Preparing for Medical and Dental School
Preparing and deciding which medical or dental school you want to apply for will be one of the biggest decisions you will have to make, thus far. There are various factors you need to assess beforehand to ensure that you are making the right choice.
Deciding if medicine or dentistry is for you
Obtaining a medical or dentistry degree is costly and will take you an average of five years to complete. Universities do not want you to drop out half way, yet at the same time, it is difficult to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life at a young age. To help you get a better understanding about whether the profession is suitable for you, you should research career articles. What are the benefits? What are the sacrifices? You need to weigh the answers with your priorities. Also identify other related career options you may undertake if you choose not to become a doctors or a dentist.
Exam Results
To become a doctor or dentist, you need to have good grades. Be realistic in your academic achievements and assess whether you have the appropriate marks to get into medical or dental school.
Life as a doctor or a dentist
Speak with someone who is already practicing as a dentist or a doctor. Find out what their job entails and what they think are the pros and cons of the profession. There is no point in pursuing that career path if you do like the work being undertaken. Also look at job descriptions for person specifications required and see if that matches with your character.
Deciding which school is best for you
There are over 30 medical and dental schools to choose from, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Have a look at the university websites to research more about their curriculum. All universities host an open day during the summer vacation so it is a good opportunity for you to visit the school, speak with the lecturers and attend any free information seminars. Remember not to worry too much about 'rumours' about a particular schools' reputation but focus your energy on perfecting your application as competition is increasingly fierce.
Extra revision
Preparing for your UKCAT is a good way of boosting your confidence and giving you the edge to answer questions properly. One common method is to revise using textbooks which should be written by qualified authors. You could also attend classroom course however the disadvantage is that they may be costly or in another city. A better solution would be to use an online course which has a bank of revision questions that allows you to study at any time, from any computer. Click here to view a recommended UKCAT online course