1. GeMS course
The intensive full-day GeMS course has been designed to give you a thorough understanding of the UK medical school application and short-listing process, and teach you those methods and techniques that can most effectively further your goals. With established careers in medicine, your tutors are the ideal people to help you understand what short-listers are looking for and, perhaps more important still, what they are not looking for. For further information, please see the GeMS course programme.
In addition to the year-round GeMS course, Get into Medical School also hosts a seasonal UKCAT course, BMAT course, and interview skills workshop. For further information on these, please scroll down.
Feedback from previous GeMS courses
- A very helpful day run by people with an in-depth knowledge of the application process.
- No vague talk, no gimmicks - did exactly what it says on the tin, and then some.
- I am the only person at my school applying for medicine, so the course gave me an invaluable opportunity to meet other prospective applicants.
- My only regret is that I did not come the first time round.
- I had my interview at X a few days ago and it went very well... One of the interviewers phoned me back a few hours later to offer me an unconditional place. She also complimented me on my interview performance, which I feel I owe to your excellent teaching.
- ...definitely the best investment I'll ever make.
2. UKCAT course
The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is required by most medical schools in the UK, be it for undergraduate or post-graduate admission. In our experience, the right practice and preparation can have a significant impact on your performance, and hence on your test score. The intensive one-day UKCAT course includes tuition on each of the five components of the test, namely, verbal reasoning, decision analysis, quantitative analysis, abstract reasoning, and non-cognitive analysis. For each component, you are taught various methods and techniques (and tips and tricks) for arriving at the correct answers. You are then given a large number of mock questions on which to practice what you have learned, with the tutors constantly at hand to iron out any remaining weaknesses. The next UKCAT course will be held on 28 August 2010.
3. BMAT course
The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is especially challenging, and so presents well-prepared candidates with an ideal opportunity to stand out from the competition. The one-day BMAT course covers all areas examined, including problem solving, understanding argument, data analysis and inference, scientific knowledge, and essay writing. We aim to cover as much material as possible in one day, and to illustrate theory with worked through BMAT-style questions. Coverage of physics, for example, includes a review of waves, electrical circuits, radioactivity, velocity and acceleration, momentum and collisions, projectile motion, and turning forces, amongst others. At the end of the day, you are given a full-length mock test under exam conditions. This enables you both to get a good feel for the test and to pinpoint any remaining areas of difficulty. The next BMAT course will be held on 17 October 2010.
4. Interview skills workshop
The interview skills workshop is a 6-hour workshop for applicants who expect to be or have been invited for interview. The taught part of the workshop covers background information and interview theory, including types of question asked and how best to tackle them. Each participant is then given a full-length mock interview followed by detailed feedback on his or her performance, with due attention paid to body language and 'paralanguage'. As the mock interviews are carried out in small groups of four to six, participants are able to experience a full-range of question types, build up their confidence, and learn from each others' strengths and weaknesses. The next interview skills workshops will be held on 14 November 2010.
