Graduate Medicine at Melbourne

[nacho]

Hey guys
just wondering, what's it like choosing the graduate medicine pathway at melbourne?
Is studying for the GAMSAT any more hardcore than studying for VCE?
Do you find bachelor of science / biomed an enjoyable course?
What are you options if you dont make the cut for the GAMSAT, can you try again?

For someone who doesnt make the cut for GAMSAT, and cant be bothered trying again (if the option is available)
what are their career pathways? Do these career pathways have good job prospects?
Also, the career pathways offered by Biomedicine and Bachelor of science - what's the difference? are they generally the same?

Have i asked too many questions?
Is there a such thing as asking too many questions?
What is the point of the above two questions?

[Russ]

afaik there are no MD students on here so you won't get much info on what it's like in the course, but it's not that much different from other med courses.

Is studying for the GAMSAT any more hardcore than studying for VCE?

Yes, but this really shouldn't be surprising/unexpected. There's a GAMSAT subforum if you want to read it. And yeah, you can sit it as many times as you want (and can afford, it's $400 a pop)

Do you find bachelor of science / biomed an enjoyable course?

Yeah I love it. I haven't worried about grad med till this year, it's been just doing the work and enjoying myself and socializing etc. It's been a really good set of lecturers, good cohort to learn with and has kept me wanting to stay at uni.

what are their career pathways? Do these career pathways have good job prospects?

Honours year, setting you up for research PhD
Straight into the private sector if you can find a job
Lab work and experience but you'd probably want to go back for higher education at some point
Teaching and education with a DipEd, or go into academia

The job prospects are good if you like the work, but there's nowhere near enough money in the field to satisfy you if you're not that interested.

Other questions fine, i just got back from my interview

[stonecold]

I would say that if you do Science/Biomed, then you should be fine for Section 3 GAMSAT.  You will just have to learn a little bit more about chem and go through some VCE Physics.  The Biology is more or less graph reading than anything else.

As for Section 2, it is similar to the Writing Tasks on the GAT (which is funny because ACER also make the GAT).  You get presented with quotes on two topics and then you have to write two essays in an hour.  With practice, I don't envisage this section being too difficult, but it requires a lot of discipline and effort.

Section 1 is basically humanities.  It involves analysis of fictional/non fictional texts, poetry, proverbs & quotes, cartoons, diagrams, pictures, tables and charts.  Then you have to answer MC questions on them.  It is very wordy.

You can sit GAMSAT 4 times before applying for med (September 1st Year, March 2nd year, September 2nd year, March 3rd year) so you get a decent number of goes at it.  Also, you can take an honours year to boost your GPA and take GAMSAT another two times if you get desperate.

And Biomed is designed to be either a precursor for professional post grad health science related degrees (i.e. med/dent/physio/pharmacy/optom/vet etc.) or for higher studies and research.  You may be able to get a job with just a biomed degree though.

If you want a broader set of skills and higher chance of employment after your undergrad in case you don't get in, then I would go with science.

[Russ]

Also, you can take an honours year to boost ruin your GPA and take GAMSAT another two times if you get desperate.

Fixed that for you. Hons is horribly difficult and in many cases you will need to get a 7 to improve your GPA, assuming you even get coursework marks by midyear (many honours applicants don't change their GPA at all). I'm meeting my prospective supervisor tomorrow and I'm honestly concerned about the difficulty level of the projects. It's like the step from VCE -> uni all over again

If you want a broader set of skills and higher chance of employment after your undergrad in case you don't get in, then I would go with science.

If he's taking the subjects to apply for med, the employability will be the same

[nacho]

can you do maths in both courses?

[stonecold]

can you do maths in both courses?

Biomed has compulsory Calculus 1 or 2 (depending on whether or not you completed VCE Specialist Maths 3/4) + compulsory Experimental Design and Data Analysis (Statistics), which is some sick twisted fusion of Research Methods from Psych, Core from Further Maths and Probability from Methods, expect about a billion times worse.

If you want more maths, you have two free choice subjects which you could use.  But if you want more flexibility, then Science will give you a little more room.  Whilst a lot of your science subjects will be fixed to meet the MD prereqs, it still gives you some freedom, particularly in first year.

Edit: If you really want more maths, you can complete a concurrent Diploma of Mathematics alongside your degree.

[Slumdawg]

can you do maths in both courses?

compulsory Experimental Design and Data Analysis (Statistics), which is some sick twisted fusion of Research Methods from Psych, Core from Further Maths and Probability from Methods, expect about a billion times worse.

hahaha that's the best description of EDDA out there ... they should put it in the subject outline. Followed by "It'll make you wish you had of picked science or the engineering pathway in biomed!"