The Malaysia Career Blog

How to get into a top medical school in the UK?

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a doctor in UK, this resource will be useful to you as it provides in detail the requirements to get into a top medical school in the UK. A doctor’s profession is a noble one, no doubt, but not half as glamorous as made out to be on popular TV shows. It is hard work and an immense responsibility. Your actions can make a difference between the life and death of your patients. The profession is demanding and often requires sacrificing personal time with family.

But you have no doubt considered all these aspects, talked to doctors you know and are quite sure that this is the right career path for you. In that case, congratulations on your decision. And all the best for your admission processes.

Let Us Start at the Beginning

To practice as a doctor in the UK, you have to obtain a medical degree from the University. Out of over 100 universities in UK, only 31 offer degree courses in medicine. The medical graduation degree has a duration of 5 -6 years. It incorporates a pre-clinical training mostly in a classroom environment and a clinical practical training at a teaching hospital. The exact manner in which these two components are tied together varies from university to university. At the end of the program, you are qualified to practice as a doctor.

The Entry Level Requirements

School leavers are eligible for entry into medical schools in the UK and do not require a preliminary higher education degree as in the US. The entry level age of the average medical student in the UK is thus between 18-19 years. Each school will have its own set of entry level requirements. In general, scoring well on your A levels is an advantage. But do keep in mind, several medical schools also look for candidates with a well rounded personality and hence there is a degree of importance attached to non-academic performance as well. Coming back to the A levels, the requirements may vary from AAA to AAB or even ABB for specific subjects. Generally chemistry and biology give you an advantage. Many schools do not consider general studies grades.

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The world’s highest paid Prime Minister is not so far down south.

Singapore has decided to cut the salary of its Prime Minister and other government top posts following growing complaints and recommendations from government-assigned panel. That, nevertheless, would not stop the country’s PM from still being the highest paid leader in the world.

The salary of Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong will be cut by 36% from S$3 million (US$2.33 million) to S$2.2 million (US$1.71 million). The President’s annual pay will be reduced by 51% to S$1.54 million, while new ministers will take home about (still generous) S$1.1 million.

In spite of major cut, Lee’s status as the world’s highest paid country leader remains intact. The S$2.2 million figure is way above the next highest paid country head—Donald Tsang, Hong Kong Chief Executive—who earns roughly about US$550,000 annually. Statistically, Lee would earn as much as three times the amount Tsang receives.

The third highest paid leader goes to Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who receives about A$480,000 (US$497,000) while American President Barrack Obama is fourth with earnings of a rather moderate salary figure at $400,000.

We’ve all found ourselves in a bit of a work rut at some time or another. If you just can’t seem to get anything done around the office, then you might want to think about your current work habits and how you can change and improve them. Here is how you can improve your work productivity in 10 manageable ways:

1. Lose the Distractions

While you may think your laptop, iPhone and 24/7 Internet access is helping to promote work productivity, all that distraction could actually be making you less productive at work. Being connected is an important part of most jobs nowadays, but make sure anything you do online is actually helping your work. Shut off personal email and any social sites (you know you check your facebook a few times a day) and see how much more you can get done without those needless distractions!

2.  Sit Back, Relax and Take a Break

This may sound counter intuitive, after all, you are trying to increase work productivity not stop it, but taking a break to clear your mind can do a world of wonders for your focus and frame of mind. If you are stuck behind a computer screen and can’t seem to get anything done, take a quick 5-10 minute break to stretch, do a few eye exercises and even give yourself a head massage. Stepping away from work and coming back to it with a fresh mind and attitude will speed up productivity in the long run.

3. Declutter Your Workspace

No one can get anything done when their desk, or computer’s desktop, is cluttered with memos, notes, emails and unnecessary files. Start off every workweek by decluttering and tidying up your work space. Not only will this help you see what you need to tackle first (see number 6) but doing something easy and manageable like clearing your workspace can help jump start work productivity for the entire day.

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Following are 13 steps you should take before applying for employment using a resume. Using these ideas from the below resume checklist will give you the added boost you need to make sure everything is clear, concise, and professional. These are the same steps that professional resume writers adhere to when you hire them to help you. By following the advice of professional resume writers, you can be on your way to a new career with much less stress.

• I, me, or my should never be used in a resume.  It may take restructuring sentences to get this right. Those reading your resume know whose resume it is and pronouns only cloud the waters.
• Use correction action verbs. As you develop bullet points in your resume, specifically on the professional experience section, use verbs or adverbs that show action.
• Edit your resume to remove any words that are unnecessary.  These words are often called “fluff” words and include the, that, or too many ands and therefores.
• Determine whether or not you have included all your personal skills and attributes. Include these in your professional summary and be sure to include all the important skills. Check out sample resumes online if you need more ideas on what to write.
• Target specific qualifications. Make sure your resume includes descriptions to the job you are seeking. Do not apply for jobs that you are not qualified for even if you are justify applying.
• Prioritize your achievements and skills. The most important and pertinent skills and achievements should be listed near the top of your section. Use bullet point to make these skills stand out to an interviewer or someone who is reading your resume for qualifications.
• Keep relevant information on your resume and delete those skills and attributes that have nothing to do with the job you are seeking. If you must include irrelevant skills, list them toward the bottom of the list.
• Use subtitles and categorizations if you find that you have too many achievements or skills. Make subheadings such as responsibilities and/or achievements.  Keep the resume clean and concise.
• Check and possibly edit sentences. Include specific information about what you have done, where you have worked, and how you accomplished your given responsibilities.
• Double check that your achievements and skills include challenges you faced, any actions you took to help the company or solve problems. Make sure your list the results of your valuable actions.
• Mix line lengths.  Bullet points can be redundant when everything is the same length and style.  Vary the length to create interest. In your bullet points show what you did for the company, how you accomplished the task, and list the benefits provided by your actions.
• Double check grammar and sentence structure. Nothing is more glaring than poor grammar, wrong punctuation, and misspelled words. There are hiring managers who will toss a resume for grammar mistakes. Have someone else proofread your resume before sending it out.
• Adjectives can spice up a resume. Make sure you are using adjectives correctly.  Use descriptive words to describe your work.

Read your resume as if you are the hiring manager. You may find that by taking this step you will find ideas that can make a difference.  Proof read over and over until you resume is perfect.  Again remember that grammar mistakes can cost you a job.