Preparation for medicine course (UK)

[JojoBon]

Hi,

For those who have successfully obtained a place for medicine at a UK university, I have a question...

Prior to your application year, did you go to any summer camps to prepare for medicine? Or did you spend the summer reading around the subject? I have orphanage and hospital experiences organised for the summer and was just wondering whether I should do something more to keep up with all the other applicants...

Thanks a lot.

[TheArtOfMedicine]

It's not about the amount of time that you've pumped into your work experience, it's about what you've learned out of it, i did 20 hours community service at a school for the mentally disabled and about one weeks' shadowing at a private clinic. I didn't attend the summer camp, and it isn't necessary, but if you have money to spare, why not? Basically, you need to be passionate about the course, make sure you get good predicted grades, flawless personal statement and a perfect testimonial. You are half way to success if you managed to get the interview. It's all about your personality/character/passion after that. Show them you want and deserve it. Which medical schools are you aiming for?

[SHuLy]

would like to note that "flawless" and "perfect" are subjective. Just do your best. :)

[JojoBon]

It's not about the amount of time that you've pumped into your work experience, it's about what you've learned out of it, i did 20 hours community service at a school for the mentally disabled and about one weeks' shadowing at a private clinic. I didn't attend the summer camp, and it isn't necessary, but if you have money to spare, why not? Basically, you need to be passionate about the course, make sure you get good predicted grades, flawless personal statement and a perfect testimonial. You are half way to success if you managed to get the interview. It's all about your personality/character/passion after that. Show them you want and deserve it. Which medical schools are you aiming for?


Cambridge and Liverpool =S
So that's why I'm really worried about doing enough things before I apply...

[matchgirl]

Cambridge and Liverpool =S
So that's why I'm really worried about doing enough things before I apply...

for me,cambridge

[Sillyboy]

for me,cambridge

You're not even in A levels yet are you? It is not easy to gain admission into University of Cambridge let alone for medical courses!

[matchgirl]

You're not even in A levels yet are you? It is not easy to gain admission into University of Cambridge let alone for medical courses!

i know...but thats what i want & i dont care how i am going to do it..
i just want it...very much

[TheArtOfMedicine]

It's not wrong for you to set your high hope on Cambridge, it is a beautiful university and their students are, no doubt, taught by world famous professors. However, bear in mind that Oxbridge do not produce the best doctors,in fact, most of their students would choose to go into the research field rather than serving the community. I could be wrong, but that's what my friend who's in Cambridge told me. Oxbridge prefer medical scientists more than anything, they want people who have the potential to shine in their chosen field, so i'm not surprised to hear that. Liverpool is quite a tough medical school to get in, just like Bristol, it doesn't use UKCAT in their admissions cycle so as usual, it attracts thousands of applicants for their medical course as many people might think it'll be easier to get in. For your information, Bristol received 4000 applications for Medicine last year, while only 230+ places were available. I believe 4000 is the rounded up value(even though that was stated in their letter), but the actual number should be around 3500. For your information, out of the three that applied to Bristol in my College last year, two were rejected without an interview and one of them obtained 12A1 in SPM with 4As predicted grade in A level.(grades aren't everything, after all)

To shuly, i was wrong for using those words but my real intention was to let the OP know that he/she should write a personal statement that he/she thinks is the best(that means numerous edition and comments from other people).

[zell_ll]

Good Luck...you can do Duke of Edinburgh international awards for young people...look good on your ps. http://www.theaward.org/

[fazlyn]

i know...but thats what i want & i dont care how i am going to do it..
i just want it...very much

omg haha... cambridge medicine is easy to get in...if u hv these:
good music skills (diploma preferabbly)
really good communication skills
international experiences (preferably community services)
really powerful ps
really in-depth knowledge about cambridge (its colleges)
really good reason y u want cambridge when u fill in the form
quick thinking skills. cause the interview is not about u but about ur brain haha
academic achievements
high BMAT scores.


cambridge medical school is really academic. but they dont want nerds either. but then again sports are not important also for them.
still thinking about cambridge?
anyway my fren got cambridge medicine and he rejected it.
see cambridge aint everything

ok enuff about cambridge. this post is about prep for medic rite?
here's what u need. the 2 most important things are:
ur PS
ur UKCAT

and of course u need experiences at the hospital...its rilly useful stuff to put in ur ps. plus the high motivation to become a doctor. but the experiences rilly put u above the others laa...
btw...bristol's not hard to get in. its their 2nd year interviewing in msia and they're not as choosy as sheffield. haha sheffield rilly pick VERY FEW msians.

