Pipe cleaners.

So this week I was thinking what to blog about this year. Ideally, I'd write about Lady Gaga - but I struggled enough making Derren Brown relevant... I suppose I could discuss hermaphrodites.

But instead of wasting revision time YouTubing Gaga's mythical penis I could write a revision blog, therefore killing two birds with one stone. I know that sounds dull but I promise you it won't be- maybe only relevant if you have exams this/next month but it should provide you with a 5 minute distraction and then a kick up the ass to open your books.

One of my pet hates is people who discuss their exam performance and say 'Yeah, but it's easy for you, you're clever!' And I guess if you define 'clever' by exam results I probably am. But it's not like I turn up the exam and go 'Oh well, let's see how I do...' In my opinion there aren't really 'clever' people- sure, some people are naturally gifted, seem to learn quickly or simply enjoy their school subjects. I get that, and I'm sure people will disagree with me, but I think getting good grades is just as much about effort as any kind of 'innate' ability.

I've always been a 'booky' child; more interested in nature documentaries than cBBC. I love learning new information, not everyone does. I'm also lucky enough to have the ability to focus and plan and commit to my studies.

And you're thinking good-for-friggin'-you. But as well as that I put a lot of work into my exams; and if you're struggling with revision it might help to know that somebody else is hating it just as much as you are, begrudging their non-exam friends just as much and snapping just as many pen nibs in revision breakdown-anger as you may be.

Basically, I'm shallow enough to judge myself as compared to other people; and I hope you are to- and this will make you persvere (or step up) your revision and we can wallow in exam success together... she hopes.

Remember those quizzes we had to complete at school, asking whether you can learn the words quickly to a new song and other tripe? And you come out with an assesment of being an 'audio, visual or kinesthetic' learner? As superficial as they sound, I think they hold some truth and can be a good guide for revision - but if you're as meticulous as me you'll want to do a bit of all three...

Reading textbooks can be dull. And useless. I always find I can recite information perfectly but struggle when it comes to applying it to exam questions etc. Over the last two years of college I've become used to what works (and what doesn't) in my exam technique. Reading definately doesn't. Writing notes in your own words is a slight step better but equally tedious. Me? I prefer to write quizzes - questions designed to test basic knowledge but maybe ask in a slightly more inverted, applied way. And then I get my boyfriend, Jordan, to test me over the phone. This probably sounds like super-geek territory but it means revision doesn't have to be confined to the desk and slightly uncomfortable office chair.

For fact-based knowledge (mathematical equations, tables/lists, graphs etc) I prefer to draw up posters. The drawing process can be useful but the really great part is the 'suggestive learning' they provide, where the brain draws in and retains information without actually processing it. What this means is you'll find you can picture specific information written on posters you've had up, despite not spending particularly long staring at it. (See my previous Derren Brown blog for some suggestion clips and you'll get a vague idea). Obviously, simple, bold information is best but it really is a useful tool. I've uploaded some pictures of my bedroom as an example... I think revision-wallpaper really is a step too far...

The 'Biology' wall

Maths revision lives on the  wardrobe door



The scary thing is that this is only half finished...

 I'm aware that this makes me seem a little bit mental, but if it gets you a good grade it doesn't matter right?

Along with all the coloured paper and felt tip pens purchased at Hobbycraft I also had a mad urge to buy sequins, pipe cleaners, felt, glue and god only knows what else. I'm going to be one of those mothers who saves every single yoghurt pot, loo roll or milk carton for 'arts and crafts'. Unsurprisingly Biology concepts are far more easy to model out of pipe cleaners than Maths and so much of my time is spent on pipecleaner models of DNA and sequin nucleotides. Genuinely a fabulous (if time-consuming and expensive) method of understanding tricky concepts, I find it really helps to talk through (preferably to another person, or to yourself... you already seem deluded enough by making cells out of playdough) whatever it is you're making, as well as adding notes and annotations. Here's one of my prettiest efforts

The process of transcription/assembling polypeptides

And that is essentially my magic 'A grade' formula. Along with putting in Christ-only-knows how many hours.

And after all that revision? I take regular breaks watching stuff like this:

Or this:

Or this:

I've had a literal nightmare about that dog. Ask Jordan.

Appetiser.

One of the things I originally said I wanted to use this blog for was the sharing and discussion of interesting articles... something which I haven't actually done yet.

Seeing as it's exam period I've dug something out which is both interesting and informative for medics and non-medics alike, as well as providing some useful inspiration for any Psychology students reading. Yup, we're talking ethics.

The following extracts are taken from an article published in the BMJ last year by Daniel Sokol. Entitled 'What to tell junior doctors about ethics' it's essentially a brief discussion of how ethics often aren't as transparent as we initially think.

It's probably one of my favourite articles from my scrapbook. I think at this point I should mention my medical scrapbook; I was advised by a lovely anaethetist to keep a record of any medical articles I find interesting, as they can provide useful memory joggers. Once you start looking it's amazing what you can find - and how you can relate it to broader discussions on current issues such as euthanaesia, obesity surgery and the state of the NHS. It's something I'd recommend to any budding medical student as interviews are very focused on hot topics and contentious issues which test your ability to reason and empathise.

