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Non-standard Medicine Entry

DrDrLMG!

Resident Medical Officer
Administrator
To apply as a non-standard applicant, you need GPA and UCAT. Do you use the GPA for the first semester of uni or the final-end of the year gpa?

It depends on where you're applying to as to whether GPA, ATAR or a combination of both will be used. That said, if you've done a full year of Uni, those that actually use GPA will use your final-end of year GPA (with the exception of WSU which will use your ATAR if it's high enough and your GPA isn't or vice versa).
 
It depends on where you're applying to as to whether GPA, ATAR or a combination of both will be used. That said, if you've done a full year of Uni, those that actually use GPA will use your final-end of year GPA (with the exception of WSU which will use your ATAR if it's high enough and your GPA isn't or vice versa).
Thanks for the reply. Another follow up question though. Since I finish my first year of uni this year, are you saying that WSU will take my final-end of year GPA?
 

DrDrLMG!

Resident Medical Officer
Administrator
Thanks for the reply. Another follow up question though. Since I finish my first year of uni this year, are you saying that WSU will take my final-end of year GPA?

No, I'm saying that they'll take whatever is higher out of your GPA and your ATAR. For example, if your ATAR doesn't get you over their ATAR hurdle, but your 1 year GPA gets over the GPA hurdle, then they'll use GPA. OR If your 1 year GPA doesn't get you over their GPA hurdle but your ATAR gets over the ATAR hurdle, then they'll use that. And they'll continue to do so up until the point you have a completed degree, then they'll only use GPA.

If both your ATAR and your GPA are over the hurdle then they'll use whatever they want and it won't make any difference to you.
 

blub123

Member
Hi there, I'm a bit overwhelmed and need some advice about what to do regarding next years study.
I'm currently studying HSFY in NZ, and I'm not sure if my grade would be high enough to get into med. I am considering doing postgrad here but I've also been looking into universities in Australia, and I am wondering how I might be able to apply there via postgrad or non-standard application?
I am aware that as I will have completed one year of university in NZ that I will likely be ineligible for direct entry. Does this mean I'd have to have completed a degree before applying? Will universities in Australia look at my NZ NCEA Level 3 results or my HSFY results and if it's HSFY results, is there a standard GPA they are looking for?
Also, the UCAT is threshold at Otago University. How is it weighed in australia?

Thank you.
 

DrDrLMG!

Resident Medical Officer
Administrator
Hi there, I'm a bit overwhelmed and need some advice about what to do regarding next years study.
I'm currently studying HSFY in NZ, and I'm not sure if my grade would be high enough to get into med. I am considering doing postgrad here but I've also been looking into universities in Australia, and I am wondering how I might be able to apply there via postgrad or non-standard application?
I am aware that as I will have completed one year of university in NZ that I will likely be ineligible for direct entry. Does this mean I'd have to have completed a degree before applying? Will universities in Australia look at my NZ NCEA Level 3 results or my HSFY results and if it's HSFY results, is there a standard GPA they are looking for?
Also, the UCAT is threshold at Otago University. How is it weighed in australia?

Thank you.

There are several Australian universities you could apply to as a non-standard applicant once you've completed a year of study. You can't apply for graduate entry (there's no such thing as post-grad entry) until you have completed a degree and that is via GAMSAT, not UCAT.

So, for non-standard you'd be looking at UNSW, WSU, JMP, JCU, and Bond. You can find the information they they use in this thread and similar here at MSO, so I won't go over that again.

With regard to your GPA, yes all will convert your NZ GPA to an academic rank of some kind (and either use it on its own or in conjunction with your high school results, which they will also convert), you don't have to worry about doing that yourself, the relevant TAC will do it, but I think you can request conversions if you want to know (perhaps for a fee).

Only JMP used UMAT as a hurdle, and presumably they are doing the same thing with UCAT. Bond and JCU don't use UCAT at all.

Check out these threads: [Undergrad] - (2019 Updated) Med schools Selection Criteria Y12s & Non-standards
 
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Iz Rup

Member
No, I'm saying that they'll take whatever is higher out of your GPA and your ATAR. For example, if your ATAR doesn't get you over their ATAR hurdle, but your 1 year GPA gets over the GPA hurdle, then they'll use GPA. OR If your 1 year GPA doesn't get you over their GPA hurdle but your ATAR gets over the ATAR hurdle, then they'll use that. And they'll continue to do so up until the point you have a completed degree, then they'll only use GPA.

If both your ATAR and your GPA are over the hurdle then they'll use whatever they want and it won't make any difference to you.

