I was introduced to this forum by a friend while I was in the process of applying for the Alternative Category. I’ve found it very useful, so I thought I would add my 2c for those looking at applying in the future.
Like others here I have been privileged enough to be offered a place in 2018.
A bit about me:
- Otago grad: BSc and PGDipSci (in anatomy), and an MSc (in biomed) – average grades in the BSc, which improved in postgrad.
- Have had 6+ years (semi) clinical experience in both private and public hospital settings
- Been a demonstrator for three years in the MBChB anatomy labs, and for various other undergrad papers.
- Some volunteer experience over the last couple of years, accompanied by a variety of extracurricular interests/activities (like most others here I imagine)
- Currently working in health research in the hospital/university.
My overall perception of the Alternative Category is that it is very subjective/qualitative (not that this is necessarily a bad thing). I found it hard to know exactly what the committee were explicitly looking for, and also what 'importance' they placed on various attributes or experiences I had had.
Despite this, however, some of the best advice that I believed helped me was being told to make whatever I had done sound as unique as possible. For me it was about emphasising why my specific combination of experiences had made me a suitable applicant, and the personal statement played a vital role in doing this. I had about 5 different people look over mine before I submitted it, from clinicians to teachers. I found a range of perspectives gave it a rounded tone, which I think is crucial for the Alternative Category. I also made sure to justify not only the reasons/features of medicine that made it desirable to me, but also what I had done in other lines of work/study/life to experience those features, and how they related to medicine.
For the interview I asked for the names of the panel members a couple days prior, and briefly checked out their background. My interview was about an hour (though felt like 5 mins) and was very ‘textbook’ in format (questions about my CV, situation based problems, and ethical dilemmas). Classically pretty much none of the questions/topics I had prepared for came up. I was thrown a couple ones like “Do you think you can study for another 5 years”, which I found weird as I thought the answer was rather obvious given the fact that I was applying. Overall I thought I did pretty poorly, although we were able to have a good couple of laughs and chats about random stuff, which must have counted for something. I also made sure I had a question ready for the end - I asked whether they thought a Waikato Medical School would solve the rural GP shortage. They immediately flipped the question, asking what I thought without even answering themselves, which I found pretty funny. Everyone on the panel was really lovely and seemed genuinely interested, and it was a pretty relaxing environment all things considered.
If you’re considering applying I definitely recommend touching base with the administrative team – I couldn’t speak more highly of Nicola Hoodless and Joanne Fitzgibbons, they are incredibly lovely and helpful! I also realise a lot of what I have said is nothing new, but I guess it just reinforces how useful the info from past applicants is on here.
Happy to answer any questions anyone may have, and sorry for the long-winded spiel haha. See you all next year
PS. Some stats I was told after I was interviewed: 130+ people applied this year, and 44 were offered interviews. I was under the impression they can accept all, none, or anything in between of those 44 applicants, but I can’t remember if I was actually told this or whether I heard it from another source.