Aside from using it as interview ammunition, I've regularly quoted this when talking with people about my interest in medicine, and I think it can be enjoyed by most people, as it really does make you question what we mean by ethics and fair treatment of patients. I think it also gives us, as patients, a sense of the difficulties our doctors face when asked an awkward question - and how negotiating the minefield of ethics can be just as difficult as providing a diagnosis. These rules aren't just for medicine - all social research and interactions are based on ethical codes, hence why psychology students may be particularly interested.

You can pay for and read the full article here and to avoid being sued I'll just take quotes and add my own commentry.

What to tell junior doctors about ethics by Daniel Sokol
Commentary by me, Shannon Hilton.

Consent is probably the most obvious ethical issue that arises in medical care. Informed consent is always preferable and in medicine,patients should always be fully aware of the risks and expected outcomes of any procedure before agreeing to it, free of pressure from medical staff. Realistically it appears that

"some junior doctors are asked to obtain consent for unfamiliar procedures; and. although some politely decline to do so, others do not want to make a fuss and acquiesce"

This represents a warped sense of what consent is: whilst the patient feels like they're fully informed, surely this is voided if a doctor has unknowingly missed out a few key aspects of the procedure or it's after-effects. And if you're thinking "well surely it doesn't matter if they get it a little bit wrong" the example quoted by Sokol goes as follows

"on the trolley heading for the operating theatre, one patient at a colleague's hospital told the porter that she was relieved at finally having the operation as she was looking forward to starting a family. She was about to undergo a hysterectomy"

Not meaning to patronise you (that means talking down to people*) a hysterectomy involves removing the patients womb (as well as possibly other bits and pieces). Clearly, this could prove problematic for baby-making.

Another common (but I guess under-appreciated) ethic is that of confidentiality. Easy, surely? Don't tell your colleagues, don't leave notes lying around. Slightly trickier issues arise when calling patients to discuss,for example, blood tests, where the spouse can't technically be told who or why, they're calling. Potential domestics may arise concerning the 'mystery woman' calling after a curious wife's husband. The example offered is pure brilliance.

"the story this time will be of the patient who dies from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm during overzealous intercourse with his mistress. The distraught wife asks the medical team what happened. Discuss."

And I think that discussion could extend way past the ethics of the situation. However, practicalities and specific definitions of "overzealous sex" aren't really relevant. Either way, an interesting thought-provoker. Break the doctor's oath of honesty, or break the patient's confidentiality. And consider the third-party here, the spouse, which option benefits her most? Is the patient's confidentiality renounced due to his death? Interesting.

Another topic that has often made me ponder is that of operating in the 'patient's best interests'. The definitions of a doctor's role often rely on semantics; most people are happy to believe a doctor's role is to preserve life and ease suffering. When do these come into conflict? For instance, a patient riddled through with cancer and in immense pain - preserving life involves keeping the patient alive by whatever means. Easing suffering could mean pumping a weak and vulnerable patient full of morphine to the point of removing all consciousness, or in many people's opinion the most humane option may be euthanasia.

Other related issues occur on a daily basis for sports doctors - rugby players often insist on continuing a match with minimum pain relief or dressing for deep gashes, boxers finish the round with a broken rib. What is the best interest of the patient? Personal ones, or health ones? And as Sokol offers

"a prison doctor may also face a dilemma when she knows that a patient requesting diazapam is being coerced by some rough types to ask for the drug. The patient will not be treated kindly by the requestors if he fails to get some"

The article goes on to discuss work-place related ethical dilemmas, such as the safety of locums whose English may by substandard or the classic case of the 'incompetent colleague'. To be honest, as a student with the tiniest experience of clinical settings I think my opinion is irrelevant here, but the comments offered by Sokol certainly provides some interesting stimulus.

I think the summary paragraph encapsulates the purpose of the article well

"the purpose... is not to provide junior doctors with a solution to their problems... but to whet their ethical curiosity and provide them with a deeper appreciation of the pervasiveness of medical ethics. Most importantly... what other profession can boast such a fascinating range of challenges and opportunities? That, perhaps, should be the essential message"

And I think 'pervasiveness' is an excellent term for any pre-interview candidate to have prepared for an ethics discussion.

*Jimmy Carr, possibly my favourite one-liner ever.

Dole.

So after the tears of rejection, the bitterness of a gap year, and the denial by writing (irrelevantly) about Derren Brown I'm finally manning up.

I'm not really one to dwell much; usually I forget that I'm supposed to be angry about ABC or that I'm ignoring DEF. I think it's kind of, well... childish?

Generally, I'd much rather get on with my life and things that are important, than cry over spilt milk. So, for now, that involves revising for my exams (dull) and lookin for jobs (frustrating) and then applying for afore mentioned job (cumbersome) by writing an interesting and potentially career-securing statement (hand-aching).

Essentially, life isn't allowed to be interesting or exciting for the next few weeks as I spend all my time perusing the NHS careers website or the local council's job vacancy page. The most exciting thing to recently happen has been a sudden acquisition of books, which unfortunately I don't currently have time to read. Among them, a book on Mental Diseases written in 1898 and a fabulous book of quotations, collaborated by the producers of QI (possibly my favourite thing ever shown on television).

So, as an excuse to read I'll be peppering this with quotations. Hopefully philosophers regularly mention the dwindling job opportunities in the NHS.

Options

My biggest worry is what universities want from a gap year. It's mostly about proving your commitment and medical interest, which is easier said than done. Whilst at school, universities can't expect students to have committed more than a few hours a week volunteering, or maybe a week or two work experience placement. But a whole year to play with? That's a lot of potential.

