6 Days To Go...

*Dusts cobwebs*

Hello again. I know I've been neglecting this recently (ok, for the last three months), but I've been busy. Well, not really, I just couldn't be bothered to blog. But I'm back now, and that's all that matters :)

I thought I'd start blogging again because it's now officially just six days (six!) until I move to Uni. I've just come back from a pretty major shopping trip, and looking at the pile of bedding, storage boxes and student essentials in my room (and on the landing...) it's hard to say I'm not excited about it- I am, and it's something I've wanted for a long time, but nerves have started to creep in a bit now. I know full well that they're nothing to be properly worried about- making friends, not being able to live independently etc- but nonetheless I'm still pretty apprehensive about Saturday. Ah well- hopefully these are just the standard pre-freshers nerves that everyone gets, and in a few weeks I'll wonder why I was ever worried at all.

Anyway- I will try and keep this blog slightly more up-to-date than I have been, so I'll hopefully post again before I go, and I'll try and keep tabs on the whole of Fresher's week (the bits I remember, anyway :P).

UKCAT: Preparing For and Taking The Test

After last week's post offering very little in the way of actual insight, I thought I'd offer up some proper advice this week. Enjoy.

Preparing to Take The Test:

Firstly, there is no right way to prepare for the UKCAT. Some people can do very little, or even no preparation, but still score quite highly, while others need months of work to even come close.

 

Before you start preparing, you'll need some resources. At the end of this post there's a list of useful links to loads of question banks and the such, so check it out. Personally, I used the 600Q book, which is full of tips and practice questions (obviously), plus getintomedicine's massive question bank, and Medify's free questions. For mock exams I used the official ones, the one in the book and Kaplan's free mock, links to all of which are below. I personally think that this is enough for most people, but if you're able to, and/or want more questions, you can pay to access Medify, Ace Medicine or Kaplan's online question banks. Ace Medicine and Kaplan, plus some others also run UKCAT prep courses, but these are mega expensive, and I think that with some determination (and by reading my advice below ;)) you can do just as good a job.

 

Below is the technique that I used to prepare for the test. As already said, different things work for different people, this is just my advice based on what worked for me.

 

1. Start preparing about four weeks before your test date by trying some questions from each section without a time limit. This'll let you get a feel for answering the questions, and will let you start to develop techniques for each section.
2. Once you feel confident in answering questions untimed, you can add a time limit. Start at the normal time limit plus 50% or even 100%, and then gradually lower the time limit, until you can do questions well within the given time.
3. About two weeks before your test, evaluate where you are, by asking yourself how far you think you've come in the last two weeks, and how far you think you can go in the next two. If you think you'll need more time, then move your test back. There's no harm in doing it once (I did), just don't get to the point where you're moving your test back constantly, just because you can.
4. Also at the two week point, try a mock test. As most mocks don't score like the UKCAT will, you need to use the following equation to work out how well you did: (It's worth noting that this is not how the real exam is scored, so will only give an estimate).
   

   (Number of correct answers/total number of questions) x 600 + 300

    
5. The mocks will highlight areas for you to improve upon, so do some more questions, practice different techniques, and try another mock (you might have a few, so space them out so that you aren't taking loads at once).
6. By this point, you should be feeling pretty confident, and ready for your test. Good luck, but first, read on for advice on how to tackle each section.

The Sections:

Verbal Reasoning (VR) 
This is the section where you have to draw conclusions (True, False, Can't Tell) from a passage of text. It sounds quite straight forward, but the Devil's in the detail, so just make sure that you're definitely sure of your answer before you click next, and make full use of the "Flag for Review" button. Some more tips:

• Read the text first. Even if it's just a skim read, it'll give you valuable reference points when you get onto the questions, which should save you time
• Don't use your own knowledge to try and answer questions- you shouln't be familiar with the content (it's not A level stuff or anything), but if you are, then for the purposes of the exam, consider the text as fact. Doing this catches a lot of people out- don't be one of them.

Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
This is the maths section, and to give you an idea, the questions are about GCSE maths standard in terms of difficulty. There is an onscreen calculator for you to use (it's similar to the standard windows one) but if you sharpen your mental maths skills up first it'll save you valuable time in the exam. Also, if you use the 600Q book to prepare- don't worry- the questions are far, far easier than the book makes out.

Abstract Reasoning (AR)
This section has changed this year. There are now four different question types; when I sat the test there was only one. From what I've seen though, it seems that the same skills are being tested, so any old test material should still be usable to practice spotting patterns, just don't rely on it and then get caught out by the new style questions on the day. A useful anagram for spotting patterns is:

C olour
A ngles
T ype
S hape
P osition
E dges
N umber
I ntersections
S ymmetries

A large part of this section is spotting the pattern- once you've done that you can take just a few seconds per question, to judge where it belongs. Finally, if you're running out of time, just guess! You aren't negatively marked for a wrong answer, so you might be able to pick up a few extra marks- this goes for all sections.

