Looking for practical experience before applying to med school? theMSAG’s Medical School Summer Program in London is the perfect choice!

About this Event

Applying to med school can be comparable to applying for your first job. Most employers or schools will look favourably on someone with practical experience in the field. That brings up the age old question: how can you get “work” experience if you haven’t been “hired” yet?

If you want practical experience before applying to the medical school of your dreams, theMSAG’s Medical School Summer Program in London is the perfect choice. Over the course of 2 weeks, you’ll get valuable, hands-on experience with different medical specialties, so you can find the field of medicine you’re most interested in. During the 2 weeks you’ll also receive the most comprehensive preparation for Medical School that theMSAG has to offer. This includes admissions grooming, one-to-one personal statement prep, one-to-one consulting and strategy with Dr. Dibah Jiva, complete UKCAT and BMAT courses - not just overviews - and interview experience.

You’ll make friends who share similar interests and career objectives, boost your confidence, and gain valuable and incredibly unique hands-on experience prior to university life.

What we offer?

• A two-week residential course 25 mins away from London
• Small class sizes (max 12 students)
• Content customized specifically for YOU
• Learn/practice clinical skills from various specialties
• Participate in a team research project
• Multiple Mini Interview sessions
• A multicultural environment
• UCAT Courses
• BMAT Courses
• Personal Statement advice
• Interactive Workshops taught by real doctors and experts
• Experience the city of London
• Fun and medical-oriented social activities
• Visit the University of Oxford and its medical schools

Who is this course for?

• Students that want to prepare for a strong application in a competitive program
• Students interested in studying medicine in the UK
• Students who are considering medicine but aren’t sure it's the right decision

Simply, this course is designed for anyone who wants gain a real life experience of what a career in medicine will look like to determine if this the right career path of them. We’ve designed the course for students between the ages of 16 and 18 who are looking for authentic, practical experience, as well as any undergraduate or graduate students with an interest in general medicine and surgery. Exposure to a variety of specialties will help you find your passion. This will help you understand a wide variety of professions within medicine, and help you decide if medicine is the right choice for you. We actively encourage both UK and international student applications! Our next medical summer school course will be held 22nd July to 4th August 2019, and we look forward to seeing you there.

The Programme

Our Medical Summer School doesn’t only provide you with practical experience, we also provide you with the skills you need to help prepare for the admissions process. To help prepare, students who register for our Medical School Summer School will get full access to our Medical School Online Interview Course as well as a copy of our “Get into Medical School” Guidebook for free, used by careers advisers throughout the UK.

You’ll be able to develop a final draft of your Personal Statement alongside members of Medical School Admissions Panels. You’ll experience an in-depth UCAT course, including detailed training and mock exams, as well as BMAT preparation taught by Cambridge tutors. You’ll also have an experience that is completely unique to theMSAG. You’ll be able to work one-to-one with Dr. Dibah Jiva, a leading expert in the UK for Medical School Admissions. By the end of the course, you’ll have a clear understanding of how medical school applications are scored and reviewed. Together, you will create a step-by-step plan to apply where you have the best chances of success.

Clinical skills

Before you even submit your medical school application, we’ll give you an idea of what it’s REALLY like to be a medical school student or doctor and practice your newly learned skills on real patients.

Cardiology: You’ll learn what it’s like to perform a cardiac clinical examination, examine pulses, blood pressure, record and interpret an ECG with an actual Cardiologist.

Ophthalmology: You’ll simulate the steps of a cataract operation, see through the eyes of patients with eye conditions, examine the back of the eye and perform reconstructive surgery with an experienced Ophthalmologist.

Junior Doctor: You’ll learn how to take a patient’s history and examine the Neurological, Gastroenterological Respiratory & Vascular systems with a Junior Doctor. Cannulation, phlebotomy, Doppler Ultrasound and more: all taught by qualified and experienced Doctors and medical experts.

Participating in the summer school is a great way to develop your clinical skills, show your genuine interest for medicine in your application and meet the mentors that will guide you to secure your place.

