Brief update

I realise that I haven't posted here in so long which makes me feel slightly guilty, so I thought I'd write a post to let everyone know that I'm still alive. I've not been doing much other than working my two part time jobs and seeing friends. I actually have a week off at the moment from both jobs which has been really nice :)

Oh, I don't think I mentioned it on here, but I found out about 2 weeks ago (on the 29th March to be precise hah) that I had received a rejection from Liverpool post interview which I have to say, not to sound big headed or anything, that I was quite surprised about as I actually thought that the interview went well (a lot better than my Birmingham interview) but obviously not. I didn't think the outcome of the Liverpool interview would bother me as much as it has done but I actually did feel quite disappointed about getting rejected! It put doubts in my mind, like maybe the interviewers didn't see me as doctor material and maybe my Birmingham offer was actually a fluke? (yeah I know it sounds silly but these are the thoughts I had). I was even thinking about requesting feedback from Liverpool to find out what had actually gone wrong because I really felt like I had developed a good rapport with the two ladies that had interviewed me and they did seem genuinely interested in what I had to say. But it seems that I was disillusioned.

Anyway after talking through my feelings with my Dad and one of my friends, they basically convinced me that there was no point in getting feedback from Liverpool, as I had already achieved what i wanted. BUT I have to say, it just goes to show that you can never tell what the interviewers are really thinking and what the outcome will be! Oh well, I DO have an offer from my first choice university and although maybe from what I have said it doesn't seem like I am happy, I am delighted/elated/relieved. I have now firmed Birmingham and starting to look for accommodation with a group of girls on my course :D
 

It was my birthday last week and I got a lovely new iPhone from my parents, which I wasn't expecting, but it means that hopefully I will be using my new smartphone to post a lot more frequently on here (but saying that I did have a blackberry curve before so its not as if I couldn't write blog posts using that. Though the internet on the blackberry was really slow so it would have taken me ages to post anything using that phone- that's my excuse hah -_-).

Like I said anyway, the aim of this post is just to let everyone know I'm still alive so I'll leave it at that for now but I'll be back soon.

Third time lucky :)

So this last week has been very surreal...I think its finally sunk in that I have an offer to study medicine. At the beginning, when I first found out, I kept on logging onto UCAS track half expecting it to change to unsuccessful as I just couldn't believe it..

Now that I think about it, its quite funny how I found out that I had received an offer from Birmingham. I was getting tired of waiting to hear the outcome and I was really apprehensive...stalking the postman (whenever the letters came I'd be the first person to run to see if i had any), freaking out whenever I got an email alert on my phone, going through the forums every few hours to see if anyone had heard anything, it was really crazy...
..It finally got to 1 week and 3 days post Birmingham interview when I decided I couldn't take it anymore (I think after finding out on New Media Medicine that someone had received a rejection post interview from Birmingham). So I decided enough was enough and I braved myself to phone up the admissions office. I spoke to a lovely lady and I wasn't expecting to find out the result over the phone, rather I wanted to know when I'd hear from them. She asked for my name and also for the date of my interview and there was a pause on the phone before she told me that I had an offer and it would be updated on UCAS track in a couple of hours. She said it so calmly that I froze and had to stop and get her to check if she had got the correct name and she laughed and confirmed my name and told me that I did indeed have an offer. I'm sure she gets shocked applicants all the time, bless her ha!
So yeah thats how I found out, and it was updated on UCAS a couple of hours later. I had a little cry before telling my parents. My dad was on his way back from a conference and was on the plane when I found out so I couldn't contact him, but when he landed in London I told him and he let out a shout over the phone before telling me that he'd call me back later because everyone was staring at him on the plane haha- so yeah he was happy! I'll never forget what my parents have done for me and the stress I've been through with them!
This application process has been seriously draining so I'm very relieved to know that I will be going back to University in September. Really looking forward to experiencing university life once more and pursuing my dream. Bah I really am third time lucky!

I haven't firmed the offer at Birmingham yet as I want to wait for Liverpool to get back to me in March to see how I did in the interview and what they were really thinking when I answered the questions (I'd hate to never know ha)!