Half our time is spent trying to do something with the time we have rushed through life trying to save - Will Rogers

The common preconception is that gap year students go travelling. Backpack. One way ticket. Hostels. Bar work. Diphtheria. You get the picture.

Which would be perfect, except travel requires money. And money is gained through work. So, work, save, leave, right? Well, apparently nothing is hated more by application reviewers than 'I'm planning on doing this...' or 'I'm hoping to do that...' They want concrete evidence. Preferably you've already done it. Or you're submitting your statement whilst trekking through the Borneo jungle. Or at the very least booked a plane ticket.

Which is difficult, when the application is written over the summer, directly after leaving college when nobody's had a chance to make any money yet... Ah.

And on a practical note, medical interviews can range from November through to April time, with very little warning. Meaning being abroad risks a last-minute trip home for an interview. Nightmare.

Sooner or later we must realise there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip - Robert J. Hastings

Another option is work placements abroad; there's plenty of fabulous opportunities to work in schools and hospitals all across the world and reflect/contrast with the magnificant yet underappreciated institution we call the NHS. But these all cost money. Big money.

One company emailed me to ask if I was interested in their 'Gap Year Medics' scheme which sends prospective medical students to hospitals in India, Tanzania or the Caribbean islands for work experience. Places start at £990 for two weeks in India up to £2490 for four weeks in the Caribbean. Sounds like very expensive volunteering to me.

As somebody interested in Medical Anthropology (watch any of these and you'll see why) I can see the benefits of excursions like this. But unfortunately, not all of us can afford it.

You don't seem to realise that a poor person who is unhappy is in a better position than a rich man who is unhappy , because the poor person has hope. He thinks money would help. - Jean Kerr

So the only other really feasible option seems to be working. Obviously a health-related job is ideal; medical schools want students who have at least tried to understand what life as a doctor consists of.

Health jobs seem to be difficult to find - obviously many, many careers require degree-level education so they are scored out. Others accept non-qualified candidates on the condition that the relevant qualification is studied for after joining (Dental Nurses work this way for example.) Clearly most gap year students don't have the time available to commit to this.

Not everything is ruled out; common jobs for 'non-qualified' people tend to include Nursing Auxiliaries, Health Care Assistants, Phlebotomists and various technician/assistant/ward bitch roles. The other big employer tends to be care homes for care assistants and NA's.

Personally, I've developed an affinity for working with SEN children so I've also been looking into Teaching Assistant work in Special Needs schools. It appears now that jobs many people think of as 'unqualified' actually can now be studied for e.g. Teaching Assistants. And for everything else experience is nearly always essential, at the very least listed as 'desirable'. 

Coupled with the factors of high numbers of unemployed graduates, NHS job cuts, increased numbers of under-18s studying NVQs and increased numbers of prospective medics taking gap years means application is looking bleak. Nearly everything I've applied for I've barely been qualified to do, and if so, experience (which is impossible for me to have) is highly desirable.

Full time healthcare employment would be ideal for me, not only for the extra income and kudos on my statement but simply I feel so motivated and energised all the time, I couldn't cope with working part-time in a retail-type role and sitting on my ass for the rest of my week.

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity - Dorothy Parker.

And if I can't find a job..?

I'll work unpaid. And take extra hours in my retail job. And fill the rest of my time with nourishing, interesting, stimulating things. Like reading and writing and exercising.

One could even argue that unpaid work would be more appealing to an admissions tutor that being paid for it. But they would probably be the ones who are going to the Caribbean for work experience.

About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age - Gloria Pitzer

When I was a young man I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures. I didn't want to be a failure, so I did ten times more work - George Bernard Shaw

* And if you do have any exciting and unique ideas for spending a gap year I'd be interested to know; not to steal them off of you but I do enjoy hearing good ideas
** The title of this blog is a pun. Before you ask.

Derren.

You cannot comprehend just how excited I am even to be writing this blog.

All week I have been mentally planning for this: My Review of Derren Brown's Latest Tour: Svengali. It is very exciting stuff indeed.

For anyone who isn't familiar with the name, Derren describes himself as a 'psychological illusionist'; his shows involve startling feats of apparent 'mindbending' and illusions which combine magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship. And if you still don't know who I mean: don't worry. I'll be making it perfectly clear during this blog.

Derren's work fascinates me; it's an intelligent form of entertainment where the audience are invited to speculate and ponder and make genuine 'how does he do that?!' comments. Rather unlike most of the trite on television nowadays (Yes I mean you, 'The Only Way Is Essex') Also, as a psychology student and aspiring psychiatrist (or at least doctor) anything to do with cognition, perception and mental behaviour interests me.

Finally, I would love to fully review and discuss the Svengali live show but Derren makes a specific point about not revealing it to anyone else - which makes sense. Even from reading his book 'Tricks of the Mind' which explains some of the techniques used to perform certain illusions ruined it a teeney bit, I was too busy trying to figure everything out to just enjoy it for what it was. Anyway, so as I can't tell you what actually happens I'm going to draw comparisons with some of Derren's other work - and if you are trying to decipher the show's content from this then good luck, I think I'm just as practiced at misdirection as the man himself.

Svengali Review: Oxford New Theatre, 20th April 2011

I haven't even got to the part where the curtain goes up and the show begins but already I can't tell you about two fairly important parts of the show, pre-curtain, if you like.

