Muddy Stilettos


<p>Headlines have been screaming that teens are turning their backs on a career in medicine, with reports showing a 12% fall in medical school applications. So does this mean it&#8217;s easier right now for budding young doctors to get a place? Not quite, Dr Ash Hilton, founder of <a href="https://www.future-doc.com/1-on-1-help?utm_source=pr&amp;utm_medium=pr-content&amp;utm_campaign=10n1help" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Future Doc</a>, reveals the full story and gives Muddy his diagnosis on how to successfully get a coveted offer. (He has a 93% success rate, so you’re in safe hands).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ashheadshotstravelcafe-00085.jpg" alt="DR ASH FILTON FUTURE DOC FOUNDER – HELPS TEENS GET INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL" class="wp-image-96924" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ashheadshotstravelcafe-00085.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ashheadshotstravelcafe-00085-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-let-s-cut-the-chase-why-is-medicine-in-the-academic-sick-bay">Let&#8217;s cut the chase, why is medicine in the academic sick bay?</h4>



<p>Covid put healthcare in the spotlight, and during the pandemic the number of medical school places was increased by the government to 10,500, which triggered a 38% increase in applications – an all-time high. The number of places and applicants is now back to pre-pandemic levels, with just 7,600 places up for grabs in the UK.&nbsp; </p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-changes-in-applicant-numbers">Why the changes in applicant numbers? </h4>



<p>All we can do is speculate but our best guesses would be:</p>



<ul>
<li>News of doctors&#8217; pay and strikes souring the appeal.</li>



<li>NHS hero narrative during the pandemic has faded.&nbsp;</li>



<li>A-Level grade inflation has come back down, removing Medicine as a consideration for some students.</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-it-mean-if-you-have-a-child-who-applied-this-year-or-is-thinking-of-applying-in-the-future-nbsp">What does it mean if you have a child who applied this year or is thinking of applying in the future?&nbsp;</h4>



<p>The bad news – don’t be fooled – Medicine is still one of the most competitive courses in the UK. It is still <em>very</em> oversubscribed with success rates around 16%.&nbsp;The good news &#8211; Medicine is still one of the most rewarding careers your child could go into. The ability to save lives and improve peoples&#8217; health will fulfil them in ways you can&#8217;t even imagine. That&#8217;s why the competition is so fierce. And there’s never been a better time to apply!</p>



<p>If your child has already submitted an application and was rejected, they may have a slightly better chance to get in via UCAS clearing than previous years thanks to the reduced grade inflation mentioned earlier. For some useful info on clearing, see this <a href="https://youtu.be/StYiIOgbodM">video</a>.</p>



<p>However, if they’re applying for 2025 entry, they still need to <a href="https://courses.future-doc.com/registration-page-31d1b35a-d65c-473c-87b1-983e740b2317">master the five key elements of the medical school application</a>. Remember that applying directly out of sixth form is the best chance they have of success (around a 16% success rate). </p>



<p>It is significantly harder for re-applicants, as certain universities will not accept students applying for a second time. And those who take a degree and apply again as graduates have about a 3% chance. In short, the best thing to do is make sure they get it right first time around. We asked Dr Ash Hilton, founder of Future Doc, to give Muddy his diagnosis on exactly how they can do that. (He has a 93% success rate so you’re in safe hands).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="660" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/surgery-1807541_1280-2.jpg" alt="SURGEONS " class="wp-image-96923" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/surgery-1807541_1280-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/surgery-1807541_1280-2-600x396.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-a-place-at-medical-or-dental-school-is-an-extremely-complex-where-do-students-start">Getting a place at medical or dental school is an extremely complex, where do students start?</h4>



<p>We get all sorts of different people applying – some may be the first in their family to go to medical school, so it can be life-changing. Other students come from good schools and have been given extremely well-intentioned support, but their schools may not realise how incredibly difficult, complicated, and nuanced the whole application process is. It’s only when they see what we do that they realise the level they need to be at.</p>



<p>Ideally, we want students to start coaching with us a year before they submit their applications in September (i.e two years before they would hypothetically start medical school). However, some people come to us later, and that’s okay – we just need to work at a much higher intensity.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-oxbridge-the-most-competitive-nbsp">Is Oxbridge the most competitive?&nbsp;</h4>



