Login

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

March 29, 2024, 02:14:02 am

Author Topic: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor  (Read 187732 times)  Share 

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

pi

  • Honorary Moderator
  • Great Wonder of ATAR Notes
  • *******
  • Posts: 14348
  • Doctor.
  • Respect: +2376
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #30 on: July 12, 2012, 11:37:01 pm »
+2
Btw, I have another question: Undergraduate and post-grad medicine, which one is better?

Overall, I'd say neither is better than the other. It depends on what you're after (I'll make a list of each later on in this post), but personally, I was lucky to get any offers for med, so I took the first one that came my way. It happened to be undergrad :)

Undergrad
- Shorter, usually 5-6 years of total uni (5 at Monash, 6 at other places like JCU)
- The course is less "crammed"
- More contact hours at uni
- Good for those who know exactly what they want to do right after high school
- No full fee places in Vic
- Good holidays

Postgrad
- Longer, usually 7 years of total uni
- Course is a little more "crammed" as typically years 1 and 2 of an undergrad degree become year 1 of a post grad degree
- Less uni contact hours
- Good for those who are unsure coming out of high school or for those wanting a second shot at getting into medicine
- Full fee places available in Vic
- Crappier holidays

In terms of research opportunities, I'd argue they're also about equal. Although, some unis do have better research reps than others.

As far as I know, there is no difference in the doctors they produce (in terms of "quality"), and essentially the UoM MD = Monash MBBS (ie. it is not a "Masters"). Usually though, if someone gets into undergrad, they go to undergrad, the only exceptions I've heard to that are scholarship recipients who choose UoM for a variety of reasons (many don't make that choice too) :)
« Last Edit: July 12, 2012, 11:52:20 pm by VegemitePi »

Jenny_2108

  • Guest
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #31 on: July 13, 2012, 01:43:24 am »
0
From your post, it seems like undergrad is a better choice :D
If we take postgrad, GAMSAT is required right? Is GAMSAT very hard? Which uni offer postgrad besides UoM?

Starlight

  • Victorian
  • ATAR Notes Superstar
  • ******
  • Posts: 2948
  • Respect: +275
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #32 on: July 13, 2012, 11:10:39 am »
0
From your post, it seems like undergrad is a better choice :D
If we take postgrad, GAMSAT is required right? Is GAMSAT very hard? Which uni offer postgrad besides UoM?


Yeah Gamsat. Apparently it takes 6 hours or something. Consists of multiple choice questions (from bio, chem, physics) and essay questions.
2012-2014. BSc: Neuroscience. University of Melbourne.
2015-2018. Doctor of Optometry. University of Melbourne.

Unlikely to respond to any PMs these days.

thushan

  • ATAR Notes Lecturer
  • Honorary Moderator
  • ATAR Notes Legend
  • *******
  • Posts: 4959
  • Respect: +626
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #33 on: July 13, 2012, 11:38:08 am »
0
From your post, it seems like undergrad is a better choice :D
If we take postgrad, GAMSAT is required right? Is GAMSAT very hard? Which uni offer postgrad besides UoM?


My sister after doing GAMSAT: never again.
Managing Director  and Senior Content Developer - Decode Publishing (2020+)
http://www.decodeguides.com.au

Basic Physician Trainee - Monash Health (2019-)
Medical Intern - Alfred Hospital (2018)
MBBS (Hons.) - Monash Uni
BMedSci (Hons.) - Monash Uni

Former ATARNotes Lecturer for Chemistry, Biology

Starlight

  • Victorian
  • ATAR Notes Superstar
  • ******
  • Posts: 2948
  • Respect: +275
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #34 on: July 13, 2012, 12:10:10 pm »
0
From your post, it seems like undergrad is a better choice :D
If we take postgrad, GAMSAT is required right? Is GAMSAT very hard? Which uni offer postgrad besides UoM?


My sister after doing GAMSAT: never again.

Lol some people have attempted it up to 3 times. Depends on the person I guess, if it's really worth it.
2012-2014. BSc: Neuroscience. University of Melbourne.
2015-2018. Doctor of Optometry. University of Melbourne.