So when the show does begin, the curtain goes up and the very first trick/piece begins. A classic piece of psychology and suggestion, intermingled with Derren's very unique sense of comedy. For something similar, take a look at this clip from 'An Evening of Wonders'; to get a sense of the whole trick (in our show it isn't split like it is here) watch the first six minutes of this and then watch this one. Alternatively, if  you're feeling lazy just watch the second bit.

The next section of the show involves Derren's spookily accurate talent of 'reading' people - using tiny clues in the way a person behaves to deduce information about them. From trawling through YouTube it seems it's the type of trick he's most often asked to perform on chat shows (it's quick and easy to understand) but the following has to be my absolute favourite reaction to any 'mind-reading' trick ever.

There's lots of these videos on the internet but this is another personal favourite, just because it demonstrates 'reading' in a slightly different way but first gives a good example of suggestion - where a person believes they have chosen a name/word/letter freely but in fact were influenced by outside signals.

I'm sure I could find a clip that represents almost every trick in Svengali (seeing as they're all based on the same five key skills: magic, suggestion, misdirection, psychology and showmanship) if I really tried. But anyone who cares to look at the Derren Brown section of Channel 4 On Demand will realise the vast amount of video available, spanning a 10 year career. Therefore I've picked the clips that I remember best to illustrate each point.

The following is years old but definately echoes an extremely impressive 'audience-wide' trick performed near to the interval of Svengali. Although I would obviously recommend watching the whole thing, the part I'm referring to is from 14:20 onwards. Enjoy.

The only other thing I can refer you to in the first half is the infamous Russian Roulette stunt which draws some visual comparison, if nothing else.

So now we're at the interval. There's a small fire burning on stage, but don't worry about that; fetch yourself an extortionately priced pot of ice-cream and round of drinks, queue for the toilets and get back to your seats for the second half. If you're confused; that's the point. I don't want to tell  anyone what happens, just stoke your curiosity with some relevant, if misleading references.

Right, the lights are down and the curtain comes up. Honestly, the bulk of the next half is difficult to explain; if you've seen any of Derren's other live shows (and I suggest you watch on 4OD) then you'll know the second half tends to involve a more theatrical piece, with historical references. Without giving the game away (clue: you're likely to have Googled Svengali at this point, and it might seem relevant.... or maybe not) there's nothing specific I can say. Instead, have a look at Derren's other second-half openers; Table-Tipping at 36.00 in Evening of Wonders, psychic abilities from 46.00 in Enigma (possibly very relevant?) and impressive memory skills from 28.00 in The Gathering. Also, just before this section there is a good example of large-scale hypnosis. Combined with a common stage-hypnotist-in-Magaluf style trick it was very succesfull on certain audience members. As a side-note, the ending of The Gathering is worth a watch. This doesn't happen in Svengali, you'll be pleased to know; waste of bloody money. 

Another clip I was instantly reminded of was of Robbie Williams in an episode of Derren's 'Trick of the Mind' series. You can watch it here. It's my favourite, just because there's something so heauntingly beautiful about it all. If pain and perception does interest you, there's a longer sequence in this Mind Control episode, as well as one of my favourite suggestion tricks with advertising directors.

The ending of the show was so spectacularly unique I really have nothing to compare it to. It was clever and witty, with Derren's characteristic style of letting everything not seem quite as it really is.

Essentially, the show was incredible; I would fully recommend it to anyone. The combination of excitement, anticipation and wonderment makes for tense and absorbing viewing. I personally am hooked on Derren's material - there's a huge backcatalogue available for viewing online as well as two books for those who like to delve a little deeper into the why's and wherefore's.

I really hope you've enjoyed reading this and have watched at least a few of the clips presented here (I know there's an awful lot!). And if you still have an insatiable thirst for all things Derren I'd recommend watching The Heist. It's my favourite. (Especially because it references Milgram)

Gap Yah Girl

I've spent the last week or so deliberating what to write as my next blog; I didn't have anything productive to write about my new-found gap year and I wanted to write a blog about the Derren Brown tour - but then realised I should wait to mention his new TV show in it as well (Miracles for Sale, Easter Monday, Channel 4, 9pm)

You can also watch the trailer here - I'm not hiding the fact I completely and utterly adore this man.

I'm doing it again; avoiding the subject. Right, so what I really need to talk about it my gap year. Two words that, six months ago, I would've chuckled at the thought of. I look back with mild embarrassment at how confident I was at getting in to University, and why wouldn't I? I had good grades*, a shedload of work experience, a strong personal statement. I felt like, compared with other people I knew of, I wanted it so much more; I felt so passionate about my reasons for studying Medicine, my interest in becoming a doctor.

*On the subject of 'good grades' I came out of school ecstatically happy about my GCSE's. It came as a shock when I realised that my grades would just scrape in University requirements, some would've disregarded my application completely such as Birmingham. I had 5 A*s (in the core subjects) and 7 A grades.

Initially

I'm not going to lie, as much as I was expecting it, receiving the 'rejection' email from Bristol still made me cry. I felt awful; I'd let myself down. All I could think about was those hours and hours I'd spent in preparation; writing my UCAS statement, arranging and attening voluntary work and work experience, carefully reading and cutting out articles for my scrapbook, researching universities. Wasted. All that excitement.

