Ashbourne College - Medical School Booklet

Ashbourne College, Kensington, London 1

Ashbourne College

Kensington

Medical Sciences Booklet

Last updated August 2011


The Ashbourne College Medical Sciences Booklet

This booklet is reviewed every year by staff at Ashbourne College.

The 2011 version was revised by Claire Meade (Biology Tutor).

In recent years, valuable contributions have been made by:

Claire Meade

Rachel Teasdale

Helen Mason

Stephen Owen

Jim Sharpe

Linh Nguyen

May Chiem

John Wilson

John Wilson

Director of Studies


CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 What is Medicine? 5 3.0 The Medical Course 7

• Types of Course • Intercalated courses, SSCs and Electives • Methods of Teaching

4.0 Career Path 11 5.0 The National Health Service 14

• History and Organisation • Structure and Funding • Criticisms • Other Organisations

6.0 Would I make a Good Doctor? 23 • Key Skills

7.0 Making the Decision to go to Medical School 27 • Healthcare Experience • Insight Courses • Websites, Blogs and Reading

8.0 Choosing A Medical School 36 • UK Universities, Entry Requirements and Retake Policies • Irish and Other Overseas Universities

9.0 How To Apply 45 • A-‐Levels and UCAS Forms • Entry Exams – UKCAT and BMAT • Interviews

10.0 What Can You Expect from Ashbourne? 71 • Teaching • Applications and Interviews • Problems and Work Experience

11.0 Money 75 12.0 Alternatives to Medicine 77

• Dentistry, Veterinary Science and Optometry • Physiotherapy, Pharmacy and Nursing • Biomedical Sciences and Other Options

13.0 What Happens If You Don’t Get In 83 14.0 Bibliography and Links 85 Appendix A.1 Entry Requirements for Medicine Appendix A.2 Entry Requirements for Dentistry Appendix A.3 Entry Requirements for Veterinary Science Appendix B.1 Foundation Courses for Medicine Appendix B.2 Access Courses for Medicine


Appendix B.3 Overseas Medical Courses 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Ashbourne College Medical School Programme has evolved and developed for

over 20 years since Ashbourne College was established in 1981. It is designed to

give students the best possible chance of entering a UK Medical School. This

booklet provides information about what Ashbourne College has to offer its

medical candidates and guidance for students in both the AS and A2 years on

how to prepare themselves to apply to read medical degrees. It also contains

some important information about entry requirements to medical degrees for

both first-time applicants and re-sits.

Prospective Medical Applicants Need To:

• Achieve high academic standards

• Have gained suitable work experience

• Demonstrate good communication skills at interview which would aid dealing with patients

• Be well-rounded individuals (have hobbies and interests)

• Have researched the profession and are well-informed of issues within medicine

• Have a genuine ambition and determination to become a doctor

ASHBOURNE will help through:

• Discussion of medical issues through classroom teaching

• Advice on medical schools and the applications procedure

• Guidance through the UCAS process

• Regular scheduled workshops

• Mock BMAT / UKCAT tests

• Practice interviews with Ashbourne tutors and Dr. John Foreman, Dean of Students and Professor of Pharmacology and a former member of the panel for Medical School Admissions at University College London


2.0 WHAT IS MEDICINE? Medicine is a five/six year course studied at university and in hospitals which

qualifies you to become a doctor. “Doctor” is a broad term encompassing many

careers including GP (general practitioner), surgeon, specialist (pathologist,

anaesthetist, etc). Completing a degree in medicine is the only way to legally

become a doctor in the UK. Be aware that many courses offered do not do this

and are purely science degrees e.g. medical sciences, biomedical sciences,

clinical sciences, etc.

Medicine is a rewarding and varied career. You will cover subjects as wide-

ranging as broken bones, skin conditions, mental illness, open-heart surgery,

pregnancy and post mortems. It is also very demanding and challenging and

you need to be 100% sure that this is the career for you before embarking upon

the course. You will be required to make important decisions and the way you

interact with people can have a large impact on people’s lives. Although most

doctors work for the NHS, there are opportunities in other exciting settings such

as the armed forces, prisons or the Home Office working as a police surgeon.

Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science are perceived as among the most

challenging choices of study at University. The workload is very demanding

with continuous rounds of assessment. A doctor needs to be committed to life-

long learning and study as the field is constantly changing; another set of tests or

exams are always around the corner at all levels.

Entry into Medical School is not based on solid academic achievement alone.

Students need to be well-prepared and well-informed about issues in

medicine, be comfortable in the interview, gain suitable work experience and

have a genuine and strong ambition to become a doctor. Medicine is also

emotionally and spiritually demanding and skills such as interacting with patients

and managing extremely stressful and distressing situations are essential to

becoming a successful doctor.

Doctors are generally well paid and their working hours have improved in recent

years; however, students should be aware that due to the longevity of the course

they may amass substantial debts while at medical school as a result of tuition

fees, living expenses and the purchase of books and equipment.


3.0 THE MEDICAL COURSE

A standard medical course is 5 years. After successfully completing the course

you graduate as a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (usually MBChB). Some

universities offer a 6-year course to students who are academically suitable to

study medicine but haven’t completed the correct subjects at A-Level. These

“Foundation” courses provide a pre-medical year learning the scientific

background required to continue onto the standard course.

VITAL STATISTICS: Last year, King’s College, London received 4,800 applications for their medical school. They made 700 offers… 360 students took up places… of which 24 were from overseas. So, your chances of getting an offer were under 15%, much lower for international students. YOU HAVE TO BE GOOD TO GET AN OFFER!


THE STRUCTURE OF THE MEDICAL COURSE: Pre-Clinical

• Academic/ theoretical

• Learning about the science of

the human body

• Takes place in lectures and

tutorials

Clinical

• Practical

• Applying your knowledge in a

doctor-patient scenario

• Takes place in a teaching

hospital

The way the pre-clinical and clinical parts of the course are integrated depends

on the medical school. At some universities you will study the background theory

in lecture-based format for up to 3 years before you go anywhere near a hospital

or patients (e.g. Cambridge University). Other universities offer a more

integrated course where you come into contact with patients virtually straight

away (e.g. Newcastle University).

Traditional

• Pre-clinical and clinical course

separate

• Information is delivered via

lectures and followed up with

tutorials and individual study

Problem-based Learning (PBL)

• Working in small groups

• Solving set clinical scenarios

• Increases retention of

knowledge, levels of self-

motivation and self-directed

learning.

PBL courses have been criticised for the lack of interaction between the students

and tutors. Traditional courses, however, have been criticised for “spoon-feeding”

students and failing to develop their ability to cope in the real world. PBL courses

are offered at Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Bart’s, Peninsula, Sheffield, Keele,

Hull-York and East Anglia.

Ashbourne College - Medical School Booklet

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