Unlikely to respond to any PMs these days.

thushan

  • ATAR Notes Lecturer
  • Honorary Moderator
  • ATAR Notes Legend
  • *******
  • Posts: 4959
  • Respect: +626
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #35 on: July 13, 2012, 12:17:21 pm »
+1
From your post, it seems like undergrad is a better choice :D
If we take postgrad, GAMSAT is required right? Is GAMSAT very hard? Which uni offer postgrad besides UoM?


My sister after doing GAMSAT: never again.

Lol some people have attempted it up to 3 times. Depends on the person I guess, if it's really worth it.

Now that's courage.

Imagine if the UMAT were 6 hours...say a 170 minute Section 1, 100 minute Section 2 and 60 minute section 3 :P
Managing Director  and Senior Content Developer - Decode Publishing (2020+)
http://www.decodeguides.com.au

Basic Physician Trainee - Monash Health (2019-)
Medical Intern - Alfred Hospital (2018)
MBBS (Hons.) - Monash Uni
BMedSci (Hons.) - Monash Uni

Former ATARNotes Lecturer for Chemistry, Biology

Bhootnike

  • Chief Curry Officer
  • Victorian
  • Part of the furniture
  • *****
  • Posts: 1332
  • Biggest Sharabi
  • Respect: +75
  • School Grad Year: 2012
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #36 on: July 13, 2012, 01:01:52 pm »
+2
From your post, it seems like undergrad is a better choice :D
If we take postgrad, GAMSAT is required right? Is GAMSAT very hard? Which uni offer postgrad besides UoM?


My sister after doing GAMSAT: never again.


Lol some people have attempted it up to 3 times. Depends on the person I guess, if it's really worth it.

Now that's courage.

Imagine if the UMAT were 6 hours...say a 170 minute Section 1, 100 minute Section 2 and 60 minute section 3 :P

2011: Biol - 42
2012: Spesh |Methods |Chemistry |English Language| Physics
2014: Physiotherapy
khuda ne jab tujhe banaya hoga, ek suroor uske dil mein aaya hoga, socha hoga kya doonga tohfe mein tujhe.... tab ja ke usne mujhe banaya hoga

pi

  • Honorary Moderator
  • Great Wonder of ATAR Notes
  • *******
  • Posts: 14348
  • Doctor.
  • Respect: +2376
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #37 on: July 13, 2012, 01:25:39 pm »
0
^Good luck :P

Russ

  • Honorary Moderator
  • Great Wonder of ATAR Notes
  • *******
  • Posts: 8442
  • Respect: +661
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #38 on: July 13, 2012, 02:44:16 pm »
+4
GAMSAT isn't that bad. It was a drain but people do tend to get kinda melodramatic about it.

Obviously one major barrier for potential and current medicine students is being exposed to a plethora of very confronting circumstances (by this I am referring to the 'blood and guts' :P). On a more personal level, I've only started considering medicine as a viable career option as it has the academic pursuits I crave, has a lot of science and problem-solving aspects and is a job that is people-oriented and allows me to help others. But I guess I've always had uncertainty about if and how I'd deal with seeing these sorts of things throughout medical training and whether or not it is a career I should even be considering if I think I can't deal with those aspects of the job. Perhaps you could enlighten us on this side of medicine? :)

As I mentioned last night, you'll get inured to it. I didn't like dissections much in high school, last semester I was breaking ribs and removing limbs with the best of them.

I'd be much more concerned about the emotional damage and the confronting social situations that will crop up in medicine, because they're a lot more traumatic than the 'blood and guts'. Have a think about your coping mechanisms and mental strength. They're things that will develop (I'm certainly not the person I was 5 years ago in y11) but it's always good to contemplate it beforehand.


Starlight

  • Victorian
  • ATAR Notes Superstar
  • ******
  • Posts: 2948
  • Respect: +275
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #39 on: July 13, 2012, 04:22:32 pm »
0
From your post, it seems like undergrad is a better choice :D
If we take postgrad, GAMSAT is required right? Is GAMSAT very hard? Which uni offer postgrad besides UoM?


My sister after doing GAMSAT: never again.

