ATAR Notes: Forum
QCE Stuff => Queensland Education Discussion => Topic started by: ssek11 on January 27, 2020, 08:14:25 pm
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Hello! :)
I'm interested in pursuing in medicine when I graduate but I've heard that you need to complete some type of volunteering to apply. Is this true? I'm entering year 12 in like 2 days and I would prefer to focus on getting good grades. But if volunteering is required for universities to consider me during interviews or in general, I'm not sure if I have enough time.
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Hello! :)
I'm interested in pursuing in medicine when I graduate but I've heard that you need to complete some type of volunteering to apply. Is this true? I'm entering year 12 in like 2 days and I would prefer to focus on getting good grades. But if volunteering is required for universities to consider me during interviews or in general, I'm not sure if I have enough time.
Pretty sure you don't need to volunteer.
Some students do it so that they have something to talk about during interviews though - I'm personally not really a fan of people volunteering/helping out with their sole reason being so they can get something back for themselves.
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I'm not sure if it's the same in Queensland, but I'd assume that given it's for Australia and New Zealand that the UCAT would still likely apply if you're attempting for medicine in Queensland. The UCAT is separate to the QCE and typically taken for entry into undergrad med (and a few health-related courses).
Not entirely sure about the volunteering though. I agree with Sine that if you're volunteering, don't do it simply because you need it for this.
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Depends on the uni you want to get into:
JCU - weighs a written application quite heavily as there is no UCAT , so having something to talk about here would be advantageous. You also need referees so if you can secure one from a doctor or something it’s advantageous. This is the only QLD university where having volunteering is beneficial in the application process and the interview.
UQ - provisional entry only. needs a 99 ATAR or 97 + one of either lote or specialist maths (subject bonuses push you to a 99). Apart from this hurdle you need a 90%ile UCAT and you’re in. No interview, no volunteering necessary
Griffith - needs ucat but this isn’t weighed much at all. As a rule of thumb, you need 99.60-99.70+ depending on the year. No volunteering required.
As Sine said, really consider the intentions of volunteering. Perhaps it might be a good idea to get a feel for the type of workplace you might be in for, but you shouldn’t volunteer purely for personal gain. Good luck!
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As the other posters have said, it depends on which university you plan to apply. I would suggest you investigate further, by contacting the respective institutions as the entry requirements to all courses change on a regular basis.
In most cases, I suspect you should prioritise your academic results so that you can at least be considered.
However, I would also recommend you consider volunteer work. In most career paths, there is a distinct difference between the common perception of the job and the day-to-day reality. As a teacher, I see many graduates leave the profession after 12 months or less, not because they aren't capable or passionate - but because they "didn't realise this is what it's like". (Eg: as a Maths teacher, less than 10% of my time at work is spent standing in front a class teaching maths). I strongly recommend anyone interested in teaching do some volunteer tutoring before you pay for a 4-year teaching degree.
Its the same with many other careers. Medicine, in particular, has similar problem with a lot of high performing students feeling social or family pressure into following the pathway due to the perceived prestige of the profession, or financial rewards, rather than because of the personal satisfaction, enjoyment and reward gained by doing the work. And if you don't like the day-to-day work (in any job), you won't be good at it, and you can risk mental health problems later in life.