[Kuekkuek]

Gosh...Can anyone tell what is PS?

[Sillyboy]

Gosh...Can anyone tell what is PS?

PS is your personal statement. It is an essay written by UK university applicants to convince university admission tutors to accept you as their university student. Basically, you will write about why you choose a particular course or maybe, your main interest, your work experience, extra curricular activities or anything else that is relevant to the courses applied and will contribute most in securing an offer.

However, a PS does not have a specific so it all boils down to how a creative an applicant is when presenting their 'stories' to the examiner. Write in good English and avoid any grammatical, spelling errors at all cost! Do not try to slot in bombastic words every now and then in your PS. Your efforts to impress a university admissions tutor may be futile.

A good PS is one that successfully make an impact on the examiner and convinces his or her that you are the right student for their university.

[TheArtOfMedicine]

omg haha... cambridge medicine is easy to get in...if u hv these:
good music skills (diploma preferabbly)
really good communication skills
international experiences (preferably community services)
really powerful ps
really in-depth knowledge about cambridge (its colleges)
really good reason y u want cambridge when u fill in the form
quick thinking skills. cause the interview is not about u but about ur brain haha
academic achievements
high BMAT scores.


cambridge medical school is really academic. but they dont want nerds either. but then again sports are not important also for them.
still thinking about cambridge?
anyway my fren got cambridge medicine and he rejected it.
see cambridge aint everything

ok enuff about cambridge. this post is about prep for medic rite?
here's what u need. the 2 most important things are:
ur PS
ur UKCAT

and of course u need experiences at the hospital...its rilly useful stuff to put in ur ps. plus the high motivation to become a doctor. but the experiences rilly put u above the others laa...
btw...bristol's not hard to get in. its their 2nd year interviewing in msia and they're not as choosy as sheffield. haha sheffield rilly pick VERY FEW msians.


I'm not sure about the number of Malaysians being admitted for Medicine at Bristol every year and based on what grounds were you saying it's easy to be admitted but most of those who applied there seemed to be rejected without an interview. Besides, most of the international students at these British medical schools are Malaysians and Singaporeans. I can't say much about Sheffield since i only have two friends who applied there, both were rejected.

Your comment on Cambridge Medical School is heavily flawed.Firstly, Cambridge doesn't care that much about one's communication skills, it's all about how good you are in your chosen field, Biochemistry knowledge says it all in the case of Medicine. I was even told that quite a few international students at Cambridge barely string a proper English sentence.(though this might not be true for Medicine).

Secondly, in-depth understanding of the Cambridge Colleges aren't really required as most people will opt for an open application, we get allocated in the end and the College wouldn't know about it at all. A fair amount of in-sight of the Collegiate system might help.(but not necessarily on the Colleges themselves)

In addition: Musical knowledge(and what not at diploma level)is totally NOT essential at Cambridge. Many of those that were admitted last year didn't hold a diploma in Music, some can't even read the notes. It's good if one possesses amazing skills in playing a musical instrument but it shouldn't put off any smart student from applying just because of that.

I suppose you're from one of the MARA Colleges? There is an exceptional number of MARA scholars being accepted by Bristol this year but my senior told me there were very few of them in the past.

[huipen]

The Art of Medicine thanks a lot for your infor. May I ask why Bristol and not Nottingham as yr. 1st. choice. I am joining next yr. Is Bristol very hard to get in for medicine. Is the interview very tough, how about leeds and nottingham. pls. help as I got to make 4 choices.

[duke23]

well its true sheffield picks very very few malaysian these days and and well for the record..they dont pick the best..it seems like if they select any at all,they do not want the best because they probably know that these students would get better offers and reject them at the end of the day..funny how those days sheffield used to be one of the universities who took in malaysian medics in BULK including the really unqualified ones..but this was about 10 years ago...but who would wanna bother applying to sheffield if they are really so "jual mahal"..Most of the med schools in the uk are better if not on par with sheffield in all aspects.

