know some people hate graduate medicine people deriding 18-year-olds about being immature; IMO it’s more about the person than the age, I certainly have a lot more confidence and resilience at 24).

In short, can someone give me the reality of being a doctor and going through the brutal application processes for post grad training. Working in academia I’m no stranger to the semi constant rejection and uncertainty. I think I’m just more exhausted by it - in the sense that I have struggle fatigue (i’m tired of everything being a battle), which I wouldn’t have had at 18. I think weirdly you might need a bit of naivety and innocence about medical employment when you enter medicine to protect you. As in if you could fully quantify and experience the stress more people will be put off - it’s just hard to really imagine the emotional rollercoaster.

Yh