MB ChB Admissions
2017/18
Dr Gail Nicholls
Director of
Admissions
Dr Pat Harkin
Deputy Director of
Admissions
https://www.cuinsight.com/take-hoop-jumping-strategy.html
http://blogs.ft.com/photo-diary/2013/08/jumping-through-hoops/
MBChB Selection
Aim of Admissions Process
To select students academically able to complete
the MBChB degree course and to practise as a
Foundation Year doctor
To select students that will make the best doctors
To use a fair and equitable process to achieve this
Medical School Competition
Number of applicants
25000
Year
20000
15000
Change
2013
2.2%
2014
2.8%
2015 -10.3%
2016 -1.4%
10000
5000
0
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
MBChB Selection
Applications and Places by year
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Medical school application
competition
Job
Applicants per place
Administrative vacancies in
Leeds 2015
71
Graduate employment:
applications per vacancy
39.2
Consumer goods
186.3
Oil and Energy
97.8
High Street retailers
50
MBChB Selection
What makes a good doctor?
GMC 2011
MBChB Selection
UCAS application received
Triaged for minimum criteria
•VERY few rejected
•Minimum criteria well advertised
Rank on GCSE/AS, A2, BMAT
•Send top 1000 forms for scoring based on
GCSE/AS, A2
Score personal statement
•Each form scored by 2 assessors
•3rd assessor if difference
Call for interview
•Call top 512 for interview based on GCSE/AS,
A2, Personal statement
Make offers
•Offers made SOLELY on interview
performance
Await decisions & results
•Course starts late September 2018
Academic Criteria
• To keep the slides uncluttered, we will only mention GCSE, AS
and A2 qualifications but we accept:
• IGCSEs
•
International Baccalaureate
•
Irish Leaving Certificate
•
Scottish Highers
•
European Baccalaureate
•
Suitable degrees
•
Some Access to Medicine courses
•
Some Foundation courses
•
And many, many more
• And many, many more! See “Acceptable Qualifications” download on our website
• For everything except BMAT there are alternatives to all our “mandatory”
qualifications
Academic Minimum Requirement
• GCSE
To be competitive in the academic scoring stage students
would require far greater than the minimum
• At least 6 grade Bs must be offered including:
• English Language
• Mathematics
• Dual Science/Double Science, or Chemistry and Biology
This is the University’s minimum entrance standard. We would not expect a
candidate offering just 6 grade B’s at GCSE to receive an invitation to interview
due to the intense competition.
Academic Criteria
• A-level
•
•
Three A-levels – no advantage to having 4
Chemistry at Grade A or better is mandatory
•
General Studies, Critical Thinking and the Extended Project are not
used in academic scoring
We do not accept Chemistry with Biology and Human Biology
We do not accept Chemistry with Maths and Further Maths
Standard offer is AAA – no advantage to A*, or to having a 4th A-level
(i.e. A*A*BB does not meet our standard offer)
Predicted/achieved treated equally during selection
(offer is worded differently)
•
•
•
•
Academic Criteria
• AS-level
•
•
•
•
•
•
Same subject restrictions as A-levels.
We look at your best 3 AS-levels if declared/“cashed in” after the first year of
study. We do NOT accept undeclared AS-levels, AS-levels cashed-in later, or
achieved A-level results as equivalent.
We will accept AAA at AS as equivalent to 9 A* at GSCE, otherwise we will
use your GSCE score.
We use either your GCSE score OR your AS score – you can’t add one
declared AS to 8 GCSEs.
If your school doesn’t declare AS levels, we will use your GCSE score.
We do NOT accept module scores or predicted or undeclared grades.
MBChB Selection
Most popular A-levels
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Theology
Sport & Physical Education
Philosophy
Performing Arts
Panjabi
Modern Greek
Hindi
Food Studies
Creative Writing
Communication and Culture
Citizenship Studies
Archaeology
Accounting
Turkish
Statistics
Russian
Persian
Italian
Politics
Photography
Knowledge & Inquiry
Health & Social Care
Computer Science
Tamil
Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Media Studies
Government & Politics
Dutch
Polish
Law
Information Technology
Human Biology
Drama
Critical Thinking
MBChB Selection
Less frequently offered A-levels
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
The future!
• GCSE new 9-1 grading scale
• Mathematics and English language 2017 results,
other subjects in 2018
• A=7, B=6, C=4
• A level requirements no change, we will monitor
results and respond to significant changes in
achievement
• Pass in practical element of A levels is required
Aptitude Test
•
•
•
•
Between 2008 and 2013, we used UKCAT
Since January 1st 2014, we require BMAT
No alternatives will be accepted
UKCAT, MCAT, GAMSAT etc will not be
accepted as a substitute
• You MUST sit BMAT in the year you apply
• Only your first attempt will be accepted
Aptitude test
• A score based on BMAT performance will be
combined with a score based on GCSE/AS/A2
performance or prediction
• A high academic score can help compensate for a
low BMAT score and vice versa
• There will not be a pre-determined “cut-off”
score
BMAT preparation and registration
• Past papers are available to download
• Section 2 is based around the national
curriculum studied by the majority
• All applicants for the MB ChB course are required to take
BMAT in either September or November each year. The
result from your first sitting only will be accepted.