<p>Yes, Oxbridge is the hardest to get into, followed by the London universities (particularly King’s, Bart’s, Imperial and UCL), then the big city Russell Group universities like Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff, and Bristol. Studying medicine at Oxbridge certainly has cachet, but it’s not the be-all-and-end-all. Some of the best doctors I have worked alongside studied at the less competitive universities.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_343415048_244492374797328_2556831229564185770_n_1080-2.jpg" alt="RUBBER GLOVE MEDICAL SCHOOL" class="wp-image-96918" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_343415048_244492374797328_2556831229564185770_n_1080-2.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_343415048_244492374797328_2556831229564185770_n_1080-2-600x600.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_343415048_244492374797328_2556831229564185770_n_1080-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_343415048_244492374797328_2556831229564185770_n_1080-2-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-you-guide-students-to-the-uni-that-s-best-for-them">How do you guide students to the uni that’s best for them?</h4>



<p>One of our biggest values is candour. We make sure people aren’t forcing themselves as a square peg into a round hole that just doesn’t suit them. Our secret is spending a long time with our students looking at the best four universities for them on an individual level. We look at what makes their CV stand out and their unique qualities.Equally, if a student has their heart set on a particular medical school, we can tailor their application to suit that particular university.</p>



<p>Our ultimate goal is to create a system that will guarantee (as close as is possible) a place to the right student at their dream university. It’s a science – or, in some ways, a game. There are a handful of key elements of the application that you have to nail, and if you can master all of them, that gives you a very good chance. The five elements are;</p>



<ul>
<li>Work experience</li>



<li>Aptitude tests (UCAT)</li>



<li>Personal statement</li>



<li>Smart university selection</li>



<li>Interviews</li>
</ul>



<p>The way the application breaks down, we teach it in four discrete phases.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/futuredoctravelcafetraining-03703.jpg" alt="Future Doc medical school applications" class="wp-image-96922" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/futuredoctravelcafetraining-03703.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/futuredoctravelcafetraining-03703-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-four-phases-to-mastering-the-medical-school-application">Four phases to mastering the medical school application</h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-1-cv-building">Phase 1: CV-building</h4>



<p>The first thing we do with a new student is to sit down and have a strategy call. We’ll go through their individual application with a fine-toothed comb. We work out what they’re missing, what makes them special and where we need to double down. Then we look at building their CV. People think you only need one type of work experience, but in fact you need five different types. That’s why we like to start working with students early!</p>



<p>The five types of work experience they need are: shadowing (going into a hospital and being a fly on the wall); volunteering (showing your caring side, e.g. by working in a charity shop); paid work (to show responsibility and develop communication skills); extra-curricular pursuits (like sports, languages or playing a musical instrument); and further exploration (e.g. summer schools, attending talks, reading books/articles or getting involved in research).</p>



<p>Each skill they learn, or placement they undertake, leads to better opportunities; these compound over time and eventually the student becomes unrecognisable because they have built such a great CV.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-2-ucat-prep">Phase 2: UCAT prep</h4>



<p>The student’s A-Level grades are the least negotiable part of the application, so we make sure we don’t encroach on their schoolwork and revision. We can offer extra tuition, but our focus is on preparing students for the UCAT test through online tutorials, both one-to-one and in group workshops.</p>



<p>Unlike other exams, the UCAT test is not a knowledge test, so students can’t rote learn the material and recall answers. It’s like a performance, or an IQ test. People find it very difficult because it’s a set of skills that have to be performed accurately at speed and under pressure.</p>



<p>We have a three-step preparation process for the UCAT test, which is taken between mid-July and the end of September. The first is familiarisation, when we help people understand the techniques and the materials they need to complete the test. The second is practising questions untimed, then the third is starting to steadily increase the speed. Students aim for 100% accuracy, but then can’t finish the exam in time. It’s better to aim for 80% accuracy and get through all of the questions. It’s about finding the optimum pace to accuracy ratio. The maximum possible score is 3,600. Anything over 3,000 puts you in the top 3-5% of applicants.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="999" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_275240310_292130369655749_103397899033343445_n_1024.jpg" alt="Medical school applications" class="wp-image-96919" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_275240310_292130369655749_103397899033343445_n_1024.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_275240310_292130369655749_103397899033343445_n_1024-600x600.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_275240310_292130369655749_103397899033343445_n_1024-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Snapinsta.app_275240310_292130369655749_103397899033343445_n_1024-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-3-crunch-time">Phase 3: Crunch time</h4>



