EU student application numbers on the rise thanks to Brexit

An UCAS analysis of applications for full-time undergraduate programmes has revealed that UK university enrolments have soared by more than 2,500 compared with the same period last year.

This sees the first growth in the three years since the Brexit vote and is thought to be a result of many overseas students wanting to gain a place at a UK university before Britain finally leaves the EU.

Although this is good news for UK universities who rely on the funding provided by international students, the outlook isn’t so sunny for those hoping to gain a place at university as the competition for a limited number of spaces is now even fiercer than ever before.

A total of 561,420 students have applied to start their course this year, with 63,690 non-EU applicants seeking to study here in the UK. The number of EU applications has also risen by 1 percent despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

This heaps even more pressure on students living in the UK looking to secure a place at their university of choice as there are no guarantees that an application will be successful based on country of origin alone.

Instead, universities are seeking students who are able to demonstrate a commitment to their subject of choice and the ability to keep up with the demands of academic study. For those keen to pursue a career in the medical profession, the fact that more and more international students are chasing the same degree courses here in the UK means that they are having to work harder than ever to impress at application and interview places.

UniMed runs several personal statement workshops and doctor for a day courses to help students from all over the globe get the best chance of application success.

Hosted by a dedicated team of university admissions experts, doctors and medical students, the personal statement workshop gives students access to the tips and techniques needed to create a winning personal statement based on the course leaders knowledge of exactly what the universities are looking for.

Our doctor for the day workshop also gives would-be medical students the opportunity to get hands-on and gain real work experience, something that is difficult to access with little or no prior experience. Click here to find out more or to book a place on our upcoming workshops.

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Competition to get into medical school fiercer than ever as application numbers rise

Statistics have shown that those looking to gain a place at a medical school here in the UK are going to have to work even harder as application numbers in 2018 soared by the largest increase in decades.

UCAS reported a total of 20,730 applications being made to medical schools during the 2017/2018 application cycle. This equals an 8% increase in applications for their medical degree courses compared to previous years on record, meaning that there are now far more applicants than available spaces.

These findings are worrying those who are currently undertaking their A Levels and are dreaming of continuing their academic careers with a focus on the medical profession once they complete their studies.

With GPs and healthcare professionals in high demand for the NHS and private healthcare providers, many universities are unable to train enough students to meet the ever-increasing needs of a system under significant strain. Medical schools are therefore becoming more and more selective about the applicants they choose to study on their medical degree courses.

This means that good A-Level grades are no longer enough to secure a place at medical school, and would-be medical students must find  other ways to impress during the application process to fend off the competition.

Here are a few tactics that applicants to medical school can deploy to get their application noticed for all of the right reasons and get a better chance of gaining that prized place at medical school.

Work experience

Applications to medical school normally require that some sort of medical work experience, but this can be very difficult to obtain. Instead, Uni Med offers a Doctor for the Day training workshop led by medical professional that allows you to get hands-on with basic medical procedures.

Find out more here.

Personal Statement

A personal statement needs to wow the application officers, so our personal statement workshop teaches the format and tips needed to create a winning personal statement and leave with a polished first draft.

Find out more here.

The Interview Stage

It can be difficult to know what to expect at the interview stage, but with our interview masterclass, we’ll share plenty of firsthand insight along with the tools and techniques needed to make a great impression at the final stage of the application process.

Find out more here.

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How to choose your ideal university shortlist in 5 easy steps

If you’re thinking that a medical degree is the academic career path for you, then it’s never too soon to start thinking about university options.

Here’s how to shortlist your medical schools of choice in five easy steps

Find the medical degree course that works for you

There are several different gateways to gaining a medical degree, with a standard bachelor’s degree spanning five years. However, for potential students with high academic achievement who have faced barriers to them continuing their studies, there are specialised courses available, so do your homework and shortlist the universities that offer the best course for your personal circumstances.

Home or away?

Living away from home isn’t for everyone. Some students love the additional freedom and independence that studying away from home offers, whereas others prefer to stay at home for additional support and to help save money that would otherwise be spent on student accommodation.

Again, choose the option that suits your individual circumstances as this will help whittle down your medical school shortlist. There is no right or wrong answer here, it’s entirely down to your financial circumstances and personal preference.

Success rates

By now, your shortlist should have come down to four or possibly five universities that offer the course you want at a location that works for you.

Next, take a look at the pass or success rates for your particular course as this will allow you to rank the medical schools from number one (best results) to the lowest success rates.

University facilities

University life isn’t just about hard work and no play; you’ll want to embrace some of the extra curricular activities too! To find out which university has the most going on in terms of your particular interests, take a look at the medical school’s websites as the first port of call.

For real reviews of Uni life from students who have, or are currently studying, you can also find a wealth of information on social media, so don’t be afraid to reach out to a few students to ask for their opinions.

Check the grades you’ll need

Finally, before you create your final medical school shortlist, it’s a good idea to see what grades you’ll require to have a good chance of being accepted on to the course and measure them up against your predicted results.

This will hopefully give you the inspiration and motivation you need to work as hard as you possibly can to gain a place at your university of choice.

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Five things to do before you apply to medical school

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.

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Having second thoughts about medical school? Here’s what to do about it

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.

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Being a student is getting more expensive, so how far will your student loan stretch?

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

How to become a doctor for a day

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.

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What impact will Brexit have on those seeking a career in the NHS?