Admissions preparation

UCAT/BMAT: Unlike other providers that give you an introduction to these tests, during our 2-week summer school we provide a full course for each exam. We have 8 separate sessions to get you not only comfortable with the tests, but also provide you with opportunities for tutoring and coaching to improve your own strategies and scores.

Personal Statements: We have reviewed over 1000 personal statements over the last few years and helped thousands of students get through their interviews.During our summer school, you will have 3 dedicated sessions to draft your personal statement with effective brainstorming and a good appreciation of the school’s marking schemes. You’ll also be able to develop a final draft of your Personal Statement with one-to-one mentoring.

Medicine Interviews: You also get the chance to practice the MMI - the Multiple Mini Interview format - a keystone of the admissions process. Learn how to formulate answers to questions about ethics, situational judgement, duties of a doctor, NHS, role play and more, and get a video copy of your feedback.

NHS, UK Healthcare and Hot Topics in Medicine: You’ll also have multiple opportunities to sit down and discuss, debate or interact with your peers and professionals about many topics discussed in Medical School interviews. Some topics include: Medical ethics, NHS structure, Current affairs/ issues, big medical organisations or foundations, landmark discoveries, important figures and Medical advancements.

Mentoring

Students will also have an experience that is completely unique to theMSAG: they’ll be able to work one-to-one with Dr. Dibah Jiva, a leading expert in the UK for Medical School Admissions. By the end of the course, you’ll have a clear understanding of how medical school applications are scored and reviewed. Together, Dr. Jiva and each student will create a step-by- step plan to apply to specific schools where the student will have the best chances of success. A truly unique experience!

Team research project

Many medical school applications require that you show evidence of teamwork and research skills. We’re giving you the perfect opportunity to showcase those skills on your CV or application by participating in a Team Research Project: a collaboration of you and your peers over 2 weeks covering a range of important topics.

Social & cultural experiences everyday

We believe work and play is important! Everyday students will have the opportunity to do fun activities around London with their new medical school summer school friends!

Body Worlds London: This is a wonderful opportunity to see the world famous BODY WORLDS exhibit. Journey through the human body and discover the magic and mysteries that lie underneath the skin.” This is a chance to study human anatomy in a truly unique way.

Sports: Students will have the opportunity to let out some energy after a day of learning, by engaging in a variety of different sport activities. Some of the sporting activities that will be available are basketball, badminton, tennis, bowling and swimming!

Fun activities: Students will have the opportunity to engage in some cultural activities such as cooking, calligraphy/ brush lettering, dance and photography classes. We will host cooking challenges, and theMSAG Olympics where you can show off your talents!

Adventure awaits! Students will get to go experience the beautiful city of London where they will have the chance to visit Oxford City. They will a sneak peak into medical school by visiting Oxford School of Medicine.

Course Location, Facilities and Accommodation:

We’ve partnered with The Oratory School to provide our students with an incredible learning environment: a factor we believe is key to the learning process.

Location: The Oratory School, Woodcote, Reading RG8 0PJ, UK

Residence & security

The security of our students is a primary concern. theMSAG CEO and renowned expert in medical school admissions for 11 years Dr. Dibah Jiva will be on-site 24/7, so there is always a point of contact for staff. She’s always available should there be any questions or concerns.

Fingerprint scanners are available at access points and security personnel are available on site 24/7.

Students will be staying in the main house at the Oratory school, full of history and character. There is a variety of rooms including singles and doubles, all with wifi and lockable doors for privacy. The majority of bathrooms are shared. There are also communal areas (tv rooms, lounge areas with sofas) in both the residential block and within the school.

Food accommodations

There will be 3 meals a day with plenty of snacks available in between. Food is served canteen style and provided by an external catering company. This allows us to control the menu, so we can adjust for food allergies and preferences, with plenty of salads and fruits available at mealtimes.

Facilities

Since its origin on the 2nd of May in 1859, the Oratory School has developed into a school with a prestigious reputation and exemplary facilities. There is no summer school in the UK that offers so many options.

Every classroom is bright, open and fully equipped for audio and visual presentations, which compliments our varied teaching styles. There are also special classrooms in the sports centre for unique activities and clinical rooms in the health centre that has all the medical equipment needed for clinical skills training so that you are learning in a doctor clinic.