[QUOTE=fazlyn;193659]omg haha... cambridge medicine is EASY to get in...

well..what can i say..PROVE IT THEN!

[TheArtOfMedicine]

To huipen: I wouldn't say Bristol is VERY hard to get in, it's just as competitive as any other UK medical schools. Some medical schools such as Cambridge get less applicants every year but competitiveness shouldn't only cover the number of applicants as it's definitely worth considering the CALIBER of the those applying there. Bristol has appeared to be favouring the MARA scholars this year(not sure if it's right to say this)as around 80% of the offer holders for 2008 entry are from the same MARA College. Anyhow, Bristol is seen as a natural alternative to Oxbridge and there is no doubt many would apply to it.

Leeds, on the other hand, seems to be slightly ''undersubscribed'' and some might take it as a back-up choice.(i myself included, sadly) as it doesn't interview its applicants and somehow,almost everybody is getting offer from it. Nottingham, is perhaps as competitive as Bristol and if not, even worse. Interview plays a more important role in the admissions process at Nottingham and as we all know, Nottingham is a very popular choice among Malaysians and you will probably have to shine among the crowd.

When it comes to which medical school to apply to, it's always important to consider the cost of the programme and the living cost. All the famous london medical schools charge exorbitant price for international students and if you're on tight budget, forget about applying there. Oxbridge are worth a shot as you'll most probably get a scholarship should you have got their offers. I have to admit i overlooked the Scottish medical school last year as i wasn't aware that most of them are indeed big players in the medical field, i.e; Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee. (However, their names don't usually ring a bell when one's considering them as a University, it's all about departmental fame etc)

I chose Bristol over Nottingham because i was attracted to Bristol's fame and prestige(note that i WAS). It's very highly regarded in the UK but to be honest, both of them are in fact on par when it comes to Medicine but generally speaking, Bristol excels in more courses than Notts.

To duke23: Maybe Cambridge is just too crappy for fazlyn and he/she deserves somewhere better. You should probably find out more on this from him/her. =) I wonder which country's applicants is Sheffield taking then?Bearing in mind most of the international medical students are either Malaysians or Singaporeans..

[sumbody]

Any fellow Malaysian heading to Liverpool for Medicine? I find Nottingham very tough to get in, in fact, I wasn't even selected for interview. Seems like Nottingham is a really popular choice among Malaysians. The BMAT requirement for Oxbridge turned me off. And I heard the teaching method is very traditional. PBL seems more interesting.

[TheArtOfMedicine]

I haven't got to know one yet, sumbody. Medicine is Liverpool's flag ship course so that speaks something for itself. I personally prefer the traditional course(typical of a Malaysian)and find PBL rather mind-boggling, many people have complained that it's rather too general and one wouldn't know what exactly to study and what not necessary to be covered. My father was studying at Manchester and he didn't mind it..but he said PBL is definitely not for everyone.

Latest update: I just attended a Bristol fresher meeting session yesterday and managed to meet 9 Malaysian medics and one of whom received an offer from Cambridge(Fitzwilliam College)and declined it in favour of Bristol.(Not sure if that was the guy fazlyn was talking about).

[duke23]

well no offence but to decline an offer from cambridge(whatever college it may be)in favour of bristol university is a bit of an overkill in my opinion.

[TheArtOfMedicine]

well no offence but to decline an offer from cambridge(whatever college it may be)in favour of bristol university is a bit of an overkill in my opinion.

Yeah..that's what i thought as well. But since his father didn't oppose his decision..who are we to influence his choice, right?(besides, it can't be changed anyway).

