Helping Students Build a Competitive Application

A competitive medical or dental application isn't built overnight. Students benefit from having time to understand what is expected, develop their skills and make informed decisions about where and how they apply.

For parents, carers and schools, the challenge is knowing where support is genuinely useful — and where it can become unnecessary pressure.

Admissions Tests: Understanding the UCAT

The UCAT assesses skills including verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and situational judgement.

Students don't need to be naturally brilliant at every section. Preparation involves becoming familiar with the question styles, developing strategies, completing timed practice and learning from mistakes.

The amount of preparation students need will vary. Rather than encouraging endless practice, help them create a structured plan that fits around their other commitments.

You can support by asking:

“What are you finding difficult?”
rather than simply asking, “What did you score?”

This shifts the focus from the number to the student's progress and helps them identify where they need support.

Work Experience & Healthcare Insight

Students often worry that they need extensive hospital or clinical work experience. In reality, opportunities can vary significantly, and access isn't always equal.

The purpose of experience is to help students develop an understanding of healthcare, patients, teamwork, communication and the realities of working in the profession.

This can come from a variety of sources, including:

• Healthcare work experience.
• Volunteering.
• Care or support roles.
• Virtual experiences.
• Healthcare-related events and workshops.
• Speaking to healthcare professionals.
• Wider experiences that develop relevant skills.

The important question isn't simply “What did you do?”

It is:

“What did you learn, and how has it changed your understanding?”

Encourage students to keep brief notes after experiences while they are fresh. What surprised them? What did they learn about patients? What did they observe about teamwork or communication? What would they do differently?

These reflections can become particularly useful when preparing for interviews.

Personal Statements & Written Applications

The way medical and dental applications are structured has changed, so students should always follow the current UCAS and university guidance for their application year.

Where written application questions or personal statements are required, students should focus on their own experiences, motivations, skills and reflections.

Parents can help by asking questions and proofreading for clarity, but the content should remain the student's own.

Avoid trying to make the application sound overly formal or impressive. Authenticity matters.

Choosing Universities

University selection should be based on the student's individual circumstances rather than league tables alone.

Encourage them to compare:

• Academic requirements.
• UCAT requirements and selection processes.
• GCSE and predicted-grade requirements.
• Contextual or widening participation criteria.
• Interview methods.
• Course structure.
• Location and student experience.
• Any additional selection criteria.

There is no single university that is right for every applicant.

The aim is to help students make informed choices based on their own profile and circumstances.