VCE Year 12 Class of 2015

[warya]

Is there much of a difference between Biomed and Science, other than the cutoff marks? Like according to my careers person they're basically the same thing, just that Science offers more flexibility; like what are the advantages that compel people to choose biomed over science?

Apparently its because people don't want to 'waste' their atar 'points'-so its more that they're after the prestige that comes with biomed i think

[Splash-Tackle-Flail]

it sounds fancy

Apparently its because people don't want to 'waste' their atar 'points'-so its more that they're after the prestige that comes with biomed i think

oh, I would find the flexibility more appealing tbh.. any ideas of majors for you guys doing biomed/science?

[warya]

Damn, imagine working so hard to get a 98 then ending up going into a course with a cutoff 20 ranks lower :/

I'm thinking immunology but not sure yet, haven't thought that far ahead lol

[Shenz0r]

Is there much of a difference between Biomed and Science, other than the cutoff marks? Like according to my careers person they're basically the same thing, just that Science offers more flexibility; like what are the advantages that compel people to choose biomed over science?

This is something that's been discussed on the forums to death, but I'll give my quick two cents.

Biomed gives you a broader exposure to many different fields in medical science (I pretty much got a chance to get a taste of everything), whereas in Science you may not get the chance to.

You also have a tight cohort for your biomed cores but you get the same thing in Science once you start going down a major. And by 3rd year biomed (in Melbourne), 3/4 of your subs will be with science students anyway.

There is no huge difference between the two though. Biomed is just a science degree with subjects you're forced to do.

EDIT: And also the fact that some unis are changing their graduate med requirements so that biomed students are favoured *coughmonashcough*

[warya]

Is there a thread for biomed hopefuls?I have heaps of questions 

[Splash-Tackle-Flail]

This is something that's been discussed on the forums to death, but I'll give my quick two cents.

Biomed gives you a broader exposure to many different fields in medical science (I pretty much got a chance to get a taste of everything), whereas in Science you may not get the chance to.

You also have a tight cohort for your biomed cores but you get the same thing in Science once you start going down a major. And by 3rd year biomed (in Melbourne), 3/4 of your subs will be with science students anyway.

There is no huge difference between the two though. Biomed is just a science degree with subjects you're forced to do.

EDIT: And also the fact that some unis are changing their graduate med requirements so that biomed students are favoured *coughmonashcough*

Ahh yeah makes sense! I guess the initial close cohort would be a plus (at least for me), and yeah I'm guessing eventually biomed will be the only pathway to post grad med?

Damn, imagine working so hard to get a 98 then ending up going into a course with a cutoff 20 ranks lower :/

I'm thinking immunology but not sure yet, haven't thought that far ahead lol

Yeah I know what you mean about "wasting" Atars and stuff, but I don't really think the score should dictate the course you get into; the dux proximus of my school last year got 98 and went into science

[warya]

Splash- you've killed the umat why not mbbs?
If it weren't for my embarrassing score thats where I'd go haha

[pi]

Would highly recommend the Monash MBBS for anyone who can get in

[Splash-Tackle-Flail]

Yeah the thing is my parents went to Melbourne so they want to follow tradition or something.. I want to do med eventually though, but I don't mind which pathway! Biomed might give me time to focus on languages too (not sure what possibility mbbs has for languages on the side). But yeah Mbbs is pref 1 atm, i guess mainly because it's guaranteed so I don't have to try luck at gamsat which looks crazy hard.

[Joseph41]

Damn, imagine working so hard to get a 98 then ending up going into a course with a cutoff 20 ranks lower :/

I'm thinking immunology but not sure yet, haven't thought that far ahead lol

Imagine working so hard to get a 98 and then suffering at uni because you're doing a course about which you're not passionate!

[Orb]

Damn, imagine working so hard to get a 98 then ending up going into a course with a cutoff 20 ranks lower :/

I'm thinking immunology but not sure yet, haven't thought that far ahead lol

Just my two cents but I was never a big fan of the 'waste your ATAR' stuff that parents + teachers used to talk about.

There's a lot more that you get out of VCE than your ATAR, the process of obtaining that number is what's far more important.

I'll get an ATAR that's probably 20-30 aggregate points higher than the course i'm going to enter, but I wouldn't change that for biomed or med just because they're the hardest degrees to get in and therefore, not 'wasting my atar'

Imagine working so hard to get a 98 and then suffering at uni because you're doing a course about which you're not passionate!

^^

[heids]

Damn, imagine working so hard to get a 98 then ending up going into a course with a cutoff 20 ranks lower :/

The story of my life.

Only it's 30-40 lower.  If I even go to uni.

No regrets.

[tashhhaaa]

so my school called me today and asked me to write a speech for valedictory on Thursday and submit it by tomorrow

so wow thanks so much guys, not only are you ranked in the late 400s but you lack basic organisation skills and the three others doing speeches have had well over two months notice to write one.
Also, I have a life and plans to go on with and they think I care about school based events lol.

feeling gr8

and this is all after they told me two months ago that I couldn't do a speech because of my captaincy and that I've already 'done too much'...

[Shenz0r]

Yeah the thing is my parents went to Melbourne so they want to follow tradition or something.. I want to do med eventually though, but I don't mind which pathway! Biomed might give me time to focus on languages too (not sure what possibility mbbs has for languages on the side). But yeah Mbbs is pref 1 atm, i guess mainly because it's guaranteed so I don't have to try luck at gamsat which looks crazy hard.

If you get an undergrad MBBS offer hold onto it for dear life. Unless you're guaranteed an MD offer there is no point going about the harder route, especially when entry is becoming more competitive every year. You only get to study languages for breadth but a lot of people don't commit to it for the whole 3 years. The GAMSAT is not *crazy* hard though - I actually felt that it was easier than the UMAT (albeit at a higher level)

[pi]

As the old saying goes, "the best medical school is the one that accepts you". Definitely second the above advice^^