Essentially there was little 'wrong' with my application; yes, I probably should've applied to other universities, given different answers to questions. It's just difficult to stand out when everybody else is equally brilliant.

The Plan

It's a simple one really; get a job. I'd have loved to go travelling - but it's finding somebody to go with, somewhere to go. And with Medicine you really need to be in the country to attend interviews, which could be any time from November until April.

I'm hoping to find something in a healthcare/educational setting. Maybe a Teaching Assistant for SEN children, or a nursing auxiliary, or a health care assistant, or a care assistant in a nursing home.

I've started looking and applying, but it's difficult to judge the time frame at the moment.

Opportunities

After the initial 'oh, so did you not get your grades then?' people seem quite understanding about my failure (I use that word sarcastically). Mostly, people seem very good at pointing out the positives. Jordan and my work colleagues cheered me straight up "but you'll have so much free time working a 9 - 5?!" said one. "Oh, I bet you'll be able to do loads of interesting things in your free time" offered another.

Which is true. Mostly I'm excited about joining a gym - I have no intention to lose weight; I want to get fit. I'd love to re-learn German or start afresh with Spanish. I'm keen to investigate my interests in cognition and mental disorders further. A few people suggesting I write a book, but I might interpret that as putting more effort into the blog.

Most of all I'll have a whole extra year to think about Medicine and really refine my reasons for wanting to study it. I'll be developing new clinical and non-clinical skills and awarenesses through work. I'll have time to read for pleasure. And the money to enjoy myself.

Overall, I'm beginning to quite look forward to a year out. Not exactly a year to 'discover myself', but a year to appreciate some of the things I've overlooked whilst I've been studying hard, my tendancy to be short-breathed after running a flight of stairs being one of them. I'm not going to pretend that the thought of re-applying, of attending more interviews and potentially ending up in the same position this time next year doesn't terrify me. But at least I have something to look forward to along the way.

Happy Easter =)

And as another aside- somebody this week asked what the 'point' of this blog is. I thought it was fairly obvious from the sub-title but please let me clarify; essentially I'm keen to support students into higher education (particularly science and healthcare subjects). This blog is somewhere public for my ramblings to be posted, where other applicants may glean something. Maybe an idea for a project, a book to read or just a new perspective on applying. And I also enjoy writing.

Hoops.

Once again, I am in the position of drafting up personal statements. My original took somewhere in the region of 8 – 10 drafts... and the final version was rather different to my first.

Which doesn’t really make sense – surely if a personal statement is about displaying your passion and enthusiasm for a particular subject the core ideas and emotions should stay more or less the same in each draft? Well, apparently not.

My final version was based on a so-called ‘foolproof’ template – containing all of the elements the admissions tutors want to see. The basic formula looks something like this

1.       A powerful emotive opening, jumping straight in with ‘why medicine’. Clearly, you are terrified that the admissions tutor will become bored quickly and so avoid any woolly statements such as ‘I think’, ‘possibly’ and ‘I believe’. Even if you are dubious about committing to such an intense, stressful and potentially frightening career.

I settled for a casual ‘People are remarkable: the way we are so similar, yet all unique’ – doesn’t sound rehearsed at all...

2.       The next 50-70% should detail more specific reasons for an interest in medicine – experiences in clinical environments, particular interests inspired by books/articles/people. In here I mentioned by Extended Project (‘The Psychology of Tribal Medicine’) and in particular my research on pain relief. I also wrote about my experience on work experience at the hospital, working in a dental practice, volunteering at the Prospect Hospice and a brief sentence on the medical courses I have attended. Obviously there’s no point in just listing things as if you think applying for medicine is all about jumping through hoops...  Hmm.

3.       The last quarter should focus on being a ‘well-rounded person’. This is where medical schools expect you to be President of the Student Union, captain of the cricket team, a member of the Royal Ballet School, National Lacrosse Champion, Grade 8 pianist and an artist with previous exhibitions at the Tate. This is also where I usually throw a paddy about ridiculous expectations.

Don’t get me wrong; I try hard. I’m vaguely bright but I’m by no means a genius (not that you have to be for Medicine) but I do put a hell of a lot of time into my revision and college work.  Three days a week I’m looking at a 8am – 5.30pm in college. The other two days I finish at 3.30pm. Monday and Thursday evenings I see my boyfriend. Tuesday’s I’ll work on a poster/quiz/arts and craft project until bedtime. Wednesday’s I volunteer at the hospital and Friday evening I work until 9pm. Then I’m up on a Saturday at 8 until 5pm at work. I relax on a Saturday night. Sundays are spent catching up on tidying up, any last minute homework, updating my article scrapbook and pipecleaner Biology models. So when am I supposed to fit in my marathon training and flute practice?

An example of my biology posters. I think I may have a sequin fetish. (This is translation by the way)

Yes extra-curricular activities are a lovely thing to do. They can develop skills and mental muscles beyond what is stretched at college. But I don’t think they make you a better doctor. Universities would argue they ‘show’ candidates have stress-release mechanisms. Perhaps they do. My stress-release is dancing like a loon on a Saturday night in town, visiting the McDonald’s drive-thru for a McFlurry and watching Glee in bed. I wonder what the admissions tutors would make of that?

I understand that it’s important to have a rest from academic work but to me rigorous extra-curricular activities just seem like, well... work?!  

