Quick Questions Thread #2: 2018-2019

[DrDrLMG!]

Quick Questions Thread: 2018 <— previous thread for your browsing pleasure!

The earlier threads have been locked, and this has been created to continue them. Please ask any quick, non-UMAT specific, non-interview specific questions here. Also, if you're not sure where to post something, this can be a good option. Please do not create new threads without first looking to see if a related (or exactly the same!) thread already exists.

Dentistry and allied health 'quick questions' can also be posted here.

 

[Woo18]

Hi Ladies and Gents.
I am a little confused I have seen a few posts/comments about shadowing doctors to get experience before applying to Med Schools/ Unis. I am wondering how this is possible with all the confidentiality issues involved. My son has only been able to do work experience in things like Pharmacy, OT and Physio. Am I misunderstanding what is meant by shadowing. Sorry if this seems like a strange question.

 

[Mana]

Hi Ladies and Gents.
I am a little confused I have seen a few posts/comments about shadowing doctors to get experience before applying to Med Schools/ Unis. I am wondering how this is possible with all the confidentiality issues involved. My son has only been able to do work experience in things like Pharmacy, OT and Physio. Am I misunderstanding what is meant by shadowing. Sorry if this seems like a strange question.

As with medical students, if the doctor that has graciously allowed someone to shadow them during their practice, and they are seeing a patient, the patient has the right to decline the involvement of the student/whoever is shadowing. This is no different whether or not you are in medical school.

It is not necessarily easy to get experience in this before medical school, and certainly the vast majority of applicants (successful or not) have not had this opportunity prior to medical school.

However, there are some professions in which you will get to occasionally observe medical practitioners at work which are often accessible to school leavers - for example, being a hospital orderly (someone who cleans the beds/moves patients/delivers pathological specimens/etc).

 

[walks787]

Hi everyone!

I am a rural applicant and am just wondering what UMAT score will be adequate for an interview to Uni of Adelaide and UNSW. I’m currently on a gap year. My atar was 98.3 and I’m from an RA2 area.

Many Thanks!!

 

[Logic]

Hi everyone!

I am a rural applicant and am just wondering what UMAT score will be adequate for an interview to Uni of Adelaide and UNSW. I’m currently on a gap year. My atar was 98.3 and I’m from an RA2 area.

Many Thanks!!

Welcome walks787 ,

With an ATAR of 98.3, a UMAT of around 60%ile or higher should get you an interview at UNSW according to last year (although the higher the better chance of getting an offer of course).

In regards to Adelaide, you would most likely require in the mid 80%iles to get an interview in the first round, as interviews there are only based on UMAT. However, what happened last year is that after one or two of the offer rounds, they had to offer more interviews through phone and I know of one with around high 60%iles and 98s in terms of ATARs who got interviews through phone later on. Not sure if Adelaide will do the same this year, but that is around the lowest that I have seen.

Also something to keep in mind is that some universities weigh how long you have lived in a rural area using a rurality index. so e.g. if you lived in RA2 longer, your cut off for an interview would get lower.

 

[walks787]

Welcome walks787 ,

With an ATAR of 98.3, a UMAT of around 60%ile or higher should get you an interview at UNSW according to last year (although the higher the better chance of getting an offer of course).

In regards to Adelaide, you would most likely require in the mid 80%iles to get an interview in the first round, as interviews there are only based on UMAT. However, what happened last year is that after one or two of the offer rounds, they had to offer more interviews through phone and I know of one with around high 60%iles and 98s in terms of ATARs who got interviews through phone later on. Not sure if Adelaide will do the same this year, but that is around the lowest that I have seen.

Also something to keep in mind is that some universities weigh how long you have lived in a rural area using a rurality index. so e.g. if you lived in RA2 longer, your cut off for an interview would get lower.

Thanks very much Logic!

Are rural interview offers at Adelaide that high?

 

[Logic]

Thanks very much Logic!

Are rural interview offers at Adelaide that high?

It appears so (although we only had about 2 entries last year so it might not be 100% accurate). As I mentioned this is mostly due to UMAT being the only determining factor for interview which would result in a higher UMAT cut off.

UNSW is lower because they also factor in a predicted ATAR (or the ATAR that you got since you are on a gap year). Your higher ATAR may offset a lower UMAT enough to receive a phone interview if they choose to do those this year.

A thread you might be interested in looking at is 2018 Entry Interview Invites - Collated

Best of luck

 

[walks787]

It appears so (although we only had about 2 entries last year so it might not be 100% accurate). As I mentioned this is mostly due to UMAT being the only determining factor for interview which would result in a higher UMAT cut off.

UNSW is lower because they also factor in a predicted ATAR (or the ATAR that you got since you are on a gap year). Your higher ATAR may offset a lower UMAT enough to receive a phone interview if they choose to do those this year.