Did she end up getting into med/ dent/optom?
2012-2014. BSc: Neuroscience. University of Melbourne.
2015-2018. Doctor of Optometry. University of Melbourne.

Unlikely to respond to any PMs these days.

pi

  • Honorary Moderator
  • Great Wonder of ATAR Notes
  • *******
  • Posts: 14348
  • Doctor.
  • Respect: +2376
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #40 on: July 13, 2012, 04:26:53 pm »
+1
From your post, it seems like undergrad is a better choice :D
If we take postgrad, GAMSAT is required right? Is GAMSAT very hard? Which uni offer postgrad besides UoM?


My sister after doing GAMSAT: never again.

Did she end up getting into med/ dent/optom?

Yeah, she got into med afaik.

WhoTookMyUsername

  • Guest
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #41 on: July 13, 2012, 05:27:41 pm »
+2
From your post, it seems like undergrad is a better choice :D
If we take postgrad, GAMSAT is required right? Is GAMSAT very hard? Which uni offer postgrad besides UoM?


My sister after doing GAMSAT: never again.

Did she end up getting into med/ dent/optom?

Yeah, she got into med afaik.
She's related to thushan  ::)  :P

thushan

  • ATAR Notes Lecturer
  • Honorary Moderator
  • ATAR Notes Legend
  • *******
  • Posts: 4959
  • Respect: +626
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #42 on: July 13, 2012, 05:39:54 pm »
0
Haha yeah she's 3rd year @ ANU now.
Managing Director  and Senior Content Developer - Decode Publishing (2020+)
http://www.decodeguides.com.au

Basic Physician Trainee - Monash Health (2019-)
Medical Intern - Alfred Hospital (2018)
MBBS (Hons.) - Monash Uni
BMedSci (Hons.) - Monash Uni

Former ATARNotes Lecturer for Chemistry, Biology

charmanderp

  • Honorary Moderator
  • ATAR Notes Legend
  • *******
  • Posts: 3209
  • Respect: +305
  • School Grad Year: 2012
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #43 on: July 13, 2012, 05:45:33 pm »
0
Btw, I have another question: Undergraduate and post-grad medicine, which one is better?

Overall, I'd say neither is better than the other. It depends on what you're after (I'll make a list of each later on in this post), but personally, I was lucky to get any offers for med, so I took the first one that came my way. It happened to be undergrad :)

Undergrad
- Shorter, usually 5-6 years of total uni (5 at Monash, 6 at other places like JCU)
- The course is less "crammed"
- More contact hours at uni
- Good for those who know exactly what they want to do right after high school
- No full fee places in Vic
- Good holidays

Postgrad
- Longer, usually 7 years of total uni
- Course is a little more "crammed" as typically years 1 and 2 of an undergrad degree become year 1 of a post grad degree
- Less uni contact hours
- Good for those who are unsure coming out of high school or for those wanting a second shot at getting into medicine
- Full fee places available in Vic
- Crappier holidays

In terms of research opportunities, I'd argue they're also about equal. Although, some unis do have better research reps than others.

As far as I know, there is no difference in the doctors they produce (in terms of "quality"), and essentially the UoM MD = Monash MBBS (ie. it is not a "Masters"). Usually though, if someone gets into undergrad, they go to undergrad, the only exceptions I've heard to that are scholarship recipients who choose UoM for a variety of reasons (many don't make that choice too) :)
And I guess if you do an undergrad degree before postgrad Med it gives you another option in case you ever want to try something else.
University of Melbourne - Bachelor of Arts majoring in English, Economics and International Studies (2013 onwards)

paulsterio

  • ATAR Notes Legend
  • *******
  • Posts: 4803
  • I <3 2SHAN
  • Respect: +430
Re: Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor
« Reply #44 on: July 13, 2012, 06:03:18 pm »
0
pi, are you sure that undergrad is less crammed, I thought that postgrad would be better because once you've reached the first year of your MD, you would have done quite a fair bit of anatomy, physiology and other human sciences already - rather than us, I find it overwhelming to learn both the science and clinical applications at once :(

Moderator action: removed real name, sorry for the inconvenience
« Last Edit: January 02, 2017, 10:14:48 pm by pi »