Ten Tips on How To Get Into UK Medical School The First Time

Medicine…the dream that many students want to achieve. The long hours of studying, talking to patients and being in the hospital are one of the wishes of many students in sixth form or even secondary school. With a small acceptance rate of around 15% in the UK, competition is fierce which leaves many students asking: ‘How to get into medical school’, ‘how to get all A*s’ or even ‘how to stand out as a medical school applicant’ When you don’t have much support around you and many limiting beliefs to overcome, it can seem like the light at the end of the tunnel is far away.

Alhamdulillah, despite all the struggles of being the first person applying for Medicine in my family and also not getting much support from my sixth form, including financial issues, I still managed to get into Medicine the first time. It would not have been possible without Allah’s help and everything that Allah has provided for me.

I feel that it is my job to help you one-to-one on how to get into Medicine in the UK and give you that help that no doubt many of your peers in more privileged backgrounds are receiving. I am talking to my Muslim/ethnic minority/state school/unsupported students who desperately need that one person to tell them that they can do it. You are not too weak to do Medicine, you are exactly what Medicine needs.

Here is to the start of a journey to help as many of my brothers and sisters as possible to get into Medicine and to start you off, I have ten tips that really helped me along the way.

For each tip, I hope to make a future blog post on the topic to assist you further so stay tuned and subscribe here to never miss a blog: Get My Blog On Your Emails For Free

Make an intention that you will look to see if Medicine is the right pathway for you

If you are currently in Year 11/Year 12, this is the perfect time for you to be starting to think about Medicine and whether you want to pursue this degree. I understand that you have many humps in the road and you may not always be 100% certain you want to do this degree, however, even if you feel a slight desire to explore this career, start looking into this degree and career. Have an intention that you will experiment carefully, and if you don’t feel it is the right career for you, you will quit or go on to pursue something else. This is essential as many people are too lazy or even afraid to tap into different opportunities or believe that they are not good enough to do Medicine. In reality, it is just about opening new doors and seeing which one aligns with you. It is not compulsory for you to apply to Medicine even if you attend all the medical lectures or do work experience.

Once you have made that decision you want to apply to Medicine, however, have a strong why and intention for why you want to do this degree and career. This will keep you going.

Find work experience and volunteering opportunities

I know it can be extremely difficult and painful at times, but trust me and listen to me…keep trying to find those opportunities! I will be discussing in my future posts how I got into work experience and also found two volunteering opportunities in busy London in future posts. But realise that a) it is not compulsory for most medical schools to do work experience in a hospital placement, and b) it is about quality, not quantity. The key is to reflect on every day that you volunteer or shadow someone because it is all about asking questions and learning the soft skills that are needed in a healthcare setting such as empathy and courage.

Use the resources available

When you come from a state sixth form that does not know much about helping medical school applicants, you may feel that you are completely alone and you don’t have any resources. Some fall into the trap of thinking that you have to pay thousands of pounds for expensive courses to get into medicine. However, this could not be further from the truth. During Year 12, you should try to go online and ask your teachers, medical students or even people in Year 13 who have applied to Medicine on how to get in. Most of the resources are free, and if used the right way, are enough to get you into Medicine.

Have a growth mindset and take others’ advice with a pinch of salt

This is the main thing I want to help students do and what no one really focuses on. And that is the mindset. Many students have the potential to get into Medicine, yet they do not get in simply because of their limiting beliefs. They believe that ‘how can someone possibly jump from a C to an A?’ ‘How can someone who doesn’t have any help get into Medicine?’ or ‘How can someone from this sixth form get into Medicine?’ I don’t blame you for all these myths you have planted in your mind, yet you have the power to change these beliefs. Just because you are getting Cs right now does not mean that you can’t do Medicine. Just because your family is struggling financially does not mean that you can’t afford to do a medical degree in the UK. Listen to people who are like you and have gotten into Medicine and take everyone’s advice with a pinch of salt, because ultimately you decide what to believe in.

Time management is key

One of the things that I personally struggled with (and again what many people do not acknowledge) is how to manage your time effectively. It can be challenging enough to do 3-4 hard A Levels and on top of that, you have to do all this preparation for medicine. Additionally, you are doing it for the first time and you are just a beginner in applying! The best way to manage this is to be aware of your time. Many students in Year 12 make the mistake of attending too many programmes and lectures for Medicine but fail to actually spend time studying for their grades. I understand that it may be more fun and relaxing to just watch a medical lecture rather than do the hardcore A-Level revision, but you need to have a balance of both. I have piled up many tips for time management which I will be sharing in my future blog posts.

Prepare for the UCAT and BMAT

These two tests are one of the hardest aspects of the medical school application and it is one where you are usually provided with the least support. There are many courses trying to convince you to buy courses or go for expensive masterclasses, but it is all about picking the right resources, working smartly and being consistent in your revision.

Know the ways of coping with stress

Many YouTubers and content creators may forget when giving advice that it is not only about working x number of hours a day, it is also about having to deal with your personal life and just general stress. However, if you can master the art of learning how to deal with stress, this will not only help with being a doctor but also in your personal life when going through other problems. Whether it is talking to someone, journaling or even going for a walk, try to find the right ways that relieve your stress but also make you happy long term.

Prepare for interviews

Unfortunately, many medical schools give out interviews with very little notice, hence it is one of the aspects of the medical school application that applicants prepare for the least. Again, many people may have support with this if they come from a family of doctors or have many mock interviews from school, but if you don’t have that support (like me!), there are some strategies you can use to ace your interviews. Interviews have now become one of my favourite parts of applying to Medicine!

Use exam questions effectively

I remember being told this piece of advice when I was starting Year 12, and I get it – it’s not easy to do exam questions at times when you haven’t learnt the content. However, you can definitely do it and it is one of the things I would recommend you start doing from the beginning of the year to really get the top grades in your A Levels.

Be your own best friend – trust your gut and have family and friends

One of the things that I definitely could not be more grateful for is all the support I received. Now, I know some of you may be thinking ‘What support? You just said your sixth form did not support you?’ Yes, they did not support me as much. However, I had emotional support from others around me. I am extremely grateful first and foremost to Allah, who has granted me all these blessings, victory, light and guidance. I am definitely extremely grateful for my parents who provided me the best care since birth and continue to support me in my journey. They are the immigrants who have worked hard to get from rural Bangladesh to Italy all the way to London for my education and to simply give me the best quality of life that they could not receive. They really risked their own lives for me. So, thank you, my mum and dad!

I also had support from my siblings who also helped me the best they could, and comforted me at times of need. And lastly, my friends in school and those few teachers who really believed in me when the rest doubted me – thank you!

So, remember to seek support when you need it. Never miss your Salah and always trust your gut on what to do next!

Those were all my tips on how to get into medical school in the UK the first time around!

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Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

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