Thank you for all the replies everyone.
For those interested, I did not get any interviews, however I did get offered BMedSc (Provisional MBBS Entry) at Griffith Uni Gold Coast, however have opted against it for a number of reasons which I will not get into here.
I received 73rd%ile UMAT on a day which I think I could not performed any worse. I had a shocker. I was also sick at the time. I still don't really like the test, but the lack of content based material does make it somewhat appealing when you compare it to the GAMSAT. As numerous people are probably aware of, I am not overly fond of Humanities or Essays.
Whichever pathway I go down, I am getting UMAT or GAMSAT tuition. Judging by the vast improvement tutors had on my English scores, I am hopeful I can replicate this on either of the medical entry tests. Whilst people say you cannot study for the UMAT, it is not entirely true. UMAT S1 and S2 are largely reading comprehension + data analysis + problem solving, very similar to GAMSAT S1 in my opinion. Having spoken to a few people, they say some of the ambiguous UMAT S2 questions require a certain way of thinking, and one that can be learned. And UMAT S3 is pretty easy to improve on with some self practice. This was by far my best section, and if feel improving my score even further in this section could be enough to get me over the line.
This is basically what I have come up with.
Resit UMAT and reapply to Monash, and possibly others like UNSW option:
Pro: Could potentially get direct entry into MBBS @ Monash, which would be amazing, or possibly get into another uni. If I get a straight med offer somewhere this year then the odds are that I would have gone. With the UNSW sliding scale, I should be able to get an interview with a minor UMAT improvement.
Con: I could lose a year, then enter Biomed in 2012, and possibly lose a scholarship as well. Whilst this scenario has the initial 'OMG I screwed my life' factor, a Biomed degree on its own will not get me very far. Moreover, although a scholarship is nice, at the end of the day, it is just money.
Try for MD at UniMelb via Biomed option:
Pro: I get to study at UniMelb with a scholarship. I can still sit the UMAT and apply for non standard entry to Unis such as UNSW, and can have up to 3 goes at the GAMSAT, or 5 if I take an honours year. Hopefully I get into the MD.
Con: I could come out of it having to move interstate anyway. It is a longer pathway, and prevents me from applying to Monash Uni Clayton MBBS again. This is a big negative, as it them seems I am putting all my eggs in the Melbourne Basket without even really exhausting the undergrad pathway. Furthermore, simultaneously studying for high GPA plus high GAMSAT will be a lot more emotionally taxing than possibly gaining entry via gap year + UMAT scenario. My ATAR is good enough for undergrad med. I don't really just want to throw it out and start again.
To me, it seems getting into med really needs to be a strategy, so I am going to choose the pathway that I believe doesn't limit my options, but also offers some sort of safety net.
With regards to 'what makes a better doctor' I don't want to get into the details, but as shinny and some doctors I have spoken to have stated, a Biomed/MedSc/Sc degree will offer you no advantage in med, and everything you need to know will be taught in the med degree. By taking the premed degree, you are just fast tracking your learning.
Also, a couple of doctors and people in general have told me this regarding UniMelb vs. Monash Med. Firstly, prestige should not come into which med school is better, so unless you believe in this, it doesn't make a difference. As the prestige factor is subjective, it is inevitable that you may be judged on which Uni you went to by some people. Do remember, all degrees are accredited by the AMC, so there is no such thing as a 'bad' degree.
However, continuing what I have been told, and this is coming from a few people including one who studied med at UniMelb, apparently the Monash Med course is superior because it has a more of a problem based learning focus, and is considered to be a lot more up to speed than the Melbourne course. Whether the new MD course will attempt to address this I don't know. But if I were going to argue where the better 'medical graduates' come from, I would say Monash, just.
To be honest, I don't think it really matters, and I am happy to get in anywhere, and real doctors are made after countless hours of specialist college training and then years medical practice. To base whether or not one is a good doctor entirely on what uni they went to is absurd.
Anyway, thank you for the insights so far, feel free to keep them coming.
Regarding my decision, I am still trying to get more info and decide on whether I should sit the UMAT again, or move on to the GAMSAT.
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