the_msag

The Medical School Application Guide

Why choose The Medical School Application Guide?

The Medical School Summer School is led by Doctors Patel, Vernazza and Jiva - or Rishi, Rachel and Dibah, respectively. These three, plus the rest of the theMSAG team, have vast expertise about all UK medical schools as well as international medical school - considering they quite literally wrote the book on the subject. In fact, hundreds of career advisors in the UK currently use the “Get into Medical School” guidebook written by Dr. Jiva and theMSAG team.

We help students become the doctors of tomorrow through our summer school, consulting services, UCAT, BMAT and interview courses!

Reviews

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Pepe
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

AMAZING SUMMER EXPERIENCE

I enjoyed so much this summer camp for three reasons:
-I have made life-long friends
-I got hands-on medicine with the clinical sessions. I learned and enjoyed so much the cardiology, ophthalmology and neurology sessions.
-It has been very helpful for my personal growth
This experience has definitely reinforced my idea of studying medicine. The environment is quite helpful, you live with more people that want to do medicine and that is really motivating.
As it is an international summer camp, the spoken language is English.
I DO RECOMMEND THIS SUMMER CAMP, SERIOUSLY.

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Giulia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Once in a Lifetime Experience

The MSAG summer camp was a ONCE IN A LIFE EXPERIENCE!
As I am an Italian applicant, my biggest struggle was to be able to get my head around the UK medical school system and initially I was completely lost, to say the least.
I was looking for a knowledged and professional team to help me to fully understand the mechanism of admissions, which universities were worth applying based on my strengths, how to effectively prepare for admission exams (there are different types in the UK) and strategies to successfully tackle medical interviews.
It’s a daunting process, but I can honestly say that my summer camp experience with the MSAG was invaluable as it fully prepared me for this challenging process throughout every stage of the application, not only by providing me with the knowledge and strategies to successfully ace my written exam but also through regular 1-1 tutoring with Dr Dibah, whose knowledge, experience and support were an asset to make me set apart from any other applicants!
A great benefit was having doctors teaching the course, which means you are provided with an invaluable insight on the life of doctors as well as benefits and challenges of the career (an extremely helpful knowledge for your interviews!)
It was a very two weeks exciting and intense course, with lots of fun activities, trips and opportunities for you to explore different aspects of Medicine (including a hands-on session on how to perform a suture and take blood from a mannequin!)
My best experiences were a trip to Oxford School of Medicine and visiting the Body World in London which, besides being an incredible experience and a unique way to learn about the complexity of the human body, it also helped me to keep myself inspired and motivated during the challenging application process as well as cementing my desire to become a doctor).
The experience was personalized and tailored to your persona, based upon your weakness and strength, which is what makes the MSAG summer course so unique!
Each extracurricular activity was thoroughly chosen by the experienced MSAG team to strengthen your medical application, allowing you to reflect and relate them back to medicine (which is what makes a very strong candidate!), offering you unforgettable experiences and the possibility to make long-lasting friendship with people all around the globe!
I strongly recommend the MSAG summer course to anyone who is looking for a professional and experienced team that can provide you with a tailored and personal experience to make you a successful medical applicant!

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Mazin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

theMSAG Summer School

When I first started my journey into medicine, I really had no clue what I was doing. Admissions seemed daunting and I felt like I was walking in blind. So when I first heard of the MSAG program, I was excited that there was something out there that could nudge me in the right direction.

I'm glad to say, the MSAG didn't just nudge me, it set me straight and with the help of the wonderful people who work there, I was able to not only better understand the complicated admissions processes and work on strengthening my application, but I was able to gain a better comprehension of what it means to be a doctor. I got to first hand learn how doctors approach cases and really appreciate just how much work goes into it, from an actual doctor.

The tutorials we received on interview technique, on diagnoses and triage, on ethics and logistics all played integral roles in my medical applications. Personally, I found the tips we got for personal statements to be a life saver.

Fun was the last thing I expected to find on a medical prep course, but there was that in spades as well! The practical skills we learned like suturing were really enjoyable and the group activities were always a laugh. It's quite nice working alongside other young, like-minded, motivated individuals and it helped me see admissions as less something to dread, but more as a another challenge, ready to be overcome. The MSAG helped give me the tools to overcome this challenge and I'm very glad that I was fortunate enough to attend.

