If you’re going to be finishing your A Levels this year and have your heart set on heading off the medical school with the hope of one day joining the medical profession, before you start pinging off those applications left, right and centre, take a look at these five things that you’ll need to do before you apply to medical school as it could significantly improve your chances of being accepted on to a medical degree course.

  1. Take some time to think about your future

Medical degrees are all about fresher’s parties and social events, they are seriously hard work that will push your learning capabilities and time to its limits, so before you start sending off applications to medical school, take a few days to consider if a career in the medical profession really is for you.

If you’re still not 100% sure, you can always join our Doctor for a Day courses where you’ll meet qualified medical professionals and get some hands-on experience in basic medical tasks so you can get a real feel for some of the day to day responsibilities of the job.

  1. Look into your preferred medical schools

As you are only allowed to make four applications to medical school per admission cycle, choose the four schools you are looking to apply to very carefully.

Think about the area you’ll be living in as well as the university itself as you’ll be there for a few years while you are studying and consider things such as transport links and distance from family and friends too.

  1. Look into entry requirements

Most medical schools have different entry requirements, so don’t waste one of your precious four applications on a school that you might not be a fit for anyway.

You can find this information on the university website, so do a little homework before taking the time to apply.

  1. Start thinking about work experience

All medical schools ask that their applicants have had some form of work experience in a medical setting before making an application. This can be very tricky to secure and very limited for those with little or no experience, so have a think about joining us on our Doctor for a Day courses. This gives you hands-on experience which you can use when it comes to making an application.

  1. Personal statement prep

A personal statement can make all the difference between acceptance and rejection on a medical degree course, so it’s never too early to start thinking and preparing for your personal statement.

Take a look at our personal statement workshops and join us to get all of the insider tips and techniques on how to create a winning personal statement.

As you start to reach that crucial time when you’ll be starting to send off applications to medical school, you may begin to wonder if a career in the medical profession is the right path for you.

Although you might have spent the last few years studying your A levels and dreaming of gaining a place at the medical school of your choice, it’s entirely normal for you to begin to question if medical school is right for you or if you wouldn’t be happier following another career route or doing something completely different instead.

These nerves are very common as the UCAS application dates begin to creep closer and closer. To make sure that you aren’t just letting any doubts get the better of you and to help you reaffirm that a career in medicine is the perfect fit for you, here are a few tips to help you make your mind up once and for all.

Revisit your reasons

At the point that you first considered a career in the medical profession, you probably had several reasons for doing so. Now is the perfect time to revisit these reasons to see if they still hold strong or if you’ve had a change of heart.

Are you willing to put the time in?

Medical degrees aren’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, so you’ve still got to be 100% committed to putting in plenty of time and effort to help you achieve your goals.

If you find yourself being tempted by the idea of travelling the world, working for a little while to raise some money or just having a break from your studies, perhaps now isn’t a good time to pursue your idea of going to medical school as you’ll need to be confident that you’re willing to stay the course.

Give it a try

If you still want to go to medical school but are worried that you won’t enjoy the course as much as you previously thought, then why not join us on one of our Doctor for a Day courses?

Here, you’ll be able to try your hand at suturing, venepuncture, CPR and cardiac arrest and patient care skills – all things that will give you a real feel for the role and can also help improve your chances of acceptance into medical school as the day counts as work experience for you to add to your personal statement.

To find out more about our Doctor for a Day course, click here.

With the average cost of a UK medical loan costing in excess of £9,000 a year, studying for the medical profession is more expensive than ever.

There are a wide range of bursaries, loans and grants available to students studying medical degrees to help cover a percentage of these costs, but one thing that some would-be medical students fail to take into consideration are the other essential fees and expenses incurred by their studies.

Following a recent student by Save the Student, the findings of their National Student Money Survey have revealed that the average monthly spend for students studying for their undergraduate degree is £770 which includes essential items such as rent, food and travel.

With some textbooks costing more than £100 if bought brand new, having the right materials for your studies can also blow a big hole in your student loan, so this is something else that you’ll need to take into account if you’re thinking of studying for a medical degree.

Here’s a breakdown taken from the National Student Money Survey that shows where the majority of monthly student spending goes:

Rent – £406

Food – £108

Social – £64

Travel – £50

Bills- £40

Clothes – £34

Books – £20

Mobile phone – £18

Other – £31

This is why anyone looking to study for a degree at medical school needs to be 100% sure that this is the right career path for them and that they’ll be able to keep up with the demands of their studies and manage their money to ensure a good standard of living while at university.

Getting hands-on experience in the sector without a medical degree can be tricky, but with our Doctor for a Day one day workshop, you can get real experience of everyday tasks that medical professionals undertake on a regular basis, so you can be sure that this is the career path that you want to take before submitting UCAS applications to your medical schools of choice.

Led by experienced industry professionals, you’ll learn the basics of CPR, suturing, venepuncture and taking blood pressure that will give you a real insight into the day to day activities of those currently working in the medical profession.

If you decide that this is still the academic route you want to pursue, then it also looks great on your personal statement as you can prove you’ve had some form of work experience.

To find out more about our doctor for a day course, by

Getting experience of the medical profession before you’ve even started your medical degree can be tough, but the university application process gives priority to those applicants that can prove that they’ve had some sort of work-based experience.

It seems like an impossible situation. Many medical establishments won’t take students that aren’t already studying for their medical degree, but you need some form of experience to be accepted for the course – fortunately, help is at hand!

UniMed offers a unique ‘Doctor for the Day’ workshop that doesn’t just give you some hands-on experience of common tasks you might face working in the medical profession, but it also allows you the opportunity to include your experience in your personal statement.

Here’s what you can expect from our Doctor for a Day workshop.

Suturing

One of the most common tasks in the medical profession, our UniMed Doctors for the Day can get real hands-on experience of suturing and learn the processes and techniques used in the industry in a professionally-led workshop.

Venepuncture and Blood Pressure

A skill that all medical students will need to master, venepuncture and blood pressure is something that you’ll be able to experience. Our team of time-served medical professionals will be on hand to show you how to carry out these tasks safely and confidently.

CPR and Cardiac Arrest

You’ll also be able to learn more about cardiac arrest and CPR during your day as a UniMed doctor, and you’ll be able to include this on your personal statement when making your UCAS application.

History Taking and Patient Care Skills

One of the most important parts of a career in the medical sector is the ability to take down a patient’s history, and to set them at ease during their time in your care. This is something that our professional staff has plenty of experience in, and you’ll learn lots of new skills in this area that will serve you well in your future career.

Drug Overdose Scenarios

Sadly, drug overdoses are common occurrences for those working in the medical profession, so as a UniMed Doctor for a Day you’ll get a head start on the other applicants thanks to our workshop. It includes tuition on how to deal with drug overdose situations and the processes used by A&E medical teams on a regular basis.

To find out more about our Doctor for a Day course and for details on how to enrol, click here.