From Rural New Zealand to Oxford University: How Anna got Accepted into Medicine!

Find out exactly what Anna, a student from New Zealand did when she set her sights on studying medicine at the prestigious University of Oxford.

Growing up in rural South Island of New Zealand, Anna always dreamed of going to Oxford but didn't think it was possible. She said, "I think it was more of a dream as opposed to like an actual possibility." However, with support from MedView and Crimson Global Academy, she was able to improve her overall profile with support for her academics, entrance exam, interview, application, extracurriculars and strategy.

Anna started with MedView & Crimson Global Academy in July 2021, a year before she was planning to apply.

Her MedView program consisted of BMAT private tutoring and UCAT private tutoring, for the intensive medical school entrance exams. Interview tutoring, application mentoring and academic enrichment to ensure her UCAS application was perfected and her soft skills, communication and NHS knowledge for the panel interview were refined.

This level of support helped Anna receive a UCAT score of 3160 putting her in the 98th percentile and a BMAT predicted score of 8 6 A.

At Crimson Global Academy, she took 3 additional A-Levels subjects. This meant she could supplement her NCEA grades, the local curriculum in New Zealand with a globally recognised curriculum and bolster her application to Oxford. She attended part-time Crimson Global Academy classes and studied Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics and earned predicted grades of A* A* A*.

When Anna was onboarded with MedView she was paired with a Student Success Manager and UK Strategist who helped Anna coordinate her tutoring sessions, Crimson Global Academy classes and extracurricular activities around her school timeline and travel.

Her Student Success Manager also provided Anna and her family with progress reports, so everyone knew exactly how well Anna was doing and which areas needed more focus.

The UK is one of the world’s top destinations for medical schools -- the allure of its prestigious and long-established institutions is undeniable. Of course, with the quality of the education and the world-class reputation that accompanies it, applying to the UK, especially Oxford is extremely competitive, especially for international students like Anna. The university has a 12% cap on all international students studying medicine in the UK.

Students must present the best and highest marks on the medical school entrance exams and in their high school grades to be considered. Anna's decision to join MedView & Crimson Global Academy meant her application was a cut above other applicants.

Anna's journey to Oxford Medicine was not easy. She said,

It's a huge workload, it's one of those things you wouldn't do unless you really felt like you had to.

When she got the news of her acceptance, Anna was shocked. She said,

I wasn't expecting it at all. So that was a really lovely surprise.

She went on to say that applying to Oxford is a challenging process and very different from applying to universities in New Zealand, but MedView & Crimson Global Academy made the process easier with their step-by-step approach.

Her acceptance to Oxford Medicine is an impressive accomplishment, and it shows that with hard work and the right resources, anything is possible.

When asked why she chose to study medicine and why Oxford, Anna said,

My mum's from the UK and when I was younger, I think I always had this idea in my head that I would like to study there. And then when I actually started looking into what I wanted to study, medicine just made sense to me. I've always been quite interested in the sciences and how the human body works.

We wish her all the best in her future endeavours!