Medicine at Cambridge: Webinar and Q&A

St Catharine’s hosted a webinar with staff, academics and students, to provide insight into applying for and studying Medicine at the University of Cambridge.

We’ve uploaded the full presentation and Q&A to ensure all prospective applicants have access to the same information, whether they could attend or not. If you have any further questions about St Catharine’s and the admissions process, you can email us at [email protected].

Professor Stefan Marciniak, one of the Directors of Studies for Medicine at St Catharine’s, gave a presentation which was followed by a Question and Answer session with the panel:

Professor Stefan Marciniak, Fellow in Medicine
Dr David Bainbridge, Admissions Tutor for the Sciences
Kathryn Singleton, Schools Liaison Officer
Megan Walsh, Undergraduate Admissions Administrator
Students at St Catharine’s in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Year

Presentation:
00:01:20 Introduction by Prof Stefan Marciniak
00:02:00 Teaching at Cambridge and at Catz
00:10:20 Entrance requirements
00:19:30 How do we select students and what are we looking for?
00:22:25 Course outline

Q&A Session:
00:25:00 Can you intercalate in non-medical subjects?
00:28:00 What’s the best thing about studying Medicine at Catz?
00:30:00 Is there anything you wish you knew before coming to Cambridge?
00:30:57 What is the biggest difference between Oxford and Cambridge?
00:33:51 Are there opportunities for Medicine students to get involved in sports and extracurricular activities?
00:37:50 What do the students think of the style of the Cambridge Medicine course, with regards to clinical experience?
00:40:40 How many extracurricular activities do you have time for? Would four be too much?
00:43:43 Can you apply before knowing your BMAT result?
00:44:20 What will happen if I sit my A-Level exams in Autumn 2020
0044:43 Can I apply with two science subjects and Psychology at A-Level?
00:45:10 What is the status of EU applicants?
00:46:00 Did you have any preconceptions about Cambridge when applying and were they disproven?
00:47:44 What is the Medicine Society (MedSoc) at Catz?
00:50:34 What is pastoral care like at Catz and Cambridge? How are you supported by the College and the University?
00:53:11 How does Cambridge support students applying to the AFP (Academic Foundation Programme)?
00:57:21 What stands out in a personal statement?
00:59:16 Which other med schools teach in a similar way to Oxbridge?
01:00:42 If you mention something in your personal statement, how much do you have to know about it?
01:01:42 What is a trend you notice in successful candidates?
01:04:25 What is the state/independent school ratio like at Cambridge?
01:05:43 Would having an A in Chemistry disadvantage me?
01:07:14 Is Gibbs a good structure for Cambridge personal statements?