Decision Analysis (DA)
This section gives you a table of codes, and you have to interpret "sentences" written in the code into English. This section has changed this year. But not massively. The only difference is the addition of trial confidence ratings. They won't affect your score for 2014 entry, but bear in mind that they are likely to be "live" from next year, so you may need to take them into account. Make sure that you use the whiteboard to its full extent in this section- I wrote out what the code literally meant, and then tried to infer the answer from there. Take your time- I always had loads left over- as there can sometimes only be the tiniest of differences between answers.

Situational Judgement (SJT)
This section is new for 2013, but was trialled last year, so I sat it. From what I remember though, it was quite straightforward- you are given a scenario, and have to rate how appropriate a given action would be. Timing seemed quite generous, and it'll be considered separately to the other sections, so just relax, and think logically about what you'd do in that situation.

Useful Links:

These are the sites that I used to prepare for the UKCAT, plus some others that you might find useful:

The Official Website You should already know about this site, but it's full of useful information on each of the sections, plus includes two full length official mock exams, plus a shorter one.

The 600Q Book While it doesn't include the new style AR questions, or any SJT, it's still good for VR, QR and DA, and has a good mock exam and some solid advice for all the sections. If you use just one UKCAT resource, make it this one.

Get into Medicine This site has hundreds of UKCAT questions, plus tips and tutorials and more advice on applications than you can shake a stick at. It's an excellent website, so get on it.

ukcathelp.org I don't think that this website existed last year so I didn't use it, but it's been getting very good reviews on TSR, and is definitely worth a look. A word of caution though: since originally writing this post, it has come to my attention that this website might not be 100% genuine. It still has the content, but DO NOT use a username/password combo that you use elsewhere, just to be on the safe side.

Medify This has some free UKCAT questions and tips, plus a paid for question bank that you can use if you're able to.

Kaplan Again, this is a paid for resource, but with some free areas. I used their mock test last year, so take a look. They also offer an intensive 10 day course, but I don't think anyone needs to spend £1,250 getting into medical school.

Ace Medicine Quite similar to Kaplan (above), but with no free questions to be had :(

The Student Room This link takes you to their wiki page on the UKCAT, which is full of advice and links to even more practice questions. While you're there have a look at the rest of the medicine wiki, and the medicine forum for yet more advice and info, plus this year's UKCAT thread, where if you're a member you can ask as many questions as you like.

Right- that's everything I have on the UKCAT- good luck preparing for and taking the test, and if you have any more questions, I'm "Ingenting" on both The Student Room and New Media Medicine forums, so feel free to PM me on either :)

One last thing for those who are wondering- I got 710 on the UKCAT last year, and 687.5 the year before.

The UKCAT: General Tips

So, exams are finally over, and it's time for the summer to begin. Or maybe not. If you're in Year 12 (or in Year 13 and a reapplicant) and applying to medicine then it's highly likely that you'll be taking the UKCAT over the next few months. As a reapplicant, I took the test twice and have a wealth of information to share with you over the next few posts, that hopefully you'll find helpful. First up, some general information and tips:

The Basics:

• UKCAT stands for the United Kingdom Clinical Aptitude Test, and is taken by applicants to Medicine and Dentistry courses at any of the 26 Universities that make up the UKCAT Consortium.
• If you live in a country where the test isn't offered, then you can apply for exemption- see the UKCAT website for more details.
• You can only take the test once per application cycle, and your score is only valid for one application cycle- ie if you take the test in 2013, your score is only valid for 2014 entry, or deferred entry in 2015.
• The test is delivered by Pearson Vue, and is taken at one of their test centres. These test centres are also where the Driving Theory Test, amongst others, is taken, so might be familiar to some.
• The test costs £65 if you take it on or before 31st August, or £80 thereafter. Bursaries are available, see here for details. Bear in mind that if you're an international candidate taking the test outside of the EU, it'll cost you £100, regardless of when you sit it.
• You can register to take the test between 30th April 2013 and 19th September 2013, and can book/ reschedule a testing slot up until 1st October. Testing runs between 30th June and 3rd October.
• The test is made up of five sub-sections, that tests both cognitive and non-cognitive reasoning skills. If you have no idea what that means, then fear not- I don't have a clue either- all that really matters is that you get a good score on the day.
• Extra time is available for candidates who require it- you'll need to provide the unis you apply to with a psychologist's report, should they ask for one.

