This entry for International Insights was written in 2020/21, hence the format of this post is different to the other upcoming posts on International Insights.
Please keep this in mind when reading - enjoy!
This entry was written by Kabir, an international medical student (then 2nd year) from Singapore studying at UCL. In this post, Kabir discusses his experiences applying to UK medical schools and studying at UCL!
Hi there! I’m Kabir Khanna and I’m a second year medic from UCL. Being a Singaporean, I had two years of National Service to do between my school graduation and entry into university. British universities only allow for applications with a deferral of one year, so I applied after graduating from school in the summer of 2017, before enlisting in the army.
I applied to UCL, Imperial, Kings and Edinburgh. I got offers from UCL and Edinburgh, and interviews at Imperial and Kings which I turned down after receiving my UCL offer (which came before those interviews). I wanted to apply to Cambridge but was put off when I got my BMAT results. In hindsight, I do regret not giving it a go. Having said that, I could be more ambitious with my applications because if I had gotten rejected by everyone, I could’ve applied again in my second year of the army. I essentially had two bites of the cherry, which most people won’t have.
UCL was my first choice because I liked the campus vibe to it (this is relative to London universities) whilst still being in the hustle and bustle of Central London life. Unlike Imperial, which is STEM-focussed, UCL has departments in most of the different academic disciplines. This is something I didn’t really consider when making my decision, but I’ve grown to appreciate it a lot more having been here for a year. I’d strongly urge all applicants to consider this when you are making your decisions – you become friends with people of all kinds of backgrounds (cliched as it may be), and the sort of events and speakers at the university will reflect this diversity in courses. Of course, being in Central London provides easy access to the culture of this large, wonderful city. And that is a massive advantage in its own right.
UCL uses a very traditional system – our first two years, or pre-clinical years, revolve around equipping us with the theory and knowledge that we will put into use later on in our education. The curriculum is very lecture-heavy in these years, so that is something to be mindful of. We have computer labs, anatomy labs and a few tutorials, but these are usually supplementary to what we learn in the lectures. The lectures are the fulcrum of our education in these two years. I know teaching in other unis can be different (a friend of mine at Newcastle uses play-doh to visualise his embryology classes, which you’ll truly learn to appreciate when you study embryology). The lecture-based teaching is a drawback in my mind, especially since there are so many of them, but that is something you adapt to in time.
The one deviant from this structure is our Clinical and Professional Practice (CPP) sessions, which focus on the non-scientific aspects of being a doctor – how to actively listen, dealing with difficult patients, confidentiality, understanding data, mental health, a few clinical examinations, dealing with racial, ethnic or cultural differences etc. These sessions, though divisive in their reception amongst the year, can be incredibly interesting. They take us beyond content-heavy lessons and get us thinking like and preparing us for life as doctors. These sessions are taught in a mix of small and large group discussions, practical sessions and lectures.
The patient contact we get is minimal – 2 placements in first year and 2 (I think) in second year. It’s nice to have these, but again, they are very supplementary to our core teaching. If you asked me, I feel like they are arranged to allow UCL to say they give early placements, without really building beyond individual, isolated placements.
These are my results: IB – 42/45
UKCAT – 750 average (top decile), SJT band 1
BMAT – 4.7, 5.9, 3A
The UCL interview is a panel interview, which I believe is going out of fashion at other universities. I can’t remember all my questions, but there was nothing that really surprised me. I had a mix of personal questions (“why UCL?”), topical questions (I was asked about the 2018 NHS winter crisis) and asked about my BMAT essay. They give you a copy of your BMAT essay before the interview and expect you to be able to defend or analyse the points you make. Through this portion of the essay, they aim to challenge your points and potentially bring in questions about general medical issues (like ethical questions).
Unfortunately, they only conducted their interviews in London, so I had to fly down for them. I’m not sure if that’s still the case, but I believe the lectures are online due to COVID this application cycle.
I chose to stay in university halls, and opted for a catered hall. The reason I opted for a catered hall, apart from the fact that it saves on time that would be spent cooking, is that they are inherently more social. Meeting many, many people from all over makes it far easier to find good mates, compared to the 5-10 people on your floor that you mainly interact with in self-catered halls. Meals provide easy, natural occasions to interact with people. Even during busy times, they’re simple ways to still meet up with people.
First year is always going to pose challenges to you, no matter how well you settle. That’s a reality, because you’re (almost always) wrenched away from the support networks of your lifelong friends and, of course, your family. Obviously, being an international student poses an extra layer of difficulty there. So it’s okay if you find yourself struggling or lonely – many, many other people are in the same boat, and it will get better. For those that may get homesick, a perk of London is the presence of cultural deposits all around the city, from Eritrean food to Singaporean food. Another tip I’d have is to join your country’s society if you’re feeling homesick. The UCL Singapore Society is excellent.
Finally, go ahead and explore the area. Spending all your time in your room can be depressing – I’d encourage everyone to check out libraries and cafes to study (if you’re into that). My favourites were the Scandinavian section of the UCL Main Library, and the café at the Waterstones on Gower Street. A little tip for café studying – get yourself a reusable mug. It’s far better for the environment and you can snag yourself a little discount on your drinks.
As for extracurriculars, you have an absolute range of societies to join. I’d recommend taking a look at them before coming to uni, so you have an idea of what you are interested in before the Fresher’s Fair. I made the mistake of going to taster sessions for far too many societies last year and then not going again. I am involved in a fair few, and it’s very easy to overcommit yourself so be mindful when you sign up (this advice is more for committee positions and roles requiring commitment). However, they are a wonderful way to meet friends and join communities, and many are societies that you can duck in and out of which helps with the busy medic life.
To all of this year’s applicants, I’d recommend you to read about aspects of uni life beyond the medicine course itself. Look at the city/town that the uni is in, the extracurricular opportunities, the people who go to your university. Medicine is a long, long course and you will need to be enjoying life beyond it. Having a strong set of friends and interests beyond it go a long way in keeping yourself mentally well, and are worth nurturing even as you enter the hectic life of a medic.
I’m happy for people to get in touch with me on my socials if they have any questions! IG – kabskhanna, email – kabskhanna@hotmail.com