11 Plus Exams Forum

DD has been sent a promotional email via her school for Medlink courses at Nottingham University. These pricey courses apparently introduce prospective medical students to various aspects of Medicine and the website is very slick and persuasive. Does anyone have direct experience of these with a DC? Daughter is keen to go but I am sceptical of spending lots of money unless they really are worthwhile. Any opinions welcome.
Thanks,
Amber

My DD has had a number of friends who have done this course and the similar one for prospective vets. They have all found it very interesting and at the end of it have realised that medicine is either definitely for them or in the case of two of my friend's DCs decided against it. My friend whose DCs decided against applying for medicine still felt that it had been money well spent as it meant that they didn't apply for the wrong course.

An extra piece of information is that if they are doing gold D of E it will count for their residential section if they do the extra night.

DD did it and enjoyed it but felt it wasn't worth the money it cost and that all that it told you could be found out elsewhere. Have a look at The Student Room - pretty sure it has been discussed on there.

My DS went on the medlink course and loved it. He found it very useful in helping him to decide whether do do medicine or not.
He was so keen that he started his AS revision on the train on the way back!
So for us it was definitely worth the money.

Thought I probably should update this with some feedback. DD went on the Medlink course (we sold one of our other children to afford it) as the school seemed to expect it as a sign of devotion to the medical cause. She loved it! Made friends from all over the place (rich people I guess, or those who had similarly sacrificed other offspring), and came back even more sure that she wants to do Medicine; no more sure of which speciality; and totally dog tired from being up all night (lectures seemed to finish around midnight - I think they were keeping them busy to ensure no mischief with a bunch of underaged kids away from home en masse with their own bedrooms). One or 2 who weren't sure about Medicine decided it wasn't for them, which supports what a friend told me, so maybe it is better if your child is tossing up between that and something else like Dentistry, Physiotherapy (or in the case of one of DD's acquaintances, Law ).

So in short. Positives: she really enjoyed home cooking and her own bed when she got back; it ticked some boxes for the school; she has friends in Belfast and Germany now; she still wants to be a doctor.
Negatives: it cost a flipping fortune; she still wants to be a doctor.

Advice - if your school is in favour and you have the odd £200 you don't know what to do with, send child. But I doubt it would be a deal breaker if they don't go.

Good to hear of her experiences Amber - now just the UKCAT, the BMAT, the A levels, the backup plans, etc etc..

I chuckle at the "she still wants to be a doctor" being in the positive and negative sections. . really think it is something they should ask more often of students and doctors at all stages, there aren't really enough "get out and save face options " for those having doubts at any stage.

My fear is that still from some schools (and no doubt from parents too) there is a lot of pressure (spoken and unspoken ) that anyone who is very bright and "good at science" and not sure what they want to do will be steered towards medicine, maybe for the kudos of the school, rather than encouraging them to look fully at the wide range of other options (engineering of all varieties, straight science, other non-A level science subjects such as biochemistry or geology, other medical paths etc). Maybe it's because many teachers have no experience of "the real world" outside education so can't necessarily give inspiring examples from their own lives (whereas we all know what doctors do having watched Casualty!) - but schools should at least attempt to help their pupils become aware of the possibilities ...

Agreed Solimum - not a pplace for the pure scientist - my main grouse is that OK it helps to be reasonably good at science but that is not the be all and end all, really the main requirements of medicine are a huge memory, problem solving / pattern recognition and being able to get on and interact well with people. This could probably best be done with people with a broad base of subjects and not all science.

The bod who advises students on careers at DD's school bemonans the fact that so many parents want their scientist children to do Medicine because it reflects well on them (?). He spends time trying to dissuade them.

This particular parent (with many doctor friends) spent around 9 years trying to put DD off - it isn't an easy career path and I worry for her tbh. When she got her GCSE results, she said 'perhaps you will support me now".

It would be interesting to see how many pupils and parents were so "passionate" about medicine if the salary scales were the same as those for teachers ( should be IMHO)!!!