medical school

For those of you that care, I applied for Medicine for entry straight after sixth form.  It never occurred to me to take a gap year.  I applied to Oxford, Manchester, Leeds and the one where I am now.  The foremost was upon recommendation of my school; they told me I had a better chance of getting into Oxbridge if it were itno the prefix, rather than the suffix.  Anyway, I got rejected, in that order, and my current uni's interview was last.  Prior to applying through UCAS, I went to Medsim, a practical version of Medlink, where we had the option of sitting an entrance exam for the First Faculty of Medicine at Charles University, in Prague.  It was multiple choice, focussing on Biology, Chemistry and Physics.  All my friends did it, so I did too, for a laugh.  Needless to say, I did NOT know most of the stuff (and still didn't by the end of A2) so I guessed around 60% of the answers, using a combination of elimination or sheer "which answer have I not used for a while?" (I am totally serious!)


The exams got marked overnight, and the next day there was the list of names of people who were given an "interview" and therefore a place.  I was near the end (like, 23rd of 25 people who were interviewed).  I got a place, and didn't need to consider it until my very last interview via UCAS.


Everything worked out and I am now here.


A few months ago, I met a girl via a workshop, and kept in touch with her because I saw her potential, but she wasn't using it, because I think she didn't know she had more potential.  I met her just that once: I mock interviewed her as part of a panel for about 10 minutes, and we've kept in email touch.  She's been rejected from all her medicine applications, which I am both angry about and upset about, and I think her two back up options (not sure).  I feel so bad for her, because I can't tell her what to do (she has a few options of where to proceed from here) but I don't want her to not do medicine.


I'll feel like I've failed her if I don't help her get into medicine.  I've never seen someone so determined (er, other than myself..) and I can't believe she hasn't gotten a place thusfar.  And it made me think of me, four years ago exactly, when I was worried about not having a plan after A2 exams.  She really deserves it as well: she had a strong application and strong grades.


It just made me think about when I was applying.  I never really realised just how difficult it was.  I mean, I knew there was competition but I naively thought that everyone would get a place somewhere.  It was only until I got three rejections that it hit me that I might not get to see my dream realised.


I really want this girl to be a medic, more than anyone I've helped with this in the past.  She's obviously academically able, as her predicted grades are stellar, and she's got lots of extracurricular stuff going on and she seems genuinely lovely.


I really hope she gets there.