A thread you might be interested in looking at is 2018 Entry Interview Invites - Collated

Best of luck

Ahhh okay okay. Thank you very much for this info. It was extremely helpful .

I will check out that link now!

 

[Tomato]

Welcome walks787 ,

With an ATAR of 98.3, a UMAT of around 60%ile or higher should get you an interview at UNSW according to last year (although the higher the better chance of getting an offer of course).

In regards to Adelaide, you would most likely require in the mid 80%iles to get an interview in the first round, as interviews there are only based on UMAT. However, what happened last year is that after one or two of the offer rounds, they had to offer more interviews through phone and I know of one with around high 60%iles and 98s in terms of ATARs who got interviews through phone later on. Not sure if Adelaide will do the same this year, but that is around the lowest that I have seen.

Also something to keep in mind is that some universities weigh how long you have lived in a rural area using a rurality index. so e.g. if you lived in RA2 longer, your cut off for an interview would get lower.

Does UNSW treat RA2 as rural?

 

[Logic]

Does UNSW treat RA2 as rural?

UNSW uses the RRMA classification system with RRMA3-7 classified as rural . You can usually check if something is RRMA3+ by using DoctorConnect - Locator . I think pretty much all RA2 locations are at least RRMA3 (although not sure if all)

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Does UNSW treat RA2 as rural?

I am RA2 and was considered rural at JMP, UTAS, and WSU, but NOT at Curtin or UNSW once I'd used their method of determining rurality. It's definitely something you need to double check and doesn't automatically convert from one system to the next.

 

[live1234]

Hope you're all keeping busy while we wait! It's a struggle
I just wanted to ask if anyone knows the GPA requirements to getting into UTAS if i've finished a tertiary degree (not at UTAS), and I'm not from Tasmania? I know they offer bonuses for Tas residents etc.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hope you're all keeping busy while we wait! It's a struggle
I just wanted to ask if anyone knows the GPA requirements to getting into UTAS if i've finished a tertiary degree (not at UTAS), and I'm not from Tasmania? I know they offer bonuses for Tas residents etc.

Unfortunately, if you have started a degree that is not BMedRes at UTAS specifically, you're not eligible for UTAS as of this year's applications. 2017 applications (for 2018 start) was the last year for UTAS accepting uni students from interstate or from non-BMedRes degrees. I am incredibly cynical about this change and think it's a money making scheme, so I am very sorry and annoyed on your behalf.

Your only options are JCU, UNSW, WSU, JMP, Bond, and Curtin. As well as graduate entry med places given you've completed a degree.

ETA: GPA requirements for those Unis vary, and some depend on your UMAT (and vice versa).

 

[live1234]

Unfortunately, if you have started a degree that is not BMedRes at UTAS specifically, you're not eligible for UTAS as of this year's applications. 2017 applications (for 2018 start) was the last year for UTAS accepting uni students from interstate or from non-BMedRes degrees. I am incredibly cynical about this change and think it's a money making scheme, so I am very sorry and annoyed on your behalf.

Your only options are JCU, UNSW, WSU, JMP, Bond, and Curtin. As well as graduate entry med places given you've completed a degree.

ETA: GPA requirements for those Unis vary, and some depend on your UMAT (and vice versa).

Ohhhh no thank you for your response though. It is really frustrating. I've found a lot of the grad programs are starting to do similar things (when I started my undergrad at UQ, you were eligible for all grad programs). Now flinders mostly takes flinders grads etc. It's tough

 

[A1]

Ohhhh no thank you for your response though. It is really frustrating. I've found a lot of the grad programs are starting to do similar things (when I started my undergrad at UQ, you were eligible for all grad programs). Now flinders mostly takes flinders grads etc. It's tough

To help you have a clearer understanding, you have likened UTas an undergrad med school to other grad programs. Excluding Monash (since imo Monash doesn't count as a grad school) only Flinders has allocated a generous part of its quota to its own grads. The other 10 grad schools are still open to grads anywhere.

 

[Smelly Boy]

Wait can I apply at Curtin uni? Thought it was only if you are at Curtin or graduate from Curtin or if u a school leaver

 

[A1]

Wait can I apply at Curtin uni? Thought it was only if you are at Curtin or graduate from Curtin or if u a school leaver

Where have you been hiding haha. We've been saying here for yonks that Curtin undergrad students + grads anywhere can apply to Curtin.
(but there are only a few, like 6-7 places, in this subquota)

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Wait can I apply at Curtin uni? Thought it was only if you are at Curtin or graduate from Curtin or if u a school leaver

YOU can't apply to Curtin (yet), but other people, like the person I was replying to, can

 

[Smelly Boy]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Mana]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[offtopic]Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? [/offtopic]