With the UK due to leave the EU in March 2019, many students looking to start their journey towards a medical career are concerned about the impact that Brexit will have on their employment prospects once they’ve completed their degrees.

Statistics from the NHS have shown that around 144,000 EU nationals work in health and social care in England, with approximately 10 per cent of doctors and 5 per cent of nurses coming from the EU.

With some health professionals planning to leave the EU to return to their countries of birth, this is placing further strain on a sector already under a significant amount of pressure to cope with the needs of more patients than ever before.

Back in 2016, it was estimated that one in three health care or medical roles was remaining vacant due to a failure to attract the right candidates. This shows that there are still plenty of opportunities for those looking to embark on their academic journey at medical school to find the career of their dreams once they’ve qualified.

However, getting into medical school is still a challenge, and it takes far more than just good grades to secure a place on a medical degree course.

Staying one step ahead of the competition is essential, as there are still more applicants than places on each medical degree course even though the NHS is crying out for qualified applicants. Our London and Surrey workshops and Doctor for a Day courses are becoming increasingly popular for those hoping to secure a spot at the medical school of their choice.

One of the most popular courses we offer is the Personal Statement Masterclass, led by industry professionals from both the medical profession and University Admission Officers dedicated to helping would-be medical students ace their personal statements.

During the one-day workshop, students will learn how to structure their personal statements to include everything that the admission officers are looking for, as well as making them engaging and to convey their commitment to their studies and future career.

The workshop also covers BMAT and UKCAT aptitude tests and gives tried and tested techniques on how to gain that all-important work experience in an industry that is particularly difficult to enter unless you are already studying at medical school.

To discover more about the benefits of our personal statement masterclass, click here.

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Why good grades are no longer enough to secure a place at medical school

Unfortunately for those looking to start their academic career in the medical sector, the fight to secure a place is tougher than ever as an estimated fifty applicants are vying for one space on degree courses.

This has led to potential students with good grades losing out on a place on their medical degree course and wondering where it all went wrong.

So, what is the secret to bolstering your chances of being accepted for a place at medical school?

Here’s a few elements of the University admissions process that could make all the difference when it comes to your medical school application, so read on to discover what you’ll need to do in order to give yourself the best possible chance of acceptance.

Personal statement

You might have great grades, but your personal statement might let your application down at the first hurdle. This is your opportunity to discuss your motivations and commitment for wanting to study medicine, so you need to go all out to ensure that your enthusiasm for the subject shines through.

BMAT and UKCAT aptitude tests

Another area where would-be students can encounter difficulties is the BMAT and UKCAT aptitude tests. These tests are designed to assess your mental abilities, but many find them daunting as this is the first time that they’ve taken part in anything like these tests.

The Interview

All interviews can be nerve-wracking, but it’s also the best opportunity you’ll get to wow the admissions officer with your insight into current healthcare issues and re-affirm your desire to make it in the medical profession. Even a candidate with the best grades can feel overwhelmed during the interview, so knowing what to expect at this stage is a big bonus.

Work Experience

Getting work experience in the medical sector can be tricky, but many Universities want to see that you’ve had some type of insight in a work capacity when they view your application. Knowing where to look and how to gain this experience can be crucial to getting accepted on to your medical degree, so it pays to reach out for help in this area.

Uni Med has been helping students win places at some of the UK’s top medical schools through their unique blend of webinars, e-books and courses. Covering the topics above plus so much more, click here to discover how engaging with Uni Med can help give you the winning edge when the time comes to apply for your place at medical school.

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What to expect from your first few months at medical school

Attending school in a different city, away from home, can be overwhelming enough without having to consider a heavy course load in a highly competitive environment. It’s the perfect recipe to leave you feeling stressed and unprepared. Rather than let panic set in, go in prepared with our overview of what to expect from your first few months at medical school. 

Textbooks

Don’t buy your textbooks. Your course syllabus will contain a reading list of the books that you will need for each semester. Before you spend a lot of money on a whole host of books, check to see if there are copies of these books in the library or available online. Alternatively, ask the students in the year above what books they found useful during the first year. It might help more than you think, and could save a serious amount of money, which helps to relieve the financial pressure that most medical students experience in the first few months.

Plan Ahead

You will be expected to absorb large quantities of information in a short period of time, and you’re going to need to remember it. Don’t let yourself get behind in your studying as this can lead to a snowball effect. Create a study plan that will enable you to stay up to date with your reading and any essays you have, and try and stay ahead for as long as you can. This helps to alleviate some of the inevitable stress and pressure that you’ll feel as you adjust to the demands of your course.

Be social

Making friends with other medical students is a great way of building a support network made up of people who may one day be colleagues. You can talk to each other about the course, help each other to study and, due to the competitive atmosphere, push each other to perform that little bit better.

Work

University can be very expensive, but you’ll need to carefully weigh up whether it’s worth getting a part time job. The course load you have will be incredibly heavy and there will be very little time to yourself, especially within the first few months. Use these moments to socialise, rather than continue to work elsewhere. Many students find that it’s simply too much pressure, especially during the first year, when you’re adapting to a new environment, new subjects, a new location and often, coping with living away from home with lots of new responsibilities for the first time.

Have a life

Don’t spend your entire university experience studying. Lots of knowledge is great, but it’s important to give your brain a break too and get out of the house. Make sure you have some time to yourself to do the things that you like. Spend time with friends. Do something active. Finding an adequate work/ life balance is essential when you’re studying to become a doctor and can ensure that you actually perform better when it’s time to hit the books.

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