LBoG
BMedSci/MD-JMP II UoN
I've just finished my first year of the MD-JMP at UoN (incidentally, the first year of the MD-JMP altogether). Here are some thoughts I jotted down in a PM to a member of these forums, published here for anyone interested:
MSA/PQA: For me, the entire process (MMI + PQA + waiting around) took the full five hours that they ask you to allow on your invitation to interview. It can take less time if you are in the group that does MMI before PQA, because you can leave the PQA as soon as you finish it. Unfortunately, I did PQA first. My group had to wait around for the first group to finish their MMI (called an MSA at JMP - multiple skills assessment), for the interviewers to have a lunch break, and only then could we begin. It was a very long day!
The general consensus is you are offered a place based entirely on your MSA performance, and that the PQA is only used to eliminate people who raise red flags. However, I think the people at the JMP understand how flimsy the evidence is for use of PQA-style tests and don't rely too heavily on results. YOu can find useful information about the PQA on the PQA website, including sample questions.
If you do a bit of Googling, there's also a PowerPoint presentation about the use of the PQA by the University of Newcastle which is quite fascinating. It would seem the JMP is attempting to find people who will be suited to studying medicine, rather than those who will be "smart enough" for it.
What's the JMP like? My experience so far with JMP has been a mixed bag, for many different reasons, many of which have nothing to do with the course itself. The transition to MD means my cohort (first year of the MD-JMP) are being used as guinea pigs for the changes, and being heavily surveyed for our feedback. Overall, the faculty really want the program to be as good as possible - it's just been a bit of a learning curve for everyone so far.
My cohort was 75% under 21 at the start of the year. The majority of students have done something between high school and beginning medicine, whether it's a completed degree or just a year or two of another degree. As someone in my late 20's with a completed degree and several years in a career before starting medicine, I haven't found socialising a challenge at all - in fact, the people I study with are some of the best people I've ever met in my life.
Once you're in medicine, you're instantly part of the community, and it's unlike any other. The support and friendship from students from other cohorts is incredible. It's a world in itself. Of all things, I'm happiest with the community of intelligent, thoughtful and hilarious people I've been lucky enough to find myself in.
Strengths of MD-JMP:
- the faculty WANT to get it right
- research opportunities, including chance to get published before finishing degree
- 1.5 hours of wet lab anatomy per week (some week are histology labs instead)
- Lecturers are more than happy to speak with students before, during and after teaching, including through emails
- 4 hours/fortnight in the clinical skills lab at the hospital, practising with simulated patients (I actually sometimes find these sessions difficult, as I struggle with anxiety, but they are immensely helpful for many)
- I can only speak for Newcastle, but the campus is quite nice (though not as good as other university campuses, at least it's very convenient to the city and beaches etc)
Weaknesses of MD-JMP:
- new course means there isn't much solid information about how it will be structured e.g. when/where/what our placements will be, whether we will be able to complete placement/study overseas, what our "research" years will involve, how much contact with actual patients we will have, etc., etc.
- "Middle" PBL is basically a two hour forced study session with your PBL group and largely considered a waste of time. Who knows, maybe the faculty will listen and get rid of it before next year (though I've finally found a way to make it worthwhile - three weeks before the end of the year).
Other things to consider:
- the entire course is pass/fail. This will be good or bad for you depending on your preferences
- we only have a single course each year, worth the entire 80 units required for full time study, under which falls every single subject (anatomy, histology, microbiology, pathology, immunology, biochemistry, professional development, etc., etc., etc.)
- the course is year-long. This means the final exam is worth 75% of your pass/fail grade, i.e. if you fail your final exam you fail the entire year (and will have to repeat the entire year if not awarded adverse circumstances/exam resit)
MSA/PQA: For me, the entire process (MMI + PQA + waiting around) took the full five hours that they ask you to allow on your invitation to interview. It can take less time if you are in the group that does MMI before PQA, because you can leave the PQA as soon as you finish it. Unfortunately, I did PQA first. My group had to wait around for the first group to finish their MMI (called an MSA at JMP - multiple skills assessment), for the interviewers to have a lunch break, and only then could we begin. It was a very long day!
The general consensus is you are offered a place based entirely on your MSA performance, and that the PQA is only used to eliminate people who raise red flags. However, I think the people at the JMP understand how flimsy the evidence is for use of PQA-style tests and don't rely too heavily on results. YOu can find useful information about the PQA on the PQA website, including sample questions.
If you do a bit of Googling, there's also a PowerPoint presentation about the use of the PQA by the University of Newcastle which is quite fascinating. It would seem the JMP is attempting to find people who will be suited to studying medicine, rather than those who will be "smart enough" for it.
What's the JMP like? My experience so far with JMP has been a mixed bag, for many different reasons, many of which have nothing to do with the course itself. The transition to MD means my cohort (first year of the MD-JMP) are being used as guinea pigs for the changes, and being heavily surveyed for our feedback. Overall, the faculty really want the program to be as good as possible - it's just been a bit of a learning curve for everyone so far.
My cohort was 75% under 21 at the start of the year. The majority of students have done something between high school and beginning medicine, whether it's a completed degree or just a year or two of another degree. As someone in my late 20's with a completed degree and several years in a career before starting medicine, I haven't found socialising a challenge at all - in fact, the people I study with are some of the best people I've ever met in my life.
Once you're in medicine, you're instantly part of the community, and it's unlike any other. The support and friendship from students from other cohorts is incredible. It's a world in itself. Of all things, I'm happiest with the community of intelligent, thoughtful and hilarious people I've been lucky enough to find myself in.
Strengths of MD-JMP:
- the faculty WANT to get it right
- research opportunities, including chance to get published before finishing degree
- 1.5 hours of wet lab anatomy per week (some week are histology labs instead)
- Lecturers are more than happy to speak with students before, during and after teaching, including through emails
- 4 hours/fortnight in the clinical skills lab at the hospital, practising with simulated patients (I actually sometimes find these sessions difficult, as I struggle with anxiety, but they are immensely helpful for many)
- I can only speak for Newcastle, but the campus is quite nice (though not as good as other university campuses, at least it's very convenient to the city and beaches etc)
Weaknesses of MD-JMP:
- new course means there isn't much solid information about how it will be structured e.g. when/where/what our placements will be, whether we will be able to complete placement/study overseas, what our "research" years will involve, how much contact with actual patients we will have, etc., etc.
- "Middle" PBL is basically a two hour forced study session with your PBL group and largely considered a waste of time. Who knows, maybe the faculty will listen and get rid of it before next year (though I've finally found a way to make it worthwhile - three weeks before the end of the year).
Other things to consider:
- the entire course is pass/fail. This will be good or bad for you depending on your preferences
- we only have a single course each year, worth the entire 80 units required for full time study, under which falls every single subject (anatomy, histology, microbiology, pathology, immunology, biochemistry, professional development, etc., etc., etc.)
- the course is year-long. This means the final exam is worth 75% of your pass/fail grade, i.e. if you fail your final exam you fail the entire year (and will have to repeat the entire year if not awarded adverse circumstances/exam resit)