Registering and Booking The Test:
Now you know a bit about the exam, let's talk about choosing when to take it. Firstly, and if you haven't done so already, click here to register for an account and book a testing slot. Places are limited, and can fill up quickly at some test centres, so booking early gives you the best chance of getting the time and location that you want. I also strongly advise that you sit the test before the end of August, for the following reasons:

• It costs more. If you sit it on or after 1st September, you'll be charged £80 for the privilege. Sitting it on or before 31st August saves you £15, and...
• It gives you more time to decide where to apply. As you can only take the test once per cycle, you're stuck with the result you get. I'll post more detailed advice at a later date, but remember that your UKCAT score has a major impact on where you can apply. Therefore, if you sit the test in October expecting a high UKCAT score, and come out with a low one, you've got quite a task on your hands, changing your application and personal statement (best take out that bit about organisation skills :P)
• You can still reschedule if something goes wrong. Basically, if you have the test booked for early-August, but then, say, break your arm jumping from a balcony while plastered on your lad's holiday to Magaluf, you can reschedule for when you're better. Needless to say that if you booked your test for October, you wouldn't be able to reschedule, and would have to take the test single-handedly (sorry).
• It won't be hanging over you all summer, or conflicting with your A2s. Booking by the end of August gives you more than enough time to prepare after your exams, and gives you enough time after to enjoy your summer holiday, and choose where to apply with your score. You also won't have to juggle it with starting your A2s, which can be a step up from AS level, and require a lot more work.

IMPORTANT: You must register for an account with Pearson by 19th September 2013. You don't have to book a testing slot by then, but failure to register means that you will not be able to sit the UKCAT for 2014 (or deferred 2015) entry. You must then book a testing slot by 1st October 2013, or again, you won't be able to take the test. Remember that while the last testing date is 3rd October 2013, I would strongly suggest booking it much earlier, for the above reasons.

The Test:
I have quite a lot of tips to share about the test itself, and preparation materials, which I'm going to put into a separate post, mainly because this post is already massive, and I've been writing it for ages. That'll hopefully be coming next week, but in short, timing is the main factor that catches people out. My top tip is to start by not timing yourself, and gradually start timing, until you can do enough questions in the time given.

Marking:
The way it's marked is generally a bit of a mystery, but in short, your raw score is compared to a test group, and then magically converted to a score between 300-900, with 600 as the mean. You'll get 4 scores like this for the first four (cognitive) sections (VR, QR, AR & DA) and a banding (1-4) for the SJT section. Generally people give their score as an average of all four sections, however unis tend to use your total score when referring to the test. Therefore, your average score will still be between 300 and 900, with 600 as the mean, however your total score is between 1200 and 3600, with 2400 being the mean. It's also worth mentioning at this point that despite it being listed on UCAS, there is absolutely no need to put your UKCAT score onto your application. UKCAT liaise with UCAS after all applications have been submitted, and magically give your score to the unis you applied to.

Right, that's my whistle stop tour of the UKCAT done. Coming soon is a post on preparing for the exam, and the individual sections, and then in July- August time I'll post something on deciding what to do with your result.

I

An Introduction

Hey,

I thought it might be an idea to introduce myself properly, so, uh, here goes...

I first applied to study medicine in 2011 (to start in September 2012), but became a member of the 60% of medical school applicants who didn't receive a single offer. I'll talk in more detail about applying, UCAS, admission tests etc. in later posts, but tl;dr*: I didn't apply to my strengths, waited, messed up a couple of interviews (one badly, the other catastrophically so), waited some more, then got four rejections. In the space of about five weeks. Ouch.

There was no time to dwell on it though- I'd already decided to take a gap year, so just had to pick myself up and start revising for my A2s. With my mind filled with thoughts that I'd never be a doctor, it was hard to concentrate on exams, until I received feedback from one of the interviews I thought I'd done badly in, telling me that I'd scored 84%. I couldn't believe it. I knew that I could improve on that, so put my head down for two months, and eventually came out with the grades I needed.

I was already well into the application process by the time results day came, and my grades were the final piece of the puzzle to let me reapply. Then, In October 2012, with a much stronger application, I pressed "Send" and started the cycle once more. Interviews came, and I felt like I did much better in the 84% one. Unfortunately, they took the longest to reply (three months after the interview), but it was well worth the wait. When Track finally updated with the word "Conditional" it felt like both the cumulation of several years of hard work, in the form of GCSEs, A-levels and applications, but also the start of many years of hard work to come. The decision took a while to sink in, to the point where I still can't quite believe it- the realisation of the fact that someone, somewhere thinks that you're good enough to study medicine is a feeling like no other, and the contrast to how I felt just one year ago is phenomenal.

That brings us to now, when I'm filling time inbetween now and starting medical school. I have a job, and am carrying on with the voluntary work I started to get myself in, but, for me, September just can't come quickly enough.

I

*I realise that this might not be the best way to make you read more of my blogs.

Hello

Hey there!

As the title suggests, I'm (nearly) a Medical Student at a northern Medical School in the UK. I use the word nearly- I have an offer to start in September, so I'm really just waiting until then. When September does come, I'll post more about my experiences at uni and as a Medical Student, however until then I'll be posting mostly about applying to Medical School- I applied twice, so have a fair few tips to give- as well as the odd story or two from my life.

 I'll try and keep this blog updated weekly, but I'm new to this and have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, so please do forgive me.

Thanks for reading,
Ingenting

PS: I think it's also worth mentioning that I'm going InterRailing this summer, so I'll be keeping a separate blog for that- the link's here. Enjoy :)