Medicine UK Undergrad

Started at Leeds medical school in September 2020. I got into four medical schools and, while I'm not naive enough to believe I know everything, I can hopefully help anyone who has any questions about entrance exams, interviews etc. as we all know entry is hard. Any questions about the process are welcome!(UK Medicine) (She/her)

[hopeful-med]

What’s the UK Medicine training pathway like?

This is a question you might get at interview to demonstrate your awareness of the profession. It’s also to know if you’re still deciding whether you want to be a doctor or not.

How long do you spend at med school?

This depends; it can be between four and seven years. Graduate medicine (i.e. you’ve done a degree like biomed first) is four years, undergraduate medicine (i.e. you’re going straight from school at eighteen) is five years. Some schools offer a widening access to medicine scheme, which adds a year zero, so will be six years total. Each of these can give you the option of doing an intercalated degree, which adds a year to your time in med school. For example, someone doing undergraduate medicine might do six years because they intercalate and come out with two degrees.

What is an intercalated degree?

An intercalated degree is an extra degree you gain in a year. Different unis offer different degrees. For example, UEA primarily offers science qualifications, so you can come away with a medical degree and a BSc. Others, like Leeds, offer science and arts degrees as well as Master’s degrees, so you could add an MA to your medical degree.

What happens after med school?

Obviously, you can choose not to be a doctor at this point. You could do an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or do a law conversion course (say, do medical law for insurance firms). Or, you could change track completely. But if you do stick with becoming a doctor, the process goes like this:

You have two foundation years: F1 and F2. This is the first time you’ll be paid a salary. You’ll move around different specialties, combining work experience with training. One third of the way through F2 you will be asked to make a choice about which specialty training you want to do.

Then you begin specialty training. It takes three years from this point to train as a GP, and five to eight years for other specialties. You can find information on other specialties here:

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/roles-doctors

[hopeful-med]

Suggested Reading List for UK Med Student Applications (Biography edition)

(Just read the bolded sections for the book titles)

1. “This is Going to Hurt” by Adam Kay (OBGYN turned screenwriter) - essential reading, though some unis won’t like you bringing this up in your personal statement/interview because everyone has read this. Funny, heartbreaking, with an introduction to the hardest parts of medicine and the NHS. Might also be a good read if you’re not sure whether you want to be a doctor or not.

2. “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi (neurosurgeon in USA) - popular for very good reason. This book recounts Kalanithi’s cancer diagnosis just as he qualifies as a neurosurgeon. Discusses the role of death in medicine and what makes a good doctor. To be honest, I was on the verge of tears throughout.

3. “Your Life in My Hands” by Rachel Clarke (journalist turned emergency medic turned palliative care doctor) - also a look into the hardest parts of medicine and the issues facing the NHS, but less talked about than number one. Another reason I recommend it is because it looks into what it’s like to have a family when you have a medical career, especially as a woman, as some of the male writers gloss over this. Also, discusses what it’s like to be an older/graduate medic.

4. “Fragile Lives” by Stephen Westaby (retired heart surgeon) - a look into surgery and the roles of research in medicine, as Westaby has helped create multiple pieces of tech in his career that have helped with the field. Also, it’s nice to read about someone who’s had a full career in medicine.

5. “With the End in Mind” by Katherine Mannix (Palliative care doctor) - written by one of the most eminent palliative care docs in the UK. A brief look into a less discussed speciality, which will provide an introduction to how we should think about death in medicine.

6. “The Language of Kindness” by Christine Watson (nurse) - a useful look into nursing, which will both show that you’ve researched other careers as well as teach you a lot about the importance of nurses (seriously, nurses are legends). Most importantly, though, emphasises the importance of compassion and empathy in medicine.

7. “Hard Pushed” by Leah Hazard (midwife) - again, a look into other careers which will also be helpful if you’re interested in obs & gynae. Like Clarke, Hazard discusses the strain of a career in healthcare on personal and family lives. Another thing that stuck with me was her account of the role of social care in medicine, when Hazard has to take cake of some of the most vulnerable in society.

8. “Unnatural Causes” by Richard Shepherd (retired pathologist) - like Mannix, discusses a less popular medical speciality and shows that saving lives doesn’t always require a living patient. Another thing Shepherd discusses the effect of his career on his mental health, and the strain doctors can be under mentally.

9. “In Shock” by Rana Awdish (Intensive care doc in USA) - Awdish, like Kalanithi, recounts her transition from doctor to patient when she almost loses her life to pregnancy complications. She reflects on the mistakes doctors made when it came to empathy and the need to improve empathy and communication in medicine.

10. “War Doctor” by David Nott (general and vascular surgeon) - I will be honest, I haven’t read this yet. But I’ve just seen it everywhere, and it’s a look into the importance of volunteering and the variety of paths you can take as a doctor. So, yeah. If you read this, let me know what you think.

11. “’Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas” by Adam Kay (see no. 1) - just a good festive read. Nice and short, too, if you need something quick. Here, Kay recounts the effects of medicine on your personal life as well as adds a story that he left out in his first book that he explains was hugely significant to his medical career and why he left the field.

Any other recommendations, please add!

[hopeful-med]

Hello!

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a medicine hopeful, someone who’s considering medicine or someone who has to do the BMAT/UKCAT to get into their desired course.

Having just done the worst part of the process and come out the other side with two offers (currently waiting on my other two), I’m up to date if anyone needs advice/has any questions about the process/not sure what degree they want to do and is thinking of medicine.

So, yeah. I’ll update when I can to keep an account of the process. But any questions, please ask! I’ll try to be objective and honest.

Also, lmn if I’m being a pretentious dickhead at any point.