My ‘well-rounded’ bit comprised of a brief discussion of my job at Homebase where I drew tenuous comparisons between cleaning bathroom suites and preserving life in a clinical setting. I also discussed my role on the Student Union – which is about as extra-curricular as I get, considering I have absolutely no talents at all.

This is what I have spent my executive position of the NCSU doing. I feel a bit embarrassed now.

I’m not bitter at all (well...). Good for you if you are a knowledge-sponge, if you ‘forgot’ to continue with your volunteer placements after you submitted your application and enjoy developing innate talents. Maybe you do have time to do more box-checking (oops, I mean ‘personal development’) but I think it’s more important to have genuine reasons for wanting to be a doctor, whether you can swim the channel or not.

Pearls.

Prelude

There is no 'typical' medical student, however I think Medicine does tend to attract people with very similar tendencies. Passionate people, with an interest in knowing how and why, people who are outgoing and thoughtful and sociable, people who generally just like other people. (Although I'm not sure this extends to people destined to be surgeons- they tend to have a very particular personality...)

Through the various courses I've done (MedSim, MedLink, Villiers Park..) as well as through our college's medical society I've met quite a few of these future medics and have kept in touch with most of them. Recently I sent out an email asking any of these fellow wannabe doctors if they had any tips/advice for other medical students and details about their experience of the system that might be valid points for others. (And the fact that, unfortunately, my opinion isn't law).

So here is an email transcript between myself and Tom, someone who is going to make the most fantastic (if enthusuastically opinionated) doctor and possibly somebody with the most interesting mannerisms I have ever met...

P.S. I've added my own little asides below, marked *like this

Tom

Hi Shannon,

Commisserations on the bad news you've had this year. I for one can tell you that I have been both pleaseantly and unpleasantly surprised by many of the medical schools, and that you're not alone in being one of the many, many people who were not offered a place this year. From some of the letters and emails I've had from various universities, the number of people applying this year for medicine was staggering: for Leicester, as an example, nearly 3000 people applied for just 162 places. That's about 19 people to each place, which is quite ridiculous, but to be expected when the fee rise is taken into consideration. *Keele University emailed me to say they had roughly 5000 applicants for c300 places - with a 5% acceptance rate.

I've had much advice from various people in both applying to the various universities, being successful in getting interviews, and in some cases being rejected or getting in. There are certain key points that, whilst raised over, and over, and over again, are done so because they are so crucial in being considered for the course, as I have found.

> First, and most important, is to research your universities. Not insofar as learning more about them than the students themselves know of them, but in terms of what they want to see. UCL and Imperial like to see good references, evidence of great academic interest in the subject, a knowledge of the subject further than one would see from just learning the A-level course, and yet still has the practical experience that they can talk about.

On the other hand, Leicester love teamwork - if you apply with a personal statement oozing with team sports, activities, with a healthy dose of work experience and volunteering, then you'll stand out from the crowd. Bristol see Volunteering as essential, which is one of the reasons why I was rejected by them.

Overall, research the universities you want to go to in terms of what you will expect at an interview, and what they expect in a candidate. The best way to do this is to speak to students and admissions staff there, especially on the open days they run. The London universities need to be signed up to for the medicine open days far in advance, so ensure that that is the case, otherwise you may be disappointed. *I attended one open day last year - much to my disadvantage. Just today I visited Cardiff University and was able to view it in a completely different light to how it reads in the prospectus.

I would also recommend choosing a spread of university courses and universities, so that you have a wide range of different expectations from the universities. That's not to say you need to cram even more into an already bulging and bloated personal statement - instead, it means that you are showing off various aspects of yourself to different viewpoints, and there's a greater chance that one of them will be attracted by what they see so far as to get your interview place. *To me, this meant applying to Unis which place different significance on the various aspects of the application - how much weight is given to UKCAT/BMAT, GCSE's, statement etc

> Secondly, make sure you get in the essential things that are needed in your personal statement, and make them stand out. I did no volunteering, bar a brief mention of applying for St John Ambulance as a volunteer (which didn't happen in the end), and that was never brought up at interview - instead, I mentioned two key work experience placements I had - at Hammersmith hospital in London, on various wards for a week, and at a Physiotherapist's in France. *At a 'practice interview' organised through the Villiers Park Scholars programme (more about that later) my interviewer said one of the most useful skills is to draw experiences into answers for question, even when they're not specifically asked for - it shows linking skills. E.g. 'What's your opinion of euthanasia?' 'Well, I used to think XYZ and then I read an article in [RESPECTED JOURNAL] which said this. However, at the hospice I volunteer at, I have seen patients in pain, who may see euthanasia as a valid option.'  Cue 'oh-you-work-in-a-hospice' type question. Obviously, very few people are multilingual xenophiles with the abilty to arrange something like that, but plenty of oppertunities exist to do such things. And if you can build from there with a specific example of a case you saw and its implications, or of what skills you developed, practiced and saw at play, then you have ammunition at your interview to really stand out, and talk about what they want to hear - Knowledge, both of the job and academic; Communication and teamwork skills; and the ability to ethically reason.

