It is nearly impossible to get into Post-grad medicine.

[Pup]

After reading a few forums about the gamsat and how everyone is saying it is harder than the UmAT, I'm beginning to doubt myself about the possibility of making it in a med course after my 3 years of biomed. I only got below 20 percentile in Umat. I'm not naturally talented and a tad slow minded, but possess a strong mentality and work ethic. Is it really impossible to get into post grad medicine or should I just reconsider my career options. I'm planning to sit the GAMSAT in my second year. What do you think I should do?

[thushan]

possess a strong mentality and work ethic

That will put you in good stead for GAMSAT; its something you can study for.

[golden]

I'm not going to begin to try to be superficial and say 'if you try you'll succeed' don't worry and so forth. As for this current moment, you need to honestly consider your options, under the circumstance where you do well in the GAMSAT, have a competitive GPA and do well in the interview, enough to get a CSP place in post graduate medicine and under the situation where you don't. You need alternative plans, and if you can't see any in biomedicine, perhaps you should consider Science, which offers different branches into other disciplines if you want to change from say the health sciences. Because you aren't disadvantaged both ways at least as far as the GAMSAT is concerned, you need to think about this.

The post-graduate medicine pathway is in no way easy as you already have speculated, but what you should do is really consider whether or not you want to medicine, and if so, just sit the test and hope for the best, but still leave plan B open.

Ultimately the decision is with you. There is still time. T-Rex provided a nice summary of what you need if you want to do well.

[slothpomba]

I'm not going to begin to try to be superficial and say 'if you try you'll succeed' don't worry and so forth.

I don't know about it being this simple but i think if there is a will, there is a way.

Even if you mess up your GPA, there are ways to remedy that. I'm only about 50/50 sure on this but you might even be able to take another undergrad degree if you tank it. At the very least, if you could tack on a diploma of one sort or another to extend it by a year.

Even if the the GAMSAT if its what you really want more than anything else, you could do it for a few years in a row.

Of course, nothing is a sure thing. There are plenty of applicants who want it just as much as you do and there are only a limited number of places, so, luck of the draw and skill enters in there a bit.

[Tomw2]

After reading a few forums about the gamsat and how everyone is saying it is harder than the UmAT ... I only got below 20 percentile in Umat.

The comparison is pointless. Performance in UMAT =/= to performance in GAMSAT.

I'm planning to sit the GAMSAT in my second year. What do you think I should do?

Focus on your undergraduate studies and do well in them. Maintaining a good GPA should be your priority, because GAMSAT can be easily repeated.

Learn the material in your degree well. Become very comfortable with chemistry, biology, basic physics (yr 12 level) and always seek to improve your written expression in assignments.

Sit GAMSAT in your 2nd year, evaluate your performance and make a plan of attack from there. Do not be daunted or intimidated by how difficult you hear it is. GAMSAT skills are gained over time and reflection. You can study for it and this study is best done in context over time.

As per others, I would encourage thinking about a decent plan B & C. Some people psych themselves out of GAMSAT etc by carelessly constructing their entire self-worth around graduate medicine.

Again as per others, I would strongly recommend Science over biomed or similar specialised undergrad degrees. IMO flexibility is of highest importance.

Finally - seek support along the way. Many current candidates and those who have successfully been down that pathway are happy to support each other. I'm always happy to share my experiences and resources freely.

[brenden]

Tom - you said Year 12 level physics - this is legitimately all you need? Would first year uni physics be advantageous?

[thushan]

Tom - you said Year 12 level physics - this is legitimately all you need? Would first year uni physics be advantageous?

I guess it could be, but Year 12 physics is legit all you need. That said, I recommend doing uni physics, particularly biophysics (so fluid dynamics, electrophysiology), which would put you in good stead for physiology.

[Tomw2]

Tom - you said Year 12 level physics - this is legitimately all you need? Would first year uni physics be advantageous?

Unless the content has changed dramatically from 2010-2011, then IMO there is no tangible benefit in specifically studying physics beyond a year 12 level - however as TRex said, a case could be made for doing basic biophysics as these types of questions tend to pop up in the physiology of SIII.

As far as I'm aware, one of the more advanced physics question on GAMSAT in recent years was a very simple application of Ohm's law (ie I = V/R).

