Specialist medic preparation
Medical school application support programme
Tailored to each student's unique needs, the programme provides personalised guidance and resources to boost their chances of success.
Experienced staff share invaluable insights into what medical schools look for, helping students build a standout application. This includes guidance on choosing the right A levels and then the right medical schools to match your profile.
RIC’s programme also includes intensive prep for the UCAT exams delivered through our Dukes Education partners at The Medic Portal. Through practice tests, workshops, and one-on-one feedback, students develop the skills they need to ace these tests.
When it comes to personal statements and interviews, we've got it covered. Students receive detailed feedback on their personal statements, making sure they showcase their passion for medicine, relevant experience, and suitability for a medical career. Interview prep involves mock interviews with seasoned professionals, helping students build confidence and hone their responses.
On top of this, RIC offers plenty of opportunities to get stuck into medical-related extracurricular activities, like volunteering.
Year 13 (during application and interview cycle)
- Weekly meetings to discuss and review a student's personal statement, with a particular focus on maintaining specificity and reflecting on work experience. Assessors often ask themselves when reviewing an application 'Why not study nursing?' - this allows them to determine if an applicant has given the application much thought and research.
- Weekly MMI mocks, consisting of 7 questions under timed conditions exploring a range of topics (including medical ethics, situational judgement, data analysis and interpretation, motivation, work experience, and NHS values- this list is not exhaustive). Feedback is given at the end of each session, often focused on linking Good Medical Practice and current affairs into their answers. A written summary for each individual is provided at the end of the week for review and preparation for next week's interview topics. An MMI day is also provided through The Medic Portal.
Year 12 and 13
- Weekly group meetings where we discuss current medical affairs- ranging from lack of speciality training posts to how insurance companies may have invested interest in prescribing certain drugs. Other contentious topics are also explored- such as how providing prescribing rights to medical associate practitioners may alleviate the stress of COVID-19 backlog on the current NHS. The aim of these sessions is to arm the students with background knowledge to draw upon in their interviews, whilst also listening to the viewpoints of others and gain perspective of how current affairs impact individuals from all walks of life. Debates also take part in some sessions where students have to argue from viewpoints they may not necessarily agree with- a useful skill to have for MMIs.
- Students are given access to our UCAT preparation packages through the Medic Portal. These contain over 20,000 practice questions, including learning modules that cover key shortcuts and strategy. Given the standardised nature of the entrance exam, UCAT preparation courses often prove useful to simulate the exam environment and identify strengths and weaknesses for our students to work on.
Personal statement prep questions
Try writing a paragraph on each of these points.
1. Why I want to be a doctor
2. My work experience, what I saw and what it showed me about being a doctor and the qualities that make a good doctor
3. My voluntary work, what I did, how it showed my skills and qualities such as teamwork, leadership, communication, empathy, resilience, hard work and motivation. This should be ‘show rather than tell’.
4. Reading: books and articles. Depending on which medical school, there might need to be quite detailed display of reading in scientific terms.
Quality rather than quantity.
5. Hobbies: how I relax and work in teams; perseverance, dexterity, high levels of achievement