Dr Siva posed this thought-provoking question on our Circle channels to get you all reflecting on the factors that determine success in the medical and dental school application process. We had some amazing responses offering personal experiences, reflections and questioning. 

It was fascinating to observe your discussions and the different perspectives you brought forward. Remember, Doctors and Dentists are scientists—our fields advance through questioning, reflecting, and forming hypotheses. It’s not about simply being “right” or “wrong.” I think this thinking is the result of all of the exams you have to sit, but remember that exams don’t represent real life thinking! The fear of being incorrect can sometimes hold us back, leading to two common mindsets:

1. Believing we are absolutely correct without questioning our logic

2. Being too afraid of being wrong, which prevents us from engaging

Both perspectives can hinder growth. The richness of our understanding comes from the variety of viewpoints shared. So moving forward, don’t hesitate to express yourselves as long as they are constructive. Your opinions matter, and developing the courage to voice them now will be essential when advocating for your future patients.

Understanding Your Answer

Many of you had valid points, which is what made this question particularly challenging. This format is similar to what you will encounter in the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) component of the UCAT exam—where you must rank the most appropriate to least appropriate answers. Here I asked you to start by choosing the single best answer among several valid options (as in they were all correct but to different degrees).

Let’s break it down step by step, ensuring clarity in the logic. If anything is unclear, feel free to ask questions—I’m happy to clarify further! 

Eliminating a Common Myth: Work Experience

One of the incorrect assumptions was that students who don’t have in-person work experience are at a disadvantage. This is a myth. While work experience is crucial in demonstrating insight into medicine or dentistry, it is not a mandatory requirement.

Those of you who attended the free Get into Medicine Conference or Get into Dentistry Conference will recall that admissions officers assess your personal statement and interview responses based on how well you convey your understanding of the profession. This is scored against an important selection criteria called ‘insight into medicine’.

What Does ‘Insight into Medicine’ Mean?

Insight does not mean simply learning the science of medicine (e.g. medical conditions and their treatments). Instead, it means understanding the breadth of medical and dental careers—how vast and diverse these professions can be. A one-week GP placement or shadowing a surgeon is useful but provides a limited perspective.

Why Virtual Work Experience Can Be Superior

Virtual work experience (WEX), like the Medic Mentor and Dental Mentor programmes, provides an opportunity to observe multiple specialities over a structured 4-month (dentistry) or 6-month (medicine) period. This can be more beneficial than a short, in-person placement because:

• It offers exposure to a broader range of medical and dental specialities

• It allows for reflection and rewatching of experiences

• Thousands of students secured medical school offers during COVID using only our virtual WEX (WEX = work experience)

• Health Education England has confirmed that virtual WEX is equal to, if not superior to, in-person shadowing following a discovery report conducted in 2021.

That said, in-person WEX has its own benefits:

• It’s enjoyable and allows you to network with doctors

• You get to interact with real patients

However, the effectiveness of in-person WEX depends on how proactive you are in asking the right questions. How do you know what questions to ask? By completing virtual WEX first! It all comes full circle.

Interestingly, at summer school, when I was helping students with personal statements, I noticed that students always ended up using examples from their virtual Medic Mentor or Dental Mentor WEX because:

1. They were easier to remember (since sessions could be rewatched)

2. They provided a greater variety of experiences, making the personal statement more compelling and scoring higher for the ‘insight into medicine’ marking criteria.

A student who only completes one week of in-person GP work experience will likely have examples that sound limited or repetitive across the 3 personal statement questions, which negates the point of ‘insight into medicine’.

Re-Evaluating Work Experience Priorities

It is interesting to note that one of the most frequently asked questions in our Circle community revolves around not gaining in-person work experience. However, as we’ve just discussed, this is actually the least significant reason why students fail to secure medical or dental school offers.

Now that you know how work experience is marked and weighted in applications, ask yourself:

• Will this still be a major source of stress for you?

• Will this change how you approach your work experience dilemma?

Here’s a clue: You can start your virtual work experience immediately! It’s free and can be accessed through your Circle apps under Medic or Dental Work Experience.

If you’re unsure how it works, start by watching the Aspiring Medics/Dentists Start Here videos, which provide a step-by-step guide. Even better, attend a free Get into Medicine or Get into Dentistry Conference. These are LIVE and you can speak to doctors and dentists directly! BTW speaking to doctors and dentists – is mandatory for your application. It might take a day of your time – but this approach is far more time efficient and effective for your applications than spending weeks stressing and trying to organise in-person shadowing and then spending an entire week there, only to find that it has limited value in your applications. Work smart guys! these resources are free, at your fingertips and all you have to do is use them! You will be surprised how many students don’t but then that just makes it easier for proactive Medic Mentor and Dental Mentor students like you to get in!

The Conferences also provide invaluable insights that could make a significant difference in your application strategy.

Now Let’s Narrow It Down Further

With that in mind, the remaining possible answers are:

1. Students who underestimate the process

2. Students who don’t have support

3. Students who are given the wrong advice

4. Students who don’t have straight As and A*s or 7-9s (GCSEs)

I’ll give you another chance to choose from these three options. Which do you think is the biggest reason why students fail to get into medical or dental school? More importantly, why?

One of the most crucial skills for future doctors and dentists is the ability to reflect. Without it, you won’t make a good clinician. So let’s practice that now!