Hi. If your GPA does get over their GPA hurdle (and it's better than your ATAR/OP), does the uni take your semester 1 GPA or end of year GPA? (I'll be finishing my first year of uni this year)
 

Crow

Staff | Junior Doctor
Moderator
Hi. If your GPA does get over their GPA hurdle (and it's better than your ATAR/OP), does the uni take your semester 1 GPA or end of year GPA? (I'll be finishing my first year of uni this year)
End of year. They don't look at GPA until after interviews have been completed, by which time your full results will have been released for the year.
 
Hi, I am a 1st year health and med science student at University of Adelaide. I am looking to transfer into their undergrad program. My GPA for this semester is at a 7 (all HDs), my question is if I can maintain this GPA or relatively close to it, what are my chances of recieving a place? Do they give more lee-way on UCAT percentiles for tertiary transfers?
 
Hey looking for some advice as a really weird non-standard applicant.
UMAT: 99
ATAR: 99.15

I studied undergrad med for 3.5 years with a pretty bad GPA (credit) before I got sick and took an early exit.
I have since completed 2 masters degrees (both with distinction).
I am now re-applying to med schools and want to avoid sitting the GAMSAT if I can (because lazy). If I don't get in anywhere I'll sit the GAMSAT and apply next year as a post-grad.

Atm I am applying to WSU, UNSW and JCU.
The first two as a transfer and the latter as a non-standard.

What do people think of my chances? Do you know of anyone who was accepted via transfer?
 

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Both JMP and WSU send out interview invites before ATAR or year-end GPA is known, so it's based solely on UCAT. Then when they come to the place offer stage:
- WSU: if your ATAR was >95.5 you're okay, if not they will check if your GPA is > 6.0 or 6.2 depending on the FTE you have done.
- JMP: they will check your GPA if you have done 1+ FTE year, otherwise ATAR.

UNSW sends out invites after ATAR/year-end GPA is known and counted into the interview selection. If you have done 0.75+ FTE year it's ATAR+GPA combined, otherwise ATAR only.

I'm in a bit of sticky situation at the moment. I did 5 subjects in my first semester (4 partially completed, 1 fully completed) and failed the one fully completed. The rest get completed after our end-of-year final oral examination but I've been sitting on D & HDs in those subjects. Right now, with my GPA of 5.1 (without the fail), I can comfortably apply to JMP, but I'm worried if I apply to them with the fail counting, it would bring my GPA to 4.9 (with the fail) and might not make the cutoff. But after what you've said, do they just give out interviews PURELY off of UCAT, and then check your GPA to give out actual place offers? In that case, by then, I should have finished my final oral exam, and my GPA should go up a fair bit if everything goes to plan. Thanks heaps mate
 

A1

Rookie Doc
Moderator
But after what you've said, do they just give out interviews PURELY off of UCAT, and then check your GPA to give out actual place offers?

Can confirm that^ for NSW/ACT/QLD/Rural applicants.

There's a variation which may or may not apply to you. I know of one person who received a JMP interview invite in Oct. Being interstate they were going to be interviewed in January (instead of November). When they rang to book an interview slot in January the JMP person saw their year-end GPA below the hurdle so refused to book them in.
 
Can confirm that^ for NSW/ACT/QLD/Rural applicants.

There's a variation which may or may not apply to you. I know of one person who received a JMP interview invite in Oct. Being interstate they were going to be interviewed in January (instead of November). When they rang to book an interview slot in January the JMP person saw their year-end GPA below the hurdle so refused to book them in.
Oh awesome, I'm NSW so that's pretty lucky. Thanks for the reply mate!
 

Kai2020

Member
Hi! Another non-standard applicant here.
I've previously sat the HSC a few years back and didn't receive an ATAR or UMAT score good enough for med so i started university and have studied around 2 years full time now. I decided to resit the HSC because my grades at uni weren't that good either and sit the UCAT as well this year. I've read on a few university applications that students who have started tertiary studies are not eligible to apply, some say that they take tertiary grades into account (which i would rather not because they're not that good) and some don't specify?
I've emailed a student representative from WSU and they said that they will take my new ATAR and UCAT into account not my previous studies.
I've also emailed university of new castle and the representative there was not really clear if I was eligible or not but she did say along the lines that my ATAR will be taken account?
I would love to have some clarification as what to do because I would really like to get into undergraduate med!
Cheers!
 

A1

Rookie Doc
Moderator
Hi! Another non-standard applicant here.
I've previously sat the HSC a few years back and didn't receive an ATAR or UMAT score good enough for med so i started university and have studied around 2 years full time now. I decided to resit the HSC because my grades at uni weren't that good either and sit the UCAT as well this year. I've read on a few university applications that students who have started tertiary studies are not eligible to apply, some say that they take tertiary grades into account (which i would rather not because they're not that good) and some don't specify?
I've emailed a student representative from WSU and they said that they will take my new ATAR and UCAT into account not my previous studies.
I've also emailed university of new castle and the representative there was not really clear if I was eligible or not but she did say along the lines that my ATAR will be taken account?
I would love to have some clarification as what to do because I would really like to get into undergraduate med!
Cheers!