Sitting
Saturday September 9th
Thursday November 2nd
Register
July 3rd – August 18th
September 1st - October 1st
Fee
£80
£46 (EU), £78(rest of world)
Result day
September 29th
November 24th
Centres
21 centres in UK
Hundreds on centres worldwide
This is how we find out about
applicants…..
Communication
• We expect to receive around 2000 applications
• There are 5 of us
• IF YOU WANT US TO KNOW SOMETHING PLEASE
PUT IT ON THE FORM!
• Please do not provide us with supplementary
information by phone, email or letter
Writing a Personal Statement
Motivation
and
Insight
Social
Awareness
Responsibility
and
Leadership
Interests
and
Achievements
Mitigating circumstances, Access to Leeds
What evidence do you need?
• How have you looked into a career in medicine?
• Have you taken positions of responsibility?
• Do you know a bit about the world outside
your friends and family?
• Do you know how to relax and de-stress?
A typical applicant at interview
A typical applicant who gets to the interview stage would have all
of the following:
• Excellent GCSE or AS grades
• Predicted or achieved 3 As at A level
(or ABB for A2L)
• A “good” BMAT score (which we can’t predict)
• A good personal statement
MMI (Multiple Mini Interview)
Sometimes called “Speed dating for admissions)
• Takes just over an hour
• Assesses further non-academic attributes
• The candidates who perform the best at
interview will be offered a place
• We aim to interview up to 550 applicants
• 32 batches of 16 over two weeks
• Interviews are currently scheduled for
January and February 2018
Our MMI
• 8 stations, 4 groups per day, 64 candidates per day
• Each stations- 1 minute reading, 7 minute task
• Each station tests 1 or more attributes
• Includes:
communication skills, UCAS statement, ethical
reasoning, negotiation, current affairs, situational
judgement test, written station…….
Alternative Routes
We welcome talented students who have the potential
to succeed at university regardless of their educational
or personal backgrounds, and we offer a variety of
alternative routes to studying at the University of Leeds
Access to Leeds
Bradford Partnership
Interdisciplinary Science Foundation Programme
Access courses
Alternative Access Routes
Access to Leeds
 Alternative admissions scheme that allows us to
identify applicants who have the potential to
succeed but who may not be able to demonstrate
their talents through grades alone
Realising Opportunities
 Operated by the charity Brightside in collaboration
with 12 universities and enabling increased access
• Work alongside standard UCAS application
• Typical offer 2 grades lower if university modules are
passed
Interdisciplinary Science Foundation
• CFGO
• Full-time, 1 year
• Enables students who may have been disadvantaged in their
preparation for tertiary education to prepare for degree level
study and gain the necessary academic competence required for
entry to the degree programme
• Criteria for transfer: at least 70% in Chemistry, successful
interview
Clinical Sciences BSc
Bradford BSc in Clinical Sciences:
We accept up to 20 students into year 1 and up to a further 20 into year 2 if they
• Satisfy our Widening Participation criteria
• Perform well academically (course examinations & BMAT)
• Perform well at interview.
Unlike the other WP access routes, places for transfer from Bradford are ring-fenced
and not necessarily all filled each year.
Access to Medicine Courses
• College of West Anglia
• Sussex Down’s Adult College
• Applicant must achieve an overall mark 70%
and 70% in Chemistry
Backup planning……….
KEEP CALM AND
IMPLEMENT YOUR
BACKUP PLAN
Feedback
• We will provide limited feedback to unsuccessful
applicants
• This will take the form of a ranking, showing position
in relation to the rest of the cohort in
– Academic performance (all applicants)
– Aptitude performance (all applicants)
– Personal statement (if scored)
– Interview performance (if interviewed)
Second time/re-sit applications
• Assessed in competition with all the first-time
applications
• Examination re-sit results are only accepted in
exceptional circumstances
• Evidence of circumstances is needed
• If you want to reapply:
• WHY was the application rejected? Any feedback?
• We do provide some feedback – but we won’t rewrite
your application for you!
• Think about what can be done to make the
recommended changes
• MAKE THEM! AND PROVE YOU HAVE MADE THEM!
Useful dates
UCAS Closing Date for Medicine is earlier than for other
programmes
Institution Code: L23
Course Code: A100
BMAT registration deadline is different from the UCAS
deadline.
LOOK AT THE WEBSITES!!
Other sources of information
• NHS Careers Website - www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/
• General Medical Council Website - www.gmc-uk.org/
• Medical Schools Council Website www.medschools.ac.uk/
• BMAT-http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/ourservices/medicine-and-healthcare/bmat/about-bmat/
• Leeds Medicine Admissions website • www.leeds.ac.uk/medicine/admisisons/
How to make an application
successful….