Athletic facilities

Athletic facilities include a heated swimming pool, gym, squash and tennis courts, spin room, rowing room, a 9-hole golf course, cricket pitch, football pitch and more. During theMSAG’s summer school, you’ll have the opportunity to play basketball, handball, badminton, table tennis and any other sport you wish to!

Why choose theMSAG's Medical School Summer School?

Excellence: We believe in doing what’s best for everyone. That means being excellent in everything we do. Our teachers are continually learning and improving, so we can provide our customers with up-to-date and accurate information. Our content is constantly being reviewed and updated, and we go above and beyond to ensure your needs are not only met, but exceeded. Our service is nothing short of excellent!

Personalisation: It’s not about what worked for us, it’s about what works for you. Every individual has unique needs and learning styles. Through every stage of the application process, we provide a personal and tailored approach to help every student get accepted into medical school.

Technology: Medicine is a field that stays at the forefront of technology, constantly making new discoveries and bettering the science. We believe that should start right at the beginning, and strive to use technology as a significant part of our teaching method.

What sets theMSAG apart?

We pride ourselves on course personalisation. We go above and beyond to ensure that every student is getting information that is relevant to their interests and needs. That’s part of the reason we limit ourselves to 12 students per class - it also makes it easier for us to combine small group classes with individual one- to-one time. There is tutor/mentoring time available every day of the Summer School, so that students can book extra one-to-one time whenever you need it.

Along with one-to-one, we use a mixture of small group teaching, debates, presentations, mock practice, and hands on clinical skills sessions. We also complement our teaching with access to our refined, online courses students will have access to at home, including: the online interview course and theMSAG’s comprehensive Guidebook for UK medical school entry.

Who are we?

The Team: The Medical School Summer School is led by Doctors Zhang, Mandavia and Jiva - or Fei, Ash and Dibah, respectively. These three, plus the rest of the theMSAG team, have vast expertise about all UK medical schools - considering they quite literally wrote the book on the subject. In fact, all career advisors in the UK currently use the"Get into Medical School" guidebook written by Dr. Jiva and theMSAG team.Dr. Jiva is the driving force behind theMSAG and was a finalist for Lead 5050’s “Inspirational Woman of the Year - 2018”.

The company itself was a finalist at the Education Investor awards in 2018 as well.We’re very careful in selecting our teachers and professionals, making sure we’re supported by doctors and medical students with complementary experience instead of overlapping when possible. This gives us a broad teaching range of specific topics within the field of Medicine. We also encourage the continuing professional development of our teachers, so we can continue to push ourselves as much as we push our students.

Our Teaching Method: We pride ourselves on course personalisation. We go above and beyond to ensure that every student is getting information that is relevant to their interests and needs. That’s part of the reason we limit ourselves to 12 students per class - it also makes it easier for us to combine small group classes with individual one-to-one time. There is tutor/mentoring time available every day of the Summer School, so that students can book extra one-to-one time whenever you need it.

Along with one-to-one, we use a mixture of small group teaching, debates, presentations, mock practice, and hands on clinical skills sessions. We also complement our teaching with access to our refined, online courses students will have access to at home, including: a full online UKCAT course, the online interview course and theMSAG’s comprehensive Guidebook for UK medical school entry.

A Note for Parents:

Student welfare is our top priority.

We understand that medical school carries the weight of financial responsibility and long-term repercussions . This, compounded by the fact that you might be sending your children abroad can cause a considerable amount of worry for parents. As such, we want to be transparent and make it as easy as possible for you to track the progress and quality of our services.

Dr. Dibah Jiva has over 11 years of Medical School preparation experience, and will be on site every single day of the program. We pick the highest quality teachers to ensure our academics are top notch, but we also make sure we are available for our students to talk to should there be any other concerns. Mentoring time every day ensures that the students have the opportunity to speak informally, raise any concerns or to discuss any individual needs they may have.

We send news and updates by email every 48 hours. You can contact members of our team any time with questions should you have them, and we have residential staff on site at all times so someone is always accessible and someone is always with them.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss with us further, please do not hesitate to contact us and we’ll speak with you as soon as possible.