I was told he wasn't accepted by the College he applied to but got picked up by Fitz in the winter pool. According to his father who also studied at Cambridge, Medic's life at Cambridge is extremely stressful and he didn't quite like the duration of the medical course there and apparently, Bristol isn't too shabby or any lousier than many other med schools. ^.^(though i really have to agree it can't match Oxbridge)

[duke23]

talk about stressful lives of med students..i was shadowing a radiation oncologist just now(at memorial sloan kettering) and the residents and med students wereee so overworked!!im of the opinion that most other med schools in the Uk are merely scratching the surface of oxbridge at least in terms of pre-clinical teaching...i thought manchester started PBL recently?in the mid 90's?my uncle studied in manchester and it wasn't pbl in his time and he's in his 40's ,dont think your dad will be much younger than that.lol

[TheArtOfMedicine]

talk about stressful lives of med students..i was shadowing a radiation oncologist just now(at memorial sloan kettering) and the residents and med students wereee so overworked!!im of the opinion that most other med schools in the Uk are merely scratching the surface of oxbridge at least in terms of pre-clinical teaching...i thought manchester started PBL recently?in the mid 90's?my uncle studied in manchester and it wasn't pbl in his time and he's in his 40's ,dont think your dad will be much younger than that.lol

A professor from Manchester University once told my dad '' We(the University)don't expect you to know everything and keep it in your brain, we're more concerned of whether you know how to FIND those information yourself''. Now, that basically summarises everything about the PBL system..(they have to find the info themselves, based on the little guidance given)

[duke23]

im well acquainted with the PBL system since i have siblings and relatives who did medicine,some of whom have undergone the PBL way of teaching..so what is your drift?

[sumbody]

PBL or not, just give it your best shot and try to do well. Personally I feel PBL is challenging and shapes me into a better person, since I need the initiative to search for answers myself. But that just my 2 cents.

[TheArtOfMedicine]

Perhaps you got me wrong, duke. I was just trying to tell you that Manchester was already very pro-PBL in my father's time.(he's approaching 50)

To sumbody: I'm sure you'll enjoy it at Liverpool, especially if you're a football enthusiast!

[duke23]

well i agree it may not suit everyone's needs regardless of the education background,i personally know ppl who dont quite like the PBL method but still plugged through med school
because its hard to make a u-turn once you are already in a particular med school!

[TheArtOfMedicine]

Yeah..to me, it's the final outcome that matters, others wouldn't care which system one's gone through as long as he gets lots of HDs in his work/degree.

Good luck with your BMAT and UKCAT!(my legs still tremble whenever i think of it..ha!)

[suezinge]

The Art of Medicine, thanks for the info. Really gain a lot. All the best to u in Bristol. When does the term starts?

[TheArtOfMedicine]

I'm glad to be able to help. Do you intend to apply to the British medical schools too?(I know this sounds silly but i just want to make sure..)

[duke23]

who else will be applying to the uk for entry in 2009?what are your choices?

[Koschei]

who else will be applying to the uk for entry in 2009?what are your choices?

I would've applied for entry in '09...if I didn't get sidetracked.

My choices would've been Cambridge, Imperial, Edinburgh and Newcastle. If I had to get rid of one choice, I'd probably remove Imperial, and put in something like Nottingham or Sheffield. :)

[duke23]

so you mean you are not applying now?

wow..all so top notch schools..

Im applying to cambridge,imperial,UCL and bristol..

i registered and sat for ukcat and got 805 for that but ironically none of my schools require that..HAHAHAHA..BMAT NOW!!

[Sillyboy]

so you mean you are not applying now?

wow..all so top notch schools..

Im applying to cambridge,imperial,UCL and bristol..

i registered and sat for ukcat and got 805 for that but ironically none of my schools require that..HAHAHAHA..BMAT NOW!!

You are applying to many top colleges yourself!

[duke23]

well. yeah :)

[Koschei]

Well, I was enrolled in an 18-month A levels course from January 08. Then I got a scholarship for Medicine. :))

Top-notch? Haha, I suppose. I mean, if you want to apply to study medicine in the UK, you might as well aim for the best, right? Because the only thing that really makes UK better than India is the fact that a degree from the UK is more recognized, and that they give an excellent theoretical foundation for specialisation later.

If you don't get into one of the best universities then the two aforementioned points become very insignificant. You might as well go to Indian universities, because they'd give you much more practice in the practical aspects of being a doctor (especially dissection and anything involving contact with a real human/body). This would make your housemanship years easier, for obvious reasons.

Then again, if you're in the UK you could run off and stay there. And you'd get 4 seasons. :laugh
(You'd still be paid peanuts for your starting salary, be taxed more, and have to contend with a higher cost of living, though.)