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Reshma
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

theMSAG Summer School

I thoroughly recommend theMSAG Summer School to anyone looking toward a medical career.
I had a fantastic time and learned a variety of clinical skills during the first few days such as carrying out patient assessments, using a stethoscope to examine lung sounds and looking at spirometry in the Respiratory Clinic. We also learnt how to assess blood pressure manually, which is much more difficult than it may seem. Throughout, we were given loads of tips and tricks that helped with my application and that definitely made me a much stronger candidate for a place at university. I found the support network to be great, I felt comfortable asking questions and those teaching on the course were clearly extremely knowledgable about the entire process.
I found theMSAG Summer School to be very useful in thinking about actually applying for a medical career, we were given guidance on work experience placements, course structures and personal statements through a series of fun workshops. As well as this, being taught and looked after by medical professionals we were able to gain more insight into the life of a doctor and we were actually taught basic suturing techniques, which was great.
Overall, I had a incredible experience with theMSAG and would urge anyone thinking about medicine to take part. As well as learning new and very useful clinical skills, I found out so much helpful information about the admissions process and things like UCAT and BMAT that I wasn't told about at school. I met some great people, explored the city and made plenty of friends along the way.

Programs

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Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Dibah Jiva

Job Title
CEO and founder
While living in France, Canada, the UK and Spain, Dibah has completed a nutrition degree, a medical degree, an MBA, has trained as an eye surgeon and created theMSAG. theMSAG inspires students who want to be doctors and helps international students navigate various educational systems.
Dibah Jiva

What is your favorite travel memory?

This has to be going through the safari parks of Tanzania with my family. It’s like being a child and being in the Lion King - absolutely magical. We stayed in a resort that had huts to sleep in and they advised us to stay away from the pools at night. As I walked back from the restaurant to my room, I saw elephants drinking at the resort’s swimming pool - a sight I can never forget!

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

The biggest growth for me has been to actually figure out what I want to do with my life. I have spent over a decade advising students on their careers, but it took me trying many paths before finding this job. Now I never feel too tired to start, nor see the hours go by throughout the day! My friends say they don’t know anyone who loves their job as much as I do, and I think it’s true - I feel a true sense of belonging and purpose in my role.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

All the best stories I have heard have one element in common - a newfound confidence. One of the students we taught last year used to think many activities and tasks were too difficult for her. She was inclined to shy away from reflecting about herself and really lacked confidence in her own abilities. One year on, our support and mentorship has led to a huge change. Not only has she got into the medical school of her dreams but hearing her speak now about booking her medical school accommodation on the other side of the country from home with such confidence is heartwarming.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would attend our summer school for sure. I have a soft spot for summer camps. I went as a kid and made lifetime friends and then volunteered as a facilitator as a teenager. I was so into it that I even got to direct a few camps. There is something unique that happens in a residential course that is hard to reproduce anywhere else. You meet total strangers and, in less than 2 weeks, they feel like family you have always known. Beyond what you will learn and the preparation to get into medical school, the experience itself is life changing!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

We get to know each of our students, their likes, dislikes, aspirations, fears, passions. We keep everything to a small scale which allows us to remain very genuine and connect on an individual basis. I will personally spend a few hours every day which each participant and become friends so they can ask me advice like they would someone they've known for years and are comfortable with. They play sports with us, share ice creams and then discuss their career aspirations and university choice all in one day, almost seamlessly.

I feel very proud of the team when students come back to me and tell me how they felt inspired by the tutors. Last year, after the interview preparation day, a student came to me and said she learned more in one day from one of our staff, Kate, than all year from school. A comment like this makes my day for a long time!

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Always remembering why we do what we do. We set out to help students get into medical school and guide them on their journey. We know how important this mission is and how many obstacles, hurdles and doubts students and families will face on the way. By remembering our purpose, no amount of work is too much effort to help us achieve this goal. This allows us to be flexible, go the extra mile and constantly improve the student’s experience. If we can think of something they’ll enjoy or that will help them, it’s simple: we do it!