If you get even a day-or-so in your local hospital, you can word it to sell yourself - instead of stating what you did and a brief description of what you learnt from it, use strong, bold words to vividly describe a case, and do your backup research behind your case. At all three interviews, I was asked about my placement on a Haemotology ward, in particular with Sickle-cell Anaemiacs. Alongside learning all the things you need to know (not just about sickling, but of how it leads to crises, what they mean, and what they can lead to in various areas), look into other related issues - is that patient actually in pain, or is he saying so as a result of addiction to the Diamorphine he has been prescribed before as an analgesic? (Diamorphine is more commonly known as Heroin). How would you deal with that if you were the doctor in that position? *Another tip was that interviewers aren't looking for your knowledge - that's what you're coming to learn - they want to understand your reasoning, logic and moral principles.

Alongside work experience, mention a good few activities that also contribute aspects to your character, showing you as a more diverse character. Do you play rugby, and as such engage in teamwork there? Have you won awards in sport, and how? Are you a youth organisation member, and what do you do as such in said organisation, that is relevant? Even mentioning something you do to relieve stress (whether that be music, sport, art) is useful, as one of the key questions in interview is "How do you deal with stress?". Again, in every interview I went to I was asked as to my role in the CCF unit I'm in - though even that will need quantifying in terms of medicine. In my case, instead of focusing on shooting things (as I often do!) or flying or causing havoc, think of: 

The massive amount of teamwork and organisation needed in your role, which can be from the co-operation, understanding of command and of CAKE (I'll explain the Cake later) as a first-year recruit; the leading and planning needed as a section commander; right up to the massive amounts of organisation, planning and consideration with regards to resources, your superiors and subordinates, and the welfare of nearly 100 cadets in your charge as a unit SNCO.

If you haven't started already, and are in Year 12, now's the time to jump to it - you've got little time left! Even if you take up a sport or activity now, you can still discuss it in detail enough to not need to mention the little time you've spent on it. The summer has many opportunities for work experience, so grab them with both hands now - it takes a long time to plan such things, and much advance warning is needed!

> Finally, ensure that you don't get so caught up in things that you make amateur mistakes. If you put down your 5th choice at the same university as one of your medicine choices, it's not going to go well with the medicine course. Unless it's Imperial or UCL, chances are that you'll get the 5th choice no problem, yet at the cost of you losing your medicine choice. Remember that the universities can see everything you applied for that concerns them - so applying to Bristol for Medicine and Virology (as I did) will mean that they know that is exactly the case, and whilst receiving you with both arms for the latter, will reject you without even the courtesy of an interview for the former. When it comes to interview, don't do what I did at Leicester and manage to go off at a tangent about something, and completely forgetting to supress a couple of my mannerisms (Shannon, you can remember the beautiful presentation we gave on Parkinson's disease at Villier's park... when one of the interviewers turns away because she's giggling, it's not a good sign!). *To fully appreciate this you need to have seen Tom in full lecture-mode; it was inspiring to say the least...

I hope that helps somewhat. Whilst I know you're applying for a second run, and that things are slightly different in terms of the considerations that you'll have to make (different universities in some cases, why you think you didn't get in and what you've learnt, and what you actually did on your Gap Year), many of the points above still stand. And at the end of the day, don't let the system get you down. Remember the three most crucial things in life:

> Happiness - You only live once, so don't spend all your time fretting - get out there and enjoy yourself!

> Cake - It tastes nice, but in a military sense has a completely different meaning:

- Concurrent Activity: The ladies are at an instant advantage here *<-THIS IS A LIE, but if you always plan to multi-task, then things will get done so much faster, leaving you with time to relax and be happy.

- Anticipation: Be prepared for any eventuality, with a contingency in store and ready to be deployed quickly should it be necessary. Expect that you will have to do something, and be ready for it, instead of living in a world of apathy and procrastination.

- Knowledge of the system: Whilst you don't need to know what the role of your direct superior is, you still need to know how things work, rather than expecting it just to work for you - and anticipate that you may have to use that understanding!

- Efficient drills: Work professionally, and in the same manner that suits you every time. Have set times planned for a routine of work, and planned relaxation, and make sure you carry out your work in such a way that things aren't done poorly or in a time-wasting manner.

Applied to life, you'd be surprised how much time it saves, leaving you to do the good things.

> Tea - No, not another acronym, but if you prefer coffee, it's fine. Don't work yourself out and burn out - relax. Get as much sleep as is enough to keep you alert in the mornings, exercise to invigorate your mind (it really does!) and relieve tension, and sit down with a nice cuppa when you get home before getting on to work (the mere act of making a cup of coffee or tea slows you down and relaxes you before work, and the caffeine within helps you stay focuses and active, kicking in at just about the time you start work, and lasting right up until you should have a break - and have another cuppa!)

I realise I have a habit of rambling, but I encourage you to at least take away a few of the key points there. Hopefully, it will leave you better set up for medical school entry and a future in medicine, or if not that then just life in general!

Best of luck in your coming year, and in your application to medschool next year! Pay me a visit at UCL sometime, touching wood of course!

Tom

My reply
(Probably a little anti-climactic after that, but I thought it might be useful to read things that I'm likely to forget to ever write on here...)

Hi Tom!

Thanks for that - you're a very good writer as well as an excellent scientist/public speaker/amateur philosopher!

I think you've got some really, really valid points there; the University research being key. It sounds like an obvious thing to do, but there is more than one way to research a University - last year I chose my options based on Uni's I felt fulfilled my (somewhat arbitary) criteria, were recommended or I simply had an affinity towards, and I think this really bruised my chances of getting in.