[Sillyboy]

Well, I was enrolled in an 18-month A levels course from January 08. Then I got a scholarship for Medicine. :))

Top-notch? Haha, I suppose. I mean, if you want to apply to study medicine in the UK, you might as well aim for the best, right? Because the only thing that really makes UK better than India is the fact that a degree from the UK is more recognized, and that they give an excellent theoretical foundation for specialisation later.

If you don't get into one of the best universities then the two aforementioned points become very insignificant. You might as well go to Indian universities, because they'd give you much more practice in the practical aspects of being a doctor (especially dissection and anything involving contact with a real human/body). This would make your housemanship years easier, for obvious reasons.

Then again, if you're in the UK you could run off and stay there. And you'd get 4 seasons. :laugh
(You'd still be paid peanuts for your starting salary, be taxed more, and have to contend with a higher cost of living, though.)

Good for you! *thumbs up*

[duke23]

well if u are under mara u dont even need to go back.they'll close both eyes..right?haha

but hey im under daddy's scholarship


i think the standard of medical education is about the same in all the medical schools in the uk.

They are all accredited by the GMC and have to meet the guidelines set .


anyone can apply anywhere they wish.whether they get in or not it really depends on their calibre.its easier said than done.

but i agree that sometimes selection of international students are done very biasedly.For example i heard that students in certain mara colleges have a reserved number of spots in certain med schools.Kinda afffects the credibility of the school.many can hardly string a proper sentence in english..

i also heard that ielts examination in these colleges are rigged.

yeah post graduate training in the UK sucks..many of the top british graduates do residency in the US/canada.So the malaysians/internationals are left to fill in the 'GAPS'

[duke23]

just wondering who have completed the cambdrige interviews for medicine so far?would be good if you can share your experience.I finished mine at trinity college and i enjoyed my interviews..( i had 2)

Please also share your UKCAT and BMAT scores if you wish

I'll start
UKCAT 805
BMAT-28.6

I applied for medicine at Trinity College.Done interviews


UCL interview is in January

[med_rose]

well,koschei..you took the 18-month a-level course,so,how's your pathway into medicine?:huh

[suanney]

hey, i'm applying to uk for medicine n no doubt i've heard it's really tough. do any of u know where i can do my 'work shadowing' as required by most uk universities? i can't seem to find a suitable place to do it. i've asked around private clinics but they wouldn't accept me. can anyone shed light on this matter? i would really appreciate that.

[nameloo]

How to apply for UK medicine program from STPM?

I'm in my lower 6 year now n I'm asking for some confirmation or at least a bit of information so i won't be left out or just dreaming to study there without knowing i wont have the chance....do i??

thxx

[cuppycake]

How to apply for UK medicine program from STPM?

I'm in my lower 6 year now n I'm asking for some confirmation or at least a bit of information so i won't be left out or just dreaming to study there without knowing i wont have the chance....do i??

thxx

you have the chance. one of the recommers here got into cambridge using his stpm results. you have to apply through UCAS. then you have to take either ukcat or bmat test depending on which uni you're applying to. and there'll also be an interview.if you pass all this there'll give you a conditional offer where they'll state the minimum number of A's you need to get for stpm. if you manage to meet the requirement, you'll get an unconditional offer to the uni.

[sugarspice]

How to apply for UK medicine program from STPM?

I'm in my lower 6 year now n I'm asking for some confirmation or at least a bit of information so i won't be left out or just dreaming to study there without knowing i wont have the chance....do i??

thxx

Well the application to UK uni is pretty similar disregard to what pre-U course you take. But of course there arent many STPMers who apply to UK unis as their mindset of wanting to go overseas is virtually non-existent.

To apply to any UK unis you need to go through a system called UCAS. You don't apply to the university itself like Aussie unis. The UCAS website (http://www.ucas.ac.uk/) is very comprehensive. Literally, it has all the info you need to know for your UK uni application. So, read through everything possible, including the FAQ.

Since you're doing STPM, it's a bit harder in terms of the application process, unless you're studying in schools near KL/Subang, where there are a lot of students who apply to overseas, and the resources and advisory centres are abundant and easily available. So if you have friends studying in private colleges like Taylors & iNTI who are going to apply to UK, do ask them about their application (their personal statement, reference etc), since their application is a year ahead of you. Please note that you have to apply one year ahead before your entry to the uni, especially for medical courses.