It was essentially this question:

An 80kg man is shocked with a defibrillator which delivers 6000 volts with a current of 100 amps for 1 millisecond

What is the resistance across the body?

Conversely, I think there is some benefit in doing chemistry at a second year level too - particularly biochemistry and organic chemistry.

[slothpomba]

Focus on your undergraduate studies and do well in them. Maintaining a good GPA should be your priority, because GAMSAT can be easily repeated.

Just out of interest, we all know you can take the GAMSAT a few years in a row but what do you do if you mess up your GPA?

I have a few friends who are asking me for advice about these kind of things now (since, like me, they are entering third year now), i just recommended they tack on an extra diploma or (cautiously, due to its difficulty and weighting) do an honors year.

Open question to all, not just Tomw.

[Tomw2]

Just out of interest, we all know you can take the GAMSAT a few years in a row but what do you do if you mess up your GPA?

It's not entirely straightforward. General rule is schools prefer to compare most recent undergrad qualification only. Honours is counted as a final year. Diplomas are not counted.

Some medical schools use GPA purely as predetermined eligibility cut-off and don't include it in the final rank for interview or offers (using GAMSAT and GAMSAT+Interview only). In these schools, if you get lower than the cut-off (usually 5.0-5.5), that's usually the end of it. You'll need another undergrad degree. There is some flexibility with this at some institutions - ie if you have completed postgraduate qualifications with good grades.

Some schools offer bonuses or GPA exemptions for postgraduate qualifications of a high standard. In some cases you can make up for a poor GPA with higher GAMSAT, though this becomes difficult at certain levels (ie below ~4.5)

Otherwise, you have to complete a new qualification.

[Pup]

the way I going to approach, is to think that I can make it in the Medicine, but try the GAMSAT and do the best. How knows what will happen. I have the option of majoring in Pharmacology in my Biomed degree and do the Masters of Engineering (chemical) afterwards. Thinking of a career in pharmaceutical industry as an manufacturing engineer.

[slothpomba]

It's not entirely straightforward. General rule is schools prefer to compare most recent undergrad qualification only. Honours is counted as a final year. Diplomas are not counted.

Diplomas aren't counted? Shit, i've been giving out bad advice then...

Perhaps you thought i meant diplomas external to your degree, i mean things more like Dip. Lang or Dip. Liberal Arts at Monash which are tacked on aside to your degree. You're still studying undergraduate subjects and stuff and it would be rather similar to say doing a BA along the side with it.

Otherwise, solid advice all round.

[slothpomba]

the way I going to approach, is to think that I can make it in the Medicine, but try the GAMSAT and do the best. How knows what will happen. I have the option of majoring in Pharmacology in my Biomed degree and do the Masters of Engineering (chemical) afterwards. Thinking of a career in pharmaceutical industry as an manufacturing engineer.

Chemistry would suit you much better to this job than pharmacology.

Pharmacology is mostly devoted to how drugs work within the body, what is toxic, things like that. A part of it is discovering new drugs, on a small scale, on the lab bench but as an engineer, i think thats outside your domain. If you want to work in manufacturing, you'll come in much later, once its already been discovered and needs to be scaled up. So, i would really go for chemistry.

[kenhung123]

Some uni's gives bonus points for research Masters, honours and PhD students. I have not heard about anything to do with diplomas. But to be honest, if your GPA is f'ed up, it is hard to rescue because even these bonus points only lifts it slightly.

[Tomw2]

i mean things more like Dip. Lang or Dip. Liberal Arts at Monash which are tacked on aside to your degree.

Quite right. Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya

As you were already aware, the degree + diploma is effectively counted as 1 qualification and the last 3 EFT years are counted.

if your GPA is f'ed up, it is hard to rescue because even these bonus points only lifts it slightly.

This is true. Hence GPA should always be priority. Say you get two and half years into a degree, have a really crappy GPA and then add a diploma on to it - it's still hard to resurrect. If you can get around progression requirements (e.g. for languages where you can only do certain units after completing others) this might be a better option to get people over the 5.0-5.5 mark than attempting another qualification. It's a gamble though given GPA year 3 is almost always weighted x 3.