Average GAMSAT/GPA for 2012 MD intake interview offers

[stonecold]

Lots of people seem to want to know stuff about cut offs. Unfortunately, due to the process of combining GPA and GAMSAT and then offering interviews, there is no actual cut off.  It is similar to what is happening with the Monash undergrad MBBS ATAR/UMAT stream at the moment.

Nonetheless, here are the average GAMSAT marks and GPA for the 2012 MD interview offers to give people an idea.  I believe that this was a significant increase from the 2011 intake.

University of Melbourne

Melbourne ranked  applicants for interview based on the weighted GPA and the GAMSAT score  (where each of the three sections is weighted equally) to provide a rank list of applicants for selection.
As a result of using this method there were no discrete cut-off marks for either GPA or GAMSAT.   Applicants who were successful in gaining an interview at The University of Melbourne for 2012 entry averaged an overall GAMSAT score of 65 and an average GPA of 6.6.

http://www.gemsas.edu.au/offers-2012/

As you can see, GPA of 6.6 is pretty competitive.  You would need mostly H1s and H2As.

According to my GAMSAT curve, 65 overall is around the ~91st percentile mark, but again it is difficult to make inferences because Melbourne does not use the overall score, but rather a score calulated by weighting each section of the test equally.

Just remember though, these are NOT cut offs.  If you do better in one area, then you can do worse in another area.  i.e. better GPA can make up for lower GAMSAT and vice versa.

Edit:  Don't forget that the interview will have a fair bit to say about whether or not you will actually get in as well.  It is worth one-third when they consider your final application.

[dc302]

Warning: inaccurate assumptions = inaccurate conclusions, but for those of you interested here are my thoughts:

I think if your score is at or below that average, it will be quite difficult to get a non-bonded CSP place. You would have to do better than most people in the interview. People reading this should note that interviews are given out to 150% of the cohort so purely statistically, you have a 33% chance of not getting in after the interview. If we pretend that the average 6.6gpa+65gamsat is also the median, then that means with this score you'd be sitting at the lower quartile ie 25th percentile. Approximately 40% of CSP places go to bonded places, so those at the 40th percentile or less are the ones to get these. From this you can see that you'll probably have to do quite well in the interview to get out of the '25th percentile' to above '40th percentile'.

Or I could just say that the scores I have seen that received a non-bonded CSP seem to be about 64-65 gamsat/ 6.5 gpa anyway.

edit: oops I meant to say that 40% of the CSP places go to bonded AND non-bonded ERC places.

[stonecold]

Warning: inaccurate assumptions = inaccurate conclusions, but for those of you interested here are my thoughts:

I think if your score is at or below that average, it will be quite difficult to get a non-bonded CSP place. You would have to do better than most people in the interview. People reading this should note that interviews are given out to 150% of the cohort so purely statistically, you have a 33% chance of not getting in after the interview. If we pretend that the average 6.6gpa+65gamsat is also the median, then that means with this score you'd be sitting at the lower quartile ie 25th percentile. Approximately 40% of CSP places go to bonded places, so those at the 40th percentile or less are the ones to get these. From this you can see that you'll probably have to do quite well in the interview to get out of the '25th percentile' to above '40th percentile'.

Or I could just say that the scores I have seen that received a non-bonded CSP seem to be about 64-65 gamsat/ 6.5 gpa anyway.

edit: oops I meant to say that 40% of the CSP places go to bonded AND non-bonded ERC places.

I like your reasoning.  Backed up by some maths....

It took me like 30 secs to realise that the median GPA/GAMSAT equates to the the bottom quartile of people who will get offers if you ignore what happens in the interview or assume everyones interview scores are proportional to their GPA/GAMSAT.
The stats dept would really want their score back at this point haha.

As you said though, it is possible with a good interview...

But anyway, it is just so damn hard to tell because of what is mentioned in the OP, and then add to that all the different types of places available and the fact that 20% of the places go to Graduate Access candidates, it becomes nearly impossible to know exactly what is needed.

[dc302]

^ Very true about not knowing what is really going on, which is why we should all just aim as high as we can. You never know, maybe one year will be a freak year where the average GPA/GAMSAT shoots up by heaps..

[Russ]

Why give averages rather than medians *shakesfist*
Interesting data though

Also, the 20% is only a hard requirement for the interview, apparently post interview it's more fluid and they don't need to hit that quota

[thushan]

GAMSAT 65...damn that's close to Sydney's GAMSAT cutoff (67)!

[mikee65]

and the fact that 20% of the places go to Graduate Access candidates, it becomes nearly impossible to know exactly what is needed.

YES, finally being indigent pays off.

[Russ]

Also, the 20% is only a hard requirement for the interview, apparently post interview it's more fluid and they don't need to hit that quota

We aim to allocate at least 20% of the designated CSPs available in each graduate professional entry program to Graduate Access Melbourne applicants.

[stonecold]

More info from Carl at the MDHS

The average GAMSAT provided by GEMSAS for The University of Melbourne takes into account the lack of weighting on the third section. I am unsure what the average would be with standard weighting applied, as we don’t request this information.

We don’t have similar statistics at this stage for final selection. The introduction of the interview score at this stage of selection complicates this, however I’m hopeful that we can at least release an approximate GPA/GAMSAT average in the coming months. I don’t yet have the final numbers of successful internal applicants, however approximately three quarters of the successful internal applicants were from Biomed and about a quarter were from Science.

There are no plans to change the GPA used for MD selection in the next couple of years. It will continue to be calculated using a number out of 7.0 corresponding to individual subject grades (H1, H2A, etc.), and any changes to the calculations at Melbourne should not impact this.

[jasrulz63]

Cheers for the info stonecold

I've been wondering about that GESMAS average since it came out, was hoping it the standard weighting but oh well.

[Panicmode]

More info from Carl at the MDHS

The average GAMSAT provided by GEMSAS for The University of Melbourne takes into account the lack of weighting on the third section. I am unsure what the average would be with standard weighting applied, as we don’t request this information.

We don’t have similar statistics at this stage for final selection. The introduction of the interview score at this stage of selection complicates this, however I’m hopeful that we can at least release an approximate GPA/GAMSAT average in the coming months. I don’t yet have the final numbers of successful internal applicants, however approximately three quarters of the successful internal applicants were from Biomed and about a quarter were from Science.

There are no plans to change the GPA used for MD selection in the next couple of years. It will continue to be calculated using a number out of 7.0 corresponding to individual subject grades (H1, H2A, etc.), and any changes to the calculations at Melbourne should not impact this.

Thank you . Us jaffies need to know what's up.

[stonecold]

Cheers for the info stonecold

I've been wondering about that GESMAS average since it came out, was hoping it the standard weighting but oh well.

No worries at all mate.  I was also hoping it was the standard weighting and that the Melb weighting might bring it down a bit...

I'm still above the average for now but have done sweet FA for the upcoming GAMSAT in March.  Doubt I'll beat my old score.  I hope your study is going well.

[Russ]

Oh yeah, I meant to post about this a while ago, but the GPA for admission will never change just for UoM, so its gonna stay the same for the next few years at least

[Studyinghard]

6.6 GPA on 7.0 GPA Scale? So on a 4.0 GPA scale that would be like a 3.8?

[Russ]

Search around first, it's all here