Anyway I haven't really been up to much other than working as I'm trying to save up before September. I'm working two jobs (as a bank healthcare assistant and also have an admin job- both jobs within the NHS).
I've just completed two night shifts in a row working as a healthcare assistant on the gynaecology ward which have been tiring to say the least but really enjoyable. They were my first ever night shifts and I'll probably book some more night shifts later this month. Have 6 shifts to do this week (3 more left to go)...

Also booked a holiday to Las Vegas last week with the family for August. A holiday is soo what I need right now...

OFFER!!!

So I have just recieved an offer for the Birmingham GEP course!!!!!  Im so shocked!!!!
I keep on checking track to see whether they have made a mistake or something?? WOW
Best day of my life...

Post interview feelings..If only I could rewind back time..

So I had my interview at Birmingham yesterday for the graduate medicine course. I don't know what to think of it- I feel like it didn't go as well as I thought my Liverpool interview had gone...infact the more and more I think about it, the more I think of how badly it went. I'm actually feeling quite disappointed with myself as Birmingham is my first choice as I've mentioned before! I was just so awkward, I think it was the nerves. At the end the interviewer was like "so are you going on the tour?" and I just feel like he was saying it as in to say like whats the point of going after this crap interview lol but hey maybe I'm reading into it too much? It could infact mean nothing and maybe he was just trying to make conversation but i was just like 'Yeah' but I didn't sound enthusiastic about it (even though I really was excited) lol maybe I should have said it like 'Yeah definitely!!'... But yeah hindsight is such a beautiful thing..

The interviewers were so friendly and I answered all the questions but I didn't come out of the interview feeling too pleased with my answers and I shook my head immediately when I came out of the door and plus it was just over SO quickly, they didn't even ask me any questions about my work experience, I just don't know what they were looking for. I must say I will be very surprised if I get an offer to be honest but I will find out in 2 weeks I guess.. I think there is a 1 in 2 chance of offer after interview for the Bham GEP interview so those are quite good odds. One of the first years that gave the tour said that last year they had interviewed 80 people and they gave offers to 60 people and 53 people accepted although there were 40 places so they had a bigger group than they had anticipated! Apparently the admissions tutors don't want to make the same mistake again this year so they will most probably be giving offers to a slightly lower number of people this time round *sigh*...But anyway I met some really nice people at the interview which made me want to go even there more arghh...

Just trying to take my mind off it (I emphasise trying as thats all I seem to be thinking about today). I've really been thinking about what I'm going to do next year if i don't get into medicine, whether I can face going through the application process AGAIN. Sigh but we'll soon see...

But anyway my cousin is coming tomorrow and spending a few nights so that will be nice and will hopefully take my mind off things and I am going to try and get some shifts from work so yeah will be trying to keep busy for the next couple of weeks...

Oh and thanks to itscomplicated, Grumpy Biomed and areyousure? for your comments in my last post. Your comments really made me feel better about everything..

Feeling a little down..

Hmm I don't why but tonight I just feel really sad and down in the dumps and just felt like writing a post to tell you of this fact. Apologies in advance for sounding so depressing. I'm sure I'll be fine tomorrow though.

I don't know why I'm feeling like this to be honest.

I don't know if its the wind which is just so annoying, it seems like there is a tornado going on outside and its even worse because there are so many trees outside our house so the full effect of the wind can really be heard.
Mehh and my interview preparation is just driving me mad. I was practising a few questions with my Dad this evening and it just went badly, I dunno I actually find it harder practising with my Dad. I think I find it easier talking to someone I don't know about my experiences or so thats what I keep saying to reassure myself but I must admit this is how I felt when I was practising with my Dad before my Liverpool interview. I guess I have had an interview before and it wasn't so bad but I just don't want to get complacent especially as my next interview is at Birmingham which is really my TOP TOP choice.
You know I don't even know what I really wanted to talk about in this post so I think I will stop rambling on. I may just have an early night, yes 12am is pretty early for me- over the past few days I've been up until about 3.30am doing absolutely nothing but surfing the internet...
...So yeah hopefully I'll be feeling much happier tomorrow. Goodnight!