Parents' Guide: Application Overview

Welcome to our Parents Guide to Medical Applications!

The modern medical school selection process is no longer academically-oriented and now adopts a holistic approach. Applicants now have to develop their portfolio and experiences to become the ideal, well-rounded that universities look for. This means all aspiring medics have to put much more work into their preparation.

We understand that supporting your child through the medical school application process can be equally overwhelming with so much uncertainties along the way. We are here to help similify this and guide both you and your child through this challenge.

We have compiled our own guide to walk you through the essentials. There are also other guides available, like the official Medical Schools Council, that details the application process. We hope this can help you and your child stay informed on the latest changes and requirements with medical applicaitons.

Thorough Preparation

Preparing your child for medical school applications demands thorough preparation and ongoing commitment from parents. While your child will need to complete essential tasks like preparing their portfolio and sitting exams, parents also play a role in helping them find relevant experiences and opportunities to improve their chances. Other areas where you can support your child is helping navigate and registering for entrance exams, helping develop their personal statement, and researching suitable medical schools. By providing practical and moral support at every stage, you can help your child navigate the rigorous medical school application process with confidence.

Work Experience

Securing relevant work experience in the medical field is crucial for strengthening your child’s application. Whether through family connections, local hospitals, care homes, or unique opportunities abroad, do not miss out on any opportunities to gain these experiences. These opportunities can often be found through speaking to relatives that work within healthcare, the head of sixth form/academics/careers advisors at your child’s school, your local GP surgery or hospital, and even cold-emailing doctors!

Examples of useful experiences can include:

Shadowing on wards or clinics can provide insight through real life experiences
Shadowing in labs or with university researchers can showcase the academic side of medical sciences
Shadowing in nursing homes, hospices, and rehabilitation centres can show the impact of medicine in the community setting
Training courses and work with non-profit organisations, like St.John’s ambulances and Red Cross, can teach valuable medical skills
Other roles within a clinical environment, like healthcare assistants or GP surgery receptionists, can help familiarise with the working environment
Even unrelated people-facing roles like part time retail jobs can benefit applications

With the right reflection, any extra-curricular experience will be helpful for career development, perfecting your child’s personal statement, and impress interviewers!

Volunteering Work

Volunteering experience can be considered essentially compulsory for all medical school applicants in this day and age. While work experience greatly depends on connections and luck, medical school admissions know that volunteering opportunities are abundantly available both within and outside of healthcare settings. As parents, encouraging and facilitating your child’s involvement in volunteer activities not only broadens their understanding of healthcare but also demonstrates their commitment to serving and helping others. Volunteering provides invaluable opportunities for your child to engage with diverse communities, develop empathy, and hone essential interpersonal skills crucial for both interview and future medical practice. Whether it involves assisting at at school, local hospitals, clinics, or community health initiatives, volunteering allows your child to gain firsthand insight into healthcare settings while making meaningful contributions to society.

Academic Requirements

When applying to medical school, meeting the academic requirements is crucial for a competitive application. While the specific criteria may vary among institutions, a consistently strong academic record throughout secondary school is typically expected. Subject requirements commonly include chemistry and mathematics with one more science subject. For A level (GCE) applicants, conditional offers commonly range between AAB to A*AA. Similarly, International Baccalaureate (IB) applicants aim for scores between 36 to 40. The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)requirements usually fall within the range of 96 to 99. These academic requirements are set to ensure successful applicants possess the intellectual apitutde necessary to meet the demands in medical school and beyond. However, candidates who fall just outside of these requirements are often still considered but should ideally highlight their non-academic strengths in their applications to improve their chance of success.

Entrance Exams

Apart from academic track record, medical schools across the UK, USA, and Australasia also commonly use entrance exams to select successful applicants. These include the UCAT, GAMSAT, CASPer, and BMAT.

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is a standardised admissions exam that assesses cognitive abilities. This includes critical thinking, problem-solving, and logical reasoning, as well as non-academic attributes essential for success in medical and dental professions. This consists of multiple-choice questions across various sections, such as verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning, decision making, and situational judgment. The majority of medical schools use UCAT as part of their assessment.

The Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) is an examination commonly required for candidates applying for graduate-entry medical programs (candidates who have already completed an undergraduate degree). The GAMSAT evaluates candidates’ reasoning in biological and physical sciences, as well as their ability to interpret and analyse written material. It consists of three sections and together examines the aptitude, communication skills, and scientific knowledge of applicants. GAMSAT scores are often critical for the shortlisting process as well as the final decision.

The Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer) is an online situational judgment test designed to evaluate the personal and professional attributes of candidates applying to medical school. CASPer assesses the candidate with a series of scenarios and questions to test critical thinking, problem-solving, ethical reasoning, and interpersonal skills. This is designed to evaluate candidate apitutde as well as how they may respondrespond to difficult real-life situations in their future careers. CASPer scores provide insight into whether candidates are suitable for a medical career and is now increasingly adopted by medical schools.

The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) was an assessment that primarily tests critical thinking, verbal reasoning, general scientific knowledge, and communication skills. This was used by a minority of universities and will be discontinued after the final sitting in 2024. Universities that relied on BMAT for shortlisting will likely switch to one of the other tests above.

Good Luck!

As a parent, your support and encouragement are essential throughout your child’s medical school journey. This is an incredibly competitive process and many candidates do not secure a place on the course on their first attempt even if they have years of preparation. While we can offer practical advice and guidance on the preparation and application process, it is important to remain supportive of your child through this intense period. Between exams, extracurriculars, and interview preparation, university plans can become overwhelming at times and you can help make sure your child is performing at their best.