My understanding of JMP rule is JMP will use GPA if you have done 1+ year of uni studies. Having a new ATAR doesn't wipe out your uni records since in the UAC application you will have to declare all your uni studies, thus GPA will be used if they stick to this rule. That said, JMP requires only 4.7+, is your GPA good enough?

WSU allows you to use either GPA 6.0+ or ATAR (93.5+ for GWS, 95.5+ for others). If your old or new ATAR meets this hurdle you are eligible to apply.

UNSW will use both your GPA and ATAR in 50/50 combination. It looks like you won't have much of a chance there even with a good new ATAR. I'm not sure how JCU will treat your case.

For all other schools, unfortunately a new ATAR doesn't change the fact your existing tertiary record makes you ineligible.
 

Kai2020

Member
My understanding of JMP rule is JMP will use GPA if you have done 1+ year of uni studies. Having a new ATAR doesn't wipe out your uni records since in the UAC application you will have to declare all your uni studies, thus GPA will be used if they stick to this rule. That said, JMP requires only 4.7+, is your GPA good enough?

WSU allows you to use either GPA 6.0+ or ATAR (93.5+ for GWS, 95.5+ for others). If your old or new ATAR meets this hurdle you are eligible to apply.

UNSW will use both your GPA and ATAR in 50/50 combination. It looks like you won't have much of a chance there even with a good new ATAR. I'm not sure how JCU will treat your case.

For all other schools, unfortunately a new ATAR doesn't change the fact your existing tertiary record makes you ineligible.
Thanks for your advice! I've emailed newcastle again and the representative said: "They will assess your HSC and ATAR but if you do not provide the information about your previous university studies they will not be assessed." Not sure how much to trust this
 

Crow

Staff | Junior Doctor
Moderator
Thanks for your advice! I've emailed newcastle again and the representative said: "They will assess your HSC and ATAR but if you do not provide the information about your previous university studies they will not be assessed." Not sure how much to trust this
You’ll need to apply through UAC though, who will then go through a process of obtaining your results from your university. You won’t be able to just “not provide the information” as far as I’m aware unless you were to lie on your UAC application (which comes with its own consequences, I would think).
 

A1

Rookie Doc
Moderator
Thanks for your advice! I've emailed newcastle again and the representative said: "They will assess your HSC and ATAR but if you do not provide the information about your previous university studies they will not be assessed." Not sure how much to trust this

It's likely you have reached a *general* Admissions officer, whom we have learned time & again can be vague about Med admissions. Best to contact someone at JMP med school directly.

From memory when submitting the UAC application you're asked to choose whether applying as a current or past Y12 student. If you choose past it will ask you to declare any tertiary studies. Are you willing to submit as a current Y12?

You may have seen this JMP webpage but I will mention it anyway
> Academic eligibility

"Your previous university study will be used to assess your academic eligibility if you will have completed at least one year full-time at a recognised higher education institution in Australia or overseas by the end of 2019. In this case, you will not be considered based on your Year 12 results."
 

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Kai2020

Member
It's likely you have reached a *general* Admissions officer, whom we have learned time & again can be vague about Med admissions. Best to contact someone at JMP med school directly.

From memory when submitting the UAC application you're asked to choose whether applying as a current or past Y12 student. If you choose past it will ask you to declare any tertiary studies. Are you willing to submit as a current Y12?

You may have seen this JMP webpage but I will mention it anyway
> Academic eligibility

"Your previous university study will be used to assess your academic eligibility if you will have completed at least one year full-time at a recognised higher education institution in Australia or overseas by the end of 2019. In this case, you will not be considered based on your Year 12 results."
Ahh right :confused: probably best to take the webpage's advice on eligibility.
Did you know by any chance which universities I would be able to apply for dentistry in my circumstance? (Not sure if it's best to ask here but thought I would try :))
Thanks again
 
Hi,
Just wondering approximately what UMAT percentiles in the past received interviews/ offers at WSU/ JMP once the ATAR/ GPA hurdle is cleared?
Thanks
 

A1

Rookie Doc
Moderator
Hi,
Just wondering approximately what UMAT percentiles in the past received interviews/ offers at WSU/ JMP once the ATAR/ GPA hurdle is cleared?
Thanks

These two schools didn't use all 3 section scores of UMAT equally. JMP used S1 only, about 86+%ile in this section to get an interview. WSU used mainly S1 + S2, about 92+%ile. (There were a few overall 97-98%ile not getting an interview since their S3 score made up a large part of that %ile).

For their place offers UMAT didn't matter much since JMP counted 100% on the interview, WSU 75% interview 25% UMAT.
 

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