My first interview was at Peninsula Medical School - which I applied to because my lecturers claimed that 'nearly everyone gets in'. Pre-interview, candidates are asked to fill in a questionnaire, one of the questions being 'why do you want to come to PMS?'. I think the fact I couldn't answer that truthfully wasn't a brilliant start.

Although I felt well-prepared for the interview, in hindsight I think I'd only prepared on questions that I hoped would come up, rather than interview technique in general. For example, I answered the key question 'how do you deal with stress' with so much waffle and elementary grade insight I wasn't hugely surprised when it was flagged up to me in my interview feedback. Another question I should have better prepared for was regarding teamwork: apparently I focused on leadership and heirarchy, rather than teamwork itself. To me, this just highlights how being underprepared and desperate to make a good impression can leave you talking crap on a tangent.

Oxford was simply hideous. The interviews went mostly well, apart from one (tip: don't crack jokes, apparently Oxford tutors don't ever laugh...) but I really REALLY disliked the University. It's odd; I've visited Oxford so many times and loved the University buildings etc. but when you're actually there it just feels elitist, pompous and unnecessary. Coupled with the fact that my fellow interviewees (apart from a few lovely people, I must say) were complete oddballs I came away hoping that Oxford wouldn't accept me. It sounds stupid but it's true.

I was rejected from Keele pre-interview; in the email they explained that they were only able to interview 10% of candidates, and offer 5% a place. I was not at all surprised to be rejected.

And to Bristol; they STILL haven't replied to me - apart from an email mid-March saying 'we'll be in touch soon'. So I don't have a huge amount to say about them.

Overall I don't think my application was bad at all; I just think for me, it was difficult to stand out. Unfortunatly my GCSE's didn't comprise of 11/12 A*s which is much more common than I ever though possible. My statement was strong but I don't think it reflected enough of me: my reasons for wanting to study Medicine sound weak in comparison to how I would write them now, and my increased voluntary work means I have much more to say now. Plus the extra curricular work I've done between last October and now.

I think hindsight is a wonderful thing, and although I'm disappointed that I wasn't succesful this year, I'm beginning to look forward to taking a year out and strengthening my application further, hopefully finding ways to make it truly sparkle for October.

Of course, huge congratulations to you Tom! I think you'll make a wonderful doctor and I'm sure you'll do fabulously well at University. After experiencing a few lectures with you at Villiers Park I'm not sure how much I would want to be in your tutor group; you'd show everybody up! Although I've never met somebody I can debate with as hotly as you.

Please keep in touch; I'd love to hear all about your first year, and I'm sure you'll have some pearls of wisdom for me next summer!

Take care,
Shannon

Tom

Hi Shannon

I would most definately agree with you about Oxford, and Cambridge! The place looks lovely, and the selling points are absolutely excellent, alongside Cambridge being the best university in the country for medical research (one of the key points I found very enticing). However, looking at the medical course, it isn't that great for what one wants to do. There's the intercalated year, which is something that I would love to do (Neuroscience or Genetic Engineering BSc, and my life would be complete!), but the actual body of the course is very segmented. Clinical contact with patients doesn't really begin until the 4th year, which is no good if you want to try and relate that which is learnt in the classroom with that as it would have to be applied. I would prefer five years of practising taking blood than three years, and five years of actually interacting with patients and generally being able to see exactly how what I'm learning is going to be relevant. That, and as you said the people the university attracts are often quite eccentric or the best-of-the-best-of-the-best!

In terms of the GCSEs, don't be too disheartened - in fact, if you only get about 4-5 A*s, then there are only three or four universities that will take that against you. I only got 6, with 2 Cs mixed in to the final results (argh!), but the majority of universities will either look at another entrance exam, or look at your predictions and reference. Of course, if you get an unhealthy amount of A*s at GCSE then you can rely on Birmingham to pick you up for an interview, which is always a useful tactic to use.

Which leads me on to the admissions exams... and crikey they do throw some people up. The UKCAT isn't something you can really revise for, but it really does pay if you practice beforehand. There aren't that many UKCAT universities I can think of off the top of my head, barring Leicester, but good marks do make a difference. I suspect my Leicester interview was as a result of getting a very good result in UKCAT (775 average score, with 880 as highest and 620 as lowest), so it is something to consider. No need to practice thousands of tests, but to just go in with a clear mind, get it sorted, and MAKE SURE YOU ASK FOR A CALCULATOR! (I wasn't given one... though I suppose that doesn't matter too much). That, and be careful when answering the Psychometric questions, so as not to get caught in the trap of crossing yourself.

BMAT is a different kettle of fish altogether. Again, I didn't really find it's something I could revise for, though many people definitely can and should - I was working on instinct and intuition throughout the paper, barring the essay. The essay is the most important part in my opinion as I was questioned on it - so after the exam, make sure you write down the key points you made, so that when it comes to interview you've already researched that question more, and can turn around and say "I would have changed this, and augmented my opinion as such". And when choosing the questions, go for one that isn't necessarily the easiest to answer, but the one which you find you have a strong opinion on.

Alas, hindsight as you said is a wonderful thing - though as many a wise person would say, it is from the lessons history that we try to avoid repeating mistakes. But, positive attitude, tea and cake, and we're sorted!

Again, best of regards - I'm again touching wood in saying I'll get into medschool next year, and if all goes well might be having a few deep debates in a London café as you start your first year there!

Tom