There is a forum which caters for UK students called The Student Room. I am not sure about others but I find this forum really useful. Here's a link (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=195) to the medicine section of the forum. You can browse through other threads like UCAS application yada yada to aid you in your application. You may want to contact some alumni from there too to get a better view / understanding of the course or particulat uni that you're interested in.

Most but not all UK unis require medicine applicants to sit for a kind of aptitude test (well not really an aptitude test), which are BMAT and UKCAT. Try Google them yourself. :)

Regarding the interviews, unis may send representatives to your country or they interview you by teleconference sort of thing. But there are certain unis that do not conduct interviews overseas nor teleconference but expect you to turn up for interview at the university itself. A fine example will be Oxford University. A quote from Oxford University 2009 Undergrad Prospectus:

"Please note that all candidates applying for Fine Art or Medicine who are shortlisted, will be expected to come to Oxford for interview."

The same goes for Imperial and UCL. (Sometimes Imperial does conduct interviews here or in Singapore, when the applicants are many)

Concerning academic requirements, different unis have different minimun set of requirements. Like for instance, say for medicine, some uni require AAB, some AAA and for Imperial they consider FOUR subjects instead of three. You can find all these in their respective official website and prospectus.

Anyway it's still early for you to consider applying to UK as for now you're in lower six, the earliest you can enter a uni is autum 2011, since by autumn 2010 you will still be in upper six and have not taken STPM. So if you wanna apply, next year (2010) is the right year for you. But I am not sure whether you can apply for a deferred entry though.

Again, please refer to the UCAS website for further info. All the best.


just wondering who have completed the cambdrige interviews for medicine so far?would be good if you can share your experience.I finished mine at trinity college and i enjoyed my interviews..( i had 2)

Please also share your UKCAT and BMAT scores if you wish

I'll start
UKCAT 805
BMAT-28.6


There is a ReCommer who's got offered by Trinity to do medicine too for 2009 intake. He has been offered the JPA Ivy League dan Setara scholarship. His recom name is tsar.

By the way, you UKCAT and BMAT scores are simply fabulous. How did you manage that? Mind giving some advices/tips in getting high scores, especially in section 3? thx in advance. :)

[EltonLuo]

hey, i'm applying to uk for medicine n no doubt i've heard it's really tough. do any of u know where i can do my 'work shadowing' as required by most uk universities? i can't seem to find a suitable place to do it. i've asked around private clinics but they wouldn't accept me. can anyone shed light on this matter? i would really appreciate that.


If you are from near KL region, you can go for SJMC in Subang for student attachment program.

Did mine during Aprils.

[nameloo]

Well the application to UK uni is pretty similar disregard to what pre-U course you take. But of course there arent many STPMers who apply to UK unis as their mindset of wanting to go overseas is virtually non-existent.

To apply to any UK unis you need to go through a system called UCAS. You don't apply to the university itself like Aussie unis. The UCAS website (http://www.ucas.ac.uk/) is very comprehensive. Literally, it has all the info you need to know for your UK uni application. So, read through everything possible, including the FAQ.

Since you're doing STPM, it's a bit harder in terms of the application process, unless you're studying in schools near KL/Subang, where there are a lot of students who apply to overseas, and the resources and advisory centres are abundant and easily available. So if you have friends studying in private colleges like Taylors & iNTI who are going to apply to UK, do ask them about their application (their personal statement, reference etc), since their application is a year ahead of you. Please note that you have to apply one year ahead before your entry to the uni, especially for medical courses.

There is a forum which caters for UK students called The Student Room. I am not sure about others but I find this forum really useful. Here's a link (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=195) to the medicine section of the forum. You can browse through other threads like UCAS application yada yada to aid you in your application. You may want to contact some alumni from there too to get a better view / understanding of the course or particulat uni that you're interested in.

