Applying to Med School in the U.K. - Any advice?

Hello. It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, and, in the interim, I’ve moved to the U.K. and have applied to med school here for a few years now. The first year, I applied to Southampton, which required an undergraduate degree and an AS-Level (roughly equivalent to a university course) in Biology or Chemistry; applications were assessed on letter of statement and reference, all other things being equal. Year 2, I applied to Southampton and Swansea (which almost gave me an interview). Year 3, I applied to Southampton, Newcastle and King’s College. I chose these programmes because I met their requirements, i.e. undergraduate degree, health or social care experience, UKCAT and some study in biology/chemistry. None of these required a science degree, which is why I was able to apply for them (I have degrees in History and Education.) These more ‘lenient’ requirements have allowed me to apply to med school, but have also made the process more ambiguous. I did reasonably well on the UKCAT, but many schools do not give hard and fast cut-off scores. The rest of my application is, thus, more or less based on my statement, and I have been hard pressed to find a school willing to provide me with feedback.


I just wonder if anyone else has had a similarly frustrating experience in the U.K. and could perhaps provide some advice on either seeking feedback on my application or how to improve my candidacy here? I should note that, by now, I am certainly an older old premed (certainly not intended to offend any of the more wise among you), at 40. I have no idea how age figures into the selection process here in the U.K., but worry that it might play a greater role than they might admit.


Any tips, advice, words of encouragement are most appreciated!


Holly

I don’t know anything about UK schools/apps, but good luck!