<p>This is the summer of putting it all together. Students will do the shadowing they’ve arranged, sit their A-Levels and UCAT test, write their personal statement. They then submit their application between the first week of September and the mid-October. The personal statement is changing next year, and will ask three questions; why medicine?; how have your qualifications/studies helped you prepare?; what else have you done outside of education to help you prepare?. They want to see that you have the traits you’ll need to become a good doctor. No-one is expecting the finished article, but they’ll want to see the beginnings of things like team-working skills, trustworthiness, being calm under pressure, and an empathetic and caring nature.</p>



<p>The academic reference is also important. It’s helpful if the school has collaborated on the personal statement and we give them a guide on how to write a really good reference – for instance, corroboration of the student’s amazing achievements.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Choosing the right university is something students pay the least thought to, but it’s far more important than people think. You are only allowed to apply to four universities, and often people throw those opportunities down the drain because they don’t look at each university’s eligibility criteria or work experience requirements. The universities will state what kind of students they are looking for on their medicine / dentistry course guides, so the smart approach is to present yourself as someone who has those traits.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phase-4-nailing-the-interview">Phase 4: Nailing the interview</h4>



<p>This is the final hurdle, and students always underestimate this stage. It’s not an afterthought once the application is done, it’s about the year or more you spend becoming the person they are looking for. That means acquiring the skills, achieving the accolades, and developing the traits they need.</p>



<p>When you present yourself to the interview panel, we want you to be ‘so good they can’t ignore you’. Conquering nerves is about putting in the hours of interview prep (typically several dozen), so we do lots of live practice in our ‘interview hot seat’ sessions, which simulate the pressure of the big day. Once you can handle that sort of pressure, you’ll be fine for the real thing. We aim to get our students to the stage where they’re so well prepared, the interview becomes enjoyable. Once they’re in front of the interview panel, it’s just a case of showing off what they know.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MEDICAL-SCHOOL-scaled-e1723476027799.jpg" alt="Medical students" class="wp-image-96916"/></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-many-students-do-you-coach-each-year">How many students do you coach each year?</h4>



<p>Future Doc purposely doesn’t take on many students, so we can really get to know them as individuals and guide them on their journey to medical and dental school from start to finish. We work with a small number of students each year, who need to apply to join our programme. They are taught by our expert team of 80 tutors. They are either qualified medics or currently at medical / dental school, so they have recent experience of going through the application process themselves.</p>



<p>As a dual-qualified doctor and dentist, I’ve been through the application process successfully twice. I know first-hand how getting a place at medical school can transform your life, and we do everything we can to get our students there. We don’t just sell students a bunch of tuition, we take ownership of our candidates, and are invested in making sure that every second spent with us gets them closer to their dream career.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-many-attempts-can-it-take">How many attempts can it take?</h4>



<p>Most of our students will be offered a place at one or more of the four universities they apply to. However sometimes it’s a case of if at first you don’t succeed, try again. The most heart-warming stories are students who come to us after two or three previous failed solo attempts. They are going into the profession for all the right reasons, and they have all the capabilities – they just haven’t cracked the application yet. In fact, we sometimes see students who are on their sixth attempt, and we get them in on their first go with us. What we do is all about spotting the students who will go on to make great doctors and helping them get through the application and interview process.</p>



<p><em>For more free resources, guidance, or to apply to the programme, check out </em><a href="https://www.future-doc.com/1-on-1-help?utm_source=pr&amp;utm_medium=pr-content&amp;utm_campaign=10n1help"><em>Future Doc</em></a><em>. Or for any specific queries, please email </em><a href="mailto:Admissions@future-doc.com">admissions@future-doc.com</a></p>


Medical school applications down? Don’t be fooled

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