Medical School Admissions Consulting UK

Ideally, you should start preparing for your medical school application well in advance of the submission deadline. Dr. Jiva recommends beginning the process at least 12-18 months before you plan to submit your application. This timeline allows you to build a strong academic and extracurricular profile, prepare for admissions tests, and create a compelling application. With that said, every year, she also helps applicants and families that approach her even within a few weeks or a few days of the application deadline. However, for the 2024 application (2025 Entry applicants), Dr. Jiva will be away for most of September 2024, while on maternity leave. She will be available for the first two weeks of October to provide final support to all of her existing clients but will not be able to take new clients in that time period. For this year specifically, we recommend you book an appointment early in July and August for any support required.

If you're unsure about whether a career in medicine is right for you, Dr. Jiva offers a consultation service to help you explore your options and make an informed decision. During this consultation, you'll have the chance to discuss your interests, concerns, and goals with Dr. Jiva, and receive advice and guidance on whether medical school is the right path for you.

In the unlikely event that you don't receive any interview invitations or offers, Dr. Jiva will work with you to identify areas for improvement, why you did not get the interviews or offers, and develop a plan for strengthening your application. For students who have booked a consulting package with Dr. Jiva (3 hours or 6 hours) and attended at least our interview course and UCAT course, if you do not receive any interviews, a consultation to help plan your options for the following year is free.

Dr. Jiva has extensive experience helping international students apply to medical school in the UK. The competition ratio is much higher than for local applicants, and there are a lot of details to consider when interpreting the competition ratio presented on many websites. She is familiar with most international educational systems and can help you convert your grades to meet the requirements set by medical courses in the UK. The academic year considered, the GCSE grades looked at, the English requirements, and even the science subjects given weight often differ from local applicants. She can help you navigate the many options for a medicine course to ensure that you make the best use of the 4 choices UCAS allows you to apply to.

Entry requirements for UK medical schools vary by institution, but most require a combination of strong academic grades, high scores on admissions tests (such as the UCAT or GAMSAT), relevant work experience, and a compelling personal statement and interview. Dr. Jiva will work with you to understand the specific requirements of your target schools and develop a plan to meet and exceed these requirements. The entry requirements change yearly and also differ between undergraduate applicants, graduate applicants, and international applicants. Some schools have unique requirements that students do not always consider, such as minimum SJT scores, a minimum age, or even specific postcodes given advantages.

Yes, Dr. Jiva studied Graduate Entry Medicine at the University of Nottingham herself and has offered tailored support for graduate entry medicine applicants from the very beginning. She understands the unique challenges and requirements of applying to medical school as a graduate, and she will work with you to develop a tailored strategy for your application. This may include guidance on preparing for the GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test), crafting a compelling personal statement that highlights your relevant experience and skills in a different way than for an undergraduate applicant, and preparing for interviews. When it comes to choosing where to apply, graduate applicants can choose four-year programs or five-year programs. How you did in your first degree will impact your options, as well as your A-level and GCSE grades for some medical schools. However, the requirements for grades prior to your degree are less strict than what is required for undergraduate applicants. Most medical schools do not require graduate applicants to have the typical AAA at A-level to be eligible, and only a few graduate entry programs require an A grade for Biology or Chemistry at A-level.

For A-level students considering medicine, Dr. Jiva provides comprehensive guidance on building a strong academic and extracurricular profile, as well as on how to showcase your skills through your activities. This includes advice on selecting the right A-level subjects, achieving top grades, gaining relevant work experience such as care home placements or volunteering, and how to prepare effectively for admissions tests. Every applicant has strong grades and some extracurricular activities, so it requires a bit more strategy to stand out. The competition is arguably harder right after A-level than as a graduate applicant. Yet, there are a number of schools offering guaranteed interview schemes or transfers from the first year of a biomed degree that you can consider taking advantage of. Dr. Jiva will work with you to create a roadmap for success, ensuring that you are well-prepared to submit a competitive application when the time comes.

Choosing the right medical schools to apply to is a critical part of the application process. Dr. Jiva will work with you to assess your academic and extracurricular profile, understand your goals and preferences, and identify the schools that best align with your strengths and aspirations. She has in-depth knowledge of the entry requirements, admissions processes, and unique features of each UK medical school, and she will use this expertise to help you create a tailored list of target schools. Year after year, we see applicants who would have had interviews if they had changed nothing in their application but just applied to different schools. We believe that with UCAS allowing you only 4 choices for medical school, this choice is the most important part of your application. For example, if you have a high UCAT score, you might be tempted to feel like St George's is a safe choice for you, and it might be, but looking at their competition at interviews for your applicant pool and comparing that to your other options may provide a different answer. Let's imagine a different scenario. Let's say critical thinking is your key strength, you got band 1 SJT and a high score in most UCAT sections, but your decision-making section score is low. With one low score in a section, that may be enough to make your overall UCAT score not competitive for most schools. But when you look specifically at how the University of Nottingham adds up your UCAT score, you may find it is still an excellent option, especially if fewer applicants have a band 1 in that application cycle. Every school of Medicine has its own distinct way to select their applicants for the medical school interview, and paying close attention to these nuances, as well as to the competition ratio data interpreted correctly, makes the biggest difference for your chances.

While no honest consultant can promise you'll get into medical school, Dr. Jiva is dedicated to giving you the best service and support to help you improve your chances of success. She offers a satisfaction guarantee for her consulting services. If you're not happy with your first consultation, she will work with you to address any concerns and make sure you get the guidance and support you need. In the rare case that you buy a consulting package, our interview course, and our UCAT course, but don't get an interview or offer, Dr. Jiva will give you free advice on how to plan your next steps.

To get the most out of your consulting session with Dr. Jiva, it's important to be prepared. Before your session, take some time to think about your goals, motivations, and experiences. Gather important documents, such as your school transcripts, admissions test scores (if you have them), and any drafts of your personal statement. Think about the questions and concerns you want to discuss with Dr. Jiva, and make a list to make sure you cover all the important points. Being prepared will help you have a more focused and productive session, allowing Dr. Jiva to give you the most relevant and personalized guidance. We also suggest that anyone supporting you, like your parents, partner, or school career adviser, attends the first session. A lot of important topics are covered in one session, and it's very helpful for you to have someone to talk about this with after the session is over.