Most but not all UK unis require medicine applicants to sit for a kind of aptitude test (well not really an aptitude test), which are BMAT and UKCAT. Try Google them yourself. :)

Regarding the interviews, unis may send representatives to your country or they interview you by teleconference sort of thing. But there are certain unis that do not conduct interviews overseas nor teleconference but expect you to turn up for interview at the university itself. A fine example will be Oxford University. A quote from Oxford University 2009 Undergrad Prospectus:

"Please note that all candidates applying for Fine Art or Medicine who are shortlisted, will be expected to come to Oxford for interview."

The same goes for Imperial and UCL.

Concerning academic requirements, different unis have different minimun set of requirements. Like for instance, say for medicine, some uni require AAB, some AAA and for Imperial they consider FOUR subjects instead of three. You can find all these in their respective official website and prospectus.

Anyway it's still early for you to consider applying to UK as for now you're in lower six, the earliest you can enter a uni is autum 2011, since by autumn 2010 you will still be in upper six and have not taken STPM. So if you wanna apply, next year (2010) is the right year for you. But I am not sure whether you can apply for a deferred entry though.

Again, please refer to the UCAS website for further info. All the best.




There is a ReCommer who's got offered by Trinity to do medicine too for 2009 intake. He has been offered the JPA Ivy League dan Setara scholarship. His recom name is tsar.

By the way, you UKCAT and BMAT scores are simply fabulous. How did you manage that? Mind giving some advices/tips in getting high scores, especially in section 3? thx in advance. :)

hrmmmm finding someone from Klang Valley is a bit hard for me tho cuz i'm studying in Malacca now...
besides i don't know who i should ask other than this place...
anyway thx
guess i have to work it out all by myself.... -_-*

[sugarspice]

If you are from near KL region, you can go for SJMC in Subang for student attachment program.

Did mine during Aprils.

How about Penang?

Where to get some 'work shadowing' in Penang? thanks.

[duke23]

How about Penang?

Where to get some 'work shadowing' in Penang? thanks.

I'd think shadowing in a public hospital is way better than tagging along a private consultant..So do try penang GH..you may get brownie points for doing that depending on where you apply.

I think i totally lucked out on my bmat..i did some entrance to australian medical school practice questions(whatever that is called it is= to ISAT) but i think they were rather irrelevant and did waste a lot of my time

The other warnign i'd like to give is be prudent on your choices..If u are totally depending on JPA then you have no choice but to apply to IC,UCL ,Oxbridge..but remember these schools are very hard to get in..especially for international students..i think Imperial took in 1 or 2 malaysians(well at least 1 that i know)..but there are not many who are offered places..UCL was worse..flat out rejection for almost all without an interview..some of the students i knew were really good..

I also know of ppl who were hoping to get the tambahan so they applied to only these few schools and got rejected by all..and are now going to IMU.they are regretting because their parents could actually afford to send them on their own to a cheaper school in the uk..(non london ones) but they missed their chances..Do take in mind..IMU twinning isnt cheap..if u twin to the UK on most occasions you are delayed by a year..++++ the cost is the same in fact even more......that's a crappy deal.....so my advice is..Dont regret after submitting your application.

I'd think shadowing in a public hospital is way better than tagging along a private consultant..So do try penang GH..you may get brownie points for doing that depending on where you apply.

I think i totally lucked out on my bmat..i did some entrance to australian medical school practice questions(whatever that is called it is= to ISAT) but i think they were rather irrelevant and did waste a lot of my time

The other warnign i'd like to give is be prudent on your choices..If u are totally depending on JPA then you have no choice but to apply to IC,UCL ,Oxbridge..but remember these schools are very hard to get in..especially for international students..i think Imperial took in 1 or 2 malaysians(well at least 1 that i know)..but there are not many who are offered places..UCL was worse..flat out rejection for almost all without an interview..some of the students i knew were really good..

I also know of ppl who were hoping to get the tambahan so they applied to only these few schools and got rejected by all..and are now going to IMU.they are regretting because their parents could actually afford to send them on their own to a cheaper school in the uk..(non london ones) but they missed their chances..Do take in mind..IMU twinning isnt cheap..if u twin to the UK on most occasions you are delayed by a year..++++ the cost is the same in fact even more......that's a crappy deal.....so my advice is..Dont regret after submitting your application.

sugarspice u can add me on msn if u wish i will pm u shortly and we can talk there down the road..i hardly check recom these days