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.