Medicine as a post grad

Susan Macmillan

A bit about me…1990 “I think I’d like to be a hairdresser”

2001 – 2005 Psychology Undergrad

2006/7 Australia/ Thailand

2007-2012 Worked in researchChildren’s emotional resiliencyWeight loss in adults with learning disabilitiesReactive attachment disorder in childrenDevelopmental Assessments of infants

2009 “Hmmm maybe this doctor malarky would be good” Went to college to do higher chemistry – older than my teacher

2010 Started Medicine at University of Glasgow

Other jobs I have doneSocial care – elderly, learning disabilitiesChildren – widening access to higher educationSainsbury’s

The Good Bits

Good to be back in formal education

Great university and area

New friends

Interesting topics

Student discounts

Knowing you will get a job at the end!

Being a ‘maturo’You’ve made your mistakes before

You know how to talk to people

You know how to study

Your brain does still work

Your liver is already pickled

You know how to look after yourself

You already have strings to your bow (and things on your CV)

Personally I think I would have struggled if I had come straight from school to medicine

The Bad BitsMost of your peers are much younger than you

Giving up a regular salary, although part time work is possible

Feeling like a bit of a kid sometimes

Feeling like you’re useless

Depending on your parents/loans

Potentially moving away

Partner/children/family’s opinions

Having a family during your degree IS possible

First degrees

Psychology

Neuroscience

History

Media

Sciences

Some other people’s advice

“I had kind of been thinking about medicine in my last year of Neuroscience, but by the time I decided after my degree, I hadn't really had time to do any extra curricular stuff to jazz up my application before the deadline. And when I was rejected, it was exactly my lack of extra curricular activities that held me back.

I started running and raised money for CRUK. I volunteered in a nursing home/alcohol related brain damage unit (basically hung out with residents and played scrabble). I applied to NHS Tayside for experience in a hospital and spoke to my childhood GP about getting experience in his other practice too. I read books on psychiatry (what really got me interested in medicine) so that at interview if I was asked about my interests I could talk about books and famous Dr authors (I lucked out at Glasgow and was interviewed by a psychiatrist!).  

I got a relevant graduate job as lab technician/researcher for CRUK. Definitely better than shop assistant on application. But looking back, if I'd got a job as a carer/auxiliary nurse I'm sure that would have been looked upon favourably.

My advice would be if you don't get the uni that you want, remember that a medicine degree is a means to an end really, no matter where you are, you're going to be a doctor. So know about the structure of the courses you apply to, and be prepared to be able to talk about exactly why you want to go to that particular institution, even if that's not 100% accurate.

I wanted to get into Edinburgh, and based on my failed attempt, I asked them for feedback. They were really helpful and gave me a list of things they were looking for. For my next application, I did everything they asked, and still didn't get an interview.

I didn't do any UKCAT courses. Just bought a book and studied it. But looking back, maybe I would have benefited from one of the medicine interview courses.

I believed them when they said you can't prep for UKCAT. The 2nd time I bought a book, did more practice. Got a better score.

Speak to anyone and everyone with connections to the NHS – you never know who might be able to help you, create opportunities

If you have made sacrifices to get experience, tell them, show how much you want it.

The first time, I literally threw my application together 2 days before the deadline and had obviously not prepared at all, nor gained any meaningful work experience. As you could imagine this got me nowhere. But it was a good experience all the same because I knew for the second attempt what was required and the sort of time that was needed to put together a suitable application and statement.

I organised work experience at a hospital (through the anaesthetics department) for a week and then another week in a hospice and rehabilitation centre (saw lots of stroke patients and old folks post joint replacement surgery, and dementia - was a mixed bag, but all old folks, which is pretty important stuff and good fodder for interviews, because of the pressures on the NHS), followed by a further week at a major general hospital in West London (general medicine). All this stood me in good stead for the interviews.

I spent an age and a day on my personal statement. Get friends to help with the statement. None of my friends were medical strangely enough, but all excellent writers and who knew me well and made me think about what I had to offer. Another pal, who is a consultant anaesthetist, offered to help with the interview prep. All the effort was worth, because I got invitations for interviews at my top two choices and was accepted at both.

0102469m@student.gla.ac.uk