Medical careers advisory service

Do you have a friend or relative who is considering a career in medicine and needs objective and balanced advice? The Medical Careers Advisory Service (MCAS) can help. We will be be holding our fifth annual conference in conjunction with the studentBMJ on 15 December 2001 at Westminster University, London. Founded in 1996, our ethos is to provide prospective medical students with advice, support, and a realistic idea of what a career in medicine involves.

The current problem for students is the lack of up-to-date career information available at their respective schools. Entry requirements can vary between universities and at present there are somewhere in the region of 10000 applicants for some 8000 places. This is set to change with the opening of five new medical schools in the next three years. This poses a problem as medical schools scramble to poach the best candidates. The curriculum taught at medical schools has also undergone a radical change. At interview, applicants not only have to produce evidence of their academic achievements, but also face searching questions about their work at school, personal interests, and motivation.

These are the issues that MCAS endeavors to address and next month's conference will include many topics for discussion around three main subjects: application and admission (everything from UCAS forms to what to do if your application is unsuccessful), the actual medical degree itself, and what happens after qualification.

For further details email haroonmann\@mcas.co.uk, go to www.mcas.co.uk or tel 07071 226 106.