Extending Our 6th Formers- Medics And The UKCAT

From the start of the Spring Term, we offer our L6th pupils an extensive extension programme suited to their specific post A Level interests. A healthy number also undertake meaningful work experience placements and a CREST project or the EPQ, which they devote much of their summer vacation to.

Our potential medics arrange to sit the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) during the latter stages of the current vacation. Mrs Alison Learmont-Henry, who is in charge of Medical Extension, explains further:

'The UKCAT allows universities to make more informed choices about the many highly qualified applicants for medical and dental programmes. It helps ensure candidates selected have the most appropriate mental abilities, attitudes and professional behaviour required for new doctors and dentists to be successful in their clinical careers. It is used in collaboration with other admissions processes such as the UCAS application and academic qualifications.

We wish our Medical Extension pupils, who have been preparing for the UKCAT in our weekly extension classes since May and at home, all the best for the test. Those sitting the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) later in the Autumn will also receive the best preparation.'

Dr Mark McKelvie, a distinguished former pupil from the Class of 2000 and a regular volunteer at our U6th Mock Interview Morning, commented as follows on the worth of the Medical Extension lessons:

'This extension programme provided an excellent opportunity to engage in deep discussion and debate points of interest outside the A Level specifications.The analytical and communication skills developed in these sessions proved invaluable for university interviews.

It has also been a great pleasure to return to Bablake to share my experience of reading Medicine